1st time with big screen plus... (1 Viewer)

[Brnidgrl0912]

We are remodeling our home, and currently have a 32in picture tube tv, so we are positive that no matter what we do will be an improvement. We've decided to get all the components off the floor and go the RF remote route and our contractor will be running everything through the walls, but I am not sure if I've got everything necessary. I haven't made the purchases yet (except the TV and the receiver), and hope that some of the experts here can weigh in and ensure that I haven't forgotten anything. Note - the family room is 12' x 17' but tv is 9' from seating. Please advise??

TV - Samsung 46 in (LN46A630)
AV Receviver - Yamaha 663
DVD player - our currently owned sony (2 yrs old?)
VCR (VHS) - our currently owned sony (5 yrs old?)
Dish Network receiver

On the list to buy:
1) HDMI cable for TV to receiver
2) cables/component wiring from AV receiver to DVD, VHS and Dish Network box
3) RF remote - Logitech Harmony 890
4) speakers - either 8 inch or 6 1/2 inch (??) from htd.com 8 inch -- HD-R80 or HD-R64
5) speaker wire - but I have NO idea what to get. there is a great price on 14 awg CL2 rated 4 conductor, but the speaker website says to get CL3 rated. unsure about any of this speaker stuff!

one other question -- do i need the RF antenna or receiver OR do I need the RF Modulator (is that the same thing?) if I'm using the Harmony 890?

Please include any other product you might know that I need. I can't help but wonder what I'm missing? This is so very new...I hope all of these items are compatible! Thank you for helping!!

karen

 

[Brnidgrl0912]

Forgot to mention that I am planning on 6 ceiling speakers and I am purchasing cable to wire for a subwoofer, and will have the contractor run it through the wall, but not purchasing the subwoofer yet. I want to see how the sound is (we are not big on sound...note that we've always just had the speakers coming from the front of a tv) without the subwoofer, just through the 6 1/2 or 8 in speakers.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

One general piece of advice that will save you a lot of time, trouble and confusion. Learn to always treat connections in terms of how the signal is moving - where it is coming from and where it is going to. Always diagram, express and even think about the connections in these terms.


Again, the signals are going from the components, to the receiver. This isn't just a matter of semantics and I'm not picking on you, I've just seen people get into more trouble hooking things up because they lost track of the source and destination of the signals than because of any other factor.

12 or 14g in-wall rated speaker wire should be fine. The best price I've found on the stuff was in 50 ft reels at Home Depot, but its been a few years since I bought it.

In ceiling speakers are a great supplement to fill out the sound, but speakers should really be at approximately ear level. Notice that movie theaters do not put most of the speakers above your head. And the center channel needs to be as close as possible to the screen, since that is where the dialogue comes from and you want that anchored to the picture. I can't imagine anything more distracting than everybody sounding like the voice of God coming from above me, and the directional sound queues, which should be coming from my left and right, floating disembodied above me. I'd also get the 6.5" speakers and use the money I saved to help off-set the cost of subwoofer. Again, modern movie sound tracks are made to take advantage of them, and you'll really be missing out. There are a lot of people who think sound isn't all that important until they get their first surround system and suddenly hear what they were missing all along.

Good luck,

Joe