Next Austin, TX meet? (1 Viewer)

[Colin Dunn]

After almost a year of waiting, I am finally ready to host an Austin, TX area Home Theater Forum meet. The house is done, my HT sound system is back up and running, and I'll have a Sony VPL-W10HT within a week.
So, when to have the next meet? I'm free to host on June 30, or any Saturday in July (July 7, 14, 21, 28).
Anyone want to suggest lunch spots or stores to visit?
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Colin Dunn

 

[Greg Risley]

Hey Colin
Just let me know when is good for you. As far as food goes, as long as I don't have to cook I'm not pickey.
Greg

 

[Jeff Blair]

I wouldn't suggest the weekend of the 7th. I think people might be out of town that weekend. But, I am able to go to any of them. Just let me know.
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Jeff Blair
A little boy asked his father, "Daddy, how much does it cost to get
married?" And the father replied, "I don't know son, I'm still paying.
My DVD's

 

[Mark Hayenga]

I'm up for one. I've also got a set of DIY mains I can drag along if anyone is interested. Just don't make it the 14/15th - I'm going to be hauling all my crap over to my new apartment

 

[Frederick_Falk]

I am up for the meet. I am now working every other Saturday (June 23rd, July 7th and July 21st) so the other dates would work great for me. Just let me know. Looking forward to seeing the completed HT and the Sony projector.

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

Yes, I'll try to make it. The advice about the 7th is probably good. Restaurant: the main criteria is a separate space for us so we can talk without interruption from other people/music and so we won't bother other patrons. Also reasonable prices.
Stores: We haven't seen HiFi Inc since the remodeling, so I would put it first on the list.
Congrats on surviving the house-building ordeal. So you have the Sony on order? Will you be able to calibrate it without professional help? Have you considered a Stewart GrayHawk screen? I just saw it at INFOCOMM and was impressed.
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"Do you expect me to talk?"
"No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!"

 

[Colin Dunn]

Looks like June 30 will probably be the best time for the meet. Unless I hear any protests, let's settle on June 30.
Hank -
At the very least, I'll run through Video Essentials on the 10HT before the meet. If time permits, I may even attempt a "Munsilization" (adjustment of RGB gain/bias in the service menu to permit higher contrast) and/or get a CC-R20 filter (to allow higher green/blue gains and even higher contrast results from Munsilization, by color-correcting optically).
Other more exotic tweaks, like the Grayhawk, a DIY spectrometer, or an ISF calibration, will probably have to wait. The Grayhawk, in particular, is very expensive (four-figure prices). It's also available only in screen widths up to 90" (there are seams above that width). If I do get a gray screen later, I will probably go the DIY route (if I can find some good documentation on the Net about paint mixtures).
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Colin Dunn

 

[Frederick_Falk]

Hey Colin,
The 30th is perfect for me. Also, I had Jon Witt of CST come over and ISF calibrate my Sony 36" TV and he was very impressed with the set. It looks great! I would highly recommend him and encourage you to get your projector calibrated to get the best from it.

 

[Colin Dunn]

Looks like we're locked in for June 30. If you're planning on being at the meet, please RSVP in this thread or to my E-mail address.
Watch this thread for the lunch place, as well as information on a store tour (if we can arrange one).
I got the Sony 10HT on Thursday evening. Haven't had much time to tweak it yet. Out of the box, the color balance was a little too greenish. But this isn't the "green fog" problem, because I don't see the green when a black background is up. It's probably just the color temperature and balance needing some adjustment.
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Colin Dunn

 

[Jeff Blair]

The 30th is good for me also. I have been talking to another guy here, and I will see if that is good for him also.
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Jeff Blair
A little boy asked his father, "Daddy, how much does it cost to get
married?" And the father replied, "I don't know son, I'm still paying.
My DVD's

 

[Colin Dunn]

Another thing for the 30th (I thought I posted this, but a power-out at my place may have eaten the post before I sent it)...
I got an ad in the mail for a place called Whetstone Audio. They are located on Guadalupe, and their ad said they specialize in "musical hi-fi" and home theater gear. If we do store tours, I think we should visit this place and see what it is like.
Any suggestions for a lunch spot? If I don't get any recommendations, I may have to just decide on something...
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Colin Dunn

 

[Greg Risley]

Whetstone Audio sounds neat. I have Krix speakers and they are one of a handfull of dealers in the US of these fine Australian speakers.
Greg

 

[Doug_H]

Colin
I will try and make it. I have had emergencies at work keep me away from the last few meets.
btw, what part of town do you live in?
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The Mischievous Rogue Strikes Again! The Humble Hanson Theater

 

[Colin Dunn]

Doug -
You've got mail.
Jeff -
Do you know if your friend/colleague is coming to the meet?
Everyone -
So far, I have confirmations from: Greg Risley, Hank Frankenburg (at least for the part at my place), Frederick Falk, and Jeff Blair. Doug_H and Chad Anson have tentatively expressed interest but haven't confirmed. Jeff also mentioned he might bring a friend or co-worker with him, but that isn't settled yet. Looks like we're at 5-8 people, including myself.
Last call for lunch spot recommendations before I make a command decision...
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Colin Dunn

 

[brian a]

I've been talking to Jeff offline about the meet. I think I can make the 30th as well. Drop me a line with directions at mailto:[email protected]
brianca...

 

[Chad Anson]

Colin,
I've got a softball tournament Saturday morning. Depending on how well we do, I may be through by early afternoon. Then, I promised my wife I'd take her to buy a set of golf clubs. In a nutshell, I doubt I'll make lunch or the store. I may, however, be able to make the premier at the Dunn cinema.

 

[Frank Tang]

Colin,
Add me to the tentative list. I may have to work Friday night into the wee hours and may not be conscious Saturday... but who knows? I came to the last two meets without sleeping, but I don't want to make this a habit. Where do you live? The shorter the drive, the less sleep I need.
-Frank

 

[Colin Dunn]

Chad, Frank, and Brian A.:
Check your E-mail. I am forwarding my address and directions right after I write up this post.
Everyone:
Since the lunch crowd is pretty small, I'm not making any special arrangements for lunch. I say we meet at 12:00 noon at the Fuddrucker's near Anderson & Mopac. They have burgers, steak, chicken, salads, beer, and soft drinks there. Should be something to suit everyone.
I know this doesn't meet the criteria of having a separate dining area, but we're probably only going to have 4-5 people (including myself) show up for the lunch part.
As for the rest of the afternoon...
Fuddrucker's is right next to High Fidelity. We can drop in and see what they've put in since last fall's construction. Then we can proceed to Whetstone Audio and take a peek at their offerings.
After visiting these two stores, it will probably be late afternoon. Then we'll proceed to my place for snacks and movies on my setup.
If you're planning on skipping the lunch and store tours, show up at my place around 5PM. Things should be rolling along by then.
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Colin Dunn

 

[Colin Dunn]

^ BUMP ^ to the top so anyone checking the forum Saturday morning knows where to go for lunch. See you guys at the meet...
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Colin Dunn