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Bit of an update for my side. Apologies for the random mess
Recently picked up a Bravia KDL-40V true 1080p panel in a saleIt's great cos it allows me to use any of my sources without firing up the projector which is very practical, particularly when it's just for 5 minutes and/or there's sunlight beaming in from the outside.
Then, on the left we have a HTPC although this doesn't get used much nowadays. When MS released their HD-DVD addon drive for the xbox 360, I was using the HTPC as a HD-DVD player but was always disappointed with performance - stutters, only "standard def" audio out of the optical connector on the motherboard and mainly crushed blacks which have always plagued the setup, although these were more due to nvidia being uncapable of writing proper driversAbove the PC, there's the box on the right which is the control box for the Paradigm Servo 15 sub (evil mofo of a sub
) and to the left of that, a little USB receiver for the wireless keyboard / mouse above on the top.
Subwoofer hidden next to speaker:
Also, had another issue with 24p content. Whilst the projector plays back 24p content and the TV is 24p capable, the amplifier is not. Well, it is, but it doesn't say it is in its EDID data so it always goes for the common ground which is 1080i. Not ideal for 24p material
Another point, when I only had the projector, it was fine - only one "destination" device. But now I have the TV, it means that I have to constantly switch the cables at the back between TV and projector. Not exactly ideal. This brought me to buy the Gefen HDMI router which is the little silver box on the right, above the Tosh EP30 HD-DVD player (picked up for £70 with 8 films - love it when a losing format goes down the bargain basement). This fancy albeit relatively expensive (£250) box of tricks has 3 HDMI inputs and 4 HDMI outputs. The outputs all show the same signal selected from one of the three inputs. This effectively means that I have the outputs feeding the telly, amp (for HD sound) and Projector all at the same time. It's really fixed a major ballache that HDMI negotiation is. OK, HDMI autonegotiate is fine for simple setups but when you get more than one playback device and display, the handshaking kind of screws everything up
Then on the right, we have a Pioneer DV-757 (I think) player. It manages my Region 1 DVDs. Also use it for the fantastic but unfortunetely, no longer developed firewire / i-link audio interface for playing back both normal CDs and SACDs. The i-link feeds the amplifier (Sony STR-DA7100ES) with the DSD signal and the amp being digital provides the most awesome clarity I've ever heard. Anyway, I digress, this is more about hone cinema
Above the Pio, there's the Tosh HD-DVD player (into HDMI input 2) and above that, the fancy Octava HDMI splitter. Above on top, is my Jap PS3 (into input 1) which I use as a region A blu-ray player.
Region B is catered by a vaio I bought for my girlfriend as a pressie. It has HDMI out (fed into the third input of the splitter) and optical audio which is fed directly into the amp.
All of that lot feed the speakers :-
Monitor Audio front stereo, Paradigm CC350 centre speaker and 4x Monitor Audio Radius R90 used for surround.
and the telly or for late night big movie picture, the projector which is thrown onto an Ikea Tupplor blackout rollerblind which is doing the job until I find something better. Still, a 2m50 diagonal 1080p picture is rather good, and compliments the sound when it's cranked up
Projector (Sony VPL-VW50) :
There, that's about it for me until I catch the next outbreak of upgraditis
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Originally Posted by Butuz
