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Wires and cables and remotes, oh my....
While Mike was busy down at Sam's, I went over to help ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
excessor wire up his new Home-Theater-in-a-Box. These things combine your stereo system with your TV, relegating the TV to monitor status. Since his stereo was pretty pitiful it was actually a big upgrade for him. The many wiring diagrams in the manual weren't applicable because his existing TV system is complicated by the presence of a cable box and separate Tivo DVR [which reminds me to mention the much preferable Directv/Tivo combo boxes if you're considering new TV service.] The industry is a mess now because the component model [separate boxes for each function] has become impossibly complex and there are a dozen different types of cable and interfaces. Centralized control is difficult since each manufacturer uses a different control protocol and hardware standard. Even the huge remote for his new receiver will require programming to control the TV and DVD components, and the "modedness" of these combo remotes makes them difficult for most people to use. Meanwhile, stores like Circuit City take advantage of this complexity by selling you wildly-overpriced cables -- you shop carefully for the best price on a system, but when you ask the man what else you'll need, the store will push you to Monster cables, which have a huge markup, and give you little choice. It is much like buying car accessories at the dealer -- having just spent a large amount on the car, the $200 mats don't seem like much even though they could be purchased elsewhere for $30. And these add-on items account for half the profits of the whole sales operation.
It took me about ten minutes to get everything wired up, and then we chased down some audio problems which turned out to be loose speaker wires -- seven speakers make for an awful lot of analog connections to go wrong. Finally all seemed to be working well, so we adjourned to the cheap-but-delicious Indian restaurant in a nearby strip mall, where I stuffed myself with the intriguingly-named Chicken 65.
excessor wire up his new Home-Theater-in-a-Box. These things combine your stereo system with your TV, relegating the TV to monitor status. Since his stereo was pretty pitiful it was actually a big upgrade for him. The many wiring diagrams in the manual weren't applicable because his existing TV system is complicated by the presence of a cable box and separate Tivo DVR [which reminds me to mention the much preferable Directv/Tivo combo boxes if you're considering new TV service.] The industry is a mess now because the component model [separate boxes for each function] has become impossibly complex and there are a dozen different types of cable and interfaces. Centralized control is difficult since each manufacturer uses a different control protocol and hardware standard. Even the huge remote for his new receiver will require programming to control the TV and DVD components, and the "modedness" of these combo remotes makes them difficult for most people to use. Meanwhile, stores like Circuit City take advantage of this complexity by selling you wildly-overpriced cables -- you shop carefully for the best price on a system, but when you ask the man what else you'll need, the store will push you to Monster cables, which have a huge markup, and give you little choice. It is much like buying car accessories at the dealer -- having just spent a large amount on the car, the $200 mats don't seem like much even though they could be purchased elsewhere for $30. And these add-on items account for half the profits of the whole sales operation.It took me about ten minutes to get everything wired up, and then we chased down some audio problems which turned out to be loose speaker wires -- seven speakers make for an awful lot of analog connections to go wrong. Finally all seemed to be working well, so we adjourned to the cheap-but-delicious Indian restaurant in a nearby strip mall, where I stuffed myself with the intriguingly-named Chicken 65.
no subject
Installation is indeed a daunting task. While the manufacturer did go to some effort to simplify the setup, the fact remains that there should be a setup wizard or an autodetect on the system. The fact that the Tivo is not even mentioned (in the manuals or at the website) is a serious omission if you're going for a non-audiophile market. And the prices for cables are outrageous. I was able to find a number of online sources for S-video and other cables for a tiny fraction of the cost at Circuit City. I'll be taking back the unused cables today for a refund.
After you left I found the DVD options to move to widescreen format. It was under Custom Setup. Intuitive, huh? And I finished configuring the speakers and their setups. Oh, and we missed the fact that there's a test tone function that queries every speaker, one after the other. Very handy to help determine if the speakers are connected properly.
I watched selected scenes from Moulin Rouge again (the Like a Virgin sequence is amazing and final version of the play is dramatic and funny and colorful.
Anytime you want to get Indian food is fine with me.
Wired
On wires (and sorry for the babble that follows), I generally agree with you, wires don't make a lot of difference unless you have an exceptionally revealing system. But I have had first hand experience that proved that wires DO make a difference (in this case it was my stereo - I've been an addict of high end stereo since I was 15). My current system is a nicely downsized apartment system that is surprisingly revealing. When I bought it, I went for medium priced wires that took a few weeks to arrive. In the meantime, my buddy who owns the store, loaned me a pair of megabuck wires. When I finally had to make the switch the loss in 'sweetness' and clarity was shocking. Luckily for me, the ear rarely remembers such detail. Besides, I'd rather buy food than megabuck wires!
Re: Wired
And besides, we're talking about a consumer-level surround sound system, where audio quality has already been compromised for price.