Rant: A Tale of 2 TV's

[rp]

What you all need is a $100K of Crestron. Hahaha, I would never do that to any of you.

Hdmi cable quality matters but only for long runs, if I was going 10-70ft I'd buy something other than cheapest no-name. Find out what the pros source in commercial work (not high profit residential) such as Liberty Cable. Key Digital used to make decent cables w/o the luxo tax of boutique crap like Monster etc. The fatter a boutique wire is the more bullshit, it's made to appeal to investment bankers - guys who used to buy Hummers, big boys w/ big toys. Haven't tried Monoprice hdmi but what I did try seems a fine bargain. FYI if needed you can do real long runs, like 2000', using baluns and cat5 for hdmi, cost you like $600.

1080P will only go digital, it's done for copyright, part of the HDCP stuff and not that component/RGB isn't up to it if I understand correctly. So anything you hook up component (DVD, CATV, SAT, game box etc) will scale at 720P (which is considered HD). You won't notice under 32" but just letting you know. In 2015 I wouldn't touch an AVR (audio video receiver) without at least 4hdmis in back even though DVD is dead and frees up a slot. If you are running every thing straight to the TV or to an old analog AVR and a mix I'd suggest laying out $300 for something like this and saving yourself the cabling and switching headache nightmare. Plan it out ahead before buying - everything goes to the avr digitally if possible, remember the kid's xbox and the wife's wii, and leave room for at least one thing extra. Only one wire and & one input to the TV (hdmi from avr) everything else to the AVR.

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-SR343-5- ... s=TX-SR333

Denon & marantz fine too. Some years since I worked with them. Used to use a lot of Onkyo Integra (the premiun line) and I personally preferred the interface and thought it sounded a clearer and punchier than the others. Not sure if the lower line is as nice.

Never buy cutting edge digital (unless you are a dumbass sucker infantllized millionaire) as it'll be obsolete and dump ready in 5 years but don't buy yesterday's fish either. The world where you bought yourself something nice (Nikon F, Fisher 500B etc) and held onto to it for 20 years before even starting to fidget for something newer is long long gone. You are a gerbil on a wheel, have to pace yourself or just get off completely.

BTW the digitl world is much better right now and calmer, the transition from analog to digital btwn 1998-2010 was a clusterfuck horror (even if you are paid by the hour). Much better now, be happy. And be happy you aren't sitting on a $15K 50" 720p Fujitsu plasma that you bought in 2003 and wanted to connect you new Blueray to in 2008!

BTW the reason TVs have less connectors than they did in 2003 is because the margins are gone. When flat screens were $2400 for 32" they had lots more connections.

[Structo]

Wow, thanks for the information.

I copied this so I can read it when I haven't had four seven/ seven's.

[rp]

hmm, I think I'll have four 7&7s. Forgot all about that one. Now I'm homesick.