gilbenl
Auditioning
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2007
- Messages
- 2
- Real Name
- Nick
Hey all-
I'm obviously new to the forums, but not new to home theater. Being the eldest son, I was the one who set up our home theater in our house (Mitsu 55in rearproj HDTV, 7.1 surround, 7 DVD changer, etc) So, I've had experiance with the high end stuff. Well, now I'm in college, and I don't have the same budget at my disposal unfortunately. For christmas, and don't laugh...it's just what I needed...the Envision L19W698. Yes, it's a 19 incher but it's 1080i, and I live in a dorm. Not to mention, the price meant that I got a little extra cash to throw around as well. With that in mind I have a few questions to ensure this TV lasts as long as possible, as well as setting it up to maximize it's capabilities:
First issue are the cables. I have always used Monster or Mogami, and I was going to do the same with the cable going from the wall to the back of the set, but I thought about it, and I came to the conclusion that the cable line in a dorm is split so many times that using a $40 cable between the outlet and the TV is like putting NOS on a Pinto. Sound about right? With that in mind, what can I do to improve the quality of the incoming signal? I intend to buy a cable box as our school has a full cable package if you supply your own box, at some point, but will some sort of signal booster help me out at all in the mean time?
Next issue is the sound. I am a real stickler when it comes to sound, and I can appreciate a high quality system. I own a 5.1 surround system which I currently use as my stereo, and while it's no bang-olufsen, I make it work quite well with proper calibration and set-up. Problem is while this TV has every input imaginable (DVI, HDMI, S-Vid, Component, RCA, AND VGA) The only sound output is 1/8' headphone...go figure. The surround system is not a multimedia system, therefore, it only supports audio in. Basically, if I use an adapter to go from 1/8th to RCA, will I get poor sound quality? I am aware that the 5.1 will be simulated.
My last question pertains to the first thing I did out of the box...calibration. It seems that unlike when I calibrated the rear proj. HDTV, there is a strong difference between the levels of the HD stations, and the SD stations. When I watch Discovery HD, it is perfect, yet when I go to Comedy Central, it is VERY dark. This is with the colors in "normal" Also, I was always under the impression that brightness should remain below 20, but I had to take it to 35 for the brightness, and 55 for the contrast in order to achieve the proper effect. I used a calibration DVD and I had it set to display colors darker than black etc. Is there a different procedure for LCD's?
Anyway, thanks guys, I really appreciate it.
-Nick
I'm obviously new to the forums, but not new to home theater. Being the eldest son, I was the one who set up our home theater in our house (Mitsu 55in rearproj HDTV, 7.1 surround, 7 DVD changer, etc) So, I've had experiance with the high end stuff. Well, now I'm in college, and I don't have the same budget at my disposal unfortunately. For christmas, and don't laugh...it's just what I needed...the Envision L19W698. Yes, it's a 19 incher but it's 1080i, and I live in a dorm. Not to mention, the price meant that I got a little extra cash to throw around as well. With that in mind I have a few questions to ensure this TV lasts as long as possible, as well as setting it up to maximize it's capabilities:
First issue are the cables. I have always used Monster or Mogami, and I was going to do the same with the cable going from the wall to the back of the set, but I thought about it, and I came to the conclusion that the cable line in a dorm is split so many times that using a $40 cable between the outlet and the TV is like putting NOS on a Pinto. Sound about right? With that in mind, what can I do to improve the quality of the incoming signal? I intend to buy a cable box as our school has a full cable package if you supply your own box, at some point, but will some sort of signal booster help me out at all in the mean time?
Next issue is the sound. I am a real stickler when it comes to sound, and I can appreciate a high quality system. I own a 5.1 surround system which I currently use as my stereo, and while it's no bang-olufsen, I make it work quite well with proper calibration and set-up. Problem is while this TV has every input imaginable (DVI, HDMI, S-Vid, Component, RCA, AND VGA) The only sound output is 1/8' headphone...go figure. The surround system is not a multimedia system, therefore, it only supports audio in. Basically, if I use an adapter to go from 1/8th to RCA, will I get poor sound quality? I am aware that the 5.1 will be simulated.
My last question pertains to the first thing I did out of the box...calibration. It seems that unlike when I calibrated the rear proj. HDTV, there is a strong difference between the levels of the HD stations, and the SD stations. When I watch Discovery HD, it is perfect, yet when I go to Comedy Central, it is VERY dark. This is with the colors in "normal" Also, I was always under the impression that brightness should remain below 20, but I had to take it to 35 for the brightness, and 55 for the contrast in order to achieve the proper effect. I used a calibration DVD and I had it set to display colors darker than black etc. Is there a different procedure for LCD's?
Anyway, thanks guys, I really appreciate it.
-Nick