Video Asylum

TVs, VCRs, DVD players, Home Theater systems and more.

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Original Message

Help with a new HT system

Posted by Rockethead26 on January 11, 2014 at 16:08:13:
Hi Video inmates!

Help!!!

My first post here in the Video Asylum. I admit to being so far behind in video technology that it's embarrassing. My wife and I still watch TV on a 27" Sony Trinitron with a standard DVD player. Streaming movies, yeah, ah, no.

We'll be moving back from our 3-year temporary home in Indiana to our real home in Flagstaff, AZ at the end of March and will be donating the Sony to Grandma before we leave. That means we need to enter the 21st century when we get home.

My Maggie based audio system will have it's own room so I will not be trying to integrate my Stereo and Video systems.

So here's the deal. I want to budget about $1500 (plus or minus a couple hundred) to buying a nice enjoyable video system for our family room. It's just the wife and I and we like equal amounts of standard TV fare and movies. The seating position is only about 10 feet from the TV wall.

We're talking a screen (maybe 47" or so), HT receiver, Blue Ray player and speakers. I know I'm being cheap, but we're saving for a motorhome and a backyard observatory, too. So the budget is what it is.

Things that are important to us:

1) My wife and I both hate the current mixing on soundtracks (both movie and TV) that use ridiculous levels for music and sound effects which drown out the dialog. I'd like for the TV, or the HT receiver to allow me to control the mix. I think I've read that the dialog is usually in the center channel. What I've read so far confuses the hell out of me.

2) Would like to see the screen decently well in a rather bright room during daylight hours (lots of windows and skylights).

3) Would like to use Netflix for streaming movies and maybe use a Roku box for that kind of stuff.

I know nothing about soundbars or HT speakers, but I'll reiterate that we would like to be able to actually hear the dialog over the sound effects. I will be fine with a left/right/center channel setup. I don't think we care about 5 channels. There's no room behind the couch, just a wall.

I will appreciate all suggestions and comments and happily chuckle at the "you need to spent at least $3000-5000 to get anything decent" comments. Now maybe that's true, but let's see what we can come up with first for about 1500+ bucks. I seriously know squat and I'd hate to put myself at the mercy of the blue box store. I'd rather beg for your mercy.

Thanks to all in advance for helping me out.