A/V receiver and general questions

[coreyzat]

Hey guys,

I'm a newbie and a first time poster, so be kind please. I just bought a house, and one of the upgrades we got (new construction) was an installed speaker system. The system consists of:

In-Wall = CS650W (two front, two back)
Center = RC-52
Sub= RPW-10

My questions are as follows:

1) Does all digital cable (I'll be getting Comcast) give sound in DTS or similar format so that my 5.1 system will work with regular tv?

2) If so, do I absolutely need the digital converter box to get the DTS sound?

3) What should I look for in choosing a decent but not too expensive a/v receiver? (budget ~$400 max). In other words, what are the key words I should look for in the description?

I don't have HDTV and won't be getting it very soon. The things I will be using the system for are DVDs (Sony), PS2, and cable as listed above. My television is a flat screen Sanyo 36" (not plasma of LCD). The room is about 17' by 14' with hardwood floors. I'm primarily concerned about movies and such, but the cable will also have digital music which we'd use during entertaining.

Also, any specific a/v receivers recommended?

Thanks a million in advance for helping this newbie out!

Corey Z

[Guest " "]

Q - 1) Does all digital cable (I'll be getting Comcast) give sound in DTS or similar format so that my 5.1 system will work with regular tv?

A - yes but not all programing is available with it.

Q - 2) If so, do I absolutely need the digital converter box to get the DTS sound?

A - You will not be able to get encrytped channels with out their box.

Q - 3) What should I look for in choosing a decent but not too expensive a/v receiver? (budget ~$400 max). In other words, what are the key words I should look for in the description?

A - 7.1 or 5.1, THX (THX is a quality standard), DTS, bandwidth greater than 20hz - 20khz (10hz - 70hz is better for example), signal to noise ratio (the higher the better 100db is better than 90 db), surround sound modes (some have 13, some have 30...lets you emulate different sound settings...concert hall, theater, auditorium, disco, etc), class A output sounds better than class b or class AB, midnight button (lets you operate in a quiter mode so you do not wake up everyone in the house), min ohm rating (2 ohms is helpful, 4 ohms is a must, it is useless to have a 6 ohm reciever with jacks for 2 complete sets of speakers), have at least 2 zones that can be independently controlled.

[kelA]

Just to clarify...

I do not have Comcast, but I have not seen a cable provider offer DTS. If comcast does than I apologize. Most carry Dolby Digital, and only a few programs are broadcast in 5.1 Dolby. I have Insight cable and have about 12 HBO's, but Insight generally only decodes the main HBO in 5.1. It really depends how much bandwidth the cable provider has. I can not remember seeing any programming decoded with Dolby Digital 5.1 with basic cable. With Insight you almost have to purchase the HD pack to even get 5.1 with ABC, NBC, CBS. I generally watch most TV programming while utilizing Dolby Pro Logic II.

[coreyzat]

Thanks for the help so far....keep the advice coming.

So I guess I'll get the cable converter box but for most programs it's not going to make much difference? I just want to be able to hear tv in surround-sound, as well as the music and movies.

Is automatic setup another option I should insist on for the A/V receiver? Remember that I am a complete newbie.

Don't forget to give dvice on specific receivers!

Thanks again,

Corey

[coreyzat]

Here is some more info (and a correction) and another question...

The DVD player is a Sony Progressive scan DVD. The tv is actually a Sharp.

The additional question was essentially about setup. I'm assuming

that there will be many wires going into the receiver and very few

coming out. Is this correct? The tv seems to have a cable

input, s-video, and component inputs, so I have to assume there

won't be many inputs directly to the tv.

I'm also assuming that I'll be using the coaxial connection from the DVD to the receiver?

Thanks again.

Corey

[Guest " "]

recievers normally include good wiring charts that show all the omponets that can connect to the reciever, and the various options for each

[Steve_L]

Welcome to the complex world of home theater.

Comcast provides HiDef TV and this comes with a lot of Dolby Digital 5.1 (not DTS but similar 5.1 programming) for a lot , but not all, programming. Only in the "digital" channels. It's an additional $9.95 a month for the digital serivce in my Comcast area. Excellent service and good programming. I don't bother with the added HBO channels.. the EPSN channels and many of the standard ABC, NBC, CBS and NPR channels are digital as well.

You do need the Digiutal box that you get for the "Digital service" at the $9.95 added service per month.

Want a great low cost hi value receiver? Pioneer VSX-1015TX-K at Best Buy. ~$450 bucks and tones of value and power and functionality. Excellent room equalization etc? Plenty of power for your needs.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/product/detail/0,,2076_4153_209686388,00.html

http://reviews.cnet.com/Pioneer_VSX_1015TX/4505-6466_7-31426274.html?tag=sub

enjoy

[dougdrake]

Another hot receiver right now is the Harman Kardon AVR435. Don't be misled by its power rating (watts per channel). It will give anything in its price range a major run for the money. You can find it at a great price now, especially if you're willing to buy it refurbished from HK with original 2-year warranty. Check HK's web site or their Ebay store (just search on the model number). There's lots of discussion on both these receivers (the Pioneer mentioned above and this one) in this forum: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=30&f=90

[coreyzat]

The Pioneer looks pretty good. I haven't checked out the HK yet. The thing I like about the Pioneer 1015 is the auto setup and the up-conversion to component video. Does the HK have the same stuff?

I am a little worried about the lack of lipsynch adjust on the Pioneer. Is that usually a problem in a 12' x 15' (or so) room? Also I read some things about it getting very hot and needing an open area to cool. That may not be 100% possible for me right away. Am I setting this thing up to overheat?

Corey