Lounge setup

[lomenak]

This is my first post here, so first of all, Hi everybody!:)

We have decided to move in together with my girlfriend which for me will mean to setup our lounge!

At the moment my home entertainment system is my iMac 27”, but what I plan to set up is the following:
· HDTV – not 3D, maybe smart?
· Apple TV (optional) – is there anything what this can do that the smart tv cant?
· Micro system – acting also like a a/v receiver to play sound from the tv through the speakers (we don’t want 5.1 or to connect any other players/console to the TV
· Wireless hard drive – mainly to play movies/tv shows
· iMac/iPhone connection to the micro system – via Bluetooth or Airplay

My questions:
· Is smart tv better (also better value) than normal tv with Apple TV?
· Can the micro system work as the a/v receiver to play tv sound through the speakers? Please note that we don’t want dolby or need to connect any other players/console to the tv
· Do I need a smart tv to be able to connect the tv to the home network and access the network hard drive?
· To be able to play all movies/tv shows from the hard drive (the most common files that VLC player plays these days) do I need a smart tv or most tvs can do this now?
· Playing music from the iPhone/iMac – is this better via BT or Airplay? I guess to be able to use Airplay, The Apple TV would be needed (and in this case the sound would go through the micro system?)


I am pretty new to this as I have been using my Mac for all my audio/video needs so please excuse me if I am asking stupid/simple questions. Suggestions on exact tv models/micro systems would also be appreciated.

Thanks a lot!

[blackraven]

I have a Samsung 55" LED TV that is 1 model below the top of the line model. It has a dual core processor and it is cumbersome to use on the internet but it works. We occasionally use the feature. Many of today's TV's are smart and 3d tv's. These TV's tend to be the higher end models and they have better pictures. I would buy one even if you do not use the features. The new consumer reports just came in the mail yesterday with a complete review of TV's. Take a look at the reviews.

You will be able run your TV sound through an AV receiver. I have this set up with my TV. We use a cheap Pioneer AVR with a Pair of Defintive Tech. Promonitor 1000 speakers and it sounds great. I tried a higher end sound bar with a sub and it sounded terrible.

Also consider a Logitech Universal remote for about $80 at best buy, and get the extended waranty as they can break fairly easily with dropping from what I have read. We have dropped ours about a dozen times on hard wood floors and it has held up though.

One other tip, don't buy expensive HDMI cables. Take a look here for cables-

Blue Jeans Cable -- Quality Cables at Reasonable Prices (http://www.bluejeanscable.com)