A home theater set up is what I am trying to do. I think I will get either the epson 1080p or the new Panny 2000 1080p. I'm trying to determine if the new panny is as good or almost as good in terms of brightness as I plan to watch a fair amount of sports in there.
Not sure without looking but this site may have reviewed at least one of those projectors. On screen footLambert is what you are after in comparisons between projectors, and, after a proper calibration, not out of the box settings. Proper calibration does, most of the time, decreases that value.
A theater standard is 16fL. Light bulbs dim over time and some bulbs can get expensive.
I think I may go with the stewart screen or something in the neihborhood. My thought here is I should spend the big money on a screen and not a projector at this time as technology will keep improving on the projectors I am not so sure it will improve as much in screens.
Well, don't overspend on screens just for the hell of it
I would suggest a 1.4 gain screen as a starting place. While projectors will get better over time, it also takes time to get there and be affordable.
My biggest problem is the audio equipment. I have totally no F*&g clue what I am doing here. Some brave souls have suggested a several brands and everyone has counseled me to go listen to them but to be honest, I don't even know where to go to listen to anything. One nice fella on this site found a place in Boston and so I guess I'll start there but my fear is that I won't be able to tell the difference between A, B or C when I get there. Are they all really that different that you can clearly notice sound differences?
Finally, I would like to get some acoustical panels but that too is a bit trickey as some of the sites I've seen seem laden with the "snake oil" referenced earlier.....
Not sure if I read your room facts, how large and what you have now that you may want to continue using, or just build it from scratch. Room size can also have a weight on using 5.1 or 7.1 setup. It also has an impact on sub-woofer capability.
Speakers and room acoustics is where the audio is at. When you do go and listen at some audio stores, remember that your room will sound somewhat different from the various places you will visit. And, while you are out there, there will be differences between those rooms. Also, one thing to keep in mind is that comparing anything at different places will involve a time differential that will hinder memory retention of an evaluation event. You will rely on long term memory and most likely it will not be that good of a memory. As well, human bias enters the challenge in finding something that will meet your listening pleasure. A speaker's looks may interfere in your mind subconsciously, how that sounded compared to another. Don't want to discourage you but inform you about these issues.
Once your speakers are selected, appropriate receiver/amp power can be established. Some speakers are harder to drive and are less sensitive than others, hence, it needs a different, more capable component.
Hi-def DVD player for movies?
