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littlepooch21

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 26, 2010
148
8
lol you guys are crazy. my wife gets her check tomorrow so i will be going shopping for all of this either tomorrow night or weds. i did find a laptop. i didn't want to get a window's one, but i found an Asus i5 15 inch laptop with Windows 8 for $287. it was on clearance at best buy and brand new so i couldn't pass it up. it's a pretty nice laptop considering it was dirt cheap. i was really wanting a mac mini, but for the difference in price i couldn't pass it up.
 

sdilley14

macrumors 65816
Feb 8, 2007
1,242
201
Mesa, AZ
My setup...

55" LG LED 3d TV (55 LM4600). I got this off Amazon for $800 shipped. AWESOME deal. Great looking TV, very thin profile, 3d functionality (not that I ever use it) at a nice price. Check it out on Amazon. It doesn't have a lot of reviews (only 20 or so) but they are nearly all 5 star.

Apple TV 3 (streaming media from my MBA, AirPlay mirroring, etc.) - $90

Xbox 360 (gaming) - $200

PS3 (for Blu-ray) - $150

WD Passport external HD, 500GB - $50

And I have a Pioneer receiver and some nice Sony floor standing speakers...but like you, I'm in an apartment, so I don't really use them a whole lot.

Total cost for all of this is about $1300 (without the surround sound system).
 

mslide

macrumors 6502a
Sep 17, 2007
707
2
Our main setup is in our home theater: Panasonic PT-AE3000U projector with a 120" screen, some pioneer receiver and 7.2 audio (Definitive Technology speakers), an HTPC, some cheapo blu-ray player and Apple TV. Our living room just has a 55" LCD and Apple TV. There are game consoles here and there as well.

If I were to do it all over again in an apartment, I'd probably get a 65" Plasma and just use the TV speakers (save your money until you're in a house and can afford to go all out without pissing off the neighbors). After having a projector, anything less than maybe 65" just seems really tiny.
 

jdechko

macrumors 601
Jul 1, 2004
4,230
325
yeah i think i'm more worried about the first month or so. i have a 3 yr old that likes to watch Disney channel and they have that logo on there all the time. my wife is at home with her right now and i doubt it would even cross her mind about the burn-in, etc.

I wouldn't worry too much about the burn-in. I got a new Samsung Plasma TV for Christmas. Samsung has this technology that shifts the pixels slightly every few minutes to avoid burn-in. The shift really is imperceptible. I'd assume that Panasonic has similar technology.

http://www.samsung.com/us/support/SupportOwnersFAQPopup.do?faq_id=FAQ00022613&fm_seq=22781

My setup is extremely simple. Samsung 43" Plasma, AppleTV3, Re-purposed PC with 2TB drive as media server. I may eventually add a soundbar.
 

jtara

macrumors 68020
Mar 23, 2009
2,008
536
- Almost all TVs are 3D today, at least higher-end models. I seldom use the 3D, though.

- If color accuracy and viewing angle are important to you, get plasma. There is essentially no burn-in problem today. There is a "short-term" burn-in-like effect that is unavoidable, and that you may find annoying, though. Permanent burn-in is nearly impossible, unless you run at extreme brightness when the set is new. Don't.

You will see remnants from the show you watched a half-hour ago, or yesterday (if the set has been off). But you won't experience permanent burn-in if, say, you watch CNBC all day. Watch something else, and the ticker burn-in will go away.

Samsung PN50C8000
Denon AVR3311CI receiver
Samsung BDC7900 Bluray
Ugly silver Scientific Atlanta cable box
Apple TV v2 (or 3?)
Definitive SSA-50 soundbar mounted below TV left/center/right/surround *
2X Definative Studio Monitor 450 for front-wide speakers
2X Definative BP2X surround *
Rythmik A370PEQ2 subwoofer
WiFi router (secondary wifi, to provide coverage in living room, main router is in office)
8-port 1000-base-T hub (hard-wired to office router)
Global Cache' iTach (IP to IR remote) (controls devices that don't have IP)
IR-controlled speaker switch (forget who makes) - hard-wired to iTach
Roomie Remote on iPad
iPad 2
Some DLNA server on my Linux box in office
iTunes on my Macbook in office (needs to move to my Mac Mini in office)
A big-ass heavy-duty wall mount (Peerless, I think)

* The SSA-50 is a "surround-sound" sound bar. It tries to fake surround with clever speaker positioning and phasing, the "surrounds" attempt to bounce off of side walls. Meh on the "surround". But it sounds decent. The reason I got this is because the TV can swivel 180 degrees to view from living room, kitchen, or dining room. I felt I needed something on the TV for correct directionality. Maybe just a center speaker would have been fine.

I can switch the surround channels to either the SSA-50 or a pair of real surround speakers properly-positioned, depending on viewing location. In the living room, I have real surround. You WILL NOT get a convincing surround effect with any soundbar, IMO. I've listended to the best, and was not impressed.

I also augment with a pair of monitor speakers for "front wide", supported by the Denon. This greatly improves the soundstage width. The remote scan modify the surround setup to use these or not.

FWIW, Definative runs an overstock/returns store on eBay. Look for "bajawaverunner". This is the offical Definative surplus outlet, and I got all my speakers there at substantial discounts.
 

littlepooch21

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 26, 2010
148
8
Well I just started getting things set up yesterday/today. Here is what I got so far.

TV- Vizio 50 inch M-Series 3D TV
Blu-ray - Samsung 3D Player 2013 model
Video Game- Nintendo Wii U Basic
CPU - Asus i5 Laptop

I'm at about $1450 b/f taxes so far. I think I'm going to get a sound bar next. Really debating on if I should get an Apple TV, but I'm almost to the point that I may not go that route. I think instead of streaming I am going to just go out and buy the physical blu ray movies/disc and watch them. I'm tired of all the streaming mess. Last night our internet went out in the middle of a movie that we were 2/3rd's through and now we have to try to get it finished tonight. If I would have just bought the blu ray we would have finished it.
 

jtara

macrumors 68020
Mar 23, 2009
2,008
536
Really debating on if I should get an Apple TV.

Apple TV doesn't necessarily have anything to do with streaming from the Internet. If you have an iPhone or iPad, you want Apple TV. You can send nearly any streaming content from the iOS device to the Apple TV, mirror your screen, etc.

I'd skip the laptop, myself. I seldom if ever send anything to the TV from my Macs. But, then, they are in my office. If you needed a laptop anyway, fine. Just don't include it in your entertainment system budget, LOL.

(I think I only did it once. A friend was staying over and sleeping on the couch - till way past noon! I went in the office, got on iTunes, and purchased the classic, "Lazy Bones" by Paul Robson. Blasted it.)

I have Cox Internet. My experience is 180 degrees from yours. Just get a reliable Internet provider.

For streaming, you don't need the Apple TV, for sure. You most likely can get Netflix, for example, on your TV, and the Samsung Blurays have it as well. Most high-end TVs and many receivers can stream from a DLNA server, as well, though it's generally awkward. (On-screen interface.)

If you have guests, there is always somebody who wants to play DJ, and wants to play *their* songs through their tinny little speakers. Let them Airplay to your Apple TV so at least you don't have to listen to that squawking. Then let the guests battle it out over control. ;)
 

littlepooch21

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 26, 2010
148
8
Apple TV doesn't necessarily have anything to do with streaming from the Internet. If you have an iPhone or iPad, you want Apple TV. You can send nearly any streaming content from the iOS device to the Apple TV, mirror your screen, etc.

I'd skip the laptop, myself. I seldom if ever send anything to the TV from my Macs. But, then, they are in my office. If you needed a laptop anyway, fine. Just don't include it in your entertainment system budget, LOL.

(I think I only did it once. A friend was staying over and sleeping on the couch - till way past noon! I went in the office, got on iTunes, and purchased the classic, "Lazy Bones" by Paul Robson. Blasted it.)

I have Cox Internet. My experience is 180 degrees from yours. Just get a reliable Internet provider.

For streaming, you don't need the Apple TV, for sure. You most likely can get Netflix, for example, on your TV, and the Samsung Blurays have it as well. Most high-end TVs and many receivers can stream from a DLNA server, as well, though it's generally awkward. (On-screen interface.)

If you have guests, there is always somebody who wants to play DJ, and wants to play *their* songs through their tinny little speakers. Let them Airplay to your Apple TV so at least you don't have to listen to that squawking. Then let the guests battle it out over control. ;)

reason i got the laptop is b/c of price. i really wanted a mac mini but i couldn't pass up an i5 laptop for less than $300 new/sealed.
 

blanka

macrumors 68000
Jul 30, 2012
1,551
4
I interpreted this topic as "give me ideas" not "solutions" by showing what you use:
- Mini 2009 retrofitted with 750Gb Caviar Black and BluRay player (yes I still have a fantastic and cheap rental store on walking distance!)
- Old Sony SACD/DVD player, just for a bunch of SACD's, don't use it for DVD's any longer
- DVB-T USB tuner for accidental free-to-air TV watching. All other television is consumed over IP via XBMC.
- 2001 Onkyo surround receiver: still works great to decode DTS/DD from MKV's and BR's over optical. It is always used on the same input! They should make surround amps with just one input for the media-center era!
- Bunch of Canton Karat tower/center speakers (use centers for rear too). Speakers need to be big, also in our small apartment.
- Acer AL2723W monitor. I wanted a small full-HD screen, capable of 24p, 50p (we have PAL) and 60p display. It is bright with a nice medium-gamut CCFL backlight and the PVA panel delivers high contrast and good angles (most TV's nowadays are sRGB white-LED backlit). The true 23.978p playback (no fancy upscaling to 100 or 200Hz) and small size were most important for me. Thanks to the 16:10, subtitles never cover the show. I removed the plastic case because it was SO UGLY, and now it is a nice minimalistic metal box.
 
Last edited:

littlepooch21

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 26, 2010
148
8
I have Cox Internet. My experience is 180 degrees from yours. Just get a reliable Internet provider.

I have Cox internet also. I have the 2nd tier from the top. I have had good luck with them, just this one time it went out

----------

I interpreted this topic as "give me ideas" not "solutions" by showing what you use:
- Mini 2009 retrofitted with 750Gb Caviar Black and BluRay player (yes I still have a fantastic and cheap rental store on walking distance!)
- Old Sony SACD/DVD player, just for a bunch of SACD's, don't use it for DVD's any longer
- DVB-T USB tuner for accidental free-to-air TV watching. All other television is consumed over IP via XBMC.
- 2001 Onkyo surround receiver: still works great to decode DTS/DD from MKV's and BR's over optical. It is always used on the same input! They should make surround amps with just one input for the media-center era!
- Bunch of Canton Karat tower/center speakers (use centers for rear too). Speakers need to be big, also in our small apartment.
- Acer AL2723W monitor. I wanted a small full-HD screen, capable of 24p, 50p (we have PAL) and 60p display. It is bright with a nice medium-gamut CCFL backlight and the PVA panel delivers high contrast and good angles (most TV's nowadays are sRGB white-LED backlit). The true 23.978p playback (no fancy upscaling to 100 or 200Hz) and small size were most important for me. Thanks to the 16:10, subtitles never cover the show. I removed the plastic case because it was SO UGLY, and now it is a nice minimalistic metal box.

Nice little setup. Yes this thread is so I can see what others have done and to give me ideas.

I didn't know that a Mac Mini can run blu-ray. I bet that is nice to have an all in one. Yeah one of the main things that i was wanting to do with my setup is to stream movies from my cpu to tv. looks like the easiest way would be apple tv. i tried plex and it's just unstable going from Window's 8 to a Sammy blu ray player
 

Irishman

macrumors 68040
Nov 2, 2006
3,388
842
Hi Irshman,

Tell me how you all set up a cheap on location rig for recording chamber, small ensembles and even small bands!

I am looking for a setup that is affordable and available! I already have my mics (Karma K10's and a pair of samsons) now all I need is a rig that will accommodate.

From power conditioners, mixers (if needed), mic pres, recorders... anything that will enable me to record sufficiently. Also include some rough prices. I have a low budget but nothing solid right now, for I will be picking away at a setup, not blowing it all on one place.

so let 'er rip, show me what is good for a cheap price!!

Yeah, the setup we're talking about here is home A/V/Home Theater. I have no knowledge of portable recording/mixing of any kind. I apologize if I gave that impression! :)
 

Badrottie

Suspended
May 8, 2011
4,317
335
Los Angeles
Ok…I hope to buy Apple TV 3 soon and buy…

27 inches Sanyo LED TV
cheap black tv table

that is it…why? You know I am deaf..save money I don't need big Speakers/boom.
 
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