Chris Tsutsui
Screenwriter
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2002
- Messages
- 1,865
Starting from scratch, I have to come up with an equiptment list and options for a relative who is building a home theater in a relatively small den. The room is already built so I just have to find the things to go in it and deal with hiding wires the best I can.
Display:
Panasonic TH-50PHD6UY 50" Plasma TV
about $6,000 shipped. I know some may be thinking 50" is pretty big, but he thinks 42" isn't enough.
Source: For HDTV, he has DirectTV and i'll ask if he's going to want to pay for an HDTV service and get a receiver. Other than that, it will just be standard definition from DirectTV, and DVD.
I may talk him into getting a scaler for improving the PQ of his DirectTV and get something like the DVDO iScan HD. I don't know how SDTV will look just using the 50PHD6UY though, any thoughts about a scaler for the plasma?
DVD player:
Pioneer DV-563A for $150 or a Denon DVD-2200 for about $600.
Seating:
Some reclining Lazy boys, or I read in a few posts about Berkline 090 or 099 recliners that i'll have him demo.
Speakers:
Here's where some fun comes into play because he will have the option of any DIY speaker on the market and only have to pay for materials plus some labor. The room is said to be on the small side, i'm going to measure it on 2/14/04 but I heard its almost like a den. I'm now thinking that small speakers on stands all around (aesthetics wise) will go well with the wall mounted plasma. Something like Jordans which I think sound pretty good, or GR-Research AV-1s or something along those lines. He has a 5.1 setup of AV-2s and a 194L tempest in his bedroom which I sort of wanted to out-do, which doesn't seem like it's going to be easy to do without spending a lot.
I havn't looked into receivers yet, but the one in his bedroom is an older Kenwood THX select model which he likes just fine. (He's not an audiophile and probably wants to spend about $500 with $1k being tops)
I also don't know what wires and cables to get. I don't think he'd benefit from spending a lot on wires so I'll probably have to look for something that's cheap and gets the job done. He'd need wires to connect dvd player to tv via component, a digital audio, and then just speaker wire. I wonder if he gets his DirectTV HD installed that the installers will set it all up. OR, should I have him buy an HD box reciever and set it up myself.
Other:
He will need an equiptment rack to store the components, I guess I could just pick one up locally or is there a popular one that can be ordered online?
I havn't talked about acoustic treatments, but I might be able to talk his wife into getting me to put up some compressed fiberglass panels covered with fabric on the walls.
For audio/video calibration i'll have to get a test disk and set it up for him because he hardly knows how to operate a DVD menu. Should I recommend he gets his plasma ISF calibrated by someone?
Last is tactile transducers. I'm thinking of recommending the Aura Pro shakers like 1 for each seat powered by a subwoofer amp, and telling him about butt kickers.
Again, I'd like as many options as possible that I can give him for his HT. Because he doesn't know anything about audio/video, i'm also thinking of convincing him to buy an easy to use remote. I checked out the Harmony Remote Model SST-659 and it seems like it might help him out.
I know this is a lot of info, but any feedback would be appreciated.
Chris
Display:
Panasonic TH-50PHD6UY 50" Plasma TV
about $6,000 shipped. I know some may be thinking 50" is pretty big, but he thinks 42" isn't enough.
Source: For HDTV, he has DirectTV and i'll ask if he's going to want to pay for an HDTV service and get a receiver. Other than that, it will just be standard definition from DirectTV, and DVD.
I may talk him into getting a scaler for improving the PQ of his DirectTV and get something like the DVDO iScan HD. I don't know how SDTV will look just using the 50PHD6UY though, any thoughts about a scaler for the plasma?
DVD player:
Pioneer DV-563A for $150 or a Denon DVD-2200 for about $600.
Seating:
Some reclining Lazy boys, or I read in a few posts about Berkline 090 or 099 recliners that i'll have him demo.
Speakers:
Here's where some fun comes into play because he will have the option of any DIY speaker on the market and only have to pay for materials plus some labor. The room is said to be on the small side, i'm going to measure it on 2/14/04 but I heard its almost like a den. I'm now thinking that small speakers on stands all around (aesthetics wise) will go well with the wall mounted plasma. Something like Jordans which I think sound pretty good, or GR-Research AV-1s or something along those lines. He has a 5.1 setup of AV-2s and a 194L tempest in his bedroom which I sort of wanted to out-do, which doesn't seem like it's going to be easy to do without spending a lot.
I havn't looked into receivers yet, but the one in his bedroom is an older Kenwood THX select model which he likes just fine. (He's not an audiophile and probably wants to spend about $500 with $1k being tops)
I also don't know what wires and cables to get. I don't think he'd benefit from spending a lot on wires so I'll probably have to look for something that's cheap and gets the job done. He'd need wires to connect dvd player to tv via component, a digital audio, and then just speaker wire. I wonder if he gets his DirectTV HD installed that the installers will set it all up. OR, should I have him buy an HD box reciever and set it up myself.
Other:
He will need an equiptment rack to store the components, I guess I could just pick one up locally or is there a popular one that can be ordered online?
I havn't talked about acoustic treatments, but I might be able to talk his wife into getting me to put up some compressed fiberglass panels covered with fabric on the walls.
For audio/video calibration i'll have to get a test disk and set it up for him because he hardly knows how to operate a DVD menu. Should I recommend he gets his plasma ISF calibrated by someone?
Last is tactile transducers. I'm thinking of recommending the Aura Pro shakers like 1 for each seat powered by a subwoofer amp, and telling him about butt kickers.
Again, I'd like as many options as possible that I can give him for his HT. Because he doesn't know anything about audio/video, i'm also thinking of convincing him to buy an easy to use remote. I checked out the Harmony Remote Model SST-659 and it seems like it might help him out.
I know this is a lot of info, but any feedback would be appreciated.
Chris
