Creating the perfect viewing environment

[NiteJones]

First, first post.

Now, down to business.

I have a husband who's about to have serious surgery with several months of recovery. He's going to be sitting...a lot. So, I want to create a fabulous home theater environment for him in our living room as a get well/Christmas gift.

Our floorplan: The area involved is a living room/dining room/kitchen, all open to each other. The entire footprint is 26 feet deep by 32 feet wide. The living room portion is 26 deep by 16 wide, and obviously, the kitchen/dr combined are the same as the l/r, mirror image, split in two. There is a loft that is on top of the kitchen section and looks down onto the d/r and l/r (for potential placement of speakers). The ceilings are cathedral, 25 foot. The l/r has a couch and chairs at the deep end of the rectangle and face a corner fireplace and the wall where we'll place the new TV. Couch would be 20-25 feet from TV, chairs @15 ft. Couch faces TV wall dead-on. Chairs are at a slight angle to the TV on each side of the 16 foot width of the l/r.

Current electronics: Not much. I have DISH HD, every channel known to man. I have an ancient VCR (yes, VCR). I have an ancient DVD player that needs to be replaced.

What I want:

TVs: For this size room and the distances involved, I need something in the 55-65 inch range. I have a 37 inch LCD currently and it looks teeny! I've been researching LCD LED TVs such as the Samsung UN55B8000. I've seen it on sale online for as low as $2500, free delivery, no tax. That's the highest I'd prefer to go on the TV. I've also read the current fight over Kuro versus Vizio versus Samsung versus younameit. I'm open to any brand, if it has a lovely picture, but am definitely interested in backdimming and 240 hz refresh rate. I haven't really looked into plasmas, but this area of the house has many, many windows, with no drapes. (We live in the woods in a house on pilings with no nearby neighbors, so unless there are some really tall deer out there who are desperate to check us out, window treatments aren't necessary.) So, during the day it's very bright. At night without lights it's pitch black. Other TV suggestions are very welcome.

Audio System: I know nothing about audio systems. I'm not busting open walls. I hate having wires every which where, especially with all the dogs. But I also understand that I'd lose sound quality with wireless, so best options with such a large floorplan appreciated. I'll be doing the install, myself. I'm extremely logical and understand how to put complex systems together and have always taken care of our electronic setups, which in the past have been fairly complicated.

Receiver: Don't currently have one but assume it's necessary with an audio system and to control all the other components? I've used them in the past, but it's been a while.

DVD Player: Blu-ray, of course. Which one?!?

Okay, it's a ton, I know. But I'm sort of overwhelmed and want to make smart choices, reasonably priced. IOW, where do I put the bucks? TV and audio? Is a high-end receiver necessary or will a modestly priced one do? Are all blu-ray DVDs fairly much the same (or am I now officially kicked off the site?)?

All suggestions appreciated.

Best, Nite

[Riff Magnum]

I'm sure you'll get some great suggestions from others, but let me just say: What a heck of a wife you are!! Welcome to the site.

[Hammie]

The important thing that we will need to know is budget.

[Sylin]

Welcome!

It's hard to visualize all the nuances of the room without standing in it, but your description was good.

I'll comment on what I know.

1.) DVD/BLU-RAY: No need to replace your DVD player. If you get a Blu-ray player, it'll also play DVDs. Multi-tasking devices are good. I've owned the Sony Blu-ray players, and you'll read good things about the S360 (on sale today for $148 @ Walmart) and the S560. A PS3 might not be bad, either, because it plays DVD's, Blu-rays, and games, not to mention it streams Netflix movies if you have a broadband Internet connection, and you can stream music from your PC/Mac, too.

2.) Receiver: No need to go super-expensive here if you are just starting out and are not an audiophile who can appreciate the subtle differences. Marantz, Onkyo, Pioneer and Denon are all good brands. Shoot for models in the 400-700$ range. Just keep in mind that many receivers run warm, so good ventilation is necessary.

3.) Speakers: If budget is an issue, start small, but plan for the future. I'm perfectly happy with my 5.1 setup (5 speakers + 1 subwoofer), but my receiver (an Onkyo 707) can support up to 7.2. There are amazing deals right now on Polk Audio Monitor 60 speakers (front), CS1's and CS2's (center speaker), and Monitor 30's or 50's (rear/surround speakers).

4.) Subwoofer: Acoustic Audio. See the thread in the Subwoofers section of these forums for more details, but you can get an EXCELLENT 600w AA subwoofer for $150 on eBay, as opposed to $4-$700 retail.

5.) Speaker Wire: Be sure to get the right kind of wire for the job. Most folks run it under their floor if you have a crawlspace (all you need is a drill to make a small hole), or along the molding if you need to run it along the floor or ceiling. If you have carpet, you can run it under carpet by peeling it back and cutting some strips of padding out.

6.) Rely on the Experts: There's numerous folks on these forums who know a TON about this stuff, like BigDaddy, crackinhedz, and others. Browse around. Ask lots of questions. Good luck, and have fun!

Originally Posted by louhamilton

The important thing that we will need to know is budget.

Agreed. Good point, lou.

@NiteJones: Knowing your maximum budget for each item (or collectively) is important. Some of us are notorious deal finders, so you might get a lot of bang for your buck. For example, I recently replaced all of my speakers, subwoofer and receiver with about $3500 worth of equipment, but I only spent $1200 thanks to savvy shopping.

[Johnny Vinyl]

First of all, welcome to Blu-ray.com, and I assure you that we can help you come to the right decision. We will probably ask lost of questions, as information is critical to properly address your concerns.

Budget has already been mentioned by Lou, and that certainly is critical to know.

My question for you is based on your seating distance. With such a large room would you consider looking into a Projector set-up. At 20-25' (worst case) a 55" flat panel may not be big enough.

John

[NiteJones]

Thank you so much for all the quick replies! It's so much appreciated.

First, in answer to Riff: My husband is the absolute, hands down greatest! Anything for this guy! (And that's after 31 years of marriage, lol.)

Re: Budget considerations: I didn't post this because I didn't know what things cost, other than the TV set. I'm willing to go up to $2500 for the set and I guess another $1000 or so for the audio/receiver. Is that too little? I am more than happy to bottom feed on great price deals. Point me at them! I have no hesitation about buying over the internet. We live on an island in an rural area, so going to Best Buy is a six hour round trip!

Audio: We're old, lol, and deaf. Okay, not that old, but there's definite hearing loss based on the fact that our most frequent question to each other is: What did you say?!?

DVD: I'm glad to hear the Blu-ray DVD players are reasonably priced. I had something like 2000 VCR tapes and have been slowly converting to DVD. Now I'm thinking of going Blu-Ray, especially since my collection of DVDs isn't more than about 100. With premium pay stations and Netflix, we only own our favorite movies, though I'll admit to counting the days until Star Trek is released. I'm not sure whether a PS3 is a reasonable purchase since we don't play games, though our son does. I'm afraid that if I get one, I won't get any work done because I'll discover the joys of gaming. But I do like all the features you've mentioned that are available with a PS3. Just not sure if it's worth the extra $150. Will think about that option and discuss with son.

TV: John72953, your post gave me pause. I was also concerned that even 55" would be too small, especially if you're in the kitchen throwing together a meal and watching NASCAR at the same time. It really is a huge room and that wall could easily hold a 65" set. But I'm not sure they have LCD/LED sets large than 55 inches (or at a price I can afford). That would mean going plasma, yes? Plasma makes me nervous, but y'all can attempt to convert me with facts.

Sylin, will start researching your tips. What you said about speaker wire... I was afraid that was going to be the case. Oh, well. It's a really old carpet (dogs, again), so I guess I just bite the bullet and do it that way. Since #1 son will be here after Thanksgiving, he can help...and will actually enjoy doing it as much as I will.

Best, Nite

[HAMP]

31 years is a beautiful thing, I became officially engaged last night and I know it's going to be a wonderful marriage. She is into the home theater with me and.... Oh that's another story, let me give my 2 cents of advice

Budget of $2500. You found a LED for that price but your not to happy with the size. I recently had to get new items and I came across a Panasonic 65" Plasma S1 model and only paid $2390. Since you seem to maybe want to go larger, have you thought about DLP's? The price/size ratio is great.

Here is a Mitsubishi 73" 1080p DLP model WD73837 for $2799.99, if interested I’m positive you can talk Vanns down on the price(that’s what I did for the 65").

I'm only guessing, but you do know about the blu-ray players upconverting your DVD's for a better picture?

[Hammie]

Originally Posted by HAMP

31 years is a beautiful thing, I became officially engaged last night and I know it's going to be a wonderful marriage. She is into the home theater with me and.... Oh that's another story, let me give my 2 cents of advice

Budget of $2500. You found a LED for that price but your not to happy with the size. I recently had to get new items and I came across a Panasonic 65" Plasma S1 model and only paid $2390. Since you seem to maybe want to go larger, have you thought about DLP's? The price/size ratio is great.

Here is a Mitsubishi 73" 1080p DLP model WD73837 for $2799.99, if interested I’m positive you can talk Vanns down on the price(that’s what I did for the 65").

I'm only guessing, but you do know about the blu-ray players upconverting your DVD's for a better picture?

Congrats on your engagement.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by HAMP

I became officially engaged last night and I know it's going to be a wonderful marriage.

Make sure you read over your old posts for prosperity..... call it "Back when I was single and had money"


Do you want to go B I G ? A projector with a drop-down screen (keeping your current T.V. for daytime T.V. viewing, and watching movies at night with the projector) is one idea.... but other than that..... I agree that DLP is the way to go, so you can get 70+ inches within your budget.

[NiteJones]

...which isn't an unusual state of mind.

So, ace out the LCD/LED option. I've pretty much come to that conclusion.

Why DLP over plasma? I'm not sure I want to go to 70 inches.

Best, Nite

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by NiteJones

.
Why DLP over plasma? I'm not sure I want to go to 70 inches.

Best, Nite

I thought you were trying to get the largest display you could afford..... and DLPs offer a great "bang for your buck" because 70+ inch displays are available within your budget.......

If that's not the case, and you don't want a 70" display (or 120" projection screen for that matter) then I would recommend a Plasma....

I just prefer their image.... they look more natural to me, but it's all subjective.... and for what it's worth, I have a Projector, 2 LCD sets, and ZERO plasmas (but I'd love to pick one up sooner than later)

$2,500 for the display alone is a great budget to work with, so you'll have a lot of options (and a lot of options is nice, but it makes things tough some times ya' know )

[NiteJones]

Thanks, Beta Man. I've done some preliminary research on the DLPs and to be honest, I think I'd prefer Plasma over the DLPs. Sorry if I was misleading. I do want the best bang for the buck, but the wall in question (leaving a few inches on each side) is 65 inches, which would be perfect for a 65" but the 70" would push right up to the fireplace.

So, what would you recommend for a 65" plasma? I know Panasonic has two excellent options in that size, TC-P65S1 and the V10. I think the V10 is about $1000 over my budget, unless someone has an unbelievable Black Friday sale . Are there any others I should check out?

And thanks again for your assistance! Much appreciated.

Nite

[HAMP]

I hate to do this, but just to give you a little more to think about and this is what we are here for. When you measure the size of the screen it’s not measured straight across. The screens are measured diagonal and that means that a 65” screen is not 65” across or a 73” screen is not that much across. An example of this can be the two TV we are talking about. The Panasonic is a 65” screen, but it’s measurements are 62” wide and the Mitsubishi 73” screen is really 65.2” wide.

It does seem like you prefer the Plasma, I did order a Plasma over the DLP this time, but I loved that DLP I had and so did the rest of my friends and family.

By the way, The DLP model that is just below the one I spoke about is $2199 and it's a 73"

[NiteJones]

Hamp, thanks so much. I was aware that the set is measured on the diagonal and checked to see what a 65" set would translate to in terms of actual width and, as you mentioned, it came in at 62". Since a 70" width would push the set right up against the fireplace, rather than leave a comfortable couple inches on either side, I decided to top off my size at 65.

I've had one DLP, but feel that the colors were nowhere near as lovely as the plasma or the latest LCD/LED sets. Plus, I'd like the option of putting it on the wall which is a bulkier option with a DLP.

But I do appreciate the input very much.

I think I'm leaning toward the Panasonic TC-P65S1, with the TC-P65V10 as a "wishful thinking" dependent on Black Friday prices. If I use the receiver/audio system my son has, I can put the spare money toward the better TV and then replace the audio system next Christmas when I recover from the V10 sticker shock. At least, that's one option (made after 2 glasses of wine, .

Best, Nite

[Beta Man]

I've never personally owned a DLP or Plasma..... but if you can make a 60+ inch plasma work within your budget.....then by all means do it! I certainly wouldn't pull the trigger on ANY t.v. pre-black-friday.


I'm not sure what type of space you're working with..... but have you considered biting the bullet and having someone come out and install in-wall/in-ceiling speakers and running all of the wires etc. for you????

Might be a bit more expense.... but it's a clean look, and many great speakers are available for those applications.

[Riff Magnum]

If you've got the cash and want to wall mount, you can't beat those panny plasmas, but i will say that DLP's have gotten really good in recent years. I paid $1000 for my 61" Sammy back in January and i couldn't be happier. Whatever you do, don't rush into anything. Do you're research and keep looking for deals on here and other sites. Another good site for all things audio video is www.avsforum.com. Good luck!!

[NiteJones]

You guys are fabulous!! Really, thanks! (And I hope anyone else who stumbles across this post will feel free to add their expertise.)

Beta Man: I have a b-i-l who is willing and able to run the wires for me at a nominal fee. He did it for his own place and did a beautiful job. And my son and I are perfectly capable of doing it. It's the actual doing it part. Actually, we built our current house (okay, not ourselves, but you know what I mean) and my husband and I and someone who actually knew how to run line, wired the entire place. Electric is very logical, so I find it reasonably easy to understand. Same with hooking up electronics. I guess my brain is hardwired that way. I just "get it." But I do promise you, I won't buy anything before Black Friday! And since my darling hubs will be laid up for a couple months after surgery come December, we'll definitely need to out-source some of the setup work.

Riff: Thanks for pointing me to the other site. I'll check them out. I used to be a total electronics geek, but haven't had time/money to invest until the past couple years. It's fun to jump back in, though I feel seriously out of touch. Time to get back up to speed! (And yes, I'm having way too much fun with the emoticons.)

Best, Day

[HAMP]

I hope I didn't come off as too pushy. I did order the Panasonic TC-P65S1 and it will be here monday.

[NiteJones]

I hope I didn't come off as too pushy. I did order the Panasonic TC-P65S1 and it will be here monday

Oh, Hamp! Not at all! I'm just really leaning toward a plasma and I've been reading reviews for the various Panasonics and would love to see if I can't get a good deal on the V10 over Thanksgiving weekend. If I can't, then I'll probably go for the S1, as well, since that's definitely within my budget.

I'm just so grateful to have found this place and be able to learn as much as possible and interact with others who love TV viewing excellence. I also want to create the best possible home theater experience for my husband who'll have a couple months of recovery time post-surgery.

That said, I have to admit that I won't mind having a gorgeous TV to look at after I finish working each day. The trick will be getting my work done while my husband is watching TV (I work from home). Temptation is an evil thing!

I can't wait to hear how wonderful the S1 is. I hope you'll post all the gory details, lol.

Best, Nite

[HAMP]

Yes, this site is the best and you will just about get a instant reply with accurate information.

Even though I am getting it Monday, I'm not sure when it will be setup. I am looking for a new place to move.

My apartment was broken in recently and just about everything was stolen. I think they only left my living room set and bedroom set. I am basically replacing things, but only for my new place.