"Wired" home systems

[BrianFromWA]

My wife has systematically removed cable tv from our house while I'm gone. She does the whole Netflix + whatever free TV thing now. They're moving to a new place (on base) in a couple of weeks, and our TV just gave out, so I'm in the market for a new setup, if it's worth it.

She's a big apple user, and our small children (3&2) are into iPads/mini's and using the iTunes account for their cartoons, movies, apps, etc. I don't necessarily want to go to a "smart" TV, but I'm open because I've heard picture quality is best in the smart/3D TVs.

I guess what I'm saying is that I'm looking for TV (probably 46-60"), audio and "wiredness" that I can use for surfing the web, downloading videos and music, using throughout the house, etc. I have a Blu-Ray player that is "smart", and while we don't use it much it's still in good shape.

Thoughts?

 

[Bob Dobalina]

My wife has systematically removed cable tv from our house while I'm gone. She does the whole Netflix + whatever free TV thing now. They're moving to a new place (on base) in a couple of weeks, and our TV just gave out, so I'm in the market for a new setup, if it's worth it.

She's a big apple user, and our small children (3&2) are into iPads/mini's and using the iTunes account for their cartoons, movies, apps, etc. I don't necessarily want to go to a "smart" TV, but I'm open because I've heard picture quality is best in the smart/3D TVs.

I guess what I'm saying is that I'm looking for TV (probably 46-60"), audio and "wiredness" that I can use for surfing the web, downloading videos and music, using throughout the house, etc. I have a Blu-Ray player that is "smart", and while we don't use it much it's still in good shape.

Thoughts?

I want to confirm what it is you are after. I get the tv part. Audio - you looking for surround sound with amplifier, 5.1 or 7.1 speakers/sub? Simple home theater in a box? Or a soundbar? Not sure what "wiredness" means. Does that mean you don't want to attempt to watch online tv and shows using a wireless network, but a wired one instead? Wired is my personal preference fwiw, but it is also not nearly as convenient to get up an running.

 

[BrianFromWA]

sorry, I should've clarified that.

By "wired" I actually meant "wireless". I agree with you on the quality of cabling, but since I'm probably just going to go with a soundbar for aesthetic (by which I mean, my wife doesn't want myriad speakers, a sub, cables/wires, or towers in "her" living room) I'm probably going to go with wireless. And as such I guess I'm looking for stuff that might not be as high-powered acoustically, but has high visual quality and ease of connectivity with the wireless devices.

 

[Draco]

Video only is pretty good here in Portland they'll even haggle down the price like car salesmen. You can read a bunch yourself on amazon or audiophile forums if you want to spend the time to do your own research. Some stores like Best Buy or Frys can have a real knowledgeable person if you go when they aren't busy but its kind of hit or miss if you get someone good.

 

[PapaG]

Samsung or Sony. Everything else is crap.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Apple TV. You can mirror iPads on your TV.

Yah..Sony or samsung. I like Sony but Samsung is cheaper

 

[BrianFromWA]

Hm...I've had Panasonic Plasmas for the last 10 years or so...Sony/Samsung are definitely higher quality?

 

[Bob Dobalina]

In my opinion if you're knowledgeable enough to have stuck with Panasonic plasmas for the last 10 years, then you don’t need help in here. Plasma is still the king of picture quality and Panasonic makes the best. I’d suggest you stick with what you know and go as big as your budget will allow. No idea what your budget is. This is a well regarded budget friendly 65”.

My guess is you will want a soundbar which supports hdmi switching. This one is well reviewed and “cheap” at about $200.

Sounds like you should definitely add an apple TV to the lineup. With the bluray player you already have, your family should be entertained for a while.

 

[maxiep]

Not to distract from Brian's question, but I also have one. I am renovating my house, including gutting my basement. I have the ability to rewire my entire house. What should I wire? I'm distributing our cable from our mechanical room, speaker line from a stereo in our mechanical room (with controllers) and was thinking about wiring the house with Cat 5. As long as I have the walls open, it just seems like the best time.

Anything else I should wire?

 

[Bob Dobalina]

You may want to consider cat 6 over cat 5. Should have a higher bandwidth for future flexibility. Also, I suggest running multiple lines not single. So 2 or 4 for example instead of a single wire. If you ever need a long hdmi run to distribute video for instance it takes two cat 5 or cat 6 cables to do it. If it were me and the walls were open I would definitely put some conduit in place with a pull string inside. This takes some planning, but for future proofing it could save you a ton of work/headache later. One more consideration might be power in "not so obvious" places. Like if you have any plans to mount a tv on a wall or a projector on a ceiling, it'd be nice to have power in place near those locations.

 

[maxiep]

You may want to consider cat 6 over cat 5. Should have a higher bandwidth for future flexibility. Also, I suggest running multiple lines not single. So 2 or 4 for example instead of a single wire. If you ever need a long hdmi run to distribute video for instance it takes two cat 5 or cat 6 cables to do it. If it were me and the walls were open I would definitely put some conduit in place with a pull string inside. This takes some planning, but for future proofing it could save you a ton of work/headache later. One more consideration might be power in "not so obvious" places. Like if you have any plans to mount a tv on a wall or a projector on a ceiling, it'd be nice to have power in place near those locations.

Bob, thanks and repped! I will run pvc as it will make fishing future lines (and line replacement) that much easier. I will also do as you say and run multiple lines and Cat 6 instead of Cat 5.

 

[Bob Dobalina]

Bob, thanks and repped! I will run pvc as it will make fishing future lines (and line replacement) that much easier. I will also do as you say and run multiple lines and Cat 6 instead of Cat 5.

Cool. I hope to one day have the opportunity to do this myself.

Here's a pretty good discussion about pre-wiring if interested.

 

[maxiep]

Cool. I hope to one day have the opportunity to do this myself.

Here's a pretty good discussion about pre-wiring if interested.

That is very helpful. I just skimmed it, but I've bookmarked it for when I do the wiring (in a couple of months).

 

[Draco]

If it were me and the walls were open I would definitely put some conduit in place with a pull string inside. This takes some planning, but for future proofing it could save you a ton of work/headache later. One more consideration might be power in "not so obvious" places. Like if you have any plans to mount a tv on a wall or a projector on a ceiling, it'd be nice to have power in place near those locations.

Yes I agree conduit is the way to go if it is a house you're going to be in a long time and the walls are already open. Easy as pie to make any changes you want in the future.

 

[Denny Crane]

If you can install conduit within the walls, you would be able to pull cables through any time in the future.

So if you somehow get a short in a speaker wire, you can pull a new one easily to replace the bad one.

If you lose the pull string, you tie a baggie to a string and suck it through the conduit with a vacuum cleaner at the other end.

 

[THE HCP]

Samsung or Sony. Everything else is crap.

I knew there was a reason I liked you!


Sent from my baller ass iPad FAMS!

 

[THE HCP]

Wish I had USB ports in my walls!


Sent from my baller ass iPad FAMS!

 

[Denny Crane]

Wish I had USB ports in my walls!


Sent from my baller ass iPad FAMS!

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newe...n=googlebase&gclid=CJaPw_Drt7gCFWfhQgodBSUAGw

 

[BrianFromWA]

In my opinion if you're knowledgeable enough to have stuck with Panasonic plasmas for the last 10 years, then you don’t need help in here. Plasma is still the king of picture quality and Panasonic makes the best. I’d suggest you stick with what you know and go as big as your budget will allow. No idea what your budget is. This is a well regarded budget friendly 65”.

My guess is you will want a soundbar which supports hdmi switching. This one is well reviewed and “cheap” at about $200.

Sounds like you should definitely add an apple TV to the lineup. With the bluray player you already have, your family should be entertained for a while.

I'm at the place in life where my TV size is limited not by budget, but by the commander-in-chief of the House dictating what will look good in her living room. 65" doesn't apply.

Thanks for the rec on the soundbar. I've looked at a couple in the past, and sat through the Bose demo, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out the difference b/w Bose's $2500 base system and a $200-400 system.

 

[Bob Dobalina]

I'm at the place in life where my TV size is limited not by budget, but by the commander-in-chief of the House dictating what will look good in her living room. 65" doesn't apply.

Thanks for the rec on the soundbar. I've looked at a couple in the past, and sat through the Bose demo, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out the difference b/w Bose's $2500 base system and a $200-400 system.

I've learned sometimes you just have to ask forgiveness. However there is the 50" inch version of that same model. Let us know what you end up doing. Good luck.

 

[Denny Crane]

Because of the way HDTV works, you may not really need the biggest set you can afford or fit in the room.

If you sit too close to a really big screen, you'll be giving your neck a good workout. Close enough and you'll be seeing the actual pixels. Certainly not as the picture was intended to be viewed.

If you set too far from a smaller screen, your eyes cannot detect the high definition. At some distance, the 1080p becomes worthless and at a further distance the 720p becomes worthless.

If your seating is 4 feet from the TV, a 30" screen is optimal. At 6 feet distance, a 45" screen.

I personally think that smaller screens have much better pictures than larger ones. If you have 1920x1080 pixels on a 60" screen, the pixels have to be further apart to fill the screen than for a 30" screen. 1920 pixels / 60 inches is 32 pixels per inch. 1920 / 30 inches is 64 pixels per inch. So for the 60" TV, the pixels have to be bigger (big pixels don't look good), or some sort of black space between.

I agree the Panasonic TVs have the best picture. So does CNET. However, if you intend to listen to the TV's sound, it's disappointing. That didn't bother me because I listen through a sound system (receiver, speakers). And you said something about a sound bar, which is going to sound better than the TV, too.

Refresh rate also matters. Movies are shot on film that is 24 frames per second (Hz). 120Hz, 240Hz, etc., are multiples of 24. 60Hz is not, so they have to use 3:2 pulldown to make the 24 frames view in a second. I notice the stuttering effect from 3:2 on 60Hz. The higher refresh rates also mean that the pixels can change from one color to another faster, which is really good for fast changing video... Fast changing like watching basketball because the TV camera pans left/right to follow the action (radically changes the background).

The sound system does matter, even if you don't discern the differences. A high powered receiver will sound better at lower volumes than a lower powered one. If you set up a 7.1 system, you'll most definitely get a good theater experience, with the sound of rain and thunder coming from the rear, a helicopter moving from rear to front, etc.

 

[Draco]

Thanks for the rec on the soundbar. I've looked at a couple in the past, and sat through the Bose demo, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out the difference b/w Bose's $2500 base system and a $200-400 system.

Bose “better sales through marketing”