Any DIY guy wanna take a shot at helping a newbie? (1 Viewer)

[Vince Maskeeper]

Hey Guys,
As some of you might know- we're compiling a basic primer for the HTF titled "What Every HT Newbie Should Know..."
We're asking forum members to contribute on small nugget of knowledge about any important HT subject. These can be very basic observations and concepts you think a newcomer to the hobby of HT should know-- maybe something you've learned from hanging out on this site.
I ask that some of you PLEASE take a minute and post some knowledge here:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=55635
I'm trying to get it up to a few pages so I can be a permanent part of our archives... but so far the turn out has been less that hoped. So, come on guys- Picth in and help author an intro to basic "must have knowledge" for HT newbies.
I've offered several possible suggestions in my first post for those who couldn't think up one on their own:
-good looking DVDs to show off my display device.
-Do receivers have a built in amp for a sub?
-Speaker cable- what do I need to know?
-Large or Small setting on receiver- what does this mean (Bass management basics)?
-Are bookshelf speakers okay for HT?
-How should I point my speakers- should they toe in, where should surrounds be?
-Recommended/respected brands for receivers
-DSP modes, what they do.
-Composite vs. Svideo vs. Component Video Connections
-Glossary of common HT/HTF abbreviations
Anything else anyone can think of.
Please take part in this thread NOW, I'd like to archive it in the near future!!

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Here is the current table of contents, and I'm sure you can see topics that are missing from a basic newbie primer:
Table of Contents
I. General Concepts
What is Hometheater anyway? by Mike Knapp
Home Theater Means Accuracy & Calibration by Jay Mitchosky
Who Invented DVD? by Adam Barratt
HDTV Overview by Ray Melnik
DVD vs. CD, they look the same by Adam Barratt
DVD vs. VHS, why we need DVD by Nate Anderson
Why DVDs are letterboxed by Vince Maskeeper
Why Some DVDs aren't letterboxed by Adam Lenhardt
Common Film Aspect Ratios by Michael Reuben
Music Listening as Part of Your Home Theater by Mike Broadman
II. Software Concepts & Specifics
Anamorphic DVD by Michael Reuben
Dolby Digital Audio Format by Adam Barratt
DTS Audio Format by Dan Brecher
Dolby Prologic and Prologic II by Chris Tsutsui
Older Surround formats vs. modern 5.1 / 6.1 formats by Patrick Sun
A 7.1 surround sound format by Jeff Kleist
THX - is this an audio format? by Dan Brecher
Layer Change Pause, Dual/Single Layered DVDs by Chuck Mayer
HD-DVD: High Definition DVD by Jeff Kleist
The Criterion Collection, and its purpose by Paul Dalmaine
Twin Peaks on DVD, and proper viewing order by Greg Yurkovic
Evil Dead on DVD buyer guide {!GREAT INFO!} by Greg Yurkovic
Great sounding DVDs to show off my system by Ash Williams
Easter Eggs on DVD by Keith_R
Why are DVDs released on Tuesdays? by Jeff Kleist
What is a DAD disc? by Philip Hamm
III. Hardware Concepts & Specifics
Understanding of Basic Hardware by Chris Matson
General Hookup Tips by Steve Berger
Why receivers have video ins and outs by Neil Joseph
Options for Routing Audio & Video by Ted Lee
Digital Audio: Optical Connection vs. Coax connection by Neil Joseph
Purposes of 6 channel inputs and outputs on HT equipment by Vince Maskeeper
DVD setup with 16:9 TVs by William K F
Amplifiers & Preamplifiers by Cees Alons
Why You Need So many Speakers by Ted Lee
Do I really need a subwoofer?? by Cees Alons
More on the purpose of Subwoofers and how to connect by Neil Joseph
Dipole Type Speakers by Andy W
Line conditioners and surge protectors by Bill Kane
Color and Video Signals by Cees Alons
So where do I put all this stuff? by MarcVH
Universal Remote Controls by Ted Lee
IV. Shopping, Buying, Choosing
How to decide what to buy (best bang for the buck) by Max Knight
More advice on picking components by Greg R
Choosing Speakers by Jeffrey Forner
Isn't Bose the best? by Jeffrey Forner
Advice on Auditioning and Shopping by Robert Gaither
More Auditioning Tips by Jim DiJoseph
More Auditioning/Shopping Tips by Elbert Lee
More Shopping Tips by George King
Budgeting for HT, what you need by Adam S
Specific Components Suggested by Robert Gaither
V. Advanced Concepts
Displays: Color Decoder, Red Push, Grayscale by ThomasL
Speaker Designs and Methodology by Kerry Hackney
Amplifier Wattage and how it relates to speaker output by Dustin B
What's an OHM? by Charles J P
Crossovers: Basics and Advanced by Dustin B
Bi-wiring & Bi-Amping Speakers by Vince Maskeeper
-Vince

 

[warrick]

Vince,

Being a novice myself could you include a section that deals with the setup of a system with test CD/DVD's.

Seting up the Video and sound, what equipment is needed (SPL meter) and how to use it.

This would be helpful after building/purchasing a good system only to be disapointed because it was not setup correctly

Warrick

 

[Joe Hsu]

Great post! I guess I'm a newbie, since I don't have much history with HTs, but from all my reading on HTF and general knowledge, I understand most of the topics in there, but it'll still be great to have it on hand for reference. Plus, I'm sure I'm wrong a good deal.
Thanks for compiling this, I'm looking forward to the final version.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

LAST CALL GUYS!
This goes into the archives on May 1st, and I'd still love to see some of these topics covered:
- good looking DVDs to show off my display device.
- Composite vs. Svideo vs. Component Video Connections
- Do receivers have a built in amp for a sub?
- Speaker cable- what do I need to know?
- Large or Small setting on receiver- what does this mean (Bass management basics)?
- Are bookshelf speakers okay for HT?
- DSP modes, what they do.
- Glossary of common HT/HTF abbreviations
Come on, take 10 minutes and give something back to the HTF community that has helped you so many times! Karma boys and girls, karma!
-Vince

 

[BrendanL]

I can come up with a short piece on do receivers have built in sub amps. I had those issues years ago when I wanted big sub power but had trouble finding a receiver with preouts even.