Home Theater Question

**WileECyte** · 10-11-08, 11:25 AM

I use my TV for my switching. It has a sound output that I patch to my receiver for surround sound, but everything else feeds directly into the TV itself.

**RhysJD3** · 10-12-08, 12:05 PM

If you don't mind manually programming a remote (no usb, no wireless internet), I really like my RM-VL600. It controls up to 8 devices, it learns and it can use macros to control all my devices which gets my wife off my case since she can operate everything with one remote. It can turn all my devices on/off and by holding a button down, it will switch everything to the right setup on the tv and receiver/amp. And it's cheap at like $30. My A button turns everything on and sets it for Satelite on the TV and Amp and puts the remote into menu mode for the satelite. B turns it all off. C is used to adjust the zoom/ascept on the TV. D is used to turn everything on and set it for DVD viewing. Holding TV, VCR, SAT, DVD or CD sets everything to go to those devices if they are all on already.

It does take awhile (2 hours initially) to setup because you have to press all the buttons and put it into programming mode but man did it save my life with my wife. She wanted me to setup everything to go through the TV speakers rather than my 5.1 because she couldn't figure out the 3-5 remotes before this one.

**Consultant** · 10-14-08, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by chroniccough

BAH YOUR NOT WATCHIN A MOVIE UNLESS ITS BLURAY!!!

but i see this shit everyday!!!

and if ur in the houston area and need a flatpanel tv hung or surround sound!! calll me at 832-248-5300

It's too far for you to come to Florida so I wall-mounted it myself - the stupid cheap-o stud-finder they included in the package lied to me so it took about 20 holes in the wall to find the damn stud. Finally found it, and it's 16-on-center friend to the right and hung that sucker. I even chased cables through the wall and have a wire-free install. I'm pretty awesome.

Question though - what's the easiest way to run speaker wire across a room in a first-floor living room with 8 foot ceilings and no attic above it? (My master bedroom is above it.)

**K0nTANK3Rous** · 10-14-08, 12:52 PM

I'm guessing you don't have a basement, right?

If not, you have 3 choices.

1) start knocking out sheetrock
2) create channel runs, small boxes that traverse the ceiling corners made out of 2x4 framing covered with sheetrock and painted to match. Hard way, but i've had many customers go with this.
3) run wire through walls from A/V Input Plate/Box up to the point where ceiling meets wall, if you don't have moulding, get some, if you do, remove it, make your wire runs then drill into sheetrock and feed wire down until it gets to where you'll mount your speakers. Then put the moulding/crown up.

**Consultant** · 10-14-08, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by K0nTANK3Rous

I'm guessing you don't have a basement, right?

If not, you have 3 choices.

1) start knocking out sheetrock
2) create channel runs, small boxes that traverse the ceiling corners made out of 2x4 framing covered with sheetrock and painted to match. Hard way, but i've had many customers go with this.
3) run wire through walls from A/V Input Plate/Box up to the point where ceiling meets wall, if you don't have moulding, get some, if you do, remove it, make your wire runs then drill into sheetrock and feed wire down until it gets to where you'll mount your speakers. Then put the moulding/crown up.

Nah. This is Florida, if I dig down 4 feet I'd probably hit water.

So, I have popcorn ceilings - would that make crown molding look funny? The 2x4 channel runs seems like a decent option. Sheetrocking and painting those tiny things would be a PITA, but whatever.

**Veovis** · 10-14-08, 01:35 PM

If you have carpet, fish some flat speaker wire under it. Search Amazon for "Acoustic Research flat speaker wire." I just cut tiny slits in the carpet near where the surrounds are, it sounds kind of damaging, but if you don't keep track of them you will never find those little slits again.

I'm assuming you're wanting to wire surrounds or something?

**Consultant** · 10-14-08, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by Veovis

If you have carpet, fish some flat speaker wire under it. Search Amazon for "Acoustic Research flat speaker wire." I just cut tiny slits in the carpet near where the surrounds are, it sounds kind of damaging, but if you don't keep track of them you will never find those little slits again.

I'm assuming you're wanting to wire surrounds or something?

Yeah - and I've got wood floors, sadly.

Before the wood, they ran under the carpet...not any more.

What about wireless speakers? Are those any good?

**Veovis** · 10-14-08, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by Consultant

What about wireless speakers? Are those any good?

No firsthand experience, but from research, NO. Are you gonna have the surrounds stand mounted or wall mounted? If wall mounted just staple the cable along the wall near the floor or something, it won't look that bad.

If stand mounted then get some little throw rugs to cover where they cross the floor from the wall to the stand.

There is one product out there that is a speaker wire so thin (with no jacket) that it can literally be held to a wall with PAINT. It's like a wide copper ribbon that is thousandths of an inch thick. I guess that's an option, I think might be expensive though, dunno.

**K0nTANK3Rous** · 10-14-08, 03:22 PM

your sound quality suffers greatly with the ribbon wire. You definitely do NOT want wireless surrounds or anything if you're the least bit an audiophile. The sound is terrible with them, they pick up interference as well.

As for the ceiling channels, they are usually made in a 12"x12" square. So it's quite a job putting those in. You don't really want much smaller than that because it looks odd. With at least a 12x12 around the ceiling it gives the room a "tray ceiling" feel kind of masking the idea that you're actually "hiding" something.