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Steve Toy
07-02-2008, 16:12
For all discussions about home cinema, about which I know nothing, I have invited Chris Frost (Lucid AV) an audio-visual art specialist from Cheshire to moderate this room.

Chris Frost
07-02-2008, 20:00
Thanks Steve,

This mini site shares the same ethos as the main forum. We're here to discuss getting a quality result from AV and to exchange some good information in a friendly and positive way.

Here are some areas that I have found interest other HiFi folk...

How to integrate AV without ruining the HiFi.
Building an enjoyable system on a sensible budget.
New technology
Making everything easy to use for the whole family.
Tweaks to improve performance


Most people think of AV as just movies on a TV or a projector, but my definition is a little broader. I include...

TV viewing, games consoles and web surfing
2 channel & multi-channel music including music DVDs
digitally streamed music and video & audio media servers
Freeview, Sky and harddisc TV recorders.
multi-room music and distributed TV/FM/DAB/Satellite
system control & integration,
lighting control and design,
CCTV, garden audio & lighting,
wired & wireless networking, data management and system security
aesthetic & structural room design
seating and bespoke furniture
pre- & post-build acoustic treatment,
heating & ventilation,
video and audio calibration

These are all areas that I deal with every working day for my business clients, and I hope there's something in that list that members here will find interesting too.

The floor is now open, so it's over to you :)

Best regards

Chris Frost

sastusbulbas
07-02-2008, 20:28
Ok, computers and HD up-sampling of DVD stored on HD? What PC builds, graphics and Media players having been giving the best picture and audio results and user interface?

I would like to find out a bit more on how well a PC based system could perform for DVD playback.

Chris Frost
08-02-2008, 00:50
Hi, I noticed quite a lot of AV in your system pictures in the gallery :D

I've found that Home Cinema/Theatre PC (HCPC/HTPC) users tend to fall in to one of two categories. There's the convenience brigade for whom something like an Idyl (http://www.dfsolutions.co.uk/idyl.htm) is a good starter solution (ball park about £1000); or they tend to be tweakers.

A tweakers HCPC system is a movable feast. There's always something new or on the horizon that makes it impossible to tie down a spec for more than a week ;) If you are a tweaker then have a look at the Computing (http://www.avforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=265)section at AV Forums to get a feel for what other are bolting together.

Regards

sastusbulbas
28-10-2008, 19:37
Well I am currently watching how well the Onkyo 886 processor does.

I don't have the money or space to keep chasing rainbows now that I have kids, and am contemplating going back down the old surround sound thingy. My kids love films, tonight they will be getting me to set up the projector for Ironman. Last week it was the Hulk LOL.

I and a work colleague do movie nights at work too, where I can let rip with a huge old Yammy DSP-A1 and brace of Vega V-152's, and we are now using a basic HD projector to do 2.3wide movies from a Denon upscaling DVD player. The room is huge (it makes my 15" bass drivers look small) and though reflective, fun, with no need for delay settings due to me having the luxury of installing all the speakers at the correct angles and same distance from the centre of the room.

All a lot more fun and brute manly business like than at home, where space is problematic.

All this playing again with movies and projectors has had me reminiscing.

Anyway in my old house I could run KEF R105.4 at the rear, with 107 at the front.
In this house I ended up with the Linn Kan's on Sound Org wall brackets. Yamaha processor running Classe power for the rears. Running through the Krell pre processor loop with the Krell power for the 107's.

This did the wife's head in, three racks+ of kit lit up like oil rigs with wires everywhere, so it was back to stereo in the sitting room, with the core basics cinema kit relegated to the bedroom system for all the old formats and games consoles.

But this Onkyo 886 has had me thinking again, new 50" Plasma and Blue Ray, custom made dipoles for the rears? And I have two Classe power amps sitting doing not much.

I have even thought of ditching the MANA for a wooden cuboard with lockable doors so the kit can sit under the 50" screen, between the 107's? All it would need to house is the processor, two powers, an LD player, cable TV and blue ray/dvd player if I manage to reduce the box count.

At the moment some issues at the back of my head are,

Well due to the layout I feel dipole rears are preferable, but I think I would have to make a custom pair with identical drivers to the 107 heads. Not a problem I guess as I have some spares so would be half way in components to build a set, though I could also use some old 105.2 heads with old 107 head drivers and crossovers in a suspended from bracket arrangement?

Using the K-ube with the Onkyo? As my reason for liking it is full XLR outs to the front and rears.

Or do I sell up and get identical small speakers all round with a sub?

Hell I am even contemplating this bloody Onkyo for work, running seven Alesis RA-500 amps in mono block to seven 103db sensitivity Cerwin Vega V-152 speakers.
Though I would still need a big sub with at least a 15" driver.

Or is it all pipe dreams, should I just buy another mountain bike? Sigh....