What is your Home Entertainment System setup?

[TVeblen]

I'm interested in how other people have set up their Home Entertainment systems - mainly focused on digital media and web-based content.

My system in embarrassingly ancient (by tech terms) and just spliced together over the years. I am thinking of re-doing the whole system over and want to know what tech is available that works.

The holy grail, of course, is to be able to access web based content, PC (digital - mp3, mp4, etc) content, Blue-ray/DVD content, legacy video content (VCR), plus Cable TV, Broadcast Radio, Audio CD's, Tape and Phonograph all in one place and controllable from one device (remote).

This is my setup:

• Main PC : digital "server" stores files. Connected through LAN (wired - 1Gbit).
• An old Pentium 4 PC with two TV tuner cards as a PVR. Connected through LAN.
• A D-Link DSM-520 Network Media Player - Connected through LAN & to TV.
• A Sony KV-34XBR910 TV connected to the Stereo Receiver.
• A Carver Stereo Receiver connected to a 6 port speaker switch. All legacy audio through the receiver.
• 5.1 speaker setup currently running in 2-channel mode.

It all work's but is clunky as hell. Time to join the 21st century!

How do you do it? Please identify your equipment!

 

[linnemeyerhere]

First off are you streaming Hi Res Audio, Red Book / Lossy or Mp3?

 

[TVeblen]

Mostly mp3

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Yikes !

 

[TVeblen]

So what's your setup?

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Oh it's mophing as well.
PC optical out to Cambridge DAC Magic into Lexicon processor preamp spilt to 5x200 adcom and 2x300 adcom to AR'9 bi-amp'd mains (300 each to 2x12" plus 200 to mids and tweets) then 200 x 3 for center and rears all Paradigms. No sub needed in this system via a NHT bass controller.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Not convinced yet that wireless can handle hi-res yet so I wait and bid my time as early adopters help bring the real products I want to use to market and help lower the prices. Till then I'll always be a Analog front end man for critical listening or at least direct optical lossless and with luck watch for continued hi-res download growth and blu-ray audio if it ever takes off.

 

[Zepher]

Mine is pretty simple and only consists of only a few components now.
Panasonic 42" 1080P Plasma
Panasonic Bluray Player
Pioneer 5.1 Receiver
JBL fronts, rears, sub, and a Polk Audio Center.
5x1 HDMI Switcher
Intel E6750 Core2Duo based HTPC inside a Silverstone Sugo SG02 case, 2x500GB drives, Lite-On BD Rom drive, 4GB Ram, Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit.
Xbox 360 Elite with HD-DVD Drive

My main rig has 12TB of storage and it's shared on the home network.

 

[TVeblen]

I agree that wireless could not. It definitely can't handle streaming movies. I use a wired, Gigabit LAN.

That sounds like a nice sounding audio system. My needs are not so much in the audiophile realm (obviously), as most of my music collection came from the wild west peer-to-peer days (the original Napster, WinMX, etc) and I mostly want that stuff for my Sanza Fuze to bring to work!

It would be interesting to hear from anyone using a LAN connectable Home Audio/Video Receiver and LAN connectable TV to see what can be done with that setup.

 

[TVeblen]

Hey Zepher

So do you get video/music content from the PC to the other components through the XBox?

 

[pparks1]

50" Panasonic Plasma TV-720p
Harman Kardon 7.1 Home Theater receiver running 5.1
Polk Audio speakers and sub
PS3, 360 and Wii
HD Cable TV.

Not connected to any computers.

 

[profdlp]

My ""Home Entertainment System setup" is named Bridgette.

 

[Zepher]

Hey Zepher

So do you get video/music content from the PC to the other components through the XBox?

Ya, I can stream music and videos to the Xbox but I just use my HTPC to play videos and if I listen to music I'll just use my main rig.
Xbox is mainly used for games and playing my HD-DVD's, and occasionally for Netflix.

 

[TVeblen]

My ""Home Entertainment System setup" is named Bridgette.

Do you have a schematic of that system Prof?

 

[linnemeyerhere]

I only hope Bridgette comes with a remote control for volume, source selection, repeat, fast forward, rewind, stop with the mandatory mute button. Oh and please keep fresh batteries in both devices !

 

[profdlp]

My ""Home Entertainment System setup" is named Bridgette.

Do you have a schematic of that system Prof?

I only hope Bridgette comes with a remote control for volume, source selection, repeat, fast forward, rewind, stop with the mandatory mute button. Oh and please keep fresh batteries in both devices !

All of the above!

Doesn't everyone name their rig?

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Well it's better than naming it Hal ! lol

 

[TVeblen]

Yep, I do!

 

[mjf]

The following relatively cheap Western Digital units are worth a look
WD TV Live
WD TV Live Plus

I have the first connected to a Sony Bravia and Onkyo SR608 AV receiver.
Both have Lan and direct HDD connectivity. The Plus also supports direct Internet streaming.

 

[TVeblen]

Thanks mjf!
That system looks like it does exactly what my D-Link DSM-520 does, but maybe the software is newer and not as clunky. I will definitely check it out!