from nothing to something (1 Viewer)

[manuelMA]

Hello everyone,
First I feel that I must compliment all of you for running such a great forum. This is easily the best forum i've ever seen online, polite, intelligent, knowledgable and willing to help people from virtually all levels. ::sigh:: i only wish there were dedicated gaming forums like this one.

Anyway, I'm a 24 year old graduate student who finally has his very own, modest 1bedroom/efficiency studioesque apartment. There is a separate "bedroom" (no doors) but the general living area is 13.5' x 17' from the end of the kitchen counter to the wall that divides living room from bedroom. All i've got right now is a cheap 19" and an xbox 360 that doubles as my DVD player, and I'm looking to get a surround sound system for the TV viewing area (7' couch with back sitting about 8' from edge of TV stand)
My viewing ration is about 50/35/15 Video Games/Movies/Music (usually concert DVDs) with no conventional cable ::sigh:: no football. Since my living room area is so small and particularly the TV viewing area, i was curious what you guys would recommend.
I can't play stuff too loud because my neighbors and landlord are generally quiet (although i can hear their TVs just fine), overall i don't want to be rude, plus i don't really like things too loud. What i'm really after is something that will give me good ambient, surround sound. Video games, specially first person shooters get you so immersed as stand-alone entertainment that it must be an even more satisfying experience with decent surround. And movies like saving private ryan, or even Crouching Tiger (the forest scences) must also be incredible.

I did want to ask about HTIB, i know the almost official policy here is to not recommend these, and i was wondering if that also applied to such a small viewing area as mine.
Also, should i get 7.1 or 5.1? As of right now my budget is a firm $850, but my best friend who works at best buy has agreed to purchase what i need with his discount (he usually doesn't do this but seeing how he was the one that finally convinced me to go ahead and get a surround sound system and knows how much i love movies and games he is happy to help). I'll be getting a KV30HS420 TV (he hasn't told me what his price on it is), and what's left will go towards either starting to build a sound system, or perhaps just settling for an HTBI.
When i think ahead, it seems to me that i would want the receiver to have HDMI input and output, seeing how the PS3 will have two HDMI outputs (i can have one go to receiver, and one go to TV), and for the xbox 360 run optical sound and component video into the receiver, and have it spit the video out as HDMI to the TV.

Well, that's my scenario. Again i can't speak highly enough of you guys. Thanks again.

Manny

 

[GeorgeAB]

You sound like a good candidate for one of the surround headphone rigs and a bass shaker device. That doesn't encourage guest participation, but it sounds like your walls are really thin. Otherwise, one of the better home theater in a box rigs would be sufficient for basic sound for now.

A surround receiver with HDMI switching and signal conversion is going to take a big bite out of your budget. There won't be much left for other purposes.

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
G. Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"

 

[gene c]

Without knowing how much the TV will set you back it's hard to recommend anything. I would avoid the true htib idea. If you decide to go that route, look at Yamaha and Onkyo. At Best Buy, the Yamaha HT755 and HT760 look decent. But make sure there are enough digital imputs to meet your needs. Otherwise, maybe an entry level Insignia, Sony or Yamaha receiver and the Athena Micra 6 along with an in-expensive (but name brand) dvd player and some AR cables and wires. That should be around $550 or so before discount.

 

[manuelMA]

Hi fellas, thanks for the input!
Just found out that TV will cost me around $520 after discount. I really had no idea what the discount was going to be but i'm very excited.
Concerning the sound system, i found the JVC - RX-D402B on best buy, listed at 499.
It's a 7.1 with HDMI upconversion
Inputs: 2 HDMI, 2 component video, 3 composite video, 3 S-video, 1 USB, 1 coaxial digital audio, 2 optical digital audio, 4 stereo audio

Outputs: 1 HDMI, 1 component video, 3 composite video, 3 S-video, 1 optical digital audio, 1 subwoofer, 2 stereo audio

I'm hoping that the discount will knock off around $150, and that should get bring me to about 900, Over budget, but i'll just go ahead and stop going to the bars for a month to cover the speakers (the ones you posted might be a real treat with the discount as well).

Any thoughts?

Manny