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lomarica
07-30-2011, 03:11 PM
A dear friend who is a female engineer and I got into a discussion concerning the number of buttons needed to be pushed to watch a movie on our home theaters.

I did not want to include turning on my amp as a step because well no amp, tv or cell phone or car or oven etc... works without at least turning it on.

She stated no that is a step, as if she magically wanted the equipment to automatically turn on once you get close to it.

So is this a new low for the Wife Acceptance Factor? they think it is a pain to even turn a piece of equipment on?

and they actually have a basic HT but I do understand the frustration if you have to hit 10 buttons just to watch movie

any comments appreciated
by the way I have to turn on the TV, turn on my 2 ch amp, my 5 ch amp, my processor and my bluray but then it is only hit play on the bluray (after loading a disk as that is a step) and hit another button to get my 5.1analog out as the default is digital and I prefer the analog outputs

Mash
07-30-2011, 04:16 PM
There are power-pull sensing devices that will turn everything on after you turn on a lead item. Or you could go a step further and use a proximity sensing switch to start the chained turn-on.

I can think of turn-ons that would be more interesting to me.

I use Mackie HR824's and a Velodyne 15" sub, all of which have built-in amps, and they all turn on when they sense the TV is on. The TV turns on with the DVD....... and so on. This is really easy.

Maybe you guys have too much time on your hands? Find something more interesting to do with your time.

Hyfi
07-31-2011, 04:57 AM
Try a Harmony One

One button turns it on, one button plays the disk

Worf101
08-01-2011, 03:41 AM
Try a Harmony One

One button turns it on, one button plays the disk

I second the motion... so moved!

Worf

Jack in Wilmington
08-01-2011, 04:57 AM
Got the wife the Harmony One for Christmas and I haven't heard complaint one since. Now that's what I call peace of mind. With the charging cradle I don't even hear "I think the batteries need changing".

atomicAdam
08-01-2011, 08:53 AM
I taught my wife how to turn on the amp - cdp - dac. She listens to the system more than I do now! I'm jealous and she'll have to start writing reviews.

Only thing she doesn't want to touch is the TT - being my baby and all she doesn't want to possibly break it.

Sir Terrence the Terrible
08-01-2011, 09:43 AM
I use full home automation. Push one icon on the Ipad, the equipment goes on, and the drapes over the screen rise, the water and light show goes off, and the movie begins to play.

L.J.
08-01-2011, 10:03 AM
I use full home automation. Push one icon on the Ipad, the equipment goes on, and the drapes over the screen rise, the water and light show goes off, and the movie begins to play.

What! The popcorn popper doesn't start too :p

Sir Terrence the Terrible
08-01-2011, 10:48 AM
What! The popcorn popper doesn't start too :p

When we had one, my boys would leave the theater(and the machine) a mess, and never would clean it up. So I wheeled that thing out of the theater, and into the kitchen. Since they had to clean it up on certain days, the popcorn machine stayed clean in there. Killed two birds with one stone - had a clean machine, and a clean theater.

lomarica
08-03-2011, 07:21 PM
Ok well I guess I expected some different types of comments yes there are all types of ways to make a system easier to start but that was not the point of my post. I was expecting some discussion of what appears to be a basic difference between the sexes when it comes to stereo's and HT. Guys seem to like or at least do not mind hitting 5 or more buttons, knobs, switches to get our movie started where as most women hate that.

But that is ok always good to see what others are thinking.

One thing I have noted my wife notices how "flat" dvd's with DD5.1 sound compared to bluray with HD sound. But of course that has nothing to do with how many buttons you need to push to start a movie,

Hyfi
08-04-2011, 03:59 AM
Ok well I guess I expected some different types of comments yes there are all types of ways to make a system easier to start but that was not the point of my post. I was expecting some discussion of what appears to be a basic difference between the sexes when it comes to stereo's and HT. Guys seem to like or at least do not mind hitting 5 or more buttons, knobs, switches to get our movie started where as most women hate that.

But that is ok always good to see what others are thinking.

One thing I have noted my wife notices how "flat" dvd's with DD5.1 sound compared to bluray with HD sound. But of course that has nothing to do with how many buttons you need to push to start a movie,

My wife never wants to read an instruction manual for anything that is electronic, an appliance, phone, whatever. It's my job to read the manuals, figure out all the features, then show her the 5 things she really needs to know.

I did set her up with the harmony but I never programmed all available buttons from other remotes so I will still use 3 remotes when watching a movie.

I remember an old pic/joke about the difference between men and women using an electronic device. One had just a few buttons on it while the other was loaded. Funny thing is, it was the Woman who had the many buttons and controls while the Man had On and Off.

http://www.funnymail.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/difference-between-man-women.jpg

Feanor
08-04-2011, 04:31 AM
....
I remember an old pic/joke about the difference between men and women using an electronic device. One had just a few buttons on it while the other was loaded. Funny thing is, it was the Woman who had the many buttons and controls while the Man had On and Off.

http://www.funnymail.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/difference-between-man-women.jpg
No, it's simple: the device is identical for both men and women; the picture is just the way the respective genders see the thing.

bobsticks
08-04-2011, 04:33 AM
Ok well I guess I expected some different types of comments yes there are all types of ways to make a system easier to start but that was not the point of my post. I was expecting some discussion of what appears to be a basic difference between the sexes when it comes to stereo's and HT. Guys seem to like or at least do not mind hitting 5 or more buttons, knobs, switches to get our movie started where as most women hate that.

But that is ok always good to see what others are thinking.

One thing I have noted my wife notices how "flat" dvd's with DD5.1 sound compared to bluray with HD sound. But of course that has nothing to do with how many buttons you need to push to start a movie,

I don't think it necesarily has has anything to do with male/female per se. I suspect it may have as much to do with self-centerdness and immediate gratification which are qualities attributable to boh sexes.

JoeE SP9
08-04-2011, 07:39 AM
No wife here but I have a girlfriend who spends a lot of time here. When she or I are here I usually leave all my SS gear on. Power amps (unless Class A) don't consume much electricity while idling. My tubed mono blocks and preamp are the only things that usually get turned of. When you have tubes in your power amps a non remote control two channel preamp and a separate MC/Surround processor things can get complicated.

StevenSurprenant
09-20-2011, 06:23 PM
A dear friend who is a female engineer and I got into a discussion concerning the number of buttons needed to be pushed to watch a movie on our home theaters.


I agree with her totally.

Things should just work...

Back in the early days of automobiles, we had to get out and use a hand crank to start our cars (before my time). Then we had to use a clutch and change gears a hundred times to get where we were going. Today, we just turn a key and put it in drive.

Would we want to go back to that?

Why would someone want to push 10 buttons just to watch a movie?

Point is, simpler is better.

Years ago when TV's were black and white, we would constantly have to fiddle with the vertical and horizontal sync, then color came and now we had even more buttons to adjust. Pictures were rolling one way or the other and color would change from channel to channel. Finally, they got it right and all we had to do was change channels and turn the volume up or down. Then came flat screens. They have so many adjustments that very few people know what to do with them. That just tells me that there is something wrong with the technology. We should be able to just turn it on and have a perfect picture every time.

E-Stat
09-20-2011, 06:46 PM
Things should just work...
Several months ago, I upgraded the audio portion of my modest HT from a NAD receiver to Emotiva separates. Fully HDMI capable. Fewer cables by running audio and video through the processor. Much better sound quality and more headroom. When you switch it on, however, it acts like a drunken sailor.

Whoa! Where the hell are we? Blink. No signal. "Cable HDMI input 1 Video input 1!"
Blink. No signal. "Cable HDMI input 1. Video input 1".
*SIGNAL*

rw

StevenSurprenant
09-20-2011, 07:01 PM
Several months ago, I upgraded the audio portion of my modest HT from a NAD receiver to Emotiva separates. Fully HDMI capable. Fewer cables by running audio and video through the processor. Much better sound quality and more headroom. When you switch it on, however, it acts like a drunken sailor.

Whoa! Where the hell are we? Blink. No signal. "Cable HDMI input 1 Video input 1!"
Blink. No signal. "Cable HDMI input 1. Video input 1".
*SIGNAL*

rw

LOL!!! Sorry, but that drunken sailor remark hit me just right...

You wold think they would iron out the bugs before putting it on the market. I wouldn't think that all their units were doing that, so you probably just got a bad one that got past inspection. Time for a RMA.

I heard good things about Emotiva too.

E-Stat
09-21-2011, 06:02 AM
LOL!!! Sorry, but that drunken sailor remark hit me just right...
I think the villain is all the handshaking required by HDMI. It was really nice before when I just switched sources - instantaneously.

rw

JoeE SP9
09-21-2011, 09:01 AM
SS, I happen to like manual transmissions for several reasons.

My girlfriends don't ask to drive my car. I refuse to teach them how to drive a manual transmission. I was gonna say stick but I know how you guys are.

A manual transmission makes you pay more attention to driving. I defy anyone to text and shift gears simultaneously.

StevenSurprenant
09-21-2011, 11:42 AM
SS, I happen to like manual transmissions for several reasons.

My girlfriends don't ask to drive my car. I refuse to teach them how to drive a manual transmission. I was gonna say stick but I know how you guys are.

A manual transmission makes you pay more attention to driving. I defy anyone to text and shift gears simultaneously.

Actually, me too... That's all I've had for the last 27 years and would get it in a new car if I were in the market. I just like the way they drive.

My girlfriend owns two cars and one is a stick. She borrows my car sometimes when she had car trouble, so point well made.

BTW, I gave up my cell phone and I don't miss it. I hate texting, but that's me.

I also have more remotes than you can imagine. It takes 4 remotes for me to watch TV on my surround system. Even my stereo. which only has a volume knob, takes 3 remotes. I just ordered a remote controlled preamp and so that brings it up to 4 again.

When remotes first came out, I remember a few people saying that it was only for lazy people. I bet they're not complaining now.

I should get a Harmony!

JoeE SP9
09-22-2011, 04:31 AM
A Harmony wouldn't help me. My ARC preamp is non remote control. I have no intention of replacing it. I'll just fumble through the 8 remotes I have. The sound card in my music server has a remote and so does one of my cassette decks.

Hyfi
09-22-2011, 04:44 AM
A Harmony wouldn't help me. My ARC preamp is non remote control. I have no intention of replacing it. I'll just fumble through the 8 remotes I have. The sound card in my music server has a remote and so does one of my cassette decks.

My VAC Pre is also no remote, and has separate volume controls for each side. I also use an APC Power center for the 2ch system.

So for 2ch only I need to push one button on the APC, flip my sub selector switch to the VAC output and manually adjust the volume, but can use the remote for CD functions.

For HT, I turn on the APC, Flip the sub switch, change the input on the VAC and set the volume to 1oclock to be controlled by the Integra, front outs, then use the Harmony to turn on Integra, TV, OPPO, and have full control from there.

So my setup no matter what needs human intervention but the Harmony has made the wife happy for when she watches her shows recorded on the VHS. One button all on, rewind, watch, one button all off and timer record turns back on for the next day.

JoeE SP9
09-22-2011, 07:27 AM
Your system seems a lot like mine. The tube mono blocks that drive my fronts have to be turned on along with my preamp and the rest of my power amps. I too use my preamp in a pass through mode for HT. My subs don't need switching. They are driven through an electronic crossover and BFD. All of of these separate devices require turning on. My brother says it resembles an old science fiction movie when I fire everything up.

Mygaffer
11-06-2011, 02:13 PM
I didn't read the thread, so I am sure other people have mentioned this, but on the back of some of your equipment there is probably a little 3.5mm jack. If you hook up your equipment with this it runs some voltage through and when you turn on your receiver all your amps will turn on too. That is how I have my stuff setup, I press one power button and all my equipment comes on.

Guys seem to like or at least do not mind hitting 5 or more buttons, knobs, switches to get our movie started where as most women hate that.

I sure as hell wouldn't want to press five buttons just to listen to some music or watch a movie. I don't think that is a uniquely female trait. Being lazy and wanting to press as few buttons as necessary sounds like a pretty human trait to me.