Today I start a new adventure...

Serendipity

Will be working on my basement and installing the following:

Sony VPH-D50Q CRT projector and 140" FP screen

Two networked HTPCs (hp Pavilion Media Center and hp DEC z560)
Samsung XM Tuner + outdoor XM antenna

Custom building a rack which will contain:
Onkyo AVR, Onkyo DVDP, CDP, HD-DVR, VCR, Two OTA HDTV tuners, and both APC power units.

Will be fun... I'm excited!

danger boy

appadv wrote: »

Will be working on my basement and installing the following:

Sony VPH-D50Q CRT projector and 140" FP screen

Two networked HTPCs (hp Pavilion Media Center and hp DEC z560)
Samsung XM Tuner + outdoor XM antenna

Custom building a rack which will contain:
Onkyo AVR, Onkyo DVDP, CDP, HD-DVR, VCR, Two OTA HDTV tuners, and both APC power units.

Will be fun... I'm excited!

FYI, that sounds like a PITA..

Seriously, sounds like fun times ahead. post pics when it's done or in progresss. enjoy

Serendipity

danger boy wrote: »

FYI, that sounds like a PITA..

Seriously, sounds like fun times ahead. post pics when it's done or in progresss. enjoy

Moving around a 150lb projector is a huge PITA.

Demiurge

appadv wrote: »

Moving around a 150lb projector is a huge PITA.

Maybe try moving it with your hands.

Serendipity

Demiurge wrote: »

Maybe try moving it with your hands.

I will.

Attached is a picture of the system so far:

Serendipity

Stuff that will go into the top shelves of the rack:

Onkyo Receiver and DVD Player

wingnut4772

How fun. More pics!:D

Serendipity

wingnut4772 wrote: »

How fun. More pics!:D

Thanks!

Pic of 15" Dayton Titanic MKIII DIY sub:

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DVR Stuff:

ben62670

appadv wrote: »

Thanks!

Pic of 15" Dayton Titanic MKIII DIY sub:

Is the dayton sealed. How do you like it?
Ben

Serendipity

ben62670 wrote: »

Is the dayton sealed. How do you like it?
Ben

Yes, the Dayton is sealed. I like the sub a lot this way. When in the sealed enclosure the sub is very accurate and quiet. In fact you can't even tell it's on most of the time.

Serendipity

APC and Pioneer:

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Cables will be run in here:

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Definitive BP10B and XM Tuner:

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HTPC #1 - HP z560 Digital Entertainment Center:

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Any suggestions guys? This is my first *real* home theater and I'm learning as I go along...

Trey's DefTechs sound great but require careful attention to placement. What's the best way to position these speakers? It seems that even minor changes in their positioning affect the sound dramatically.

Also, is there anything you guys feel I should change in the setup? Such as adding rear speakers (right now my setup is strictly 2-channel) and possibly an SVS sub? I'm open to any suggestions you guys have, so thanks in advance!

Serendipity

Projector is finally set up:

Shizelbs

appadv wrote: »

Also, is there anything you guys feel I should change in the setup? Such as adding rear speakers (right now my setup is strictly 2-channel) and possibly an SVS sub? I'm open to any suggestions you guys have, so thanks in advance!

Just make sure you run as much cabling and or conduits as you can now before you drywall everything (if thats what you are going to do). Its much better to run the wires and cables now, even if you don't think you'll use them soon, than have to do it later. It'll be much less work and odds are it'll be done more properly if you do it now.

Serendipity

Shizelbs wrote: »

Just make sure you run as much cabling and or conduits as you can now before you drywall everything (if thats what you are going to do). Its much better to run the wires and cables now, even if you don't think you'll use them soon, than have to do it later. It'll be much less work and odds are it'll be done more properly if you do it now.

Thanks for the advice. Since I will be putting up drywall permanently, I think I should wire my system for 5.1 or 7.1 surround instead of 2 channel. That way I will have five or seven speaker cables ready if I'm ever going to go surround. I also think I should run extra component video and HDMI cables just in case I plan to add an HD-DVD or blu-ray player soon.

Serendipity

Dang, this receiver only has an optical input on the front. I need coax.

wingnut4772

Cool projector . I really like the idea of a CRT projector. Maybe they will make a comeback like vinyl.

Girl_Addicted

That projector is a monster!

Serendipity

wingnut4772 wrote: »

Cool projector . I really like the idea of a CRT projector. Maybe they will make a comeback like vinyl.

Thanks. I like the idea of a CRT projector because there are no expensive bulbs to replace. In addition, the 30,000:1 contrast ratio and wide dynamic range of CRT projectors is unbelievable. Seeing one in action is just mind blowing.

I think they *might* already be making a comeback like vinyl, just look at all the guys on www.thecrtshop.com with their monster CRT projectors

Serendipity

Discovered this crawl space behind the wall. Looks like a great place to run speaker wire:

Serendipity

Hi,

I'm looking at the idea of a second sub, probably an SVS. Would like to go with a 25-31PC+ but not sure if it is appropriate for the size of my room, a 21.5*22 room with 8 foot ceiling. I'd like to know if such a sub would be adequate for the room size or not:

http://www.svsound.com/products-sub-cyl-plpow3.cfm

Also looking to get an outboard scaler for the projector.

Anybody have experience with one of these?
http://www.anchorbaytech.com/products/systems/vp30.php

Finally, would Outlaw M2200 monoblocks be a good match for the Definitive Tech BP10B speakers I currently have? Anybody here have experience or heard anything good/bad about Outlaw products? Thanks!
http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/2200.html

Girl_Addicted

appadv wrote: »

Hi,

I'm looking at the idea of a second sub, probably an SVS. Would like to go with a 25-31PC+ but not sure if it is appropriate for the size of my room, a 21.5*22 room with 8 foot ceiling. I'd like to know if such a sub would be adequate for the room size or not:

http://www.svsound.com/products-sub-cyl-plpow3.cfm

Also looking to get an outboard scaler for the projector.

Anybody have experience with one of these?
http://www.anchorbaytech.com/products/systems/vp30.php

Finally, would Outlaw M2200 monoblocks be a good match for the Definitive Tech BP10B speakers I currently have? Anybody here have experience or heard anything good/bad about Outlaw products? Thanks!
http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/2200.html

Well, I've heard that sub in a 15x11 room, and it did fine. I don't know how it would sound in yours. It would probably be more than adequate.

bikezappa

appadv wrote: »

Thanks. I like the idea of a CRT projector because there are no expensive bulbs to replace. In addition, the 30,000:1 contrast ratio and wide dynamic range of CRT projectors is unbelievable. Seeing one in action is just mind blowing.

No bulbs but expensive tubes, three in all. Also very difficult to replace.

I think they *might* already be making a comeback like vinyl, just look at all the guys on www.thecrtshop.com with their monster CRT projectors

I had three CTR front projectors in my past life. Did you mount it on the ceiling? It took me most of the day mounting it by myself. I used the SDAs to help get the projector close to the ceiling. I mounted the projector with out the ceiling fixture. What a PITA. I used threaded rods between the projector and the wood joists to support and adjust the angle of the projector to the screen.

Have you ever converged a projector? Maybe your Sony can do it automatically, if so you are luck.

Have a blast. I have a DLP HD front projector and it takes 10 minutes to set up.

Serendipity

bikezappa wrote: »

I had three CTR front projectors in my past life. Did you mount it on the ceiling? It took me most of the day mounting it by myself. I used the SDAs to help get the projector close to the ceiling. I mounted the projector with out the ceiling fixture. What a PITA. I used threaded rods between the projector and the wood joists to support and adjust the angle of the projector to the screen.

Have you ever converged a projector? Maybe your Sony can do it automatically, if so you are luck.

Have a blast. I have a DLP HD front projector and it takes 10 minutes to set up.

Which CRT projectors did you have? I'm interested in the PJs you had as not many people own these giant beasts but sure do they give a great picture.

I didn't mount it on the ceiling yet, but I do have it set up. Although I have never converged a projector before, I didn't find it too difficult. The Sony does not have an auto-convergence feature. I found the mechanical setup to be fairly easy, but the electronic convergence adjustments took some time.

Some projectors even have an auto-convergence feature which adjusts the electronic convergence automatically. You still do have to do a mechanical setup though. I'd like to own one of these projectors eventually.

Serendipity

Girl_Addicted wrote: »

Well, I've heard that sub in a 15x11 room, and it did fine. I don't know how it would sound in yours. It would probably be more than adequate.

Thanks. It's reassuring to know that the SVS will probably be adequate enough for my room. So that's a good thing.

Polk65

In the last century my neighbor invited me over for a taste of cutting edge HT 2.0 and laserdisc. His CRT projector was under a coffee table.

The movie title is long forgotten but I do remember the sharp picture and larger than life HBO intro on his screen.

bikezappa

appadv wrote: »

Which CRT projectors did you have? I'm interested in the PJs you had as not many people own these giant beasts but sure do they give a great picture.

I didn't mount it on the ceiling yet, but I do have it set up. Although I have never converged a projector before, I didn't find it too difficult. The Sony does not have an auto-convergence feature. I found the mechanical setup to be fairly easy, but the electronic convergence adjustments took some time.

Some projectors even have an auto-convergence feature which adjusts the electronic convergence automatically. You still do have to do a mechanical setup though. I'd like to own one of these projectors eventually.

I started in 1988 with a used Sony PJ that was also a large coffee table that used a curved screen. I paid $100 for it. There was only one good seating position with the curved screen. I hated curved screen and put up a slide projector screen and dealt with the distortion at the four corners. I could now have 4 people watch the TV.

Next was the ceiling mounted used advent ($500) with the umbilical cord remote. This one needed constant convergance adjustment but the picture was bigger and more focused on the flat sceen than the Sony.

Finally I got a new RCA ($1400) ceiling mounted PJ that was a BIG improvement over all the rest. Convergance propertly done produced a good picture on the four corners on my new 10' screen. The screen is really important.

After 5 years with the RCA (needed 3 new tubes) I went with the NEC HD PJ for $4000. I have had this PJ for about 4 years now and 3 bulbs. Much better picture, easy to set up. I would never use a CRT again even if it were free (well maybe if it had automatic convergence). Sorry. To much work to keep the picture converged because as the tubes age they drift. Also these projectors would vibrate when playing the movies loud. Never could stop these vibrations from the CRT projector.

Have a blast.