Dumbest Home Theater Setup Thread

[Totoro]

I thought it might be interesting to post the dumbest home theater setups we have seen. I'll start.

After explaining in detail about how to setup an HT room for a friend, he decided to do exactly the opposite. He spent about 5 grand on a system that included a Bose acoustimax, 50" Sony LCD, Yamaha 7.1 receiver, HD-DVD unit. When I saw it, I just shook my head. This is the setup the Best Buy installers did (I could have guessed)

Notice the front right and center channel are both to the right of the room in the corner high above the 50" Flat Screen. The speakers were in fact 2" from the ceiling everywhere. The left front sound came from the sides because the sofa is positioned against the back wall on the left. The Subwoofer was not even plugged in. The DVR was set to downcovert so that HD-Channels were shrunk down to miniature size while the standard channels were enlarged with no upconversion. It was simply bizarre. I have never seen such a stupid setup. The Best Buy installers have no idea about room acoustics or setup. Why would you put a front channel on the side and the side channel to the rear? And the right rear channel was in front of me on the right! What is frustrating is that he saw my setup before he did his and I explained everything in detail about speaker placement, room acoustics, etc. Everything was done EXACTLY the opposite of what I suggested. I wish I had pictures. It would blow your mind.

For the diagram below, the TV is yellow, the speakers are blue, and the doors are green.

 

[darien87]

Wow. Bet that sounds awesome!!!

Sorry, but I can't top that.

 

[Seth=L]

OMG!!! I want that system so bad. I am going to Best Buy tomorrow to get mine done, I hope it is just as awesome as the one in the opening post.

 

[Totoro]

Here is an updated schematic. I added furniture placement and moved the doors slightly to be more accurate. Also, the door on the right is a sliding glass door, so the room can get plenty of sunshine.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Here is an updated schematic. I added furniture placement and moved the doors slightly to be more accurate. Also, the door on the right is a sliding glass door, so the room can get plenty of sunshine.

I bet you heard the old adage: You can lead a horse to water but ...

 

[Rob Babcock]

Mtry would never place his boomboxes speakers like that!

 

[avaserfi]

Wow...kind of reminds me about the time I was at best buy and heard a sales associate tell someone that the 30 dollar dvd player they were getting would play HD DVDs and that bluray was crap because everyone already had regular DVD players...

By the way, I wish I could be so creative with my sound system set up. Maybe Ill put the center right above my head so I get extra cool sound .

 

[Seth=L]

The associate may have been refering to the dual-format discs, I doubt he thought that the HD-DVD side would play on a standard DVD player. He does sound a bit like a deceitful moron to me though.

 

[avaserfi]

He didn't say anything when the family walked out with some progressive scan 30 dollar dvd player and a HD DVD movie even when I told them they wouldn't be able to run it. I tried to say that you need a special player but the guy buying the DVD player got mad at me because I was not well informed. I just wish I could have been there to see his reaction when the DVD player gave him a disc error.

 

[Seth=L]

He didn't say anything when the family walked out with some progressive scan 30 dollar dvd player and a HD DVD movie even when I told them they wouldn't be able to run it. I tried to say that you need a special player but the guy buying the DVD player got mad at me because I was not well informed. I just wish I could have been there to see his reaction when the DVD player gave him a disc error.

Ha, that would be funny.

Are you certain it wasn't one of those combo discs? If it is, he will only have that reaction with one side of the disc.

 

[darien87]

Not to defend the Best Buy morons, but the guy does have a pretty jacked up room arrangement with doors in the middle of every wall.

It's funny, every time I go to someone's house, especially new ones, I'm always thinking to myself, "How would I set up a home theater in here." Builders always seem to do things that are great for looks or architecture, but totally suck for trying to put a home theater together. Why the hell do all new homes seem to have those stupid little "media cubbies" or those stupid holes above the fireplace that you're supposed to put your TV in? There's just NO way that you can fit a decent sized TV or speaker system in those things.

 

[j_garcia]

Most builders are not thinking home theater when they design the typical, non dedicated HT room.

I think the same thing "Which room in this house would be the best for the theater..." and then, where would I put all the gear

People like built ins, and I try to tell them, bad idea unless it is done by someone who understands sound (if good sound is what you are after).

 

[Totoro]

but the guy buying the DVD player got mad at me because I was not well informed.

I've had that happen a few times. For some reason, people (especially relatives) always think the guys at the store know more, even (for example) if you happen to be an electronics engineer who designs audio equipment. I have had relatives lose tens of thousands of dollars in such situations. Of course, when you say "I told you so" they just get madder. Then they go ahead and make the same stupid mistakes again.

 

[Totoro]

Not to defend the Best Buy morons, but the guy does have a pretty jacked up room arrangement with doors in the middle of every wall.

You are right, but the setup problems had nothing to do with the room layout. Also, I would get rid of the center channel and put both front channels next to the TV. I would change the left front to the left rear and make the left rear into the 6th channel rear. I would move the right rear a little bit and place the sofas more toward the center of the room. I would also take the front speakers off the ceiling and put them at ear height and lower the side and rear channels by about 2 feet. It's still not perfect but at least you won't get the front sound coming out the side.

See the diagram for my suggested fix. Maybe he could also have a front center channel, but with the speakers so close to the TV because of the doors, a phantom center would probably work just as well.

 

[darien87]

See the diagram for my suggested fix. Maybe he could also have a front center channel, but with the speakers so close to the TV because of the doors, a phantom center would probably work just as well.

Looks like that would be MUCH better. Any chance you can talk the guy into taking your advice? You could nonchalantly e-mail him the link to this thread and tell him, "See? I'm not the only one that thinks you blew it."

By the way, I guess you're into Miyazaki. I actually haven't seen Totoro, but I remember people talking about it when I was in college. That, and Kiki's Delivery Service. My favorite Miyazaki film is still Laputa.

 

[j_garcia]

My former room setup was a corner setup very similar to that, with the right speaker sticking out into the sliding glass door. It wasn't a problem really because that side did not open. A corner setup can work really well and does have the benefit of first reflections being quite far out.

I have My Neighbor Totoro, it is an excellent film. Big Miyazaki fan, can't wait for the new one GedoSenki (Tales of EarthSea).

 

[jcPanny]

Denon Contest

Totoro,
Take a video of that guys HT and enter the denon contest to win new equipment. Here is another idea, have your friend turn on the TV speakers and see if they sound better than the Bose.

 

[Totoro]

Totoro,
Take a video of that guys HT and enter the denon contest to win new equipment. Here is another idea, have your friend turn on the TV speakers and see if they sound better than the Bose.

Actually, before I hooked up the subwoofer, I would not have been surprised if the TV speakers did sound better. $10 radio shack speakers sound better. No joking.

 

[highfihoney]

I cant top your buddy's hammered system but a coworker of mine was stupid enough to buy a pair of white van specials,too bad he only looked inside of one box.

When he got home & opened the box'es he got one black speaker & one fake walnut speaker,every time i go to his house & see "the system" i piont at it & say AH HA!

 

[no. 5]

I've had that happen a few times. For some reason, people (especially relatives) always think the guys at the store know more, even (for example) if you happen to be an electronics engineer who designs audio equipment. I have had relatives lose tens of thousands of dollars in such situations. Of course, when you say "I told you so" they just get madder. Then they go ahead and make the same stupid mistakes again.

Then you have to dump every bit of knowledge you have on them to prove you know what you’re talking about:

“that won’t play HD DVDs”

“impossible! the salesmen sad that it would! He knows all about it, how else could he be a salesmen!”

“well, you see, HD DVDs are read with a 405 nanometer laser, DVDs use a 650 nm laser, so the discs require a special player, and HD DVD players are required to have a DD+ decoder - something the player you are holding does not have. And it would be labeled ‘HD DVD player’”