what would you do!!!

covey09

Hi Guys,
im just about to start building a new living room on to my house, so ive been told by her self that this is my chance to get what i have all ways wanted, you guess it a home cinema system, only prob is im a complete noob, the living space will be about 50 sqmt. So i have a budget of a about 500 yo yos. so im going to chase the cables into the wall before plastering. so the question are, oh yea can all replies be in the laymans terms

~ can you recomend a 5.1 speaker system
~ do i need a amp if so what the feck do they do
~ i have a media hard drive so the system will need to be able to play AVI's
~ what cables will i need to put into the walls
~on a connected topic LCD or plasma
~is there such thing as HD sound (if so i would consider spending a few extra quid.)


Thanks in advance

HomeBoyDeluxe

Hi There,

you have a lot of options available to you, but the most simple thing you can do is buy a Home Theater System, check out computeruniverse.net or pixmaina they are systems for 300-500 euro, with these you can play dvd's hook up up your mp3 player, cable box etc.

If the room you will have the system in is over 400 sq feet like you said then look for a system with at least 500 Watt RMS output.

For a beginner any of those systems such as samsung, sony, Philips will give you sound that you will be pleased with, and most of them will play your avi files throught a USB input, make sure to do some research before you purchase.

Basic speaker cable can be run in the walls, you will need 4 runs two for the frount speakers and two for the back, you can pick it up in Maplins, 10m is around €18, For your budget you can't really afford "HD sound" that would require a 300-400 euro A/V receiver and PS3/Blu Ray Player 150-300€.

In terms of a Tv, up to 40" screens LCD would be good, 42" and above plasma would be cheaper, Power city have a 50" Lg plasma for €900 or a 42" lcd for €600, these days both technologies give you a great picture quality for the price.

Try some where like Peats world of electronics for good advice, but do not buy anything there they are over priced.

Hope that helped.

eddiem74

Well given the fact you will have a new build, and therefore can get all wiring in place you really need to take advantage of that in my opinion, even at the expense of delaying some of your equipment purchases if necessary. Believe me you do not want to realise when you have decorated and have everything set-up, that you wish you had another cable to do this, or that, etc.

Getting everything in now is a must, and is obviously cheaper than doing it later. However, how far you want to go, I guess depends on how much of a TV/Movie/Sports/Music buff you really are (or want to be in the future ).

You've started a list of what you would plan to have in the room equipment wise, you need to expand on that to consider the future also, so you can ensure you get everything in now. For example: Sky/Freesat, PC, Bluray/DVD player, Projector, PS3, Xbox, Wii, Internet, etc..

By doing this, it will allow you plan for power sockets, satellite points, internet, phone, etc. so you can ensure you have enough and more importantly have them in the right place.

Next you will need to figure out where you intend to place your TV (and possibly Projector if you would have one in the future) so you can then see where you intend to locate your equipment in relation to that.

If you have a plan of the room it might be worth posting up, so people can comment or give suggestions.

A useful link is http://www.thx.com/home/setup/index.html

Also if you just use google images and search on Home Cinema or Home Theatre you will see lots of nice pics which may give you some ideas.

Good Luck !

Idleater

covey09 wrote: »

So i have a budget of a about 500 yo yos. ... oh yea can all replies be in the laymans terms

You might at best get one component for that budget. Wiring alone could be that, depending on how "well" you do it.

covey09

Hi Guys really appreciate all the advice so keep it coming. I have attached the living room plans, I intend to integrated the TV in to the chimney breast so its flush with the stone clad (leave adequate ventilation around the TV)- also intend putting a big sleeper mantle piece to avoid the heat for the Fire (Gas) affecting the TV. So my plan is to have the 2 speakers on the back wall mounted (what height should they be), then have the two front speakers integrated into a cabinet left and right as well as somewhere to put the sub woofer. If I go with speakers which are 500 Watt RMS output do I then need a amp. Thanks again for all your advice. I have attached pic of how I would live the tv to be,
Reagrds
Covey

covey09

nereid wrote: »

You might at best get one component for that budget. Wiring alone could be that, depending on how "well" you do it.

Thanks you been so helpful you are indeed a master of all things HE. If you have nothing constructive to add then shut your pie hole.

eddiem74

For speaker set-up, see here: http://www.thx.com/home/setup/speakers/index.html I think you will be after a 5.1 set-up.

You'll need to figure out if you intend to go with a center speaker or not though on the chimney breast. Luckily you are building so should be able to do something, whereas I am currently considering doing this after the fact.

With regards to speakers, and RMS values, I can't help much. My set-up was selected based on reading around on forums, advice from others on there, online reviews, etc. I then just made a decision. I am be no means an expert in all the in's and outs as some folks on here are.

Also, nereid is correct in his statement, and I would advise you as a newcomer on boards to be measured in your response, or you won't get much help on here. If you feel a response does not help or is not constructive, just ignore it, or ask why someone feels that way if you really want to know.

covey09

Thanks for that eddiem74 , i dont think i have enough room to fit a speaker under the tv but will keep it in mind. As for the comment i made about nerids reponse was a little tasteless i agree, and apologies to nerid.

HomeBoyDeluxe

To answer some of your questions, the height of the rear speakers can be anywhere between one to two meters from the ground depending on how height your sofa is and what you like the look of.

When i suggested 500 watt speakers, that was just a ball park figure, manufacturers fiddle with these figures to make them seem louder than they really are, also you will not need a separate amp, the amp is built into the unit along with the dvd player.

Look at the sony DAV DZ280 (€260) it is very budget friendly and has a auto-setup feature which is handy,your subwoofer will go in the front right or left corner, that is the norm for a simple setup and will give good bass responce.

You will need good blinds or curtains to stop sunlight/daylight affecting your picture, also your proposed tv height seems quite height so when your getting it check its viewing angles, ie does the picture look ok from below and side to side.

If you really want to develop an interest in Home Theater, then you may want to save up your money and get "seperates",but some thing like the sony above will be great for casual use.

eddiem74

Just to clarify - what exactly is your €500 for ? And is it a fixed amount, or what is your absolute budget for everything equipment wise ?

Some reference data if you are considering the separates route:

Speaker Packages
AV Receivers (Amp)

covey09

500 is a ball park, i reckon tv& sound system for 2k. i really like the look of this system could you guys comment, with this system would i need a separate amp looks like it

http://www.teufel.eu/Homecinema/Theater-2.cfm?show=technik#tab

Idleater

covey09 wrote: »

If I go with speakers which are 500 Watt RMS output do I then need a amp.

ok, I'll try to be more helpful/realistic.

What speaker package have you picked?

The reason I ask is that "500watt RMS" is amplifier speak rather than speaker lingo which makes me think that you have your eye on a system that has a built in amplifier.

covey09

This system would represent what im looking for. I like the look, but not sure if the specs are up to much. Is there any probs getting something form the states as the exchange rate would get me more boom for buck

http://www.soundspeakers.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3&zenid=adf2c82fb1b4e0879c7fb3d265dd4e6d

cnocbui

Since you are starting from scratch, you could consider building the speakers into the wall:

http://www.bowers-wilkins.co.uk/display.aspx?infid=3496

eddiem74

I would think with a budget of €2k you should be able to set yourself up with a decent TV, and separates system.

I would suggest you pop-in and browse around some stores e.g. Peats, Alliance Electric, SevenOaks, and see what they recommend or what your budget can get you. You could also ask for some recommendations from RicherSounds through their commerical forum on here.

This should hopefully start steering you in the right direction.

As with anything you intend to purchase it is always best to browse around for the best price, and for decent reviews (especially when you can't see or hear things in person).

eddiem74

Chance of a bargain from RS, be quick.........:)

covey09

Hi Guys,
Thanks for all the advice I’ve decided to by the Tefuel Theater 2 speaker package. http://www.teufel.eu/Homecinema/Theater-2.cfm?show=technik#tab So now im in the though process of how I will lay out the wire in the walls. I am going to sink the tv into the chimmley breast, so I will need all the wiring chased into the wall. What I need is to under stand how all the various aspects (items) interact. For example here are the items

Sky box (Scart)
Media Hard Drive(Scart)
DVD (Scart)
PC (USB)
AV receiver input
Front speaker (under to tv)

So in the wall behind the tv I will need a gang plate for the 5 items is that correct.

Can any show me a diagram of how to do this (is there any problems with running a sky through the surround sound)

eddiem74

Are you using copy/paste to create your post ? A bit of work is needed to understand it.

For any device with a Scart, check if that is the only output option, or see what else there is. I assume for PC you have either a HDMI/DVI/VGA output?

Usually you would connect all devices to the AMP/AV Receiver, and then connect the AMP to the TV via a single HDMI/Component lead. If your devices mainly have SCART outputs you will need to either consider connecting directly to TV or else use some SCART to Component cable/convertor in order to be able to connect to the AMP.

Speaker wiring needs to also go from speaker locations back to AMP. Note you will also need to run a cable from your sub back to the AMP also.