Need home theatre recommendations

Just purchased a new 50" plasma TV, (was a birthday present for my wife :-)) and am now starting the process of upgrading other components. Need blu-ray, DVD, audio refresh too (my receiver/amp combo unit is a 30 year old Kenwood!).
I am not going to spend mega bucks to do this... but want current technology. We mostly are TV watchers, but with new better TV will probably move into blu-ray now too. Have old DVD,s and would want the "upconvert" as well as a way to dock in and listen from iPods...
Some recommendations? From just reading through a handful of posts on this site, this looks like a great place to hear what's relevant! Thanks!

ahhh the I want the bang but dont want to spend the bucks......ok....entry level then........
DVD Player: Samsung BDP-1600 Can be had for around $150 online
Onkyo Home Theater In A Box (HTIB): Can be had online for around $400 to $500
Onkyo system will act as your control station. Cable box, DVD, Video game system etc would plug into it and then only 1 HDMI cord to the TV...save for alot of longs wires. All sources would upconvert.
Best deal is likely $550.....
Higher end is likely $700

Similar Messages

Itunes to Home Theatre : Do I NEED Apple TV ?

My primary goal is simply to feed my iTunes music to my new Yamaha home theatre (HTIB). It would be nice, but not necessarily my goal to also send video from my iMac to the home theatre.
Near as I can tell, I have the following options :
Option 1 : run miniDVI >>DVI>>HDMI cable from my iMac to HTIB receiver. The Yamaha receiver only has 2 HDMI inputs, which I'd really like to use for my DVD player and HD DVR, so this is not my preferable option. Plus, I have read that it's not advisable to run HDMI more than about 16 feet, which I'd be right about at that length. I understand that I may need to do some configuring in my iMac controls set-up to make sure that all the audio currently playing on the iMac speakers is sent to the HDMI out.
Option 2 : run the audio out the headphone jack on the iMac, converted to red/white cable to the Yamaha receiver. Isn't the headphone jack output an analog signal? If so, this option seems like a sub-optimal solution. I'm not even sure if the Yamaha receiver would handle getting an analog input when it expects digital. Clearly I want to get the audio to the receiver in digital format; same as a CD player component into the receiver, right ?
Option 3 : get an AppleTV : I think I understand how that would work, and it should work nicely, for both audio and video. I currently have a syslink wireless router. The only downside appears to be the cost. I'd like to find a simple iMac to receiver wired connection to send (digitally) my iTunes to the home theatre, if possible. I'd prefer not to spend the $230 if I can get away with it
Option 4 : My iMac has what I believe to be "firewire" output. I'm not sure, the symbol next to the output port is sort of like the USB symbol, but different. I'm not sure what this port is, or if it has applications for what I'm trying to do.
Option 5 : is thewre a USB solution for me ? I know I have several open USB ports back there.
Option 6 : what about a hard wired connection from my Syslink router to the Home theatre ? How would I get my iTunes sent out through the network cable to the router ? I see a network cable input to the Yahama - maybe this is an option ?
Thanks !
from my iMac does carry audio and video, but the
PROS : simple, no need for AppleTV,

1 - non-starter unless you run analogue/optical audio cable too - DVI only transmits video, no audio
2 - iMac audio out can be set to be analogue or optical - your receiver might accept either - what's the model?
4 - you don't need this to accomplish what you want
5 - not without replicating functionality the iMac audio out already has
6 - again, give the receiver model - you ay have more options if this is say a DLNA compliant device that allows media to be streamed to it
3 - personally I think AppleTv is great for music playback and why I bought mine - does your receiver have component in (the other video out on AppleTV) and optical digital in? Or maybe the TV has component video and you could connect AppleTV to TV for video signal and run optical lead for audio to receiver (though you'd not get AppleTV soud through the TV).
As others mention, an Airport Express is another option which can be a cheaper audio out extension for your computer to playback iTunes digitally via optical cable. Cheaper, but you either need the iMac nearby to control this (so just use the iMac) or an iPhone/iPod Touch to select the music. The downside to the iPhone/iPod Touch in my opinion is that they'd need to be charged with excellent wireless reception in the room you want to use them - both my iPhones wi-fi in the house is flaky to say the least whereas my AppleTV is near perfect for reception.
Tell us what the receiver type is.

I can't see music/video files from my iPad2 or Nano on my Phillips home theatre. Do I need to covert the files?

I can't see music/video files from my iPad2 or Nano on my Phillips home theatre. Do I need to covert the files?

The problem is I can no longer back up my photo and video files taken on my phone, saved to my mac, by copying them and saving them on a USB stick or other external hard drive.
Select the photos and videos in Photos and use the command "File > Export" and select a folder on your USB stick to save the photos to.

PC and Home Theatre Hookup....need advice

)PC and Home Theatre Hookup....need adviced Ok, I'll try not to sound so illiterate......
I am in the process of connecting my PC to my home theater setup and have the following:
. The computer has the X-Fi Platinum Fatality card with the I/O Bay
2. The A/V receiver is the Sony STR-DG70...it has the Optical and Coaxial digital inputs and it does have the dts logo
3. Polk Audio 5. speakers connected to receiver
4. The Creative Home Theater Connect DTS-60
Now the questions:
. Could I have just used the Flexijack connection on the card running to receiver digital optical input? I am not using the I/O 3/2" bay that came with the card....don't have an extra bay to install in the new case?
2. Could I have just used the Sound Blaster Digital I/O Module from the Flexijack connection on the card?to receiver digital optical input?
3. Or do I need to use the Creative Home Theater Connect DTS-60? And if so is the Optical connection the best of the two?
Thanks so much for any help,
Kenny

- This will fit your "flexi-jack" when connecting to optical sources........
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000V0ETB0/ref=ox_ya_oh_product"]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000V0ETB0/ref=ox_ya_oh_product[/url]
This may save you the trouble of buying the I/O module.

Is the ATV right for my needs in home theatre

Ok, I am considering the ATV to go with a home theatre set up.
But, I have questions that I can't seem to find here.
The Tv networks, that ATV support, is lacking. Will there be more in the line-up in the future? I enjoy TLC, Military channel, History channel, Discovery etc.... I did not see them listed. Did I miss something?
If I don't need the Tv shows, rent/buy movies options, which don't seem to work very well by the looks of all the troubleshooting posts, will the airport express fulfill my music and photos streaming needs by using Front Row? Or is there more to the ATV that I am not seeing?
Also, is it better to hook the ATV to a receiver via HDMI or Digital optical-then HDMI from the receiver to the HDTV-thus letting the receiver do all the work versus going straight to the tv. Does one produce better sound and picture?
Cheers
Message was edited by: JAY39
Message was edited by: JAY39

JAY39 wrote:
Jolly Giant,
That comparison was extremely helpful. I have heard and read on many forums about the Mac Mini. I have read that the built in DVD player in the Mac, supports 1080P and 24 fps. So, by using the Mac Mini option, you don't necessarily need a blue ray player thus achieving the same results.
true. keep in mind, though, that you will need a keyboard and mouse to some extent to operate the mini. consider if you want those gadgets in your living room.
But, then I would have to run an ethernet cable internally from my computer to the tv, which is not a problem.
take a look @ powerline adaptors such as these.
With the ATV, I am concerned that the airport/wifi option will result in slow service. Is this true? I have Time Capsule as my router-which runs on N and not G band.
ATV is wireless n capable (so is the mini) and that should provide enough bandwidth to view HD content. both ATV and mini also have gigabit ethernet ports.
also, in my experience the difference between 720p and 1080p is hardly discernible for the average eye and it would take a real good TV set to be able to tell them apart.
personally, i like the mini to be my central media server because, once set up, i can put it somewhere in the house (don't even need a monitor attached - just use screen sharing) but i'd opt for the ATV in my living room every time.
so, it comes down to your preferences. ask ten people and you will probably get ten different answers.
whichever way you choose, you can't go wrong and that's the main thing.
enjoy ...

Streaming iTunes to Your Home Theatre

Anyone have any success streaming iTunes to your home theatre. I currently have Tivo that gets me to my music (but not the album art) and I have Roku Soundbridge that also gets me to my music but not my art work. I want to have my stereo play the music via either Roku or Tivo while having my TV display the alubm artwork or iTunes interface. My computer is NOT near my TV and I dont have an internal network so I would need a wireless solution.
Anyone know of anything?

Assuming all your iTunes music is stored as MP3s and that you are on a PC, then I recommend you try out Harmonium, Audio Faucet or Galleon. All three will stream music and I believe all three can support cover art in one fashion or another.
All three of these are Java applications and should work on a Mac, but still require the music to be in MP3 format.

How to connect Apple TV to DVD blu-ray home theatre

Hi guys, I am planning to buy Apple TV2 and I was wondering is there setup guide for connecting to HDTV and home theatre system. I currently have LG HDTV and LG DVD Blu-ray Home Theatre. They are connected with HDMI 1.3 cable and I had to get optical cable to get sound from TV to Home theatre.
How is Apple TV fits into that? I have 1 HDMI slot free on TV and 2 HDMI inputs on DVD system.
I was thinking just to connect Apple TV to DVD via HDMI? Would that put sound on home theatre system?
Thank you in advance.
ddrasko

You have read home theatre manual about playing sound from external device.
You doesn't need to connect home theatre to tv at all as you have get video from apple tv.
Connect video output from apple tv to tv(may carry sound along) and optical cable from apple tv to home theatre.
That will do. You can mute sound of tv(in case hdmi carry sound along) or using other function(on samsung ) and hear from home theatre sound from speakers.

Mac Mini as Home Theatre (advice please)

Hi There,
I am considering a Mac Mini to connect to my TV as a Home Theatre device. I just found out that the latest model has no optical drive & so that is a real blow to me as it is a very important factor.
I have checked the older models & it seems the mid-2010 model might have what I need.
It would be great if someone could confirm that model will have what I need...
1) Must play PAL DVD & NTSC DVD (region2) directly. (My PS3 only plays NTSC, my xbox360 has died)
2) Must have bluetooth - either for trackpad or PS3 controller (i beleive snow leopard has native PS3 controller support)
3) Must have full HDMI output (audio+video)
4) Wireless would be best, but LAN connection is fine.
5) Must be a small device that can easily be moved from room-to-room.
6) Having a decent web browser capable of using Megavideo etc, would be big bonus.
With no optical drive, it would mean streaming a disc from my iMac but this inconveinience makes the Mini's price tag unviable for me, since playing these DVD's is the primary reason to buy.
I could of course save a lot of money & buy a region free dvd player, but i thought with the other benefits of web browser on tv it would be the ultimate solution.
How about Apple TV? Thats $99 & would stream. But will it stream a DVD from the iMac? & does it have a web browser?
For $99 the compromise would be worth it.
Although as I live in Japan & am originally from UK - Netflix etc is impossible for me.
Thanks for any advice or sugestions.

libelulacero wrote:
EG: If you are in USA (region1) & you insert a region 2 disc you will not be able to play it unless you change the region lock. You can do that, but only 5 times ever & then you will be locked to that region forever.
I dont know if this applies to laptops, even more dumb if it does, because of course in business you may need to travel to many regions with your job.
It does. It even applies to Apple's external dvd drive for the Airbook. Apple is mad to go along with the DVD cartel on this. It is not uncommon for people to have DVDs from 3 or more regions. It is simply NOT GOOD ENOUGH that their customers have to resort to workarounds like:
* buying extra DVD drives
* finding some other software to play DVDs
* various hacks to reset the region change count
* altering the firmware on the DVD drive (voiding warranty and risking damage to drive)
Basically, wasting a lot of time mucking around, just so that they can play a bloody dvd. Get your act together Apple, and show some respect for people who hand you bucket loads of cash to buy a product that is supposed to just work, like your marketing hype says it should.
This policy is imposed by the movie studios on hardware makers. However a lot of hardware makers now ignore this insanity. Unfortunately Apple have chosen to obey this.
To show you the level of insanity, Sony are one of the big Movie Studios, Sony of course also make DVD players. Guess what, their home DVD players are able to play multiple regions. So even Sony at least in part think DVD regions are nuts.
On Blu-Rays there is also a similar Region protection scheme. All the resellers think it is just as stupid as the DVD region scheme. In fact resellers make a specific point of advertising titles that are region free as region free (not all titles enforce this on Blu-Ray). If having a title region free is regarded as means of increasing legal sales by resellers, clearly this means region protection is harming sales.
Movie Studio = Moron. QED

Mac Mini Home Theatre PC + Lion = Big Bag of Hurt

I have a mac mini (2010) connected via HDMI to a switcher and on to either a TV or projector. The TV happens to be on a wall 90° to the projector screen. The audio is also wired via toslink/optical cable to the AV amplifier. The main speakers are aligned with the projection setup so its nice to have the TV sound come from the TV directly sometimes, even though the quality is dreadful compared to the main speakers (as opposed to rich sound coming from only the left side).
Running under Snow Leopard was fine - just switch the audio out from the HDMI to the Optical out at will (as one would expect through the sound output control panel).
Unfortunately I thought it would be cool to update to Lion to have a trackpad rather than the mouse on the coffee table. Bad idea!
Under 10.7.1 it all seemed to be working OK. Sound from main speakers, picture over HDMI on TV or projector. Sweet. Then I tried to change to the TV's speakers via the control panel. Nothing works. Click on either "optical out" or "Panasonic HDMI" and nothing changes, the audio keeps coming through the amplifier to the main speakers. Oh, well, the TV's sound was crap anyway, I could live with this at a push.
Update to 10.7.3. Whoops. Now the sound only comes out through the HDMI cable to the television. Permanently. Again, choosing either option in the control panel has no effect. Apple seems to have hardwired it this way and those options are an illusion. Now, I want to watch a movie - ZERO sound! The projector has no speaker, but apple is sending the audio there along the hdmi and I have no way of routing it to the Toslink cable anymore. Total train smash!! Silent movies - whoo hoo. Fail.
Annoyingly, this isn't a limitation of the hardware at all (it worked perfectly as expected in Snow Leopard) - its obviously a conscious decision. Or no one at apple bothers to test their stuff properly any more. All suggestions summarised - get new hardware - either new AV amplifier which accepts hdmi or extra cables to feed audio back from the TV to the amp!!?? Jeez. It used to work perfectly already without that.
Oh well, restoring to Snow Leopard as I type. Will have to find another use for that magic trackpad I stupidly bought on Monday. So if you have a Mac Mini Home Theatre PC and you need the options on routing video and audio separately, stay away from Lion!

You didn't need Lion in the first place for the track pad:
System Requirements
Bluetooth-enabled Mac computer
Two AA batteries (included)
OS X Snow Leopard v10.6.4 or later
I was using one with my 2010 Mini before Lion in my
HTPC setup.

How do I stream iTunes content to my home theatre using any combination of a MacBook Pro, an iPhone 4s, and a PS3 using only a LOCAL network?

I have found many solutions to this problem assuming home internet access, but I only have access to the internet via my iPhone. I do not want online capability in my PS3. All I want to be able to do is control iTunes on my MacBook, and hear/view the content on my home theatre. I would prefer to use my iPhone as the remote for iTunes, and do not want to add the monthly cost of home internet to this equation. I do not require access to anything on my MacBook except iTunes in this application. I would prefer to use iTunes and stream to my home theatre, as opposed to setting up my MacBook as a media server and using the PS3 interface. Is this possible? Can I accomplish this goal using a local network? Can I create a wifi network on my MacBook to do this, or do I need a router? I am looking to spend as little as possible on this project, as I plan on moving to a more urban area soon, and will be buying Apple TV and subscribing to home internet service when this happens.

Get an AirPort Express. It has an audio out which you can connect to the line-in on your home theatre system. All the other devices will talk to the AirPort Express and stream content to it via wi-fi.

Can I connect 2 sony bravia's, a sony home theatre, 2 macbooks, 2 ipads, 3 iphones and a dell laptop and stream media from my apple devices to my tv?

Can I connect 2 sony bravia's, a sony home theatre, 2 macbooks, 2 ipads, 3 iphones and a dell laptop and stream media from my apple devices to my tv? I have a sony bravia 600 series and 700 series and a home theatre( sony 7100 series)

The only way to stream directly to your TV would be if it is an AirPlay-enabled device.
There are many AirPlay-enabled devices but I am not familiar with Sony's products. If yours do not specifically indicate AirPlay capability, then you need an AirPlay-enabled device such as an AppleTV connected to your Sony TV or Sony AVR.

Connecting my Sony Home Theatre System to my many devices???

I have a Sony HT-DDW990 (Home Theatre Receiver with Subwoofer and 5 speakers) and I need to connect it to all the following devices:
LCD TV - Model: Sony Bravia KDL46V2500
DVD Player - Model: Sony DVP-NS78H
Digital Cable Receiver - Model: Scientific Atlanta Explorer 4250HD (Videotron)
Playstation 3
Nintendo Wii
I need to know first if it is even possible to hook up all these devices together.
Is there a website I can go to that can let me choose the devices I want to hook up to one another? I need step-by-step instructions and also the cables I will need (ex. HDMI cables, Audio/Optical cables etc.).
Thanks

That TV only had 2 HDMI inputs and the receiver only has 2 HDMI inputs, and it will not upconvert the wii to HDMI. So heres what we will do and need:
You need 4 HDMI cables, one optical cable, and get rid of the Wii video cable and replace it with a Wii component video cable.
Plug one cable from the hdmi out of the receiver to HDMI one of the TV. For HDMI 2 of the tv, plug in the PS3. Plug the Wii into component video 1, there is an optical out on the TV, the optical cable will go to one of the receivers optical inputs.
Plug the dvd and cable box to the receiver using HDMI. The inputs are most likely labeled Cable TV? and DVD.
When watching Cable and the Sony dvd the tv will need to be on HDMI 1, then select between DVD and the cable box on the inputs of the receiver. Video will go to the TV, audio will come out of the speakers.
for wii and the PS3 you will select that on the TV, HDMI 2 for PS3 and COmponent 1 for Wii. To get the audio, turn the receiver input to whichever optical input the cable got plugged in to. This will be the input for the audio when you are using these two devices.
If no sound comes out, then you will need to enter the tv's menu and disable the TV speakers, and sound will then rerout to the receiver.
If you have any more hookup questions, ask. It isn't easy for you due to your limited inputs on the TV and the receiver. I will check back to see how you do.
If you want to make life easier, Keep your speakers and get a new receiver and life will be so easy. Everything can pass through the receiver. Call around for a Sony receiver Model: STR-DH800 | SKU: 9246602, maybe find an open box deal. Everything can pass through that unit, and one HDMI to the TV.
Good luck.
Best Buy employee, 15 years selling electronics

Connecting Apple TV to Philips home theatre "Digital In" port

I'd like to be able to connect my Apple TV to my Philips LX3950W Home Theatre for better audio quality. The Philis user manual mentions a "Digital In" port (http://download.p4c.philips.com/files/l/lx3950w_01/lx3950w_01_dfu_eng.pdf). Can this be used with the "Optical Audio" cable from my ATV, and if so, what type of cable/adaptor do I need?

Thanks Winston. I can't check it right now but have found a different Specs sheet (http://www.p4c.philips.com/files/l/lx3950w_01/lx3950w_01_pss_aen.pdf) which calls it a "Digital coaxial in" connection. Is there an adaptor available or am I stuck with my TV audio?

Is it crazy to have all these on a home theatre network?

Hello - am setting up a new home theatre network and I am thinking about have all of the following on the stack... Is this possible? If so, what do I need? I just bought a new 52 inch Sony XBR, which came with a blu-ray player And 5.1 home theatre system... And have the following that I want to add in... Is this crazy? Is Is possible?
turn table
X box 360
vs. player
DVD player
DVR from the cable company
And do I need another amp for the turntable or can it plug into the home theater system.
Oh... And I was told to by a Home Theatre Power Center HTS 950 with clean power TM stage 1... Is that a good suggestion?
Thanks!
Solved!
Go to Solution.

HT - Sony 5.1 channel HT system HT SS360
Bu-ray Disc/DVD Player - BDP-S560
TV - Sony XBR KDL-52XBR9
Regarding what else I want to connect...
turntable - Technics SL-BD20 Model Number SL-BD20-1 - RCA jacks
X box 360 elite
vhs - Hitachi FX 665 SQPB Model Number E175216 - RCA jacks
DVD player - Toshiba DVD Video Player SD-K760 Model Number SD -K760SU - RCA jacks
DVR from the cable company -Motorola HD Dual Tuner DVR Model DCH3416 - RCA jacks
Any info would be appreciated... just trying to figure it all out... thanks again and sorry for being a totally confused pest. Might be time to just call Geek Squad, and suspend dis-belief rather than trying to understand what's going on...

What would my option be for home theatre

I just bought a new home theatre system recently with a blu ray player. I am buying a new 3d tv but dont want to waste my home theatre system. It is a 1000w system but most recievers i looked at run at 500-800w. I dont want to spend a fortune on a reciever but will a 700-800w reciever be ok with my speakers. Each speaker is roughly 180w. Any advice on what route to go would be greatly appreciated.

So many questions and issues here.
Did you purchase a HTIB? What brand and model of speakers?
A speaker will most always sound better with more power to a point and as long it is clean power and not distortion. What usually kills speakers are clipping amplifiers that produce distortion, not a good clean audio signal.
Is the 180W rating the nominal or peak rating that it can handle?
As far as 3D is concerned, I would be hesitant to jump on that right now. If you TRULY want to create a home theater experience your money would be better spent on the integration of your speakers in the room. You should also work on the acoustics and lighting in the room.
I feel that a better home theater experience is obtained by getting the lighting and room acoustics right. I would also recommend getting a lesser display, say a 57" Panasonic, and then pay to have it calibrated by an ISF certified technician. Make sure that you also calibrate the speakers using multiple methods and definitely the speakers in the right position.
You do realize that there is very little 3D content and you have to watch the TV in a dark room since the 3D technology pretty much reduces the output by 1/2. You must also wear glasses all the time(yuch) and the best picture is really only within 30 degrees from being straight on to the TV.
My best advice, research, research, and more research before laying down your $$$.
I do not work for Best Buy and am not affiliated with them in any way. I like HT and want to help people improve their HT experience. "There is a LOT more than just having a TV to make a home theater"

Need home theatre recommendations

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for