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      12-15-2014, 07:51 PM   #1
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Lightbulb The *HOME THEATER* Thread

I hadn't seen any threads on this subject so figured I'd start one.

If I missed it, forgive me and feel free to merge Mods.

So it is no mystery that I am a HUGE "Movie Buff"! And also, over the past 3yrs since really beefing up my Home Theater setup, my movie going is few and far between. Except for the 'Big Budget Special Effects Blockbuster' that are more of an experience in IMAX!
So My setup consists of:

Yamaha Aventage RX-2010
Vizio 801i-A3 (LG PZ60-950 moved to Master Bedroom as of today!)
Belkin Pure AV PF60
Samsung BD-F7500 Blu Ray
Toshiba HDA35
DirecTV DVR
Infinity PRIMUS Speakers: Center, Front, Surround
Acoustech PL-200 Sub


So after a couple years of thorough enjoyment from our 60" Plasma (which we will be moving to our bedroom) I pulled the trigger on this Monster during Black Friday. After receiving a damaged one, this baby finally arrived today and I have spent a couple hours tweaking it. All I can say is... I was already not going to the Theater that much. Looks like that trend will continue even more so!



To put the size in perspective, this is the box next to a standard door in our kitchen!



This is the VIZIO 801i-A3

I have been researching TV's for months on various A/V Forums. Initially I wanted to stick with what I've owned: Samsung, LG, and Sony. But Vizio has really ramped up their product line over the last couple years and clearly competing with the big boys! Not to mention, you're looking at $7k and up generally in 80" and above. This panel is also used in the Sharp 80".
I have been very concerned with losing out on the "phenomenal Black Levels" that Plasmas are known for as well as their ability to handle fast moving objects with an amazing 600hz! My 60" Plasma truly has a stunning picture on anything you throw at it!
So after firing her up, I knew immediately that I had to calibrate this BEAST. It was far too bright and blueish. But that is how they suck you in at the big box stores under all that bright florescent lighting. I will say that it is MUCH improved after using a calibration disc and my own personal tweaks. It is NOT quite as nice and deep as Plasma but the 6ft of screen more than makes up for it!

In addition to discussing Audio and Video equipment and recommendations, I think it will be nice to also discuss certain Blu Ray titles that you find "Exceptionally Nice" for sound (DTS Master HD etc) and visually stunning! Example - if you do not own these titles already you owe it to all that $$$$ investment you've made in your HT setup: TRON, MATRIX Trilogy, Avatar, Inception, Transformers (all), Captain America: The Winter Soldier are just a few that I strongly recommend you grab immediately.
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      12-15-2014, 07:56 PM   #2
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Great thread idea! Looks like a nice setup there. Can't wait for you to tell us how Gravity or Interstellar look on that screen
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      12-15-2014, 11:06 PM   #3
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Definitely.

I am happy to report that after using the Disney WOW Calibration disc, I am VERY impressed.
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      12-16-2014, 12:51 AM   #4
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I love how you used a basketball hoop for scale. Totally screws up the whole perspective. My mind is telling me that the tv is at least 10ft tall and you have extremely oversized doors that are made for nba centers.
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      12-16-2014, 12:54 AM   #5
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I love how you used a basketball hoop for scale. Totally screws up the whole perspective. My mind is telling me that the tv is at least 10ft tall and you have extremely oversized doors that are made for nba basketball players.
Hahahahaha!!! That was hilarious. :
I'm so used to my sons lil goal on that door I forgot about that.
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      12-16-2014, 01:15 AM   #6
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I don't think the Vizio is big enough. Just kidding. That's a huge screen. Definitely would like to hear your impressions after some more viewing time compared to the plasma. What plasma do you have now?

Here's the setup in my dedicated media room:

Pioneer Elite 141FD Signature
Oppo Digital BDP-103D Darbee Edition
Meridian 568.2MM
Meridian 598DP
Bryston 6B-ST
Emotiva XPA-2
Velodyne SMS-1
Velodyne HGS15II
Velodyne DD18
B&W Nautilus 804
B&W Nautilus HTM1
Equitech 2Q
Equitech 1.5BQ
Equitech 2BQ
Acoustical Solutions bass traps and panels







This is the in room bass response as measured by the SMS-1/DD18:



This is the calibration report after getting the 141FD ISF calibrated by D-Nice of AVS Forum fame:



Last edited by zx10guy; 12-16-2014 at 01:25 AM..
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      12-16-2014, 02:46 AM   #7
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Got my Epson EX7200 projector running at 8'x4.5' with Yamaha 5.1 with my xbox one and Direct TV set up. been running crystal clear 1080i for almost 3000 lamp hours. been the best deal for the projector, only cost me $500 three years ago and I made the screen for $40. Forget paying hundreds for some screen that was made with $30-$60 in material.
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      12-16-2014, 05:26 AM   #8
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I've been an industry professional for 25 years, so I'm always trying new gear. As for video I'm holding out for OLED to come down a bit before I replace my plasma.
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      12-16-2014, 09:55 AM   #9
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Nice zx10guy! In our next house, we will have a 'dedicated HT room' and I can go all out. Your setup reminds me a lot of a friend of mine. Took him about a year to get it just like he wanted.
For now, our 'Family Room' is my HT Room as well. It is 30'x15'. But I must say, it sounds VERY impressive! All about extracting optimum sound levels from your speakers with the correct settings from the Receiver/Amp.
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      12-16-2014, 09:59 AM   #10
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Nice SaM. And I couldn't agree more about the 'make your own' screen. I also have a buddy with a similar setup but instead of making the screen, he framed off a section of his wall and used some specific flat paint after smoothing that area down. It looks just like a screen and is @ 12'x8'.
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      12-16-2014, 10:07 AM   #11
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Sweet Jesus that's a big tv. I have to knock down some walls to make room for that thing. hmm gives me some ideas. hahaha
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      12-16-2014, 10:08 AM   #12
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Does anyone have a supplier discount for Epson projectors? I'm looking to get a 5030UB or UBe and hate paying retail lol.
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      12-16-2014, 10:12 AM   #13
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Before purchasing this set, as I said, I read countless threads, blogs and articles on everything related to screens and their trend: Curved panels, OLED, FALD, and of course 4k or Ultra HD. Based on my research and the very obvious fact that there simply is and won't be any viable 4k content in the foreseeable future, I decided to just go bigger while NOT breaking the bank. This modest investment is great for me. Because I typically look to switch TV's @ 2-3yrs. Sure a 4k TV is impressive... if you're sitting or standing 4-5ft from it. But as you move further back, the human eye really can't discern 4k from 1080p from 10ft and beyond which is generally where you want to be anyway watching TV. Here's a insightful article: http://www.cnet.com/news/why-ultra-h...-still-stupid/
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      12-16-2014, 11:17 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SaM335ic
Got my Epson EX7200 projector running at 8'x4.5' with Yamaha 5.1 with my xbox one and Direct TV set up. been running crystal clear 1080i for almost 3000 lamp hours. been the best deal for the projector, only cost me $500 three years ago and I made the screen for $40. Forget paying hundreds for some screen that was made with $30-$60 in material.
I understand using a home made screen when using a $500 projector, but there definitely is a difference in using a proper screen.
For those considering a screen, my preference is Screen Innovations' offerings. Their Black Diamond material is so good most of the top manufacturers use it when displaying their projectors.

www.screeninnovations.com
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      12-16-2014, 11:26 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TXSTYLE
Before purchasing this set, as I said, I read countless threads, blogs and articles on everything related to screens and their trend: Curved panels, OLED, FALD, and of course 4k or Ultra HD. Based on my research and the very obvious fact that there simply is and won't be any viable 4k content in the foreseeable future, I decided to just go bigger while NOT breaking the bank. This modest investment is great for me. Because I typically look to switch TV's @ 2-3yrs. Sure a 4k TV is impressive... if you're sitting or standing 4-5ft from it. But as you move further back, the human eye really can't discern 4k from 1080p from 10ft and beyond which is generally where you want to be anyway watching TV. Here's a insightful article: http://www.cnet.com/news/why-ultra-h...-still-stupid/" rel="" target="_blank">http://<a href="http://www.cnet.com/...ll-stupid/</a>" rel="" target="_blank">http://<a href="http://<a href="http...tupid/</a></a>
I'm not sure what your definition of "foreseeable future" is, but there is already a handful of UHD sources for movies, and with DirecTV's recently launched UHD satellite already in space, UHD live TV isn't too far behind.
I do agree the visible benefit for UHD resolution is in the 80" plus image range (depending on viewing distance), but UHD is about more than resolution. UHD also adds more color information that can benefit smaller image sizes.
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      12-16-2014, 11:35 AM   #16
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I totally forgot that I had an old 55in plasma behind my projector screen.
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      12-16-2014, 12:50 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by glennQNYC View Post
I'm not sure what your definition of "foreseeable future" is, but there is already a handful of UHD sources for movies, and with DirecTV's recently launched UHD satellite already in space, UHD live TV isn't too far behind.
I do agree the visible benefit for UHD resolution is in the 80" plus image range (depending on viewing distance), but UHD is about more than resolution. UHD also adds more color information that can benefit smaller image sizes.
That's if manufacturer's actually care about proper color reproduction. Right now the only thing that sells and manufacturers care about are gimmicks. When I still see "flagship" TVs from various manufacturers still having red bleed over/push issues, it is a total travesty.

4K right now is all about a spec which manufacturers can tell consumers..."Look 4K is greater than 1080." And consumers buy into this blind number.

It's a shame companies like Pioneer were driven out of the TV market. Just imagine what could have been if they were still developing TVs. Just look at how long the 9G/9.5G Kuros were relevant way after production ceased. My ISF calibrated Pioneer still trumps most current TVs.
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      12-16-2014, 12:54 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TXSTYLE View Post
Before purchasing this set, as I said, I read countless threads, blogs and articles on everything related to screens and their trend: Curved panels, OLED, FALD, and of course 4k or Ultra HD. Based on my research and the very obvious fact that there simply is and won't be any viable 4k content in the foreseeable future, I decided to just go bigger while NOT breaking the bank. This modest investment is great for me. Because I typically look to switch TV's @ 2-3yrs. Sure a 4k TV is impressive... if you're sitting or standing 4-5ft from it. But as you move further back, the human eye really can't discern 4k from 1080p from 10ft and beyond which is generally where you want to be anyway watching TV. Here's a insightful article: http://www.cnet.com/news/why-ultra-h...-still-stupid/
Here's a chart which relates viewing distance to minimum required resolution.

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      12-16-2014, 01:14 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by TXSTYLE View Post
I have been very concerned with losing out on the "phenomenal Black Levels" that Plasmas are known for as well as their ability to handle fast moving objects with an amazing 600hz!
We're all going to miss the superior plasma picture. They've gone the way of Beta. Will not be replacing my Panasonic plasma any time soon. My viewing room pretty much limits my distance to 9 feet or so, so a bigger screen would be too much.
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      12-16-2014, 01:32 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by glennQNYC View Post
I understand using a home made screen when using a $500 projector, but there definitely is a difference in using a proper screen.
For those considering a screen, my preference is Screen Innovations' offerings. Their Black Diamond material is so good most of the top manufacturers use it when displaying their projectors.

www.screeninnovations.com
My buddy has a nice $600+ screen and I really can't tell the difference in Picture Quality. If you had them side by side you could probably see something. But I made my screen pretty nice, I used a semi gloss white vinyl so it is really clear picture. When my projector craps out and I get one of the nice 4k projectors I may get one of the screens that allows you to have the lights on and still be clear. But if you are crafty, I say save the money and make one. you could even make a nice felt boarder frame and still be under $100
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      12-16-2014, 01:33 PM   #21
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OLED does have a better picture than the Panny plasmas (and yes, better than the Kuro), but they're FAR too expensive right now.
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      12-16-2014, 01:35 PM   #22
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OLED does have a better picture than the Panny plasmas (and yes, better than the Kuro), but they're FAR too expensive right now.
I will have to agree with this. And OLED will probably be my next TV upgrade if either of my Pioneer plasmas go belly up.
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