Jumping into the home theater pool. Some basic setup queries (1 Viewer)

Hey folks.

I can no longer resist the siren song of good home theater products, and that coupled with the deals HiFi Buys is running right now (no interest for a year on Mitsu TVs, plus $999 for the Denon/Mirage set shown below) have pretty much convinced me that this is the weekend to purchase my new system. I've done my research and have pretty much settled on the following:

Mitsubishi 48" 16x9 widescreen TV, WS-48313 model

Denon AVR 1803 receiver
Mirage AVS500B 6-speaker satellite setup, incl. FRXS8 subwoofer

I already own a Sony DVP-NS700P progressive scan DVD player.

My queries are as follows:

-- I know that I will need component video input cables. These will be run from the component video outputs of the DVD player to the component video inputs of the TV, correct?

-- The DVD player has multiple outputs for sound -- coaxial and optical digital out and RCA line out. I know that the coax and optical outputs will be superior to the RCA, but which is preferable? Am I right in thinking I will only need a single audio cable to run from the DVD player to the receiver -- either digital coaxial or digital optical?

-- The Mirage speaker set is not the omnidirectional satellite model set. I was not able to discern a real difference between the two sets when I was auditioning them; can someone else offer an opinion on whether the omnisats are really that superior?

-- Does the Mitsu set have a color temperature setting that will allow me to set it to "warm" or "NTSC standard" before calibration? My research has told me that Mitsu sets have something of a problem with red push.

I'll be purchasing my audio connect and video connect cables from BetterCables.com and will also be picking up AVIA's calibration disc.

So. Do I have things pretty much in hand? Do you see any obvious pitfalls waiting to trap me? Inquiring minds want to know!

Post or email replies and thanks in advance for your advice! This forum rocks. The FAQ alone is worth the price of admission. Oh, wait. There IS no price of admission. Did I mention this forum rocks?

cheers,
Phil

You seem to have it down.

Some particulars: No real audible difference between optical or coaxial digital connections. Optical cable is delicate, though; make sure you don't let the cable kink in any way. The Mitsu most certainly has a "warm" temp setting, though that won't affect the red push (red push is built into modern TVs to compensate for the too-blue/too-hot way the set is adjusted at the factory. If you get the set professionally calibrated, it can be tamed somewhat from the service menu.

If you're satisfied with the sound of the Mirages, then you're set (but remember, your listening environment will have an impact on what you hear at home).

Thanks, Jack, for the reply.

I did know that optical cable is more delicate. Now that you've explained there's no real difference in quality, I'll most likely go with the digital coax instead (I'm less than adept at working with electrical stuff).

Thanks for the clarification on the Mitsu temp setting too (I'd gotten the idea from an item in the HT Forum Primer -- I'd provide the link but the forum won't let me post the link yet) which suggests setting the temperature to "warm" or "NTSC standard" to help de-emphasize the red push. I'll be calibrating the set myself with AVIA initially, then after a proper break-in period, having it professionally calibrated.

Hey, there's another question. How long a break-in period should be allowed before the set is calibrated? A question I asked awhile back said that I shouldn't have it professionally adjusted as soon as I get the set, but there was no general consensus on how long I should break it in first.

cheers,
Phil

With RPTVs, most authorities recommend about a hundred hours of viewing to allow the CRTs to "seat" properly. So, I'd say anywhere from 100-500 hours. That is, for a professional-level calibration.

You should perform an immediate user-level calibration yourself upon firing up the set. Even before you pop in a calibration disc, reduce the contrast to below 50 percent. But, since you've clearly been reading the HTF FAQ Primer, you probably already no that.

Nice to see a newcomer doing his homework! So keep the questions coming.

Nice to see a newcomer doing his homework! So keep the questions coming.

Thanks! Yeah, I've been playing sponge, soaking up (or trying to) information since January. Most of it has stuck, but now that the moment of truth is nearly here there are naturally some last-minute items.

No doubt I will have several more questions once I have everything installed and hooked up. At the very least I'll probably be writing up a "WOW" post on how good everything looks. (ANYthing would be better than my current one-speaker 21" 4:3 TV, more than a decade old now).

cheers,
Phil