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horseartist
04-21-2008, 02:08 PM
Help, please, all you audiophiles and techy-types.
Situation: Dedicated theater room, (used to be the projection rm/theater of Ken Middleham, the time lapse cinematographer of legend).
Time to upgrade and retrofit, as it is now part of our home theater system.

What's there:
Runco ceiling projector 980 Ultra/Super IDTV Projector
Faroudja VP400 Video Processor (Super NTSC)
Marantz Digital Processor DP870
Citation 7.0 AV Controller
Pioneer Elite CLD-99 Laser Disk player (that's staying, we have 800 movies on laser disk that came with the house!)
Pioneer DV-414 DVD player
Stewart white 155" diagonal measurement screen 144" x 58"
Rear surround stereo
Center speaker
Subwoofer speaker
Main stereo speakers,
Altec left and right speakers
Bose back surround speakers
Tiger Amp Power Supply (for three stereo amps)
Power supply for theater sound system & video bench
Onkyo Surround Processor
Sony DSR-11 hooked up to an Apple G5 for video processing with Final Cut Pro.

Here's the problem... There is a control panel to run all of this, and it is a nightmare to do even the simplest of things (such as watch a DVD or laser disk).

What would you keep? And what would you replace? How would you hook these things up to make them all function without twenty steps?

Thanks for your help....
elinart.com Elin

horseartist
04-21-2008, 02:21 PM
Forgot to mention
The room is 20 feet from screen to back wall, and 16 feet wide. Many of the speakers are all built in, under the screen, and work fine. The walls have cork panels on them.
Floor has carpet. Ceiling is acoustical tile.

There is a separate projection room that holds the Faroudja, the DVD player and the laser disk player.

Sure hope y'all will have some ideas for me. Hubby said I could take charge of this project, since it is now part of my studio.

pixelthis
04-22-2008, 12:11 AM
Forgot to mention
The room is 20 feet from screen to back wall, and 16 feet wide. Many of the speakers are all built in, under the screen, and work fine. The walls have cork panels on them.
Floor has carpet. Ceiling is acoustical tile.

There is a separate projection room that holds the Faroudja, the DVD player and the laser disk player.

Sure hope y'all will have some ideas for me. Hubby said I could take charge of this project, since it is now part of my studio.

Theres a guy on this board, goes by the name sir terrence the terrible, I call him sir talky,
is still living in the 80's.
Box this stuff and send it to him, he'll give you a million dollars for it.

All of this stuff is nice, but a rolls from the 50's is nice, too.
You guys dont seem too tech minded, so you need a major refurb.
Sadly a lot of stuff on your list is obsolete, wont do HD.
I would seek the advice of a pro, he'll tell you (probably) to keep the speakers if they sound good, the laser if you like the movies and dont care about the latest, and mayby
a few of the processors.
next you will need a new projector, something that can do HD, AND a preamp that can act like a control center without needing a computer geek to run, something like a
Anthem or parasound. Your amps should be okay, but your system is probably pro-logic based, so with a proc like an anthem you'll need five to seven full frequency amps,
You might have to buy a few more.
the good news is that with ten to fifteen grand you can have an up to date system
that fits the "bones" of your HT.
If you go on the cheap, get a higher line receiver for amps and processing, and a decent projector.
But someone local is going to have to check out your gear, decide what can stay and what has to go.
If its difficult for you to use I can tell you that the control system(probably set up to be used by a pro) will have to go, thats for sure.
And the idea of all of those "free" movies is tempting I know, but while laser was quite good in its day, with a scaler the best it can do is 480p real world resolution.
And dont be surprized that some of the older ones have a bit of "laser rot".
In any event, good luck.
And have fun :1:

horseartist
04-23-2008, 07:34 AM
You said: All of this stuff is nice, but a rolls from the 50's is nice, too.

And I reply: So classic car owners don't rank high in your book. Noted. That the home was/is where Ken Middleham did his ground-breaking cinematography matters not one whit to you is also noted. As we say in the biz, "Consider the source."

You said: You guys dont seem too tech minded, so you need a major refurb.

I reply: Perhaps. There just isn't a controller for the operation of the equipment. Yes, not having 1080p might be a deal breaker for you, but for someone who is only wanting to enjoy movies in the privacy of our own home, we may NOT need a major "refurb."

You said: Sadly a lot of stuff on your list is obsolete, wont do HD.

I reply: Yes, but the controllers will handle Blue-ray when we are ready, and then we can swap out whatever we need at that time to do the BR. (Note, HDTV lost).

You said: I would seek the advice of a pro, he'll tell you (probably) to keep the speakers if they sound good, the laser if you like the movies and dont care about the latest, and mayby
a few of the processors.

I reply: The pro that we just met with actually said that the equipment here can be kept, that we need a controller to set it up and run it, but that we would have to skin the room to set it up properly, with a rack for the equipment and wiring. One of the problems is that the Faroudja and Runco had not been calibrated for over 6 years.

You said: the good news is that with ten to fifteen grand you can have an up to date system

I reply: I don't know about you, but that ain't "good" news! I do appreciate your opinion, but I believe that we'll find some answers and information from other sources.

I'm disappointed that you would preface your reply with a negative about another board poster, pixelthis, but perhaps I'm not seeing your humor? Thanks again, though, for your input. It helps us see another view on what we ought to do.http://forums.audioreview.com/images/smilies/wink5.gif

f0rge
04-23-2008, 04:46 PM
have you looked at something like a harmony remote?

i control 6-7 things with mine and it works quite well

dont worry about pix, he's a strange cat.

pixelthis
04-23-2008, 11:26 PM
You said: All of this stuff is nice, but a rolls from the 50's is nice, too.
And I reply: So classic car owners don't rank high in your book. Noted.

They dont rank as highly with you as they do gor me, I do have a conception of
the effort and dedication required for classic car collecting, you apparently dont.
Its kinda like classic home theater collecting




That the home was/is where Ken Middleham did his ground-breaking cinematography matters not one whit to you is also noted. As we say in the biz, "Consider the source."

If you want a museam then thats fine, set up a gate and charge admission.
If you want a REAL up to date home theater then you will need to replace most of this stuff







You said: You guys dont seem too tech minded, so you need a major refurb.


I reply: Perhaps. There just isn't a controller for the operation of the equipment. Yes, not having 1080p might be a deal breaker for you, but for someone who is only wanting to enjoy movies in the privacy of our own home, we may NOT need a major "refurb."

You have just restated MY point and you disagree with me? Are you schizoprenic or something?
If you just "want to enjoy movies in the home" then you need a simple setup if you're not tech minded, not something that resembles something from NASA
A friend couldnt get his sub to work, tried everything, I set the front speakers to "small" and the sub started working.
People in this hobby tend to forget how confusing it can be to someone outside
of this hobby


You said: Sadly a lot of stuff on your list is obsolete, wont do HD.


[QUOTE]I reply: Yes, but the controllers will handle Blue-ray when we are ready, and then we can swap out whatever we need at that time to do the BR. (Note, HDTV lost).

And a system perfect for the 1980's, that a 1,000$ lcd from walmart and a hometheater
in a box can outperform, won

You said: I would seek the advice of a pro, he'll tell you (probably) to keep the speakers if they sound good, the laser if you like the movies and dont care about the latest, and mayby
a few of the processors.


I reply: The pro that we just met with actually said that the equipment here can be kept, that we need a controller to set it up and run it, but that we would have to skin the room to set it up properly, with a rack for the equipment and wiring. One of the problems is that the Faroudja and Runco had not been calibrated for over 6 years.

And are not worth the trouble.
Both are obsolete, a better faroudja has been put on a chip and can be had in a 100$
DVD player.
The Runco is IDTV , which means SDTV which means NON hdtv.
BAISCALLY A BIG CRT tv that cant do what a 1,000 & DLP from circuit city can do

You said: the good news is that with ten to fifteen grand you can have an up to date system


I reply: I don't know about you, but that ain't "good" news! I do appreciate your opinion, but I believe that we'll find some answers and information from other sources.

Who will tell you the same thing.
I have a nice middlin system with a dollar value of 6500 bucks, and it can outperform your current system.
For 3 to 4 grand you can get a nice lower midrange system but I thought you wanted at least the equal of what you have now, which is nice but obsolete


I'm disappointed that you would preface your reply with a negative about another board poster, pixelthis, but perhaps I'm not seeing your humor? Thanks again, though, for your input. It helps us see another view on what we ought to do.http://forums.audioreview.com/images/smilies/wink5.gif

WHAT HUMOUR?
I was serious. Sir talky has been arguing with me for a week on another thread that
front projector CRT (tube) based projectors are a viable form of home theater,
only problem is, they dont make em anymore.
I figured he'd love your stuff, its even more outdated than his junk, which is no easy feat.
I know this isnt what you want to hear, but HDTV is such an advance that wasting money on anything else is also a waste of time.
I spent 2 grand on a 47in panny HDTV in 2,002, the last time I saw such a set,
with the tubes firing up from the back, was at sears, on sale, it was 57inches.
And cost around 700 bucks
And while out of date it was about a decade ahead of your projector.
Your system was a state of the art deal when built, now its a museam.

truth is you couldnt even sell it for that much, it will need a box just to handle broadcast tv after 2009.
SORRY that this isnt what you want to hear, but you will hear about the same from everybody else :1:

pixelthis
04-23-2008, 11:41 PM
have you looked at something like a harmony remote?

i control 6-7 things with mine and it works quite well

dont worry about pix, he's a strange cat.


I am literally rolling on the friggin FLOOR.
THESE PEOPLE have (when it was new) a home theater worth several hundred thousand dollars with several dozen rack mounted pieces of gear, almost none
of which uses infra red remote signals and you suggest a friggin
HARMONY REMOTE, a 200 buck remote for mass market devices that use infra RED.
AND then have the gall to suggest I am STRANGE.
Good one, thanks for the laugh.
Heaven help me :1:

pixelthis
04-23-2008, 11:45 PM
One more point to consider.
WHY did the people selling the house leave this stuff?
To increase the dollar value of course.
This stuff looks really nice and expensive, even though its all obsolete.
So leave it, matbe it will bump the price of the house a few bucks.
TRUST ME, if this stuff had ANY value as serious up to date HT gear
it would have been carted off :1:

f0rge
04-24-2008, 10:42 AM
I am literally rolling on the friggin FLOOR.
THESE PEOPLE have (when it was new) a home theater worth several hundred thousand dollars with several dozen rack mounted pieces of gear, almost none
of which uses infra red remote signals and you suggest a friggin
HARMONY REMOTE, a 200 buck remote for mass market devices that use infra RED.
AND then have the gall to suggest I am STRANGE.
Good one, thanks for the laugh.
Heaven help me :1:

regardless of whether or not it was a good suggestion, it was still better than yours, which was to throw everything out. at least i'm trying to help.

and i'm willing to wager more than none of that can be controlled via IR, we're talking the 80's here, not the 60's...

pixelthis
04-24-2008, 11:41 PM
regardless of whether or not it was a good suggestion, it was still better than yours, which was to throw everything out. at least i'm trying to help.

and i'm willing to wager more than none of that can be controlled via IR, we're talking the 80's here, not the 60's...


A few things can, most will have a control bus and a control box, maybe a Cestron or something, in any event, trying to control it with a "harmony" remote is like trying to fly a space shuttle with a pocket calculator.
And have you ever saw a movie called "the money pit"?
Well, that is what this system IS, and anybody saying to keep any of it is not being friends to these people.
just the splitters and the like probably arent 500 mhz, much less the gigabyte minimum
needed for modern systems.
I had to throw all of my splitters and switchgear and video amps out from my first
satelite install, replace everything with up to date gear because my second install was HD.
My current lower to mid-range receiver has a 70 mhz video bus, can handle HD and is
still obsolete because of no HDMI.
aND I can guarentee you that the only DD and DTS in this system is from Laser.
And you can hook a blu ray up to it, I can hook one up to a 20in EMERSON,
it'll be standard def, so whats the point?
There is so much change these days stuff from FIVE years ago is obsolete,
that is why I say buy quality AMPS, they dont change much, but something like the runco
mentioned, very nice, built to last awhile, and if I remember correctly, 480p at best
The problem is that these very nice people thought they were getting a state of the art HT system, and while nice, and what was in the begining in this hobby, its now hopelessly
obsolete.
My 1,000 low rent Vizio can do 1360x768, and can blow the doors off of the runco in performance, from a technical standpoint( that big picture, while SD, must look nice)
BUT, 1080P is rapidily becoming the standard.
So this "Home theater" that was left with the house, while watchable, is compromised.
Its the first law of the universe, and one of the laws of thermodynanics, mainly...
THERE AINT NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH :1: