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Want to build a DIY screen

December 16, 2016, 9:48 pm
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Is there any threads that outline every detail needed to build a frame? Its much cheaper to build than buy and i have all the tools needed (except a jig which I want to buy anyway).

I want to build a 110" frame with a felt border. I also want to be able to build in some removeable masking panels. Any help here is appreciated. Particularly the size of the frame itself haha. Having an issue finding a size to use.
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Speaker equipment question

December 16, 2016, 9:52 pm
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I am looking into purchasing 5.1 surround speaker set. Are there any ways to clamp the rear speakers to my wall parition/divider?



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Optima EH416 vs BenQ 2050 and 3050

December 16, 2016, 10:44 pm
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Long time listener first time caller. Please forgive me if I am posting wrong, appreciate your direction. I am interested in hearing feedback from someone that has an EH416 for home theatre use. Since it is marketed to business, it is difficult for me to find unbiased HT reviews on this model, BenQ models have plenty. Specs looks similar, 416 twice as bright 4200 lumens vs 2200 with 20,000:1 vs 15,000:1 on BenQ's.

Budget: $650 BenQ HT2050, $850 EH416, $950 BenQ HT3050. Not picky, I'm used to 10-15 year old cheap meeting room InFocus projector. Want a cheap budget projector.

Function: Basement theatre with surround sound and game room. 15' wide (screen location wall), 26' long. Theatre room optimum seating is 11.5' back, secondary seating 9'. Table in back half of room for other functional purpose (theatre room is really only 12' long for viewing & sound purposes). Dark barn wood ceiling, dark old brick walls, whitish carpet with brown black dirt specs.

Content: I say I will watch mainly new epics and classics in 2.35:1, but experienced folks tell me I will watch 16:9 a lot (I know they are right). Will play Xbox games with my kids, movies, sports, TV, Really just want to watch Avatar in 3D at my house to see kids faces. Love top 300 cinemascope movies.

I was set on BenQ based on popular demand, but 416 seemed like the brightness might be nice sometimes for parties for viewing with ambient light (unsure if blacks will be good).

If you have the EH416 as a home theatre, this post is for you.
If you know a better deal on a better optima or other projector brand/ model for this application that is better than the above listed, please also advise.

Your guidance is valued highly. This is an amazing site and great resource.

Regards,
Chuck
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WTS: Navitar HD ScreenStar 0.8x

December 16, 2016, 11:43 pm
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brand new unused. dont suit my setup

will throw in 2 chief mounts

selling @ USD1000:)

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Routing wires/boxes in walls with vapor barrier?

December 17, 2016, 12:15 am
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I'll be building a house next summer. Th living room will be laid out such that the only logical place for the TV will be on an exterior wall. In my part of the country, I'm quite sure it's code to have a plastic vapor barrier between the sheetrock and the studs. How then do I mount boxes for speaker wire terminations? Typical low-voltage boxes don't have backs on them, so I can't use that. DO I just use a regular high-voltage gang box and seal around it like one would an electrical outlet? I've also considered in-wall speakers, but I have feeling that would be impossible to seal since they go in after the sheetrock is put up. So I may be forced to go with on-wall speakers, which are much more expensive, and don't look as inconspicuous.

Any insight on dealing with exterior walls and vapor barriers is appreciated.
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Hmmm

December 17, 2016, 1:48 am
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I came across a deal I found a brand new ks9500 samsung for 1500 and it fits my budget perfectly can't go any higher should I buy it or look for a oled tv for sale?
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Anybody seen this? A/V Receiver causing interference with OTA reception?

December 17, 2016, 2:49 am
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NOTE: I am not publishing my address because that information is not really relevant to my question.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

I have spent many agnoizing hours searching for the right antenna, and for a viable placement of that antenna so that I'd be able to pull in all my local stations, especially PBS, which is especially weak where I am located. After much gnashing of teeth and tearing of hair, I finally found, in the end, that I could do just fine with my ancient RadioShack combo VHF/UHF RabbitEars+UHF antenna, as long as I located it within the sweet spot in my living room. (I'm in an apartment, which greatly limits my options of antennas and placement.)

So, if I have everything working OK now, what's the problem that brings me here (you ask)?

Well, several of the signals for my local stations are just really marginal, at least as far as the "strength meter" which is built in to the firmware of my big flastcreen is concerned. It doesn't take a lot to push them into unusable territory. But as long as I don't walk around a lot in the center of the living room, all is well... until I power on my Sony STR-DH520 A/V receiver.

I have tried powering this unit on and off and on and off again numerous times now and the results are unambiguous. When the thing is powered on, the reception strength for at least two of the local major network stations... one of which I really care about (PBS)... immediately drop down to the point where reception on those two channels is unwatchable. This is a real effect. I am absolutely certain of it. I have reproduced it many many times now.

So, I just want to ask the collected experts here... Is this kind of thing, generally speaking, a "known issue"? But that I mean is it known to any or all of you serious A/V afficianados that some models or brands of A/V receivers can, just by being powered on, cause real and significant interference with OTA reception (e.g. via a somewhat nearby indoor antenna)?

And if the answer to that question is "yes", then are there any specific brands or models of A/V receivers that I should consider purchasing to replace my STR-DH520 that will eliminate this very problematic OTA interference?
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Heating for new home theater build

December 17, 2016, 3:17 am
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Hi,

This may sound like a strange question - I searched and didn't find anything similar. I am finishing my basement and building out a 12 x 14 dedicated home theater room. Only remaining question is do I put a forced hot water radiator in the room for heat? We live in MA so it gets cold. I am adding 8' radiators to the other two new rooms in the basement (adjacent 14 x 20 exercise area & 26 x 11 den) but I'm not sure if the bass from one or two subs in the dedicated theater will cause the radiator to rattle. Best location would be along the back wall behind my single row of 4 chairs.

Anyone go through this decision process? My sub in other rooms of the house don't cause the radiators there to rattle, but as I am building this from the ground up I want it to be perfect :)

Thanks!
David
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Denon ARC question

December 17, 2016, 4:08 am
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Probably should have put this in the setup section.

Just bought a new Samsung KS8000 60" and have a Denon AVR1913. Any suggestions on how to get the app sound (YouTube, etc.) through the 5.1 speakers? I have the One Connect from the TV running between the ARC HDMI4 and the ARC on the receiver. I tried messing with the Input Assign in the receiver as well and not getting anything on the TV audio. Thanks!
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Looking for Onkyo TX-SR707 Replacement

December 17, 2016, 5:51 am
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Room size is odd but for the sake of this discussion its about 15' wide and 18' long. Currently driving two JBL P153 fronts. The sub, center and rear surround are part of a Definitive Technology ProCinema 600 set.

We do on occasion push that Onkyo pretty hard so I'm looking for something comparable that will do 3D (current need) and 4K passthrough (future need). Budget tops out at 500.00

Any suggestions?
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Test

December 17, 2016, 5:51 am
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A "So fast it'll make your head spin" Home Theater build

December 17, 2016, 5:54 am
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Ready...set....:eek:

OK...an early morning start.

Here are the particular Plans, Goals, and forthcoming efforts.
  • Theater Room Area is 17' x 22' - w/Partition Wall
  • 4 Theater Seats / 4 Stool Bar
  • 143" 16:9 to 2.39:1 "Frame-less" Image on Painted Screen Wall
  • Very Dark Gray Carpet w/Light Gray threads
  • Dark Gray Ceiling and Trim
  • Light Gray Walls
Equipment:
  • Panasonic PT-AE8000u
  • Onkyo TX-NR1030 Dolby Atmos Receiver
  • 2 x Klispch K100sw Powered Sub Woofers
  • 22 Audio Transducer / 9 Channel Atmos system 7:2:2
  • Panasonic DMP-BTD360 Blu Ray Player
Some before images...I just removed the existing carpet and pad.





The Screen Wall



The Equipment Closet (left rear corner)




....and of course, I have 4 of these nasty little Cretins to remove and their unsightly holes to cover / patch.




The Bar gets built today, along with the Partition Wall.
(Someone else is building the Bar....)
Screen Painting happens on Monday, and the Ceiling / Walls / Trim gets painted out on Tuesday, Carpet on Wednesday....Theater Chairs deliver on Thursday.

1st Movie shows in Friday (23rd)

Folks..that is a complete room change-over into a Home Theater in 1 weeks time. Ambitious? You bet. Potentially fraught with "Murphy'itus" Maybe sew.....

But I've done it before, and Christmas Time is the time for miracles, so.....here we go!

Come back later for updates....and feel free to ask any questions.

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Building a new automation system (likely HomeSeer)

December 17, 2016, 9:40 pm
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Hey all, I'm closing on a house in about three weeks and I plan to do a decent automation system. I just have a few questions for opinions/answers.

1. I'm looking at the HomeSeer Hometrollers for the main control point with the Z-wave add-on. Anyone have any reason to not go with them? The only complaints I see are about the UI not being intuitive and that's okay, I'm used to it in IT, lol. I'm not sure I need something that serious, but I think it's a bit better for futureproofing due to the expandability and vast compatibility with plug-ins.
2. What are the best dimmer/light switches without being super expensive? I've seen the GE and HomeSeer switches are both popular. I figured the GEs would be good anywhere I don't need a double tap or triple tap ability that the HomeSeers can offer. Any switches to avoid?
3. Any issues with Alexa integrating into HomeSeer? From what I read the only downside to it is having to say "Alexa, trigger blah blah blah" through IFTTT, that I can live with. On a side note, does Alexa to IFTTT to HomeSeer basically require a call to Alexa's cloud, then to IFTTT's cloud, then back down to HomeSeer or does Alexa process the IFTTT in one step? Just concerned about having some long delay (even though I'll have gigabit fiber, so latency and bandwidth won't be issues).
4. Any concerns about the EcoBee3 itself or its integration to HomeSeer I should know about?
5. I'm doing Echo/Echo Dots, EcoBee3, Harmony Hub, door locks, light switches (to dimmable LEDs), moisture sensors, and smoke/CO detectors. Are there any brands to look for or look out for? And is there any other sensors or devices I should consider integrating?

I'm excited to get this system all put together and have things tied together, always wanted a smart home but parents never wanted to spend the money or time, so now I get to, hah. Thanks in advance for any input you guys have!
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Ceiling speakers underneath cabinets

December 17, 2016, 9:49 pm
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Remodeling our bathroom. We have whole house SONOS and instead of a speaker on the counter I'm going to install 2 Cambridge Audio Minx ceiling speakers connected to a SONOS amp for the bathroom. I can install in the ceiling, or what I'd like to do is install in a false wall that's for the medicine cabinets above the sink. They'd be hidden, facing down, about 2' above the counter. Envision small ceiling speakers mounted in your upper kitchen cabinets firing down towards the counter. Any idea how this might sound compared to ceiling mounting? Rather do it this way has they'd be completely hidden.
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WTB - BenQ HT2050 - new

December 17, 2016, 9:51 pm
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Hey all - missed the $639 sale on the 2050 this week.

If you have a new 2050 contact me!
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WTT Polk Audio SDA SRS 2

December 17, 2016, 10:20 pm
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Looking to trade my SDA SRS 2. The are very clean. All stock with cross cable.

I'd like some JBL L series, XPL, Tik or 44xx, B&W 7xx, Focal, Vienna Acoustics, Paradigm or others. The only other Polks id be interested in would be LSI or Lsim.

Open to any offers. May consider tube amps for or or record player.

These are too big for my room. Can't get the most out of them in here.

I'm on the east coast of FL just east of Orlando. I can drive 200 miles or so. Maybe more if the trade is right.
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New Receiver Advice

December 17, 2016, 10:42 pm
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So I recently took delivery of a Sony XBR-75x940D.

It is paired with a Yamaha RX-A740 and an XBOX One S.

Anyway, It turns out the RX-A740 does not support HDR. I am also having some lip sync issues when playing TV apps via ARC.

Question:

I need to upgrade because I want to enjoy the benefits of HDR (why get a new TV with it if I can't take advantage?) What Would you upgrade to?

1. Yamaha RX-A760 (I believe the modern equivalent of the A740) - Do you think it would have the ARC issues taken care of? Or is something else causing that?
2. Sony STRDN1060 or STRZA1000ES (will these both do HDR and pass through 3D?)
3. Pioneer Elite VSXLX101 or VSXLX301 (will these both do HDR?)
4. Denon AVR-S920W, AVR-X1300W, or AVR-X2300W (does only the X2300 support HDR?)
5. Something else? Keep in mind the receivers above are all at a similar price point

Additional Info:

System is hooked up as follows (and I'd like to keep this way): Satellite Box => XBOX One S => Receiver (Yamaha RX-A740) => TV

Thanks!
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Super happy with my new OLED 4K HDR. Very disappointed in the lack of content.

December 17, 2016, 11:03 pm
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My new 65" C6 is amazing. Extremely happy with my purchase. PQ is amazing. I must say though that I am not happy in the lack of 4K streaming content especially HDR which is virtually non existent apart from a few mediocre netflix and Amazon titles. When I got my first 1080p tv and blu ray players first came out I really enjoyed renting blu ray titles from netflix. Netflix, redbox etc. don't have any 4K titles for rent yet. It seems like the rental/ppv industry is all headed towards streaming. Are we a long way from readily available titles in 4K? I am not interested in buying 4K discs since I don't collect and I only watch movies once.
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Ascend Sierra-2 Amplifier

December 17, 2016, 11:17 pm
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Hello,

I recently purchased a pair Ascend Sierra-2 speakers for a 2.0 music setup. Right now, the Onkyo TX-8140 is at the top of my list. Around $300 is my budget. I currently have a Onkyo TX-NR809 powering Polk Rti's in my HT, so I wondered if there would be a used receiver for around $300 that I could purchase to replace my Onkyo, and use the Onkyo in the music room. I have a 4K TV, in which the Onkyo does not support 4K. This was just a thought. Thanks.
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Recommendations on clean slate system

December 18, 2016, 12:02 am
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What I am looking for is current recommendations on speaker setups that would match what I "Think" Im looking for. I say "Think" because you know how you always have the idea in your head of what should be what you want, but its never really correct. First Ill give you a little history on what I have had and am used to, then what I am currently looking for.

I grew up listening to some Martin Logans Aerius speakers. Mainly driven with a Crown DC300a, and The Pre was another crown. 150 I believe I forget exactly though.

The crowns went back to my dad eventually but I kept the ML's, and (dont hate...) ran them off an old Pioneer VSX-517k ARV. (110 wpm/ 8ohms.... yes i know 4 stable for ML's).

So I sold the old ML's. Im moving to the Virgin islands and if anything happens and I need a new panel for the speakers, Im kinda boned. So now all I have is my TV, Computer and the old VSX-517 I picked up for $30, and a wad of dollars to spend at the local AV Store.

My usage is more in the 2.1 / 3.1 realm. 33% music while I'm entertaining or hanging around the house, and the 66% watching TV and movies sent over from my PC. (1% its off for those keeping track).

I haven't ever gotten into the 5/7/9/11.1.2 systems. I know they can be amazing, but I won't have a dedicated theater room any time in the remotely near future. This setup is usually in the living room, open to a kitchen, hallways etc so far from prime for a theatre setup. Mainly apartment living till now. I will have my own house with some room so no more quiet nights to avoid pissing off the neighbors.

From what I have read, I feel like putting more money into some really nice bookshelves, and an excellent sub would be more benefitial to my listening preferences as opposed to some towers.

I LOVED the clarity of the mid and highs on the ML's. They lacked a little depth in the sub/woofer area but thats to be expected when not running a sub. Im not a bass head, I like nice tight sub that finishes when its supposed to.

My research has pointed me to these setups so far:

Emotiva Airmotiv B1 paired with their Airmotiv S12 sub
or
Emotiva Airmotiv B1 paired with their Airmotiv S10 sub and C1 center Channel

ELAC UNIFI UB5 Paired with their S10EQ or S12EQ
ELAB B6 paired with the same subs

The B6's I can get locally with stands for $200 for the set
The only thing I DONT like about the ELAC Subs is that there are no controls on it. It has the DSP and controls through the iOS/android app stores. Tech moves too fast. Who knows if this will be around in 5 years and how would i setup the sub if that goes away?

KEF Q100 and SVS 1000 / or 2000 sub
Some recommend the q300 for the lower end sound but with a sub it should be a moot point.

All three of these setups can be had for at or around the $1000 mark, and would run off my cheap AVR (for now)

Plans on upgrading to a dedicated 2channel amp like the outlaw audio, or some one the Emotive line could happen, or even adding more channels into a 5.1 later is possible.

I want to leave room for upgrading in the future.

All of my stuff is digital. So a Optical input is important to me (Computer/ cable / etc to TV via HDMI, and Output to AVR via TOSLink)

I found I can also get the Definitive Tech towers (8020st version), matching rears, and center channel for just a tad over 1200 on amazon too.


Granted I haven't auditioned any of these yet, that is my plan this week while I'm off. So I wanted to hear if i was on the right track or if I maybe missed something COMPLETELY awesome I am missing out on, or any other thoughts you may have.

$1000 is not FIRM, but a starting point for the basics as far as speakers go, and upgrading along the line from there.


Anyway, I appreciate your help! Happy holidays and all that good stuff.


Chadwick
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