Msn's Idea Of Home Theater (1 Viewer)

[Mark Sherman]

this is just a shame
http://www.houseandhome.msn.com/Deco...nabudget0.aspx

 

[DaveF]

This comment makes no sense at all:
I don't know they'd think a DVD would look worse a on high-resolution display device than on a low-resolution display.

The recommendation to start with just two stereo speakers is a good budget recommendation. But then suggestion to go to four instead of five to save money is bad advice. I suppose Pro-Logic is better than stereo, but if you're buying two more speakers, you might as well increase your budget by 50% and buy five to get 5.1 sound. It's a small additional cost for substantially better performance. Plus, with all the HTiB packages available, it's not that expensive.

There's no comment on getting a DD or DTS capable receiver. That's a big oversight.

The rest of the article is sensible, though, for people on a budget.

 

[Steve Felix]

... I doubt it. The one image tip that would be helpful in an article like this would be "turn down your brightness, sharpness, and contrast."


Edit: Looks like that line jumped out at both of us, Dave.

 

[Mark Sherman]

most front speakers now come equipped with enough bass power to satisfy the typical home theater user. Check the back of your speakers for controls that may allow you to adjust the bass output, or ask a salesperson at your local electronics store to help you select speakers that will deliver sufficient bass levels






Please make up your mind GEEEZ

 

[Mark Murphy]

If you can point me in the direction where I can get my hands on some front speakers that can go below 25hz at less than $1000 (what I paid for my fronts and my SVS combined)I'll gladly give them an audition.

 

[Mark Murphy]

My wife, who whole heartedly supports my HT enthusiasm, laughed at this article when I showed it to her. When I first got into the HT obsession, eerr, I mean hobby, she looked at me like I had three heads. After she read the part about the Subwoofer, she looked at the SVS and shook her head. She can't watch TV w/out it. Maybe I should take my TV and DVD player back. I have an HD ready display and my DVD player is single disk, but w/Faroudja DCDi. Ahh, who needs that. Get me a mono VCR connected w/coax to my 12" b/w TV. I could make HT of the month in MSN.

 

[Philip_G]

I think J6P probably doesn't care if their mains can hit 25hz, my sub sits turned off more often than not. Stupid neighbors

 

[Mark Sherman]

I design home thaters for a living. Basic up to holy cow.


The sad thing is that people will most likely listen to this schmuck then take my advice.

 

[Eric Samonte]

Who writes these things anyway....a Best Buy salesboy?

 

[Steve Owen]

The best thing that any of use can do is to send feedback to MSN and let them know that their writers are spreading misinformation.

-Steve

 

[EugeneR]

I really wish I'd read that article sooner. I wouldn't have wasted all that money on a progressive scan DVD player, 47" HDTV and 5.1 setup.

 

[MikeAlletto]

I don't know what you all are in a huff about. Everything there, except the part about resolution of dvds, is good advice. You got to know your audience and that article wasn't written for you folks.

 

[JeremySt]

Mike, there is stuff in that article that is just plain wrong, no matter who its target audience is.

 

[DanaA]

Definitely, but we all know that Joe Public is going to take it all as the gospel. Makes me shudder to think how much misinformation is out there and how wrong the general population is with regard to what's best for their home theaters.

 

[Steve Owen]

What frightens me most when I read an article like that is that it makes me realize that I can hardly trust ANYTHING written by even what are supposed to be professional news organizations. I see this all the time. When I know a thing or two about the subject, there are usually holes (or at worst, complete misinformation) all over it. What about a subject that I don't know anything about?

For example, there's an article on adding onto your house on that same site. Well, that's something that I'm thinking about. But can I trust anything they have to say? They were clueless on the home theater article. Why should I believe that they're any less clueless on this one? Is it full of bad information? How can I know.

Sad to say, but you're really the only one that you can trust.

-Steve

 

[wally]

MSN's idea of an Operating System;

Windows...'nuf said.

 

[Grant H]

What's really ironic is the featured offers that came up for me on that page:


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[MarkHastings]

I'm kind of with Mike on this...The article isn't geared toward people like us, hence the info may not suit us. But I will agree with those who see the misinformation about the DVD image being better on an old set (as opposed to an HDTV), but that's really the only thing I find wrong about the article.

Although it may not be false info., but this part didn't sit well with meThey justify it by saying that a carousel will elliminate the need for a separate cd player...Considering a $100 single disc DVD player will almost always be MUCH better than a $100 carousel, why would you want someone on a budget to buy an inferior carousel over a single disc player. They've already explained that the DVD player can play CD's, so why would your average user need more than a one disc capacity? When you're on a budget, you can't afford convienence. They should put the money to good use and get a better quality single disc player that will play DVD's and CD's in the same unit.

p.s. and before someone says that there are great carousels, I'm talking about price. In order to get the same quality carousel as a single player, you have to spend more money, which isn't the point of the article which I see as a contradiction.

 

[Grant H]

Yeah, but wannabe hoity-toites can use the carousel for their parties. Those who like to act like they have a lot of money whether or not they do or actually spend anything.

Maybe that's the MSN demo.

 

[Jason Harbaugh]

That's exactly what bothers me as well.

As for the article, even for their audience, it doesn't make any sense. Why go through the trouble of buying everything seperately which will surely add up to a couple hundred bucks when you can get a cheap HTIB and be done with it for the same, if not cheaper cost? You aren't gaining anything by trying to purchase cheap equipment seperately that will need to be replaced anyway once you plan to upgrade.