Topic for Discussion: Audio/Video Most Important for HT? (1 Viewer)

[Saurav]

You fellows are limiting your "Home Theater" experience to recent movies and even worse to DVD only.

That's assuming technology (i.e., the home theater) is used to serve art (i.e., great movies). Honestly, I'm not sure it works that way with all home theater enthusiasts. Seems to me like plenty of people have surround sound systems with big screens mostly because of how impressive it looks and sounds, the gee-whiz factor. If that's your goal (and there's nothing wrong with that), then you're justified in restricting your choice of movies to those which highlight the factors which are important to you - special effects and back-to-front/left-to-right pans.

 

[MatthewJ S]

You want a big screen?,scoot closer ...
every body in the world has seen a big screen,and they only remember them if they looked really BAD...nobody is ever fooled into thinking that they are sucked into the movie by the picture ,but we often get our adrenaline pumping,heart racing, and toes tappin' over the audio and most of our friends don't get to "go to the movies "unless they come over to our house! Far fewer people have impressive audio systems . ...When the weather is bad all the neighborhood kids would come over to listen to the disney films w/my kids while watching my old mediocre and small tv. All of my neighbors (almost) had much better tv's but none had good audio!

 

[Mike Knapp]

quote: Seems to me like plenty of people have surround sound systems with big screens mostly because of how impressive it looks and sounds, the gee-whiz factor[/quote]
Unfortunately I agree with this. I will qualify it though. The person described above is NOT a home theater enthusiast, they are a technophile.
Now to address the original question.
First the question is: "Audio/Video Most Important for HT?" (lifted right from the thread title)
Now assume you have a great 5.1 audio system and a 19" TV. Someone forces you at gunpoint to get rid of one. Which one can you get rid of and STILL watch movies?
This is the answer to the posed question. There is NO OTHER answer.
FYI: I have 8 times the money in my audio system that I do in my TV. That does not alter the cold hard fact that video is indeed the most important factor in a home theater. Just because I enjoy the audio system more does not make it the "most important"... No video, no home theater...period.
Mike
[Edited last by Mike Knapp on August 11, 2001 at 03:56 AM]

 

[Ben Cannon]

> "[is] Audio/Video Most Important for HT?"
Yes.
Best!
Ben.
------------------

Ben Cannon
Dream With Your Eyes Wide Open, Inc.
"Every man dies, not every man really lives" --Mel Gibson, "Braveheart"

 

[Saurav]

The person described above is NOT a home theater enthusiast, they are a technophile.

I wonder how many would admit to loving their hardware more than their software.

 

[Todd Hochard]

I think many think audio is the thing, simply because they can't afford what it takes to get a video setup that is worthy of most audio systems. I don't mean that as elitist- I can't either.
Video, done right, is definitely the thing. Once you see good HDTV on a BIG screen, you'll see what I'm talking about.
Look at what my upgrade path for audio would be: I have the AVR-3300. Where do I go from here? To the 5800? to the B&K Ref30 with big amps? I'll need speakers for the back as well (I have in-walls for the rear- a necessary evil in my current room).
For the video, I currently have the Elite Pro-510HD. I upgraded that from a 27" Sony. Big improvement. I see things in films that I've never seen before. BUT, where do I go from here? To a 100" 16x9 screen, fed from RGBRGB DLP?
Which represents the bigger improvement? IMO, while the 5800/Ref 30 would most certainly sound better than the current 3300, the BIG BIG screen would be a monumental improvement. However, in order to achieve this video nirvana, I need a new house, with a dedicated room. Not gonna happen right now, even though I could. Too risky, give my line of work.
Video, done right, is what puts the THEATER in home theater.
Todd

 

[Saurav]

First the question is: "Audio/Video Most Important for HT?" (lifted right from the thread title)
Now assume you have a great 5.1 audio system and a 19" TV. Someone forces you at gunpoint to get rid of one. Which one can you get rid of and STILL watch movies?

I just thought of something, Mike - your argument isn't really valid, because a TV can do both the video as well as the audio portions, whereas a 5.1 audio system cannot do video. And the question compared audio to video, not a receiver to a TV.
The correct question to ask, using your example, would be:
Now assume you have a great 5.1 audio system, and a 100" LCD projector and screen (I'm assuming these things don't have speakers, I don't know too much about them ). Someone forces you at gunpoint to get rid of one. Which one can you get rid of and STILL watch movies?
As you see, the answer becomes, "none of the above". You can't watch a movie without audio (unless you're talking about a silent film), nor can you watch it without video.

 

[Scott Pultz]

I would have to say that audio is more important than sound. Sound/music invokes emotions. Try an interesting experiment. Watch a movie with the sound off, and then turn the sound up and watch the movie with the TV off. I have a feeling that the version with the sound playing will give you more of an experience.
I have been to theaters where the video was very good but the sound was only so-so. In comparison my system has good sound but only marginal video. Guess which one I like better? hehe... of course I could be biased until I get a good video section!

 

[Jon_B]

I've been disappointed numerous times with the sound quality at our local cinemas. For example when Star Wars Episode 1 was released they actually had anticipated the new sound format and built a cinema for it. The problem is they had not worked out all the kinks before they starting showing films to the public. Either they blew a speaker or they had bad connections. The sound would break up on loud passages. Needless to say, the sound was terrible and thus my movie watching experience ruined. This seems to happen to me just about everytime I've ventured to watch the latest movie.
My point is that cinemas use their huge screens and multi speaker setup and yet when they have problems with sound I find myself wishing I had stayed at home and watched a movie on my system with my

25" tv.

Jon

 

[Mike Knapp]

Fully 80% of all films available have no surround OR LFE tracks.

Did everyone miss this little tidbit? It would seem so.
Mike

 

[Gerald Levin]

Since it is hereditary and the nature is in my blood and I can't do anything about it, I like the cheapest price.
I love the "penny pinching" specials you get at the end of a season or of a discontinued model.
------------------
I love being Jewish! Especially on
Saturdays when I temple my butt
off and have a 3:00pm bagel with
cream cheese and chives!
Israel eat your heart out.

 

[KeithR]

About this video with no audio stuff....do yourself a favor. Walk into your favorite hifi store, and watch a 100" wide screen/projector setup on a HiDef feed...turn on the pre/pro.
You don't need audio then...and the only thing you will hear is your drool hitting your sleeve.
If you haven't seen this...then you really can't make the comparison.