OT: Direct TV / DVR / DVD/ Home Theater Thread

[JRod]

Well I finally upgraded my receiver on DTV. I had a 04 Tivo Samsung Unit and now I have the DTV DVR. I don't know, the tivo unit was old but it was a workhorse. I didn't use the Tivo features but I thought it was easier to control and navigate.

I having a bit of buyer's remorse but I don't know. I suppose it's too early to figure out how to get through the menus in the first hour or so.

But, DTV and Tivo have announced a unit for 2010. It was originally planned for late 09 but has been delayed.

[sportdan30]

Anyone have AT&T U-Verse? I'm thinking of making the switch from Directv for my cable and Charter for my internet. A couple people at my work rave about U-Verse. It seems like I could save a little money as well by switching.

Of course, I'd miss out on Friday Night Lights.

[wco81]

I have U-Verse for data. You have to sign up for TV then cancel it to get free install.

I get 6/1 service for $35.

When I had the TV, which I didn't intend to keep, the quality was so-so. But it wasn't HD and my understanding is in most U-Verse areas, you're limited to one or two HD streams at a time.

So can't take them seriously for HD.

[sportdan30]

I have U-Verse for data. You have to sign up for TV then cancel it to get free install.

I get 6/1 service for $35.

When I had the TV, which I didn't intend to keep, the quality was so-so. But it wasn't HD and my understanding is in most U-Verse areas, you're limited to one or two HD streams at a time.

So can't take them seriously for HD.

Thanks for the information. Your take on the HD concerns me obviously. I'll have to call and find out what the story is on that.

[dbdynsty25]

If HD is important...you definitely should not leave DirecTV. They just can't be beat.

[JRod]

XM/Sirius on DirectTV is no more. I listened to it as a nice diversion but now it's replaced by SonicTap which seems to be a step up from Muzak. The verdict is out on that.

[greggsand]

XM/Sirius on DirectTV is no more. I listened to it as a nice diversion but now it's replaced by SonicTap which seems to be a step up from Muzak. The verdict is out on that.

I used the xmas channel once a year while putting up the tree. other than that, i never turned it on.

[sportdan30]

Can anyone recommend a low budget receiver with two hdmi inputs? I don't need the speakers or subwoofer necessarily. I currently have a two year old old Sony receiver that has only a digital optical input (no hdmi), but I've been having problems as of late. The input on the reciever is cracked so it doesn't hold the optical cable in firmly. Also, I'm having a heck of time getting the sound to come through. You literally have to play with cable to get it to respond (maybe it's a bad cable?).

Thanks.

[dbdynsty25]

Can anyone recommend a low budget receiver with two hdmi inputs? I don't need the speakers or subwoofer necessarily. I currently have a two year old old Sony receiver that has only a digital optical input (no hdmi), but I've been having problems as of late. The input on the reciever is cracked so it doesn't hold the optical cable in firmly. Also, I'm having a heck of time getting the sound to come through. You literally have to play with cable to get it to respond (maybe it's a bad cable?).

Thanks.

This is the one I've got in my office...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6882115194

It's a fantastic receiver for the money with 4in/1out. I'd rather have a couple extra inputs for expansion in the future. You never know. You have to be VERY careful with the lower end receivers because a lot of them don't pass audio over the HDMI...just video. So this one was by far the best in terms of features/price/performance.

Edit: Crutchfield actually has it for 30 bucks cheaper right now.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-LjMN4XjPZ5 ... -V465.html

[Brando70]

I agree with DB, you get a lot for your money with Yamaha receivers.

Onkyo is also a good choice for less than $400. My Onkyo is 10 years old and still going strong, and this seems like it has the features you're looking for:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_580TXS507B ... tml?tp=179

Denon makes very good receivers, but I don't think they're quite as good of a value at the lower price end. Better when you start hitting the $1000+ price point.

[sportdan30]

Excellent suggestions guys. Thank you. Is it even worth going by Best Buy at lunch to see what they have on hand?

[Brando70]

Excellent suggestions guys. Thank you. Is it even worth going by Best Buy at lunch to see what they have on hand?

Yes, because they carry a lot of Yamaha receivers and Onkyo too. Their receiver selection is actually pretty good, especially in the <$1000 bracket. It's their speaker selection that leaves a lot to be desired IMHO.

[dbdynsty25]

Excellent suggestions guys. Thank you. Is it even worth going by Best Buy at lunch to see what they have on hand?

They've got the Yamaha there...or at least they carry it...not sure if they have it in stock at your particular store.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Yamaha+-+52 ... &cp=1&lp=1

$330 there...so it's the same as Newegg. All things equal, of course you'd buy it in store in case of issues. So sure, hit up Best Buy.

[dbdynsty25]

Excellent suggestions guys. Thank you. Is it even worth going by Best Buy at lunch to see what they have on hand?

Yes, because they carry a lot of Yamaha receivers and Onkyo too. Their receiver selection is actually pretty good, especially in the <$1000 bracket. It's their speaker selection that leaves a lot to be desired IMHO.

Yeah, only the stores with the Magnolia Home Theater section have a few speakers worth a damn. It's almost embarrassing how bad their selection is in the regular stores.

There are a lot of good online sites for speakers...at least that carry Energy, my personal favorite brand. Vanns.com, wwwstereo.com, etc.

[sportdan30]

Thanks. Going to run by Best Buy and see if they will price match.

By the way, will I notice a difference in terms of sound quality now that I will be connecting my hdmi cable from my PS3 to the receiver and out to the tv? Before, I was just connecting my hdmi cable from my PS3 to the tv, and the digital optical cable from the receiver to the tv.

[Brando70]

Thanks. Going to run by Best Buy and see if they will price match.

By the way, will I notice a difference in terms of sound quality now that I will be connecting my hdmi cable from my PS3 to the receiver and out to the tv? Before, I was just connecting my hdmi cable from my PS3 to the tv, and the digital optical cable from the receiver to the tv.

If you had both connections hooked up to the same receiver, I highly doubt it. With HDMI and optical both using digital signals, where the quality of the cable bears no impact on the quality of the sound, they will probably sound identical. What you get is the convenience of one cable.

This is also annoying design restriction on the 360 -- if you use HDMI, you can't use a separate optical cable. It's a pain if you have an older, non-HDMI receiver like I do.

[wco81]

I haven't kept up with all the sound formats which PS3 supports but HDMI may be of interest if you want to use any of the new 7.1 sound formats, DD EX or DTS-MA.

Those may only be carried by HDMI. But of course, you have to have the right discs, right receiver, a 7.1 speaker setup, etc.

[sportdan30]

Just as an update, I went to Best Buy last night with all intentions of purchasing the Yamaha that Db recommended. I ended up getting talked in to a Denon (open box) for $250. I brought it home and spent an incredible amount of time and aggravation hooking it up. I said screw it, and returned it for the Yamaha.

Definitely paid a little more, but the build quality and the hook up took less time. Now, I come to find out I have a passive subwoofer. It has the wire hook ups, but of course this receiver only accepts a subwoofer input.

How much clearance do I need on the receiver? The reason I ask is because there only seems to be a half inch of breathing room from the receiver to the shelf. I suppose I could put the receiver on top of the cabinet and the PS3 on the lower shelf. I'm just worried about over heating the PS3.

[dbdynsty25]

I'm pretty sure it'll be fine...as long as it doesn't have a towel over the thing, I doubt it'll overheat. And see what happens when you don't listen to me in the first place?

[Brando70]

I wouldn't worry about the receiver overheating as long as their is some ventilation, even a small amount. But I would avoid putting the PS3 directly above the receiver, as the surface above the receiver might warm up from the receiver. I have a pretty open shelving unit and the shelf above the receiver still gets fairly warm if I've had the receiver on for a while.

Congrats on the receiver and enjoy!

[10spro]

I upgraded to a Sony receiver about a year ago, can't quite remember the model as I am not home now but has 4 HDMI inputs and 7.1 channel. The issue that I have is that as we're watching TV, the sound all of the sudden seems to drop for say 3-4 minutes before it goes back to the original volume.

I would actually crank up the volume higher to see if the issue gets solved and while 9 out 10 times it would, it gets to a pretty loud signal before I lower the volume again.

The HDMI is connected to the back of the cable box. I thought maybe it had to do with the HDMI cable which I eventually changed, but I am still having the dropped volume from time to time. Is it the receiver already? Any suggestions?

[Brando70]

I upgraded to a Sony receiver about a year ago, can't quite remember the model as I am not home now but has 4 HDMI inputs and 7.1 channel. The issue that I have is that as we're watching TV, the sound all of the sudden seems to drop for say 3-4 minutes before it goes back to the original volume.

I would actually crank up the volume higher to see if the issue gets solved and while 9 out 10 times it would, it gets to a pretty loud signal before I lower the volume again.

The HDMI is connected to the back of the cable box. I thought maybe it had to do with the HDMI cable which I eventually changed, but I am still having the dropped volume from time to time. Is it the receiver already? Any suggestions?

What's the pattern to the sound loss? Does it always happen at the same time (like when the receiver's first turned on)? Does the sound completely cut out or does it just get lower, and if it's lower, is it lower by the same amount each time? Does it happen with only one source or with all the sources plugged into the receiver? And does it happen just once or intermittently?

Basically, answering those questions can help you eliminate the problems. If you're having issues with all sources, it's definitely the receiver. However, check your speaker wire connections to make sure their secure and that's not the culprit (unlikely, but worth checking).

If it's just one source that drops, like your cable/sat box, you need to test if it's that source or the HDMI connection on the receiver. Try plugging that source into a different HDMI slot. If it works in the new slot, plug another source into the HDMI slot where you were having trouble and see if the volume drop happens. A little troubleshooting should help you eliminate sources of the problem.

[10spro]

Good points Brando. At one point I thought it was just a particular kid channel when my daughter watches her shows and the pattern would be irregular. The TV would start with little sound sometimes and in other occasions a particular show would play at the set volume only to lose steam for 5 minutes or so and come back again. Most of the time I would just play with the volume controller instead of waiting around.

Now, I do also recall having the same problem with playing games on the 360 and the odd time with the PS3. At one point I would think it would be the game, but now that you mentioned the other sources, it does seem to affect all the HDMI inputs.

I must say that the problem does not occur every time that we turn on the TV but it's becoming a regular pattern. As I mentioned, the Sony receiver is fairly new about 20 months or so, and I would have never pointed the finger directly at the receiver this early.

[Brando70]

You could have a bad connection on the board. I did have to have my Onkyo fixed once a few years ago because it would randomly shut off, which was because of something that had come loose (which may have been related to it getting hit with a GameCube controller that skipped off the carpet!). Spent $75 to fix it and it's worked fine ever since.

I assume you're out of warranty. I'd look into getting it looked at because those kinds of problems tend to get worse over time. Talk to the place you bought it from or, if they give you a hard time about the warranty, talk to Sony support and give them the "I'm a long-time Sony customer and really like this receiver, but am very disappointed this one has developed problems so soon." If you can speak to a customer service supervisor you might be able to wheel and deal a little.

[fsquid]

Anyone got the whole home DVR from DirectV yet? That has me thinking about going from DISH to DirectV so I can get GolTV and MLB Network again.