Comments on: We created a monster, or how ignoring basic ‘science classes’ is going to cost you.

By: Suze

Suze — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:44:36 +0000

Hello! We have an X-Box … an older one. Remember? You used to push me off cliffs in Halo and Halo2! And I used to mow you down with the Wraiths!

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:38:53 +0000

@Suze .. and Injun is right too .. we also DO need a $400 HDMI-switching receiver (eliminates one remote!), an HD DVD player (and an XBOX, so that we can get the CHEAP $199 one, that Rob has), and a Blue-ray DVD player.
Oh, and that receiver actually has a 7.1 channel speaker system, so we need two more speakers.. which means 5 more miles of cable.
I also wonder if that 42″ is actually big enough for the medium room/bar in our new house.

By: Suze

Suze — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:29:40 +0000

This is ALL my fault. Three weeks ago, I STUPIDLY mentioned that it would be kinda cool to watch The Kentucky Derby on HDTV. Now, I have a TV set-up that is totally baffling to me, 4 remotes that I can’t figure out (two are universal remotes). Seven and half miles of cable and an enormous TV (that I can’t operate) in my den. It wouldn’t fit in our entertainment center – so we have an ugly solution. Paul has spent hours in the attic running wires, he has been to Radio Shack and Best Buy 39 times, he has bought a new set of tools (only because he could not find any of the other 7 sets of tools he has in our garage) re-wired the entire surround sound, moved the furniture around so that I have to sit in a specific place to watch TV (after he turns it on!). So now, Paul has declared that we DON’T need a new (bigger)entertainment center, what we REALLY need is a bigger house (and pool). Because the pool somehow makes the sound so much better…. But, I gotta admit – the TV is awesome. AND The Kentucky Derby is gonna be great on HDTV!

By: Rob La Gesse

Rob La Gesse — Wed, 02 May 2007 23:47:04 +0000

@Paul – My HD DVD cost me $199. Of course, it’s the XBOX-360 addon, but it works great, and the video is impressive.

And I agree – I can rarely spot a difference in HDMI and Component. In my case, I needed INPUTS – lot’s of them – and with my TV, I got a ton of inputs – o I an save the component for things like my cameras and my A/V processor (which has component video out for on-screen configuration).

Oh – the other thing I got for my extra $800 I spent on my TV? It automagically turns on the VCR, Surround SOuncd, etc, depending on what I am doing (what inputs I select). THAT is pretty cool (and damned easy to do – I don’t know why ALL manufactureres don’t do this!

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 02 May 2007 21:10:08 +0000

I just DID find a good reason to go with HDMI instead of analog component! And it doesn't have to do with picture quality! Interesting! I found this on one of Pioneers's web pages (about blue ray: see link)

Component Video 480i/480p/720p/1080i ... for privacy protection, each movie studio will decide whether to allow high-definition delivery through this output.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 02 May 2007 20:50:13 +0000

@Bob .. yes, my receiver DOES decode Dolby Digital, Dolby ProLogic and DTS. And in addition to that it also has, indeed, a DSP mode for simulated surround, although it doesn’t appear to do much ‘smart’ surround stuff, it just adds various levels of echo (Hall, Theatre, etc etc), but indeed using all 5.1 speakers. I can email you the manual (pdf) upon request. 😉

As for that â‚¬300 Pioneer.. is that a full HD DVD player then? What product id?

By: Injun

Injun — Wed, 02 May 2007 20:22:28 +0000

@ Rob: *LOL* thanks for being willing to take the flack!

@ Paul: Let me add a much better reason for “wanting” another receiver: that your current one does not switch HDMI is not such a big issue, but I don’t believe (at least: remember) that it decodes Dolby Digital! So all that nice sound is nothing more than a (OK, probably very good in its days) stereo-to-surround processor; not the real sound that the DVD author put on the disk…

About the stupid behaviour of the cable box: reminds me of similar behaviour of my first upconverting-DVD-with-HDMI: I was being a cheap skate there awaiting HD DVD, but I threw it out of the window after 6 months not being able to believe all it’s unfinished user i/f stupidness.. and invested â‚¬300 on a Pioneer which did everything right. Sometimes spending some more offsets greatly the frustration afterwards… (not that it helps you with your cable box but OK…)

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 02 May 2007 10:41:36 +0000

@Rob .. Let me answer your question too.
a. I could have bought an similar HDTV as the one I now have with TWO HDMI inputs. It would have cost me $800 more. (Go ahead, call me cheap again!).
b. It wouldn’t have made a difference, since I can’t USE my cable box’s HDMI output without losing full audio capabilities. And I didn’t buy that cable box! Got it from my cable provider and didn’t have a choice (this will soon, July I think, change!).
c. If my cable box wouldn’t have had that stupifying ‘smart’ notion of shutting off digital audio out when HDMI is being used, I would simply have bought a $40 HDMI switch, rather than paying $800 more for an HDTV with two HDMI inputs.
d. In any case, the difference in quality between component and HDMI is purely theoretical. With my poor eyes I simply can’t detect a difference. And quite frankly, I’m willing to bet that you can’t either.
e. Yes I went cheap on the DVD player. Unlike an early adopter like yourself, I’m not willing to pay $500 (HD DVD player) or $1000 (blue-ray) for something that will be sold tomorrow for $42.
f. The only thing I was not happy about concerning my experience with the cables was their price. It was, in fact, my main point, that other than price, those cable are all just fine.
You may again call me a cheap skate, but you’d probably agree that it’s insane that I now have a state-of-the-art upconverting DVD player hooked up to my system with a cable that’s more expensive that the damned DVD player.
g. As for not buying what I needed/wanted: I didn’t NEED any of it, and what I bought I DID want. The only thing I want MORE is an HDMI processing receiver so that I don’t need to switch TWO devices (one for sound, one for video) when I switch between cable and DVD. But that little bit extra comfort isn’t worth $700 to me. (In fact maybe I can achieve this with some of those smart Logitech remotes). The other thing I want is a combined HD/Blue-ray DVD player. I don’t think they exist yet, and if they do, I can’t afford them right now.
Bottom line: I’m VERY happy with my current setup.

By: Rob La Gesse

Rob La Gesse — Wed, 02 May 2007 03:44:40 +0000

Paul, I think what Injun was asking was, “WTF did you buy an HDTV with one HDMI input for? When you have an HDTV Cable Box (HDMI) AND a NEW DVD player (that you went cheap as hell on) that you wanted to connect at the optimal level?

YOu aren’t happy about your experience with the cables, but this has nothing to do with cables!

You didn’t buy what you wanted/needed.

🙂 Ducking and running…

Rob

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 02 May 2007 01:48:51 +0000

@Injun .. I stand corrected. My previous comment had me have a second look at that cheap DVD player. It DOES have an HDMI output. And unlike my ‘smart’ cable box, it does let me use it and still route the audio to my receiver.

So, I now have ANOTHER reason why I don’t have my cable box connected through HDMI: My HDTV has only one HDMI input.