Slices BIG Home Theater project

[slicemaster101]

The resin I want an a/v receiver rather then just a preamp processor is simple. First, I don’t want to be locked into using my “huge” sound system all the time. Second, this Marantz SR9200 has preamp outputs as well as amplified outputs. This will give me the ability to have to two completely sets of speakers. A good set for serious movie and TV watching and a decent set for social watching. You know what I mean? Well the SR9200 has fantastic reviews and the price is right so I am going to stay with the Marantz SR9200 for the preamp processor / receiver. I am also wondering if a line doubler aka scaler would be a good investment? From what I hear on the grape vide they can make a good projector perform even better; Maybe one of those new QUADSCAN ELITE HD doublers? Just a thought…

Thanks,
Slice

[kingfootga]

Your not going to like this, but a PC will do a much better job at scaling and deinterlacing than a Quadroscan elite. They also will lower the cost, and output a superb picture when compared to a progressive dvd player. If you are trying to go cheap with the BEST image quality possible, then trust me and go HTPC for feeding images into the projector. You will be able to use its VGA input which is an RGB signal which will have better color definition than a Y/Pb/Pr input. goto www.avsforum.com and go to the section on HTPC's and you will find tons of info on HTPC's. You really don't know how much more powerful it can be.As for the Quadrascan, it is good but not as good as the HTPC, and if you feed it a 480p signal, it will not scale it and pass it through, completely defeting it's purpose (i belive that's how it works). And Dave, if it has a pixel for pixel match mode, then 720p will be flawless. But i wouldn't think about running an input into it without running it through a scaler or a HTPC. Slice, if you are running a dvd player and a scaler, the image will lose some resolution and lose a bit of color definition ( the analog signal has to undergo an analog to digital conversion on the input, then a digital to analog conversion on the output; the HTPC has much better a/d and d/a converts period, and dvd's only have to go one conversion before reaching the projector), as well as costing a lot more. If you want to stick with the boxlight, go ahead, it will be a great projector, but i would recommend a Hoya FL-Day filter infront of it to lower the black levels. Even though it has a good contrast ratio, on dark scenes, they will appear slightly grey. If you goto www.avsforum.com , all of the high end theaters there have HTPC's i'm telling you they are simply the best, the money you save you can put to use on a good screen or something similar. Not trying to bash you but you are missing out on the best picture possible.

Greg Lightfoot
KingFootGA

[markkanof]

kingfootga,

How does one go about controlling a HTPC, does it require a keyboard and mouse or can it be remote controlled?

Mark

[kingfootga]

There are many ways to control an HTPC. Some of which are:

Palm Pilots with custon software and IR
A keyboard
A touchscreen
The ATI Remote wonder (RF) has mouse and program control
A trackball
Voice command
A universal remote with an IR reciever and software on the HTPC

There are many more at www.avsforum.com in the HTPC section, just search for remote or for HTPC control. I use a trackball and the ATI remote wonder. The remote wonder has a slow mouse control, that's why I have a trackball. Overall it is very easy to control and even friends can control it without any instruction.

Greg Lightfoot
KingFootGA

[slicemaster101]

Kingfootga,
I know you are a fan of the HTPC but as I have said it is not for me.I am sorry buy I am not interested. I appreciate your enthusiasm but I do not want to run my video through a pc. To me that is troublesome. Thanks for the suggestion but it is not for me. Now I have a few questions. Most DVDs are in 16:9 format rights? Well would I have to scale any video from a progressive scan DVD player? This applies to HDTV as well right? These video sources would not need to be scaled right? Answers to these questions would be nice.

Thanks,
Slice

[kingfootga]

Even though most sources of high def are 16x9, that does not mean they do not need to be scaled. Your Porjector's native resolution is 1366x768 (wxga). Dvd's are 854x480p, and Hdtv comes in 1280x720 (720p, the best picture), and 1920x1080i (1080i) You could get away with forcing 720p into a pixel for pixel match with a HTPC, or if it has pixel for pixel matching mode. Everything else would need to be scaled, and that is why a HTPC is superior, the videocards do the est job scaling, If you did not get a high end scaler (or a cheap HTPC), the projector's internal electronics would have to do the scaling, and the results usually aren't good at all; blurry images, lack or depth, no detail, odd scaling artifacts, and lack of edge contrast. In other words, an external scaler is almost always needed, and even those don't do as good of job as possible. For interlaced signals (1080i, 480i TV) they need to be deinterlaced before they can be scaled, and an external scaler will usually have adaptive deinterlacing (faroudja's dcdi is best, except of Dscaler on a HTPC), and the sheer processing power and memory bandwith and size requirements are usually not there for deinterlacing and scaling 1080i well at all. so pretty much everything needs to be scaled, as there is not much 720p material (720p is the best, but the scan rates for a crt tv are not high enough yet for most consumers, so even though it looks incredible, most stuff is in 1080i.). So I would look into a high end Faroudja or other Expensive scaler, preferably with sdi input, and then buy a dvd player with sdi output, that keeps the dvd signal digital, and the image quality is pretty good, but sdi equipment is not cheap; the total will probably come to $6000, or more. Just a little insight.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
Greg Lightfoot
KingFootGA

[Bose(o)]

No Denon love? www.homecinemaguide.com 's links got me crazy for have a movie theatre for my basement...I'm making a budget type thing which I'll be posting on my website.

Oh yeah, my full-range singl driver speakers pics are on my site in two days; server down.

[slicemaster101]

so would the QUADSCAN ELITE HD do a good job od scaling.
i have heard great things about it.

thanks,
Slice

[kingfootga]

Yeah the quadroscan elite does a good job at scaling. Just set it to wxga or preferably 720p. It still isn't as good as HTPC's are, but it is good. I prefer Faroudja, though. Their DCDi technology is outstanding. I would check into Faroudja's.

Greg Lightfoot
KingFootGA

[slicemaster101]

how much does a good scaler from Faroudja cost?

thanks,
Slice