Need Expert Advice

[barani]

Hi Guys

I have just joined this forum. Have "Zero" idea about electronics.

A week back I bought a Samsung 37 Inch Series 5 LCD. I need some suggestions from you guys..

1. My hall size is 11 feet. I was planning to wall mount the TV but friends say to keep in the corner so that more space gets freed. Does it help to keep the LCD tv on the corner of the room ?

2. Some one suggested not to go for a Home Theatre system if i am keeping the TV in the corner, but to invest in good front speakers ? He said that HT works best when the TV is centrally located and the speakers are surrounded across the hall. Is that correct ?

3. If HT is still the best option which one to choose from ? While getting my flat built i have provided for pipes beneath the tiles for the wires. So the problem of wires etc is not there. My budget around 20k

4. Is there any diff between the standing front speakers in the Home Theatre system and the smaller ones. The store guy gave me a lot of funda which i frankly did not understand.

5. I went thru threads about onkyo etc...costing around 20k...does that include the DVD player also...or only the other stuff

6. I have a 3 year old pioneer dvd player. Should i change to FULL HD dvd player for better quality of the picture ?

sorry for the long questions guys...i am totally impressed with the kind of postings here...hence tot will shoot of all my queries..

Cheers

Barani

hi guys i checked out the sony Home theatre 570 and 777. any suggestions on them. I got a demo done. Since i am a novice i had a feeling that it was pretty good. any suggestions ?

 

[vj_box]

hi as far as i know,
better keeping the tv in the center of the room if u are planning for a HT setup.
The onkyo one does not come with the dvd player i guess,you need to have one separately.
your three year old player should be fine when its having the coaxal or the optical inputs,not really sure of the survival of HD dvds as its kinda ruled out.
Just do not fall for the speaker sizes,which really does nt matter.
Packages from sony,philips,lg etc offer sexy looking floor standing front speakers.which is no big deal,if you are getting good bookshelf ones.
the ht-s590 and ht-s3100 are good choices for that budget i guess,thats the one i am advised to get from one of the members here,which iam gonna buy.
lastly i would nt recommend to place the tv in the corner for a HT setup!

 

[venkatcr]

Barani:

As vj_box mentioned, Ii is always a good option to place the TV in the center of the wall unless your seating arrangement prohibits that. That is if you are planning to install a HT system also.

You now have three options -

ONE: fix the TV anywhere it suits you based upon your seating (or sleeping) plan. In this option you can use the sound from the TV alone whether connected to a broadcast system or to a DVD Player.

TWO: set up a complete HT system where the TV has to be in the centre with front speakers on each side, a centre channel speaker just under the TV, two surround speakers on your left and right just above your seating position, and a sub woofer that is usually before the left front.

THREE. Fix the TV now where ever it suits you, and then re-fix it when you set up a HT System.

So the choice of TV placement is basically dependant upon whether you are setting up a HT or not. If you are not setting up a HT System, the inbuilt speakers of TV such as Samsung are good enough for normal viewing, and the TV can be placed anywhere.

A DVD player is usually not called 'full HD'. It is the TV that is termed as such. A DVD player is positioned based upon a number of factors, but in your case, you should look for a DVD player that UPSCALES to 1080p. Again whether to go in for a new DVD or not depends upon a number of factors including whether you are going to install a HT System or not. If you current Pioneer up-scales to 720p or 1080i, it should suffice for just a TV system. It is generally believed that 1080p will start having a visible effect only on TV sizes of 42 inches or above. Up to that size, a 1080i or 720p will give good pictures.

If you plan to go in for a HT system please finalise your budget. Under 50K just look for a HT Kit from companies such as Samsung, LG, Denon, Onkyo, Sony, etc. These kits come with a 5.1 channel amplifier with decoders for Dolby Digital, DTS etc, and six speakers. Above 50K, you move into the realm of buying a AVR separately and buying a 5.1 speaker kit to match with that. The budget for this could go from 50K to 10 lakhs and above. So finalising your budget is very essential.

When you make up your mind on this, we could provide some answers to your questions.

I have a question. You said your room is 11 feet. Please tell us the width, length, and height.

 

[barani]

Thank You Venkat.

My budget is around 20k. I had initially seen samsung HT at croma in bangalore. Later on after joining the forum i saw a lot of posts about onkyo. Yesterday i had been to e zone and he showed me sony 570 and 777. Even they were impressive.

Regarding my room size the width is 11 feet, length is around 19 feet and ht 10 ft. I wouldlike to place the TV on the wall so that ideally i sit around 8-9 ft from the tv. (reducing the space the sofa will occupy)

What will be your HT pick for around 20k.Max 25k.
regards

Barani

 

[venkatcr]

I don't have much personal experience with packaged HT systems. From what I have read in WhatHiFi and AV Max the following systems seem good.

1. Onkyo HT-SR800 (B). You should also look at more recent models from Onkyo.

2. LG HT902TB.

Both are under 25K. I also invite other members with personal experience on HT systems to advise Barani, please.

 

[barani]

Hi guys

I made a visit to the Onkyo showroom . I must admit i got stumped by their quality. I checked out the 3100. Cost 18k without the dvd player. With a normal player it is 20k and with sony HDMI its around 22500.

BTB the SR 800 B has been discontinued.

I am planning to close the deal tomorrow.

Any suggestion ?

Barani

Thanks a lot for all the in puts provided.

 

[venkatcr]

You like the system and it is within your budget. Close the deal and start enjoying your music and video. After all that is the objective, right?

Cheers