Sound Pride
Category: Music...
Posted Sunday, March 16, 2008 at 07:22 AM [GMT-6]

  • 360 feet of 2- and 4-conductor Monster speaker cable, 1 Niles Modular Speaker Wiring Panel, and 2 Niles Remote Volume Controls – $400.00

  • 4 8" Polk in-ceiling speakers with pre-construction mounting brackets – $300.00

  • Connecting all the wires five months after running them through the newly-framed house and finding that every single speaker and volume control functions perfectly – Priceless

Now, if only the installation of the flat-panel TV will go as smoothly. I'm afraid I'm a non-native HDMI speaker.

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Comments

Excellent! Did you also wire up the new casa for data?

Posted by: Rob O. at March 16, 2008 07:36 AM

Superb!

I bet it sounds awesome. Congratulations!

Posted by: Janie at March 16, 2008 08:20 AM

I'd help you out but I don't even know what HDMI is.

Posted by: Jim at March 16, 2008 09:47 AM

Rob, sort of, but only in a perfunctory sense. I have an Ethernet patch cable run from the office where the computers are to the entertainment center (a fancy name for the cabinets in the living room where the primary a/v equipment is located). At this point, I have no use for it, but depending on the kind of TV and a/v receiver we get, that may change.

Janie, thanks. It's kind of frustrating, not being able to actually try out the surround sound (no TV yet), but CDs sound great.

Jim, I'm pretty much at that same spot myself. I *think* HDMI has something to do with the transmission of the hi-def digital signal, but I'm still trying to figure out how my 8-track player will plug into the system.

Posted by: Eric at March 16, 2008 01:23 PM

what did you end up getting, tv-wise?

Posted by: kyle at March 16, 2008 06:24 PM

Nothing yet. We're leaning heavily toward Samsung 46" LCD.

Posted by: Eric at March 16, 2008 06:33 PM

If you already understand video formats and how to handle the audio, you want to stay away from HDMI, because it is built around poxy DRM. It doesn't even have DRM added -- they started with the DRM and added on the video and audio.

Posted by: Phelps at March 17, 2008 10:01 AM

Phelps, I think I'd heard that before but had completely forgotten it. I guess you're saying it's best to use the non-HDMI digital a/v options provided by the receiver and steer clear of the TV's HDMI connections.

However, I admit that I don't understand the implications of using HDMI, or why the DRM is a practical issue.

Posted by: Eric at March 17, 2008 11:23 AM

Should you find yourself needing a very long HDMI and/or component cable for a very reasonable price www.monoprice.com is the place to get it. I also use their 5x1 HDMI switch to hook up a bunch of stuff including AppleTV which is fantastic with HD movie rentals. Also once you select your flat panel of choice you might look into the Logitech Harmony 1000 to control it all. I won't even go into the hours I spent among the rafters "retro-fitting" THX surround sound, projector and nearly heat stroking myself, but it was all worth it.

Posted by: Bleu at March 17, 2008 10:54 PM

Congratulations!

Have you seen the recent Goofy's How To Hook Up Your Home Theater? I can't think of anyone setting up their home theater system without remembering that short—it was in front of National Treasure 2. Wish they'd release it.

Posted by: Laura at March 19, 2008 07:59 AM

Bleu, I've bookmarked monoprice.com for future reference, as I will need to pull at least one HDMI cable. Thanks.

Laura, we didn't see NT2, but plan to rent it. Don't know if the short will be on the DVD, though. Sounds fun.

Posted by: Eric at March 19, 2008 08:12 AM
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