Who's a home theater buff here?

anarky · Post by **anarky** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 4:40 pm

Okay, I've got some questions, and I hope somebody here has some answers.

I got a 52" RCA HDTV over the weekend, and hooked it up to the 5-disc Panasonic DVD player I'd picked up a while back but hadn't hooked up to my old TV. I was hoping most of my questions would be addressed in the massive manuals they included, but both manuals take for granted you know everything already.

So. . . .

1) I've currently got an audio-video connection between the two. S-video is a higher-quality connection, right? And component video out is even higher than that, yes? Either way I've got to buy me some cords.

2) The receiver through which I'll eventually hook up the DVD and TV: should it include a DTS decoder? Or does this have to be separate? And what the hell is DTS anyway? How does it differ from Dolby 5.1 or Dolby 7.1?

3) Obviously, without model numbers and such, you may not be able to answer this one. I've watched a few TV show DVDs, all of which should be in fullscreen. (I've not got cable yet, so can't test regular TV.) However, they're all filling the entire widescreen. I can't tell that the images are being stretched, nor does anything appear to be cropped from the top and bottom. I cannot figure out what is going on here, or what setting I need to change. (And I've gone through each book a bazillion times.)

4) Optical cable: best for audio?

To quote that stupid Gungan turd, any hep here'd be hot.

kidhuman · Post by **kidhuman** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 12:30 am

S-Video only carries video, you will need the RCA jacks for audio with htat. Component is better and also requires RCA jacks(red, white, yellow)

Try getting into your menus and setting them to 16:9 aspect ratio for widescreen. You dont want to stretch or zoom the images as ytou will lose part of the picture, best to leave them in normal.

Yes optical cable(stupid name) is best for AUdio.

Now, if you want to step up one better for a digital audio and video get HDMI or firewire. Firewire can not be used on DIsh Netwoirk rcvrs as they are trying to develop their own and the ports are dead on the HD rcvrs. Unless you are a genius and can activate them, fire wire will do no good with Dish Network. HDMI is the best for bnoth worlds in one wire. It looks very very similar to DVI(digital video wire) so be careful wit that.

If oyu choose to go with dish network I can help you out a great deal as I work for them and can give you help setting up the system and what top get. I dont know to much of what the other companies have, but our HD package is probably the best out there for the price. It is 9.99 a month on top of your regular programming, but free for the fisrt six months. It contains DIscovery theatre in HD(which is awesome), ESPN, TNT HD Network and HD network movies. You can also qualify for cbs in hd from LA(since you live there, you will get it) as well as if you have an off air antennae, you will be able to scan your digital off air into the rcvr and pick them all up that is offered and all. If you subscribe to HBO or SHotime(which are free for three months right now) you get a channel for eacj in HD. ALso PPV in HD as well.

The model 811 RCVR is HD and has acess to all the channels I mentioned. It also has a DVI, S-VIdeo, Component and 2 RCA outputs as well as two RCA inputs. It also has DOlby 5.1 output

I hoped I helped you out with what yuou need to know. ANy other questions ask away.

anarky · Post by **anarky** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 12:14 pm

Quite helpful, considering I knew nothing.

I found a setting on the TV that was adjusting aspect ratios during viewing and causing some odd jumps and shifts. Needless to say, that's off, but I still can't figure out why Sanford and Son is showing up in widescreen, and I've gone through every menu two or three times.

We were going to go with Dish; however, I don't know that that's the case anymore. Verizon (the phone company here) has been dicking us around for almost three months, and we still don't have basic phone service. But we've heard every excuse in the book now. They also charge, since it's a new house and they only offer fiber optic service, for a stupid battery backup that we're supposed to be responsible for.

So we're going with Time-Warner for cable phone service. If power goes out and we don't have home phone for a bit, well, we have cell phones if there's an emergency.

TW offers several bundles, and it's a lot cheaper to go with them for both. I'm not one of these folks who goes apeshit for the "have it all with one company so you only have one bill" garbage, but when they cut the prices, that can make a difference.

Also, we figure that if the cable blows (TW and Cox are the only two I've ever dealt with that didn't), it's easier to cancel cable and go to Dish than vice versa.

(It's more a "fuck you" to Verizon than to Dish. My parents had Dish in their old house, and I loved it.)

Actually, it's because you couldn't get me the Y Kant Tori Read stuff. That's why we're not going with Dish.

kidhuman · Post by **kidhuman** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 12:42 pm

Actually, if you have SBC(which I believe CA does) in your area they will bundle Dish and their high speed and phone service as well for discounted rates.

anarky · Post by **anarky** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 2:03 pm

SBC isn't in all cities in CA, unfortunately. The house we moved from had SBC phone service, but the only options we have in the new digs are Verizon and Time-Warner. We didn't even realize Time-Warner offered phone until we'd been going back and forth with Verizon for a month or so.

If SBC/Dish was an option, believe me I'd take it.

kidhuman · Post by **kidhuman** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 9:00 pm

I never knew TW had phone service either. I myself am gonna go with Adelphia Internet and Vonage phone service. I get Dish for free basically, so I will stay with them.

Post by **vynsane** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 10:24 pm

in NC, time warner does the digital (internet) phone, which i don't need, as i have vonage. vonage rocks balls over any other phone, cell, internet, or landline.

i pay $33.88/month for unlimited calling anywhere in the US and Canada, and i have a phone number alias with a NC area code, since i signed up when i was in NY. so i have two phone numbers, local to my family in NY and to people here in NC. plus voicemail, call waiting, call id, all that jazz. awesome.

jjreason · Post by **jjreason** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 12:10 am

The only words I understood reading this whole fucking thread were: "the", "a", "and" and "balls".

EDITED: Oh, and I undestand "cable" and "phone" too, looking back.

kidhuman · Post by **kidhuman** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 7:10 pm

Thats because you are an old fucker who took one to many tazer shots to your balls. I hope you understand that.

mabudon · Post by **mabudon** » Fri Sep 09, 2005 3:14 pm

LOL I think jj's our age, KH, if not he has a worse baby face than I imagined

kidhuman · Post by **kidhuman** » Sat Sep 10, 2005 12:31 am

I know, I just like breakin his balls. If I didnt work for Dish Network I would be as lost as him.

jjreason · Post by **jjreason** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 12:10 am

Honestly, I'm working my way towards a new TV. I hope to have it within the next year or so, but I need a new computer and some upstairs flooring worse. When I get the new TV, I'll need to start learning about what's actually required for HD. This is a good resource thread, with any luck the aliens won't fuck up the forums again before I need it.

anarky · Post by **anarky** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 12:05 pm

Stupid, stupid question:

Do I use component audio <b>and</b> optical cable for sound? Or just the optical?

kidhuman · Post by **kidhuman** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 12:46 pm

Both, components only carry video and horizontal and vertical. If you choose not too use optical, then you have to use RCA for audio

anarky · Post by **anarky** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 2:13 pm

Okay, but I'm trying to figure out what cords to buy. I'm going to go with optical, but there are component cables that include the left and right audio cables. My guess is the two extra cables would be useless if I've got the optical audio cable.