Part 2 of 3: Deciding Purchasing and Installing [Home Theatre]
Aug 21 '01
The Bottom Line This part of the guide is aimed at the ones, who want home theatre but are curious to what they actually want in the system.
Guide Title:
Beginners Guide To DVD Sourced Home Theatre – Systems, options, installs, configs…
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Introduction (Parts: 1, 2, 3)
This 3-part guide will hopefully explain a few unclear areas about the whole home theatre game. I will also take you through step by steps of how and why you should do or not do certain things.
Home theatre isn’t quite as popular as some may think, only around 10 to 20% of your country would have a suitable system to call it a home theatre. In its self the words “home theatre” have no real distinct meaning, or price range for that matter. You could spend little over a few hundred and have a home theatre or spend a few thousand and have the same as before. The only difference would be performance and compatibility. As prices increase equipment becomes more future-proof. If any of you bought a DVD player two or even three years ago, you will know how much it cost (upward of £1000 perhaps) and now you’ll see DVD players going for less than 10% of the price you paid. Add that to the fact that these bargain priced players offer similar performance to those older models.
In short, when buying a home theatre – it is better to spend more than less. But more significant than that is you need to know what you want and what you might want in a year two years, or maybe in a decade. Hopefully this 3-part guide will set your decision – if you’re prepared to invest in a home theatre that is. The three part guide will be separated into three major sectors in home theatre (below), each part is posted under specific titles in the same category, and is best read from Part 1 through 3, the last part is posted first, and 1st part last, so they end up in correct order in the list in this topic on epinions. This is a large topic and it requires a heavy reading for beginners, so I think it’s easier to read in separate parts.
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Contents: (Parts: 1, 2, 3)
Part 1: Beginners Brief [Home Theatre]
0.0 Benefits Of Home Theatre
0.1 The Media
0.2 How DVD Comes Into The Picture
0.3 Equipment Introduction
0.31 The DVD Player
0.32 The Receiver
0.33 The Loudspeakers
0.34 The TV
Part 2: Deciding Purchasing and Installing [Home Theatre]
0.4 System Types
0.41 Benefits of Separates
0.5 Installation & Configuration
0.51 All-In-one System
0.52 Separates System
Part 3: Future, Installing and Buying [Home Theatre]
0.6 Living With The System
0.7 Additional Hardware
0.8 Future Upgrades
0.9 Connecting Upgrades
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0.4 System Types
Up to now I have been concentrating on separates system so its time to break route. There are other systems on offer in the world. The other systems are those all-in-ones you see around the shop floor. These have their DVD-player, amplifier and radio in one box and includes five satellites and a subwoofer for a similar price as the separates. But don’t expect these systems to surpass the separates. Giving components a genuine power supply and electrical space for little interference. But then again those all in ones are more convenient and offer a no fuss easy set and install and operation.
Such players exist for realistic money not those wacky prices of Bose gear. Such systems as Sony DAV-S300 – about to be replaced with the DAV-S500, and S800. The JVC HR A9 is the same as the S300 but looks pretty cool. However I’d recommend you wait for the DAV-S500 – offering both DVD-V and SACD replay plus the five channels and a subwoofer – all for £600!?
So there is something for everyone. But wait there is a change from the two different systems – Onkyo released a model last year, and released the sequel this summer, the Onkyo DRS2.0. this model like its predecessor is a receiver amplifier compromise. You don’t get speakers or subwoofer, just a DVD-V player, five-channel amplifier and radio tuner too. At £900+ it’s a bit risky compared to the Sony models, with an everyday 30 watts per channel.
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----0.41Benefits of Separates
From All-in-one systems to separates, the clear winner for performance is separates. The components may take up a lot more space, but what you get in benefit is upgradablility. It means you can upgrade the system, the receiver can accept more inputs than any one is likely to own. This means you’ll never need two receivers again, and because they often come with a 6 channel input you can upgrade to SACD, or any other possible software advance. The DVD player won’t likely be replaced with anything better in our lifetimes. And the speakers will undoubtedly last forever. The separates system will allow anyone to upgrade without elimination of unnecessary equipment – something assured with all-in-ones within a matter of years, you can’t at a SACD player or DVD-Audio player.
As for dependability, a DVD player will break before a receiver, and a speaker after a receiver. But what you must learn is that VCRs use over 50 moving parts, and DVD players use less than 10, and receivers use minor mechanisms to select switches, most of which are electro-magnet switches. As for AV systems (all in ones as they’re known some places) a single thing could break and you’d have to replace the whole unit not just the DVD player or amplifier parts. It could be something as little as a disc tray and any repairs will take longer because of the tight space inside.
Performance is also increased because of the extra space, less interference, less heat excursion and a cleaner power input.
0.5 S Installation & Configuration
----0.51 All-In-One System
This system takes little or no time to set up. You can probably set this system up in about half an hour. It depends on what system you buy, but most with only need to be connected to the TV and few cables to the speakers. First we take the system out of its box. I assume you will buy a 5 satellite and 1 subwoofer package, if any others available I don’t know of it.
When unpacking keep the boxes plastic bags etc, in case of breakdown and any guarantee is void if returned in boxes not included when sold.
Lay all the pieces out and identify each piece from the manual. It should explain how to connect everything, and you probably have a cable included to connect it to the TV. However you can upgrade cables if you wish. Before permanently placing the system connect it on the floor so you know where each cable goes. Once done, you can place the system in its place. Don’t put this system under a VCR – amplifiers give off a lot of heat! They need breathing space.
I would advise you place each speaker in a symmetrical position, down the middle of the room. You can buy some sticky Velcro with a peel off pad, which could be used to attach the satellites to a TV side, meaning you can rip it off later. This idea has worked before with me, as you can simply pull the satellite off anytime you want. As for rear and centre: keep the satellites wide behind your seating position, or facing you if there is no alternative. The centre can be mounted under or on top of the TV.
The subwoofer is the most important part to get right. Keep this speaker away from corners, loose doors/windows or any hard walls. You will have better experiences with the sub in the middle of the TV. Or you can place it to the right of the TV. Placing behind a sofa is like separating their sound – it will split rather than overlap. The subwoofer needs to be close with the front speakers, as this will make it sound more cohesive.
----0.52 Separates System
This will take a little longer to set up, but is pretty basic. Firstly you’ll need to have all the correct cables to connect the system together, such as a Scart lead for the TV connection. If you have two scarts on the TV you can use them for VCR & DVD player or use the receiver as a switching post. This latter option will cost you an extra cable from the receiver to TV, but it’s easier to setup. This depends on the receiver you buy, if it doesn’t have any scart sockets, you’ll have to stick with S-Video, remember though, the TV will need to be compatible with this video input, or you may have to go for the previous option. If the TV doesn’t have compatibility with RGB scart then a new TV may be the best route. However if you don’t like that idea then Composite is your only option – this is the worst but fair option for video only signals.
For the direct to TV option: Instead of routing the video outputs from the DVD-player and VCR you need to connect the scart outputs to the TV with a Scart to Scart lead, these can vary from £10 to £50, buy one which is strong and robust.
For the Receiver switching option: Buy either three scart leads or three Scart to S-Video leads, quite rare but are found often these days (or scart-composite leads if this is the case). The S-video inputs go to the Receiver from the DVD-player and VCR and another from the receivers output to the TV’s scart input.
No the receiver can be connected to the audio loops, the VCR will have a stereo output this can be connected to the audio input labelled VCR or LD/VCR where the video input is also put into that labelled input (if applicable). The DVD player will need a digital cable = coaxial is best. This goes from the DVD players digital output to the receivers digital input, under the corresponding input with the video input named DVD. If using the player as a CD player you can connect a pair of phono/RCA to phono/RCA cables from the stereo output to the receivers CD input. Or use those interconnects to hook a stand-alone CD player. These type of interconnect can connect any hifi component such as a tape deck or turntable.
Once the main equipments are setup in the correct sockets, the speakers can be connected. Simply connect each speaker to the corresponding output form the receiver to each speakers. And if using a subwoofer connect it to the subwoofer output to be powered by its’ amp.
The speakers can be positioned around the room. I would advise a five point star shape for SACD replay, and a square shape for movie. The SACD shape is where the centre is deep back the stereo out wide and rear behind wide – music is represented with more space than movies. The movie shape is where the centre and stereo front are placed in a line, and are separate buy 0.5m, the rears are in line with the main viewing seat, and facing yourself – same if you’re using bipolar speakers or tripole.
To configure the system run some test tones from the receiver to balance the speakers, if possible use a SPL meter (sound pressure level) to check that each speaker is correctly adjusted at the same level. You can add delays if the speakers are too far back or unsymmetrical to the opposite.
Once everything is connected you can try the system, play each component in the system, and check they work together, and the sound is clear.
Also if you buy high quality interconnects the sound is much improved, as any mains cables can add a hum to the sound – this is very risky when listening at high levels. On my stereo amplifier I had a time when the hum was so bad the speakers cones were moving slowly in and outwards until the amps’ protection circuits stopped the power. Buy ones which have a thick cable and are shielded – the negative is around 2mm away from the positive and is rapped around the PVC inner core and copper conductor.
If the sound is confusing and compressed, I recommend a 24hour to 32 hour run-on period. This will get the speakers correctly set to be used – before this period the sound is somewhat poor. Watch a movie before and after and you’ll notice certain differences.
The receiver will also need to be set up for the speakers size. A floorstander can be set on Large speakers and a stand mounted on Small, you can try it in large but it’s safer for it on Small. You can also select a crossover frequency for the/a subwoofer if you’re using one. This will cut off the speakers and sub off at a certain Octaves in frequencies.
Decision Resolved
This part of the guide is aimed at the ones, who want home theatre but are curious to what they actually want in the system. This has explained how and why to do things during the install, and configuration of the new system.
Now check out Part 3: Part 3 of 3: Future, Installing and Buying [Home Theatre]
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