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  1. J

    7.1 Speaker Placement Dilemma

    Your planned seating distance is too close to the center of the room. This is an audio null area. Not good. Your seating distance should be 2/3 back away from the short wall (which I am glad to see you selected the correct wall for the front speakers). 7.1 is overrated. Not much material is...
  2. J

    4' wall?

    It is not advised to place your speakers on the long wall of a room. Especially a room that approaches a square dimension like yours. I would reconsider usiing the entire space with no walls and placing the display and speakers on the short wall. Seating distance should be 2/3 back from the...
  3. J

    Some help for my brother's FP basement HT

    Congratulations and welcome to the big, bad world of front projection!!!! Once you go big, there is no going back!!!!
  4. J

    Some help for my brother's FP basement HT

    The projector will upscale to its native resolution of 720p from whatever signal you send it. Every projector is different. It is probably better to buy a quality DVD player to do all the video processing.
  5. J

    Some help for my brother's FP basement HT

    The best seating distance will be around 13 or 14 feet from a short wall. 11 feet puts you too close to the center of the room which is an acoustical null area, and should be avoided. The projector mounting distance seems fine to me, especially in a light controlled room. I find moving the...
  6. J

    New to the game and ready to play!!

    For acoustical reasons, you want to be sitting about 11 or 12 feet back from the screen (front speakers). Video wise, far more subjective but you should be good. 9 feet places you too close to the center of the room which is an acoustical null area. Not good.
  7. J

    'Cleaning' Power and Remotes

    I suggest just getting a Tripp Lite Surge Protector. I use the HT10DBS. It provides signal isolation and 3750 joules of protection. The equipment insurance is $100,000!!!!! for all UL or CSA connected components. A more expensive solution like Panamax, Monster Power and others is not needed...
  8. J

    Room size

    There are a lot of companies that either sell absurdly expensive cables with all kinds of wild claims of improved performance or other vendors that sell garbage. I really like the approach of Blue Jean Cables. They tell you exactly what cables and connectors they use, why, and sell them for a...
  9. J

    Room size

    Audio is VERY subjective. Just ask any Bose speaker system owner. But, if it were my project, I would do it. I would probably find a way to still utilize the space. Maybe recess your AV equipment into that wall. Store your DVDs and CDs in that space. Run your cables in that space. Make it...
  10. J

    Room size

    You really need to check with building codes in your state before sealing up a window. Some states require a secondary means of exiting an area like a window. It may not mean much to you if you live in the house all your life but should you need to sell the house, it could come back to bite you...
  11. J

    Room size

    A room with square dimensions is not the best starting place for good sound quality. Ideally the room would be rectangular with the front speakers on a short wall and a seating distance two thirds back into the room. There are some room calculators that are free on line to help you determine...
  12. J

    Denon AVR-3808CI: An Overview

    7.1 will support up to 7 speakers and a subwoofer. Some receivers and speakers provide support for biamping. I believe this Denon does support this. You can power two speakers with the extra two channels to double the power going to the two selected speakers, if your speakers also support this...
  13. J

    What's the "State of the Nation" regarding HD players?

    Sony has never made any DVD player that could compare to the other brands mentioned above so I would have a hard time recommending them. The BD-P1400 is a step backwards from the 1200 because it no longer uses the Silicon Optix Reon solution (considered one of the best affordable solutions at...
  14. J

    What's the "State of the Nation" regarding HD players?

    I personally will not invest in any HD DVDs or Blu-Ray discs. I rent them ALL from Netflix. The HD-XA2 and BD-P1200 both use the Silicon Optix Reon video processors and both are excellent as standard definition players, should either technology disappear, so I do not feel that I have made a bad...
  15. J

    Denon AVR-3808CI: An Overview

    Sorry to hear about the fire. I know that no amount of insurance money can bring your life back to where it was. I wish you luck this coming year and only urge you to reconsider in wall speakers. Not a good solution for optimal audio quality. Sheet rock and wall studs are no match for quality...
  16. J

    Blu-ray owners: What Blu-Ray Players do you have?

    Yeah, the Silicon Optix Reon processor is hard to beat and the BD-P1200 is a huge improvement over its predecessors. I'm a Denon man myself and my BD-P1200 and HD-XA2 have replaced mine, as well. Happy Holidays!!!
  17. J

    What's the "State of the Nation" regarding HD players?

    I just bought the HD-XA2 and the BD-P1200. Unless you own a terrible SD DVD player, I would say wait until prices on HD players drop to the floor. It is not worth the investment for the marginal video quality improvement. If you own a quality DVD player already like a Denon or Oppo, you...
  18. J

    My Home Theater

    Well, right after I wrote this, another HDMI switch I ordered (Impact Acoustics) came in the mail. I just hooked it up and it works flawlessly. I am a happy camper on this front. Still some of the other bugs but having a switch that works really does make all the other issues more tolerable...
  19. J

    Pirates...At World's End problem??

    Just an update. I just installed the Impact Acoustics 5x1 HDMI switch and it works like a charm. If you want to save money, go to the Audioholics website and do a search on Impact Acoustics. At the bottom of one of the articles is a 20% off link to their website for anything you buy.
  20. J

    My Home Theater

    Seasons Greetings!!! Your dedicated space always makes me jealous. I wish I had one. One of the few home theaters I see with great speaker placement too!!!! The AV component cove really makes having two displays a great solution. Sometimes firing up the projector just is not appropriate, as...
  21. J

    Pirates...At World's End problem??

    Common Problem that has not been corrected by Toshiba yet. I have the same issue with my BD-P1200. HDCP is a pain in my side. I am still looking for an HDMI Video switch to work with ALL of my HDMI components together. I hope the one from Impact Acoustics works!!!! Monoprice 4x1 did not!
  22. J

    Projector Difficulties

    I agree with the other poster, a quality DVD player makes all the difference in the world. An Oppo Digital or Denon would be at the top of my list.
  23. J

    "His and Her Room!"

    Well, Christmas came early this year and I bought both the HD-XA2 and the BD-P1200. Cars, Planet Earth, and part of Pirates of the Caribbean looked really good!!!! Happy Holidays everyone and I hope everyone gets their holiday wish too!!!!
  24. J

    To embark on a DIY or buy

    You can get satisfactory results building your own if you really know what you are doing but I suggest investing in a quality subwoofer designed and built by one of the big name mfgs. There is no way you can match the capabilities of a subwoofer which has had years of research and development...
  25. J

    New home theater advice

    Front speakers should always be placed on the short wall of a rectangular room for optimal acoustics. Seating distance should be 2/3 back from the front speakers to avoid sitting in a null or rear wall where room reflections amplify bass frequencies. Find some room mode calculators on line to...
  26. J

    Need Advice for New Equipment

    Panasonic makes one of if not the best plasma displays available. Some might suggest an lcd for in a more brightly lit room but light control is always important and investing in black out curtain linings is always a good investment (saves on energy costs too). Published contrast ratios are a...
  27. J

    Denon AVR-3808CI: An Overview

    I'll second that. CNET is a joke!!! Denon has a history of producing some of the best video processing solutions in the industry. Just check out Secrets of Home Theater and see who consistently ranks at the top of the charts in their benchmarks.
  28. J

    Using SPL meter for calibration

    If the dB level is higher than the rest of the speaker channels, then yes, lower it by that dB level (3 for example). Most people would be hard pressed to tell the difference but you will know.
  29. J

    Using SPL meter for calibration

    My calibration DVD suggests 80dB but your disk may vary. I would use whatever level it suggests. Once calibration is complete, the results should be linear and be balanced at whatever volume level you use after that.
  30. J

    "His and Her Room!"

    Well, I thought I would drag our HT to the top after it was moved to this thread by the moderator. Have been eyeballing the HDXA2 and BDP1200. Prices are getting pretty close to the magic number for me. Hope everyone is enjoying their HD systems...
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