I’m sitting here reading Engadget HD pondering all of the technology and gadgets you can add to your TV viewing experience at home.
If you were to build something for yourself, what would you like it to do? Would you have a network rack in your basement with equipment? Just the basics because you don’t need to be high-tech? Want a slingbox to be able to watch from anywhere?
What would you do?
EDIT: No, you aren’t a millionaire, be realistic. No $20,000 set ups! LOL
Me personally? I’d get a couple of 52" HDTVs (living room and bedroom) and remotely locate all of the equipment in a closet. I’d use IR receivers and a Harmony LCD remote for the main room. I have no clue how I’d do it, but I’d make it possible to play recorded media on either TV. It’s gotta be possible somehow.
I don’t know much about SlingBox or HTPC or anything, but perhaps that would be cool too. DLNA apparently allows you to play mp3’s from your computer on your TV, as well as show pictures/video. I’d hope the TV I get would allow that too.
I’m pretty happy with my setup with the exception of my TV. I just did a custom pieced together stereo (2,000 watts 6.2 with 900 watts of sub). The people who owned the house before us left a $7,000 entertainment center in the bonus room for us and it can only hold a 42" TV so that’s the downside. We’re planning on getting rid of it and going to like a 52-56" LCD but I’m in no rush. I listen to music more than anything that’s why I did the stereo 1st. I already have a PS3 for blurays so I’m pretty happy.
I’m in the planning phase of a full on basement build.
the basics are going to be:
Marantz 7.1 receiver w/ HDMI switching (will also power the surrounds)
Rotel 5 channel amp to bipower fronts and power the center
various B&W 60x series for all seven channels.
Elemental designs home sub, something on the cheap side (don’t want to spend over $700 here), probably one of their new ones that are coming out in a month or so.
1080p projector, TBD
a bunch of sound deadening and other custom finishing.
Sounds sick Aaron. I’d love a 1080p projector. All of my surround speakers are high end Yamaha products that I got at a price I couldn’t let pass me by. I’m using the Klipsch Synergy 10" Subs right now. They’re 200 watts continuous and 420 dynamic power out of a class D amp. I’m very pleased with them. I don’t usually turn them up past the 1/2 way mark because it’s a little overkill at that point for the size of my room.
Yeah, my bonus room has 5 big windows. We have plantation shutters but I don’t want to have to sit in the dark just to watch tv. Basements have to be pretty good for sound I would think.
60" Pioneer Kuro Elite
Speakers/subs ceiling & wall mounted.
Brand of speakers/sub and receiver as recommended from Moffitt… lol
Everything rack mounted in the basement w/IR remotes.
Something like Control 4 to automate all of it.