A Challenge. Design the perfect "Electronic Den"

walsheliz

Here's a challenge for the experts among you to show off and help me kit out my attic den.

I am looking to kit out my den in the attic. I want to be able to do a number of things and want to know the best way to go about it. (I have in my possession a Sony DAV 500 dvd Surround system that has an inbuilt Fm tuner to add into the mix).
I want to – here goes –

• Watch a DVD,
• watch a blu ray movie,
• listen to MP3 files as well as store them,
• dock an ipod and listen to it,
• listen to DAB radio broadcasts,
• listen to internet radio stations,
• download movies and watch them from the web HD or not,
• surf the web,
• watch any/all the above on a HD tv (Plasma or LCD? that I have yet to buy)
• I want a Hard Drive to store all my digital photos and movies.

I discovered a Sony VGXTP3Z/B which meets a lot of the above. It was suggested I use the DAV 500, buy a Playstation 3 for blue ray etc and get a PC. I am not averse to any technology platform as long as it does all the above and is a bit future proof. Is there one piece of kit for this? I dont have a bottomless pocket but I am prepared to buy a Flat Screen TV and the necessary kit.

Put your thinking cap on and please post your proposal not forgetting to include model numbers etc. as well as links to the kit and ideally where to buy them as well.

The Ritz

Put your thinking cap on and please post your proposal not forgetting to include model numbers etc. as well as links to the kit and ideally where to buy them as well.

The only single device I know of which could attempt all of tasks you;ve listed would be a fully specced PC - I'm not sure whether you can get a card that will receive DAB though, as for a docking an ipod there's any range of connectors you could use to rig it up to a pc or an AV receiver. Other than DAB, my own hcpc does all you list and also has satellite and terrestial tuners so it functions as a video recorder, pauses live tv etc. I think you need to do some research if you're not already in the way of either building pcs or extensively configuring them software-wise. Hcpcs are superb one-box solutions when they work but even the hardiest will concede that they need some fettling and updating from time to time.

Asking for model numbers and where to get them etc. based on your request is a bit heroic.

The Sony pc you've mentioned has the advantage of coming pre-configured, but I've no opinion of the value for money aspect of it. If you're going for something like that just check that you can connect it to your existing DAV500 system.

Bythe way, you won't be able to take advantage of the new sound formats on blu-ray using the DAV500, I suspect that to get the best from a new system you might consider a new AV Reciever and speakers.


Ritz.

Idleater

1) What is your budget for all this proposed equipment?
2) Do you want A. the least number of boxes, or B. the best quality Audio/Video?

In general A. and B. are inversly proportional, as are 1) and 2).

you can generally tick a number of your wishes per box, with perhaps a few overlaps.

walsheliz

My budget is as yet un-quantified. I am prepared to spend up to €1k for a good HD TV and maybe the same again for the equipment to deliver the services I want. From the two replies I have the following to add/ask.

I was talking to a colleague who has suggested that I but a Sony PS3 for the BlueRay ability as well as storing pic/vids etc. (He said I could also buy a separate 1TB hard disk that would store all these as an alternative). Does the PS3 have an OS already that would allow me to do anything without the need to load an OS?

With the PS3 I could also surf the web and even load an OS like Windows. I could also pick up the web, listen to Internet radio station and then buy a DAB radio and take the headphone output as an input into the DAV for better sound.
How does this sound as a proposal?

With regard to the sound from the BlueRay going into the DAV – do you think the loss of the enhanced BlueRay sound features would be noticeable and how would this compare to normal DVD sound.

The Ritz

PS3 already has a linux-based OS, you can store your MP3s and pictures (including on a separate HD), and it has a built-in internet browser. The issue playing movies you might already have stored or might download depends of the file format of what you've already got stored - afaik, the PS3 won't play .MKV files, but the best way to sort this issue is to nip over to the PS3 forum and have a read through some stuff there, you should get a better idea of whether it would do what you want to do with downloads. You could strat with this thread for instance: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055456852


Ritz.

byte

Yea, PS3 would be a good idea. You can, if you wish, run a seperate Linux OS on PS3 (yellowdog seems specifically made for PS3, though I believe Ubuntu will run on it too).

You could put in a bigger HDD into the PS3 if you wished, they use standard SATA laptop drives. It'll also stream from UPnP devices.

WRT MKV files, simply use an application such as MKV2VOB, which will change the format to something the PS3 will accept, usually takes just a couple of minutes. 1TB external drives have become very cheap too for additional storage.

Slaphead07

my problem with that approach is that it does everything well but nothing brilliant.

The Ritz

my problem with that approach is that it does everything well but nothing brilliant.

If you want to read the OP's request and subsequent posts and provide your own advice in response to the request, or if you want to comment constructively with a suitable alternative solution bearing in mind the questions posed by the OP then that might add something useful to the thread.


Ritz.

Slaphead07

The Ritz wrote: »

If you want to read the OP's request and subsequent posts and provide your own advice in response to the request, or if you want to comment constructively with a suitable alternative solution bearing in mind the questions posed by the OP then that might add something useful to the thread.


Ritz.

I said everything I needed to say in that one sentence. In my opinion you simply can't get good quality music reproduction from an MP3 source and even if you used original CDs it's going through an AV amp which is always a compromise. If you want one system to do a "number of things" you have to accept there will be significant compromises. Here's something constructive.... do it properly and have two discrete systems. I realise I'm something of an extremist when it comes to HiFi but I can only give my own opinion.

byte

Slaphead07 wrote: »

I said everything I needed to say in that one sentence. In my opinion you simply can't get good quality music reproduction from an MP3 source and even if you used original CDs it's going through an AV amp which is always a compromise. If you want one system to do a "number of things" you have to accept there will be significant compromises. Here's something constructive.... do it properly and have two discrete systems. I realise I'm something of an extremist when it comes to HiFi but I can only give my own opinion.

Unless he's tonights lottery winner, his finances probably won't allow for that though.

The Ritz

slaphead07,

I said everything I needed to say in that one sentence. In my opinion you simply can't get good quality music reproduction from an MP3 source and even if you used original CDs it's going through an AV amp which is always a compromise. If you want one system to do a "number of things" you have to accept there will be significant compromises. Here's something constructive.... do it properly and have two discrete systems. I realise I'm something of an extremist when it comes to HiFi but I can only give my own opinion.

You're more than entitled to your opinion, even if, as you say yourself, you're something of an extremist when it comes to HiFi.

My response to you remains the same, you're welcome to respond constructively and add something useful to help the OP, who made it clear that amongst a wide range of other features from a single piece of kit, she/he wished to listen to MP3s. The OP didn't mention HiFi in the original post, but did ask for a "one box" solution - the phrase used was "Is there one piece of kit for this?".

All AV solutions are compromises of one sort or another. If you want a platform to present your views on MP3s in terms of sound reproduction quality or your views on the compromises of AV amps for playing cds, feel free to start a thread of your own in the appropriate forum, but if you don't have anything helpful or constructive to say in the context of the questions ask by someone seeking advice, I suggest that you resist the urge to use the opportunity of such a thread to express those views.

You might recall me mentioning something along these lines to you in the past by PM, an avenue I suggest you use of you wish to discuss this any further, leaving this thread continue for the purpose of respsonding to the OP.


Ritz.

walsheliz

Bought a PS3 for a number of reasons of a guy in www.adverts.ie. Gotta say it was easy and the guy was a pleasure to deal with. I got a 40g PS3, two controllers and 9 games and 3 movies. Regardless, I’m going to undertake this with the PS3 as my engine. Regarding sound I've always maintained my ear is not as sensitive to the nuances between hifi / mp3 / cd etc. I'm now in the market for a terabit external drive and a TV that has an inbuilt tuner for DTV when it starts here. I have a preference for Sony as anything I've ever bough from them works, last and is robust. My 1990 CD separates that I have reused in my new kitchen extension is testament to that. I bough last year a 32inc Mirai from Xtravison for the kids playroom when I bough them a Wii and when I tested the PS3 on it I was amazed at the clarity. Very good indeed. So back to the attic. How many inputs HDMi etc do I need on the TV? New or second-hand, Can I hook up a DAb radio headphone output to the TV and then on to the DAv500 cinema system. I'm nearly there and thanks for all the help/advice already folks

byte

If you're fond of Sony, consider the KDL40W4000, which is quite a good LCD, and has MPEG4 DTT tuner and (IIRC) 3x HDMI. There was a 5 year warranty deal going on these too before Xmas, dunno if it's still going.

What sort of inputs does the DAV500 have? A google search shows there are many variations of the "DAV500" such as DAV-HDX500, DAV-S500, etc.

walsheliz

I have a DAV S500. My colleague has suggested that the TV I buy is 100hz and a 24 something per second refresh rate I think. Do you agree? Does the Sony KDL40W4000 match this or is it important? Where was that tv at that price?

The Ritz

Hi,

If you want to stick with Sony, I'd agree that the 40W4000 is an excellent choice - €986 if you buy online with Powercity - http://www.powercity.ie/?par=10-13-40W400, you can buy online and collect the same day from which ever store has it in stock and is most convenient for you. If you want a 100hz tv, you have to move up to the 40W4500, in Powercity this is €1299 and available to order, not in stick in any store at the moment as far as I can see.

I'm pointing you towards the Powercity site so you can have a quick look at what the tv looks like and the general specs, you should check online and with bricks and mortar stores to get the best price you can.

I appreciate that you might want to continue using the DAV S500 that you already have, but I would encourage you to consider upgrading your sound system now or a little later as the budget allows. You could consider the Sony ht-ddwg800, see: http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/1112083/art/sony/ht-ddwg800-home-cinema-sy.html, which would be a very good match for the rest of the new system you are building. a less expensive option would be this: http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/1112084/art/sony/ht-ddwg700-home-cinema-sy.html. for the additioonal expenditure you could expect to get improved sound quality, the ability to route your hdmi sources through the av reciever which simplifies switching etc. Again I'm quoting the Sony kit given your stated preference and Pixmania as an example so you can see the items in question, you can check these items and other similar systems if you want to continue the upgrade path with your sound system.



Ritz.