Computer guys and home theater guys needed!

[a.bentonab]

Seeking input on a setup I am piecing together for the new basement. Plan is to have a home theater projector hooked up to a receiver. Inputs into the receiver will include a cable or satellite box (I'm not sure which we will be getting at the new house, and no we aren't ready to go to streaming only yet), a PC, plus or minus a blu ray player, and if possible my 2 gaming systems (don't laugh) an NES and an N64. Haven't gotten into any of the newfangled Xbox or PS systems. PC, set top box, and any blu ray players will be HDMI inputs to the receiver, old school gaming systems are RCA to the receiver. Receiver to the projector will be HDMI or possibly HDMI to cat5 back to HDMI pending the actual length of run needed. Sound system I'm open to suggestions. There are doorways on both sides of room so initially I thought I'd use soundbar and wireless woofer for ease of wire runs but that seems like that would really be a weak point in my setup. Suffice it to say there are a LOT of speaker systems out there and other than something 5.1 hooked up to the receiver I'm pretty much clueless. Probably don't want a $150 Walmart special system but also not willing to drop 10 grand on top of line Klipsch.

Would appreciate any any input that could be provided on any of the above but specifically the questions I've posed below

1. What Should I be looking for in a PC? Bluetooth would be a must, I am thinking I could put in a blu ray drive and expect as good or better playback than on a dedicated blu ray player right? Would a graphics card be a must? If I run HDMI from PC to receiver will it be true 5.1 sound? I would think that a PC would be the optimal way to play Netflix.

2. Is it really that hard to find a home theater receiver with 4+ HDMI ports and two separate RCA jacks? Seems plenty have either or but to get them on the same model I've run up the price to a grand! And why are companies putting all these services into the receiver like wifi pandora Netflix etc that's why I am hooking up the components for crying out loud!

3. Wire runs. This one has me out of my comfort zone. Large open doorways on both sides of room. Are people happy with the flat speaker wire under carpet? And the HDMI from receiver to projector will have to be a new run in a finished basement ceiling. Is that something a moderate DIYer should attempt? In the end I'll probably need a new power outlet in the ceiling for the projector which would probably necesitaye an electrician opening up the walls anyway

4. Any suggestions on sound source? As said was originally thinking soundbar with wireless woofer but I think something like this setup deserves 5.1. There's such a huge range in price for systems that it is just boggling my mind.

 

[snapping turtle]

Ok here are a few tips. :::

The projector is a nice idea but they do require bulb replacements ever x amount of hours used to keep them running top notch. When you look at long term cost a flat panel tv will cost less in the long run (led or oled) as the projector uses more power also. How big of a screen are you looking to make???? Personal preference here is a flat panel from a quality maker over a projector and a projection screen. I personally would go large flat screen with a good mount that swings away from the wall for easy access.

4k tv's verse standard high def. if you are viewing the large screen tv from a very close viewing distance the 4K is good. Normal viewing distance (plenty of charts of viewing distance to screen size around) the human eye can not pick up the pixels. If you are standing on a beach look at the sand. Can you see the single grains of sand. Now set down on the beach can you see the single grains of sand. 4K is an upgrade just not as big an upgrade as HD was. Notice how close to the screen the tv store puts the tv to where you stand. For normal tv viewing you would be in the next row of tv's.

HDMI is digital sound and video. Do nOT spend extraOn high price HDMI cables. It either gets the digital signal or it does not. your of blu ray component should reproduce well. The top notch video cards for gaming can run the same amount as a PC. You do not need the latest and greatest video card unless you are hard core gamer. Like then scopes we look at you get marginal improvements after you reach a certain dollar point. My audio video PC is an old dell XPS gaming PC that originally ran VISTA OS. It was what they were putting out before they bought Alienware. Cost for the PC was a video card and a rebuild on my part. It plays blu ray. Runs KODI Netflix ect. Like a champ still.

AV receivers: being a sound purest I have always been a fan of DENNON receivers. Still using my dennon that is getting close to 20 years old. It does have optical input but no HDMI Sony has a nice wireless setup. Remember that all wireless/Bluetooth is tricky to get the sound video to sync. I still have my crown tube pre amp and amp from the 1970's and other than the volume knob being scratchy it works great 40 years later. The dennon is most likely approaching 20 years old. So spending money on a good quality reciever is not a total waist over time. That said a cheap amp with good speakers sounds better than an expensive amp with cheap speakers. kLIPSCH speakers have always seemed to be top notch and I have a definitive technology sub woofer under the couch.

Wired runs work better than wireless runs. This is a cost verses ease of install thing and wireless sound has come a long way.

You need to go to a pro sound shop. Listen. Take notes. Get a budget. Future proof the system as much as possible.
If you need a good pro sound shop recommendations let me know.

 

[Hoosierdood]

My best advice to you is to go to your local Best Buy. Ask someone in the Home Theater dept. to schedule you for an in home consultation. It's free. The consultant will come to your house and work within your budget to get the best system for you. They will also be able to recommend the best receiver and speakers for you. And they don't work on commission, so it's not high pressure.

Best thing is they sell everything you need, so they can then help you pick it all out at the store. It's kind of a cool service. Don't know anyone else that offers it.

 

[halfmileharry]

I was NEVER a fan BUT... There's some fantastic Sound bars out there now. The big Klipsch and Polks do sound pretty darned fair. BUT... You'll probably dish out about $700 for them.
I just bought a new Onkyo 145WPC for $199 at Best Buy. It's only 5.1 but that's all I need. The same receiver in 7.1 was $299. These are sale prices they pretty much run constantly.
I'm not really a good source on HT stuff. I'm an old analog freak. I run tubes, reel to reels, and turntables for my music. Those are pretty much gathering dust until winter. The tube gear helps heat up the family room.

 

[CyberGuyPR]

I highly recommend you check out Avsforums.com. The input I've gotten there has been critical for the design of my basement theater and game area which I'll start working on this winter. Say what you have in mind, your budget, and you'll get great recommendations.

TV vs. projector needs to be carefully considered. How's ambient light? Viewing distance? Those are #1. For me the immersiveness of a projector on a 120" screen is priceless so that's what I'm going for.

In regards to the receiver, what have you loooked at? Most newer middle of the pack Denon and Onkyo have way more HDMI and RCA that you require. Set some slickdeals alerts and you can score one for a real good price.

For the speaker part, you need to go listen to some stuff. Some people are happy with a sound bar. Other need a full Atmos setup with ceiling speakers and all of the fancy stuff. Only you can tell what you'll be happy with.

 

[jkaetz]

1. I use one of these as my home theater PC. I just added a USB remote control and one of these for video. Kodi handles most of the media related thigns and it has enough cpu power to encodes h265 video at a descent speed. It will also play most games at 1080p. HDMI from the computer to an AVR will provide all manner of audio and video. I have stuff with TrueHD, DTS Master Audio, and Dolby Atmos. Kodi sends it all over to the AVR with no problem. Netflix and other streaming services are hit and miss with 5.1 or greater sound. If they have it, you can send it over to the AVR via HDMI.

2. I've had Onkyo, Denon, and Yamaha. Currently the Yamaha Aventage series is my choice. If you don't need more than 7 amplifiers built in, you can get the A8XX or A10XX series AVRs for a bit under $1k with plenty of HDMI and analog inputs. Additionally you can get HDMI switching/matrixing devices if you need even more inputs but they usually cost as much as the step up to the next level AVR. You'll see things like Pandora, Netflix, etc... crammed into all manner of device now days. Some work well, others not so much. An HTPC will do a better job on most levels but some people don't care.

3. The flat speaker wire under your carpet will work just fine. You don't need any super expensive speaker wiring for home theater. 14-16 gauge is plenty. I use some of the flat wire to go from my AVR to the wall plate. If you haven't found it already, www.monoprice.com is the place to buy most cables and wires. Here is some flat wire that would likely do well for you. Your HDMI run will be tricky if you have finished walls. If the floor joists run directly from your AVR wall to the projector you shouldn't have too much trouble. If they run perpendicular to your AVR wall you'll have to get creative. I will second the post that a larger LCD or OLED TV will rival a projector setup depending on the size you're after so don't rule them out as an option.

4. If you're doing a home theater room and are concerned with sound quality, do it right. At least five wired full range speakers and a good quality subwoofer. A sound bar won't be able to hold a candle to a dedicated system. As someone else said, AVSForum is the place to go for dedicated AV stuff. Most will tell you to take your AVR cost and multiply by 2x for your speaker system including subwoofer. You can certainly go less expensive but it all depends on your desired outcome. An expensive AVR cannot make cheap speakers sound good. I'm a bit of an audiophile so I spent just under 2x the cost of my AVR on speakers. The subwoofer was a large chunk of that and is a critical component of a good HT system. It's size is also largely dependent on the size of your room. AVSForum will give you piles of info on room size vs sub size and display size.

Finally, shop at Best Buy or other box stores to check out the features of AVRs and the size of speakers. Don't bother asking them for advice though, AVSForum will give you far better info. Don't be afraid to demo stuff. When you're ready, buy a couple AVRs and sets of speakers if you can and listen to them in YOUR room. The room has a large impact on sound and you'll have a totally different experience in a store display vs your own home. For the most part video is a very simple beast. Find out how large you want the display and what kind of color representation/motion smoothing you want and stick it on your wall. Audio has many more variables.

 

[a.bentonab]

1. I use one of these as my home theater PC. I just added a USB remote control and one of these for video. Kodi handles most of the media related thigns and it has enough cpu power to encodes h265 video at a descent speed. It will also play most games at 1080p. HDMI from the computer to an AVR will provide all manner of audio and video. I have stuff with TrueHD, DTS Master Audio, and Dolby Atmos. Kodi sends it all over to the AVR with no problem. Netflix and other streaming services are hit and miss with 5.1 or greater sound. If they have it, you can send it over to the AVR via HDMI.

2. I've had Onkyo, Denon, and Yamaha. Currently the Yamaha Aventage series is my choice. If you don't need more than 7 amplifiers built in, you can get the A8XX or A10XX series AVRs for a bit under $1k with plenty of HDMI and analog inputs. Additionally you can get HDMI switching/matrixing devices if you need even more inputs but they usually cost as much as the step up to the next level AVR. You'll see things like Pandora, Netflix, etc... crammed into all manner of device now days. Some work well, others not so much. An HTPC will do a better job on most levels but some people don't care.

3. The flat speaker wire under your carpet will work just fine. You don't need any super expensive speaker wiring for home theater. 14-16 gauge is plenty. I use some of the flat wire to go from my AVR to the wall plate. If you haven't found it already, www.monoprice.com is the place to buy most cables and wires. Here is some flat wire that would likely do well for you. Your HDMI run will be tricky if you have finished walls. If the floor joists run directly from your AVR wall to the projector you shouldn't have too much trouble. If they run perpendicular to your AVR wall you'll have to get creative. I will second the post that a larger LCD or OLED TV will rival a projector setup depending on the size you're after so don't rule them out as an option.

4. If you're doing a home theater room and are concerned with sound quality, do it right. At least five wired full range speakers and a good quality subwoofer. A sound bar won't be able to hold a candle to a dedicated system. As someone else said, AVSForum is the place to go for dedicated AV stuff. Most will tell you to take your AVR cost and multiply by 2x for your speaker system including subwoofer. You can certainly go less expensive but it all depends on your desired outcome. An expensive AVR cannot make cheap speakers sound good. I'm a bit of an audiophile so I spent just under 2x the cost of my AVR on speakers. The subwoofer was a large chunk of that and is a critical component of a good HT system. It's size is also largely dependent on the size of your room. AVSForum will give you piles of info on room size vs sub size and display size.

Finally, shop at Best Buy or other box stores to check out the features of AVRs and the size of speakers. Don't bother asking them for advice though, AVSForum will give you far better info. Don't be afraid to demo stuff. When you're ready, buy a couple AVRs and sets of speakers if you can and listen to them in YOUR room. The room has a large impact on sound and you'll have a totally different experience in a store display vs your own home. For the most part video is a very simple beast. Find out how large you want the display and what kind of color representation/motion smoothing you want and stick it on your wall. Audio has many more variables.

is that Dell optiplex the low profile version? That's about The form factor I've been looking for in a HTPC. I've resigned myself to probably buying something with about those stats and then adding Bluetooth and blu ray drive.

 

[jkaetz]

is that Dell optiplex the low profile version? That's about The form factor I've been looking for in a HTPC. I've resigned myself to probably buying something with about those stats and then adding Bluetooth and blu ray drive.

Dell has two small versions. The smallest (USFF) one pulls the power supply out of the case and puts it into a power brick. This version is the slightly larger one (SFF) that has the power supply inside the case. It can hold a low profile video card, slim optical drive, and I believe two 2.5" hard disks.

If you want more processing power you can always look for the newer versions, I believe 7040 or 7050 are the latest models.