drobbins
Screenwriter
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2004
- Messages
- 1,873
- Real Name
- Dave
Back when the Infocus 4895 was the hottest thing on the scene, I stumbled across this forum and was instantly hooked on the idea of a home theater. Since then I have owned 3 theaters and the family had many years of enjoyment from them. The kids had sleepover parties, many Halo battles won, etc… However, now my theater sits with outdated, with worn out equipment and probably doesn’t get used even once per month. These are the reasons why:
The two “sweet spot” recliners are worn out and need replacing. The Yamaha receiver is still 5:1 and does not even have HDMI. The projector is 720 and the bulb should be brighter. The SVS is still kicking strong though. Now I could invest in new equipment and upgrade the theater, but that brings up the next issue.
There is not a good way to rent movies. While I have a small collection of about 100+ DVDs, we don’t usually watch movies more than one or two times, so we don’t want to invest in a bluray collection. We live out in the country where the nearest town is 20 minutes away and there is only a Family Video store there. Because of the distance, we don’t go into town every day, so returning a movie the next day doesn’t happen - adding up late return fees. The Blockbuster with no late fees closed a few years back.
Next we have tried Netflix and Amazon Prime streaming. However due to a 3m internet connection, we only can get SD videos in stereo. There is not enough bandwidth for HD streaming with surround. Also the selection is very limited and usually outdated. We cannot get cable out here. We have cancelled Dish due to the cost, lack of programming, too many commercials (especially the pop up ones during the show), and the media just pushing their own political agenda.
Lastly, it seems like Hollywood never really recovered from the recession. I remember a time when there was not enough free time in a week to watch all the movies we wanted. Now I still have trouble finding one that looks interesting.
So the theater sits empty not being used. The posters have slid out of position in their frames. There are cobwebs on the projector and who knows what that sticky stuff in the cup holders is. The kids are grown and have moved out and I cannot justify the cost to upgrade due to lack of movie options. So my thoughts have turned to dismantling the theater and using the room for other purposes. Before I do anything that drastic, anyone got any ideas?
The two “sweet spot” recliners are worn out and need replacing. The Yamaha receiver is still 5:1 and does not even have HDMI. The projector is 720 and the bulb should be brighter. The SVS is still kicking strong though. Now I could invest in new equipment and upgrade the theater, but that brings up the next issue.
There is not a good way to rent movies. While I have a small collection of about 100+ DVDs, we don’t usually watch movies more than one or two times, so we don’t want to invest in a bluray collection. We live out in the country where the nearest town is 20 minutes away and there is only a Family Video store there. Because of the distance, we don’t go into town every day, so returning a movie the next day doesn’t happen - adding up late return fees. The Blockbuster with no late fees closed a few years back.
Next we have tried Netflix and Amazon Prime streaming. However due to a 3m internet connection, we only can get SD videos in stereo. There is not enough bandwidth for HD streaming with surround. Also the selection is very limited and usually outdated. We cannot get cable out here. We have cancelled Dish due to the cost, lack of programming, too many commercials (especially the pop up ones during the show), and the media just pushing their own political agenda.
Lastly, it seems like Hollywood never really recovered from the recession. I remember a time when there was not enough free time in a week to watch all the movies we wanted. Now I still have trouble finding one that looks interesting.
So the theater sits empty not being used. The posters have slid out of position in their frames. There are cobwebs on the projector and who knows what that sticky stuff in the cup holders is. The kids are grown and have moved out and I cannot justify the cost to upgrade due to lack of movie options. So my thoughts have turned to dismantling the theater and using the room for other purposes. Before I do anything that drastic, anyone got any ideas?