Posts by ebonovic
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Actually I have a 2 1/2 yr little boy.
Both cabinet doors have locking tot-locks... Down on the fireplace edging their is grey padding.
Just out of the picture in the bottom right, is his big stuffed Bear chair, from Bear in the Big Blue House.
And... I spent about 15 minutes cleaning the fireplace edge off of all his toys before snapping the shots....
I can tell you two things though:
Having the TV 5ft off the ground where he can't touch it...
And having the locking Audio Cabinet so he can't touch it...
PRICELESS beyond belief..
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Actually, and the cables are hidden in the wall, as well as the power supply for the plasma (they are all tucked up behind the screen).
The cable you see there (primarily), is the 9ft HDMI->DVI cable that came with the HD-Tivo. I have a 15ft DVI in the PVC pipe that is running in the wall right now (see just to the right of the cabinet on the bottom). My converter didn't come in the shipment, but then again... I didn't ask for it until this Friday.
Once that arrives... That cable will be gone.
You can't see it well in the picture, but the speaker wires to the cabinet are soon to be wrapped, and the incomming signal cables (bottom left of the cabinet) are soon to be wrapped as well. My biggest problem... happened a year ago when having the house built.
I had the wall be hind the screen, double studded... Works great as I have 8 bolts into 4 different studs holding that TV up. However, the "wiring guy" if you call him that... (my builder wouldn't let me in to do it). Ran the PVC pipe too close to the fireplace on the bottom (it was supposed to be two more feet to the left)... But his biggest crime.
I have 5 incoming coax, 1 Phone, 1 Ethernet, 9 speakers (7 in the room, 2 outside), 2 sub woofs..... SPREAD ACCROSS 5 faceplates on two walls.
Moron. I even gave him a diagram how it would have fit into 1 4 gang box, with a 4 Open Decora plate from Leviton.... Fixing it is an eventual project, just not one I want to right now... And he put the Center speaker wire... Way too high.
At least the electricians didn't screw up... They gave me my double gang - 4 plug outlet right in the corner as asked.
Cripies... this reply got a little long
Sorry... not ranting... Just explaining what went on.
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Nice Setup
As for the initial setup..... After setting up the unit itself, the connection to the TV was two steps... Disconnect old DVI, connect HDMI->DVI cable.
That was it. I did not have to change any settings on the unit itself.
I have alwayse watched my SD Material via my SD Tivo, hooked in via S-Video. I usually leave it set on the TV to full mode. On same channels you see pixelation when you are right up against the screen, but at normal length it is very watchable.
Same with the HD Unit. When watching a non-OTA station, the SD material looks almost the same as material comming accross via the S-Video from the SD-Tivo. Maybe a little worse in some cases, as the DVI cable sends over more details and the display shows what it gets. But, I don't watch much SD via the HD-DTivo.
As for content via digital-OTA... The ratio's via HDTivo don't do anything to the picture. It stays at the ratio given by broadcaster. I still need to try the TV's ratio settings, (I haven't had the chance as 95% of what I have watched via HD-DTivo is HD-Letterbox programming).
I will try it soon for you.
IMHO: The Display Unit, Aurora Card, and HD-DTivo make a great family I am very very happy with all the hardware involved.
As for the initial setup..... After setting up the unit itself, the connection to the TV was two steps... Disconnect old DVI, connect HDMI->DVI cable.
That was it. I did not have to change any settings on the unit itself.
I have alwayse watched my SD Material via my SD Tivo, hooked in via S-Video. I usually leave it set on the TV to full mode. On same channels you see pixelation when you are right up against the screen, but at normal length it is very watchable.
Same with the HD Unit. When watching a non-OTA station, the SD material looks almost the same as material comming accross via the S-Video from the SD-Tivo. Maybe a little worse in some cases, as the DVI cable sends over more details and the display shows what it gets. But, I don't watch much SD via the HD-DTivo.
As for content via digital-OTA... The ratio's via HDTivo don't do anything to the picture. It stays at the ratio given by broadcaster. I still need to try the TV's ratio settings, (I haven't had the chance as 95% of what I have watched via HD-DTivo is HD-Letterbox programming).
I will try it soon for you.
IMHO: The Display Unit, Aurora Card, and HD-DTivo make a great family
I am very very happy with all the hardware involved.
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Actually,
It is not that hard.
The picture doesn't really show it well, but the TV is at about a 20ish degree slant downwards, it is not flush to the wall at the top.
(Massive bracket in the back, specifically designed for Plasma's with an designed adapter for specific model TV... Solid construction, plus the TV is only like 75lb though).
So when sitting only 10ft away, it is easy to look up at it, barely a noticable increase in bending the neck.
60% of my TV viewing is while lying on one of the sofa's, or in a overstuffed chair that is about 20ft away. But when we watch it from the kitchen, you don't notice it's hight. And from up in the loft, you have to look down at it. but all the other rooms, it is just normal viewing.
And when I have an XBOX night, we tend to pull in some extra chairs from the kitchen to about 10ft in front of the TV... None of the players have complained about stiff necks or anything like that.
It is not that hard.
The picture doesn't really show it well, but the TV is at about a 20ish degree slant downwards, it is not flush to the wall at the top.
(Massive bracket in the back, specifically designed for Plasma's with an designed adapter for specific model TV... Solid construction, plus the TV is only like 75lb though).
So when sitting only 10ft away, it is easy to look up at it, barely a noticable increase in bending the neck.
60% of my TV viewing is while lying on one of the sofa's, or in a overstuffed chair that is about 20ft away. But when we watch it from the kitchen, you don't notice it's hight. And from up in the loft, you have to look down at it. but all the other rooms, it is just normal viewing.
And when I have an XBOX night, we tend to pull in some extra chairs from the kitchen to about 10ft in front of the TV... None of the players have complained about stiff necks or anything like that.
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Originally posted by Dolfo
Nice, Earl. Now you need an all-in-one remote
had one (Pronto) sold-it (for a good penny too )I found that the TiVo-Peanut did just about everything I needed it to do for normal daily usage.
I will get another some day, but for now... remote shuffle.
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I still eat, but not much else... The power of plasticIt is not a problem at all. I would say that my case is probably different. My house is only 8 months old. So that wall was designed with the plasma in mind. Behind the screen it is double studded, and double insulated.
As for the fireplace, not a problem at all. The heat from the fireplace actually get's "thrown" out of the fireplace just enough.
I have put a temperature gauge on the mantel during the biggest of fires that I have setup, and the temperature doesn't get that high... Well below specs for the TV.
But, I admit... I don't set many fires. I have a 2.5yrd old that would be too curious. But in general, no... not a problem.
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Thank you for the comments...
What you can't see from the pictures is the AVS-UPS system that is tucked in behind the cabinet. It is for the two TiVo's and the VCR (to keep it cllock from general. All the other devices are plugged into appropriate quality powerstrips.
The plasma it-self is plugged into a Leviton surge outletSmartHome Link which will protect it from surges (above an beyond the whole house surge surpressor), but I will have to look into the line stabilizer you mentioned.
I am still not convinced on the $400 Monster Power strip, maybe in the future I will get the bug to get it, but for now. Everything is surge protected, and the Tivo's get a consistant power flow from the ups.
As for the stuff on top of the reciever. There is an adaquate gap above the reciever and the Audio Tape Deck. In 8 months the audio tape deck has yet to be turned on, it is there out of the rare chance it will be needed. The VCR is used more for it's clock features then anything else so it is usually off.
Behind the unit, the entire back of the case is open, so it does get a good amount of air flow, but 95% of the time when the unit it is on the door is open to make sure nothing over heats.
But... none the less, I am going to get some additional shelfs put in the unit (the company that made the cabinet no longer makes this model, thus I can't order the shelfs from them), so I have to do them myself.
Thank you for the comments and suggestions, it is very valuable information.
Oh, and the Harmony remote...
That is a Wife Factor thing... I had a pronto, and had it all programmed up (prior to the HD-Dtivo), but she just simply likes the Tivo Peanut better.
So in general, I pickup the Pio Remote, select it's input. Turn the amp on, select the video source and then camp out on the couch with either the DVD remote, or the peanut. Both of those can control the volume of the amp.
Eventually another programmable remote will be in my future.
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Congrats...Originally posted by tbh999
Well...
I have a good HDTV setup, but with a baby coming I can not afford an HDirecTivo at this time.
But I still couldn't help brag about my system.
P.S. I'm also more concerned about kid proofing what I already have at this juncture.
Short of knocking out the wall, sliding everything into the wall, and covering with a clear plexi-glass... You are going to have a tough time.
Best thing I could recommend is move the speakers up to either a wall mount, or on top of the TV. But basically no wires or the stands on the floor for junior to pull on.
Wall cabinet, make sure it is physically connected to the wall someone how, so it won't topple if it is pulled on.
But the easiest solution is a few kiddie gates, and laser beams...
Good luck, it is always a challange. but worth it.
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In my case, it is more of that I don't want to risk upgrading the HD-DTivo at this time. So I leave it's 35 hours for HD Material only, and all SD material is on the upgraded (105hr) SD-DTivo above it.
Plus have 4 tunners in the main room, helps a lot with conflicts.
(Like when WestWing and Angle where recording in HD at the same time) I was able to use the SD to watch the ballgame.
Plus I have a major problem recording the Wiggles and Bear in the big blue house on MY $1k toy...
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Honestly... Picture 25+ wires, thrown into the Washing Machine... Turn it on for about 15 minutes, and that is what the back of my AV tower looks like....tase2 said:
It is all nice an neat at the wall where it hooks to the plate, and the Video cables disappear into the wall, but the rest... It is as neat as bowl of pasta
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