Technical question for, well...tech heads...
POSTED BY: chrisisall
UPDATED: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 17:43
VIEWED: 6216
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I doubt I'd really go after an upconverting DVD player at this point - UNLESS it were a really, really good deal. Like the one I found on Woot.com: Philips HDMI upconverting DVD player for $19.99, plus $5 shipping. Hard to go wrong with that...
I haven't hooked it up yet. My entertainment system is an absolute Frankensteinish nightmare of wiring, and adding ANYTHING can be a days-long ordeal. Right now, it's all working perfectly, so I'm reticent to mess with success.
What I've got at the moment:
42" Westinghouse LCD TV (4 HDMI inputs on the back really, really helps!), fed by...
1) TimeWarner HD DVR.
2) RCA home theatre surround sound system with DVD player
3) Philips DVD-R DVD recorder with 160GB hard drive.
4) PlayStation 2.
5) Wii.
So now I just need to figure out how to chain the new DVD unit in so that I get the high-def upconvert function AND get the sound through the surround system.
It's not much of a home theatre system, but it works well for my needs.
Mike
Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day...
Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
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Quote:Actually, seen part of it on Blu at Buymore (sorry, Bestbuy
Originally posted by BigRichard:
just wait till you get a 47" LCD and watch Serenity on BluRay.
), and it didn't look much better than what I see at home now.
The laughing Chrisisall
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Fair enough. Maybe I've got the Placebo effect, but it just looks better to me. Maybe my eyes just kick your eyes' ass?
Eh, either way, it was worth it for the extra special features and to support the cause!
(also...on a seperate note...CHUCK IS COMING BACK YAY!! I know we've known this for a while now, but I'm just SO happy. Chuck, Castle AND Dollhouse! Who woulda thunk it?)
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Quote:Yes, celebrations all around!!!
Originally posted by BigRichard:
Chuck, Castle AND Dollhouse! Who woulda thunk it?
BTW, an upconvert & HDMI cable just brought it up to perfection.
The laughing Chrisisall
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I have a tech question too. I need an inexpensive (if there is one) sound system (no DVD player-already have one) for a 40" HDTV that sounds a bit tiney, even when tweaked.
I don't have much room for speakers as my living room layout is small. Is a sound bar the way to go?
http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/
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I have a 37" LCD set, an HD DVR, a very good upconverting DVD player/recorder, and a PS3, all connected via HDMI.
There have been certain Blu-Ray discs that I didn't think were that much better than the regular DVD upconverted, that is until I did a test. I put in my Collector's Edition of Serenity in the upconverting player and the Blu-Ray in the PS3, then toggled back and forth between the inputs for those two players. The Blu-Ray is clearly superior in every detail, but most especially in the daytime, outdoor scenes. The darker, interior scenes were an improvement too, just not as much. But the dark shadows were not as muddied as on the regular DVD, and the color saturation and sharpness of detail in all scenes is superior on the Blu-Ray.
I think one of the reasons I was expecting more of a difference initially is that most of the really spectacular displays at Best Buy were on the largest plasma screens.
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Quote:Yes, good point.
Originally posted by ecgordon:
I think one of the reasons I was expecting more of a difference initially is that most of the really spectacular displays at Best Buy were on the largest plasma screens.
Perhaps some day I might get a PS3, and then I might dabble in Blu-Rays, but for now, on my 26" LCD, all is well. I'm buggin' to the definition.
Firestarter was incredible..the fire looked 3D...
Star Trek VI blew me away...
The non-anamorphics (Armageddon, Escape From LA, Accidental Spy) basically looked mostly the same- a bit brighter maybe.
The laughing Chrisisall
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Quote:
Originally posted by ncbrowncoat:
I have a tech question too. I need an inexpensive (if there is one) sound system (no DVD player-already have one) for a 40" HDTV that sounds a bit tiney, even when tweaked.
I don't have much room for speakers as my living room layout is small. Is a sound bar the way to go?
Well, I've been known as an audiophile, but WHAT is a sound bar?
Your best friend for sound quality is a decent Equalizer. 10 bands is good, 8 bands is ok. Helps if it has the pink noise generator and mic for the tuning/calibration. If not those, then borrow a friend's who has the pink noise and mic. This makes your room into the same sound fidelity as a recording studio. Getting one used is great.
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It's speakers in a bar that fit over or just below the TV, with a sub woofer, in the $250-$450 range. I looked at a couple yesterday.
My problem is my living room is small and narrow. My TV is in a corner, caty cornered to the sofa. The sofa is in front of a large window and near the front door so running wires and positioning speakers is problematic.
http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/
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Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:Quote:Yes, good point.
Originally posted by ecgordon:
I think one of the reasons I was expecting more of a difference initially is that most of the really spectacular displays at Best Buy were on the largest plasma screens.
Perhaps some day I might get a PS3, and then I might dabble in Blu-Rays, but for now, on my 26" LCD, all is well. I'm buggin' to the definition.
Firestarter was incredible..the fire looked 3D...
Star Trek VI blew me away...
The non-anamorphics (Armageddon, Escape From LA, Accidental Spy) basically looked mostly the same- a bit brighter maybe.
The laughing Chrisisall
A little bit of trivia. Firestarter was one of the first movies filmed in my hometown of Wilmington, N.C.
My Mom taught 3rd grade and one of her students, who showed horses, was the "stunt double rider" in the horse back scene for Drew Barrymore.
I also love to spot local areas I'm familiar with in that movie and the other movies and TV series filmed there.
http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/
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