Optimizing a system for a Home Theater/Game Room

well, i've been doing a lot of talk lately of doing upgrades on my system. and here's more talk. lol, don't worry, fan/gpu/etc. upgrades are still taking place with my own dough. recently, I've been doing a bit of moving. recently as well, I've been notified that the new home I'm gonna be living in is going to have a heck of a basement that would be really frikken awesome to install a home-theater there. so, I'd originally planned on moving my PS3 and 360 to a new home in there. however, I had a thought. I'd lost my entire setup in the move, not the rig though, that managed to be in for an RMA during the move, so that was safe. anyways, since I'd have to be getting a new setup anyways for it, I thought why not just go the whole shebang and stick it in the area for the home theater to power the theater portion, and make it a whole gaming hub as well. it'd be thrown in with the costs of the new furniture, so I wouldn't really be charged with paying for it all (ehh, yeah, I moved cities. blegh, that was gonna come out sometime or another. life's been rough lately, family issues, job issues, but at least I'm good now. I think. whatever.) Sooo, I need some help finding a new screen, speakers, sound card, bd-r reader, etc.

screen
- also...since this iwould be wired to a whole home theater setup, price ranges up to $1500 are now justified, since normal TVs are usually around that pricing as well.
- I'm seeing a lot of 120hz screens with IPS panels out there, are those for real? also, does the monitor specifically have to be rated for use with nVidia 3D Vision? just curious for possible future expandability.
- preferably, +40" screen size. it's not only for gaming, it's also for a PS3, XBOX, and hi-def cable TV.

sound
- I'm gonna be finding some sort of 5.1 or 7.1 surround setup to use with everything...
- i'm somewhat afraid of creative's drivers. what do you think of Auzen and Asus?

speakers
- surround is preferred.
- is there any way to setup surround speakers so they're multi-input? sorta don't get that. for coax, you just hook em up in series, right? but how would you do that with systems like a ps3/xbox which DON't have coax ports. find a receiver that takes two opticals?
- can't seem to find a 7.1 set, is that something that you'd often just have to get pairs of stereo speakers, a center speaker, and a sub to assemble and connect via rca?
- optical vs. coax vs. analog, what's your opinions on that...?
bd-r reader
- need a reader, not a writer, writers are too expensive for me, and I really don't need to burn to BD-R. not a lot of computers support it anyways.
- have my eye on this

keyboard
- I need something that's wireless and I can game on....preferably.

UPS
- you think I should UPS the entire system? or just the rig itself?
- for the system, I was thinking of an APC BX1500...so that'd leave me with 200w or so of headroom for other supplies, not including peak wattage usage.

graphics....it's time
- if the screen proves well, I'm gonna be running games at a freaky freaky 2560x1600 res or possibly higher.....only one monitor though!
- so, what kind of graphics you think I'll need to be upgrading to? I was originally considering to wait for ATI's 6-series to come out since it'd be a step over nvidia, but seeing as the 40nm process was put on hold, they can't get that far ahead, can they? do you think it'd be worth it to wait for to grab a double Xfire 6-series, or just nab a pair of 470s to overclock and SLI right now?

thanks guys!

oo, and one last thing. I already planned on getting a much needed laptop replacement as a secondary system once it comes out in the fall. since my main gaming beef would now be located in the basement, I'm planning on using it as my main desk computer in my room. to simplify my life, I'd decided before that I'd just dedicate a hard drive to all data, and swap it between systems to avoid possible forgotten data due to user error when i change systems. since I'm obviously gonna be swapping a lot more now, can you guys also hunt down any easy way of mounting and hot-swapping a 2.5" drive in a 5.25" slot? If you can't, i can convert the drive to a standard 3.5" form factor using an adapter from Icy-Dock. the only thing that worries me is that most adapters have a 40mm fan at the back as an exhaust, it can possibly conflict with my cooler setup, since it's a lot closer to the drive bay due to the rotated motherboard.


Edited by ablahblah - 14 Aug 2010 at 7:40pm

eh, my cousin has those speakers too actually. heh, he had some serious issues with Crysis on em, the dang 32-bit thing would only run stereo and it'd keep shifting output speakers, lol. would you know if the included cables on that is good enough to reach through a fairly large room? not really a small computer workstation, I mean BIG BIG living room area. probably bigger. lol. it's what basements are meant to do, ehehe. also, um, anything 7.1 channel? o_o

never listed parts i hunted down myself, though.
here's what I have myself so far.

screen
- nope, nada at the moment

sound
- Asus HDAV 1.3

speakers
-Onkyo HT-S7200 7.1 Channel
- (i read the reviews, i'd replace the cables on those with 16 gauge tipped with banana plugs)

keyboard
- nothing yet

ups
- APC BX1500G

graphics
- haven't decided yet, waiting on someone to chime in

hard drive hot-swap kit
- Icy Dock MB882SP-1S-2B Adapter
- 5.25" bay adapter not yet decided.

guys. what's the biggest frikken computer monitor u can find? srsly, it's so much easier to hunt computer monitors over TVs, TV's barely give you any specs. for monitors, i guess specs are really listed because people who review monitor specs really know what to look for, not like consumers looking for TVs, lol.


EDIT :: YEEEEESS!!!! I FOUND A SCREEN! TC-L42D2 by Panasonic, it's a CURRENT MODEL (gaSp) and it has a S-IPS panel AND 120hz refresh. WOO!

EDIT 2 :: Yippideedooda, there's a lot more where that came from. TY Bing!


Edited by ablahblah - 14 Aug 2010 at 9:04pm

eh, it's the biggest size I can FIND with a confirmed IPS panel. anyways, those tall frontal speakers in that Onkyo setup should complement and fill up that screen side nicely, I guess.

3D I still don't understand. It's not a necessity, but since I'm getting a new setup anyways, it'd be somewhat cool. 3D Vision IS a hardware thing though, isn't it? So pretty much, you would just need some sort of panel that refreshes quick enough for the calibrated shutter glasses to keep in line with it?


Edited by ablahblah - 14 Aug 2010 at 11:49pm

Well you're only partially right thou about 3D... The hardware part is correct, as you only need those glasses OR like another 3D type of glasses/emmiter from a different manufacturer. (Mitsubishi 3d TV & 3D Kit)&(Samsung 3D Glasses Kit)

But that HDTV needs to have an actual HDMI v1.4 (3D ready) INPUT or at least a DUAL LINK DVI INPUT... so that your Graphics Card or your PS3 [that btw will have 3D-BluRay Playback through future software upgrades as well as Games in 3D soon too!] to take that 120frames per second output to your HDTV 3D Ready INPUT port... you know what I'm saying bro??!

Remember back in the other thread I told you that the 3D Certified Computer Monitors that have an actual 3D ready Certifications would physically input and process all 120 frames per second using either HDMI 1.4 or DUAL Link DVI hence the Nvidia 3D vision Emblem thingy.

 But that HDTV's "Tech Jargon" like that LG you showed me that has "TruMotion 120hz" is BS cause it simply means that it emulates the NORMAL 60Hz incoming signal from Single link DVI or most likely HDMI v1.3b to reproduce a smoother motion or insert black frames or such to make it look smoother yet it's completely "non interactive" on the user end meaning that it does not allow you to input (120Hz)=(3D Ready) signals, so just make sure and double check most importantly... if it has HDMI v1.4(or if an HDTV is software upgradable to it) and also check if it has at least a DVI (DUAL LINK) Port.

No No No... Don't worry about Nvidia Embems/Ceritifations BUT make absolutely sure that it specifically says "3D READY 1080P 120Hz" HDTV!!!!!!! Then check for the HDMI 1.4 or DVI DUAL LINK... then go from there into TV PAnel Sizes that fit your basement... then (gasp) choose between Plasma/LCD/DLP etc...

I recommend a Plasma but if you game A LOT then most definitely go for an LCD and don't even bother with a DLP its an old tech and it sucks IMHO.


Oh and about LCD's degrading, you will most likely have a new HDTV by the time those lamps or cathode light thingies degrade inside it plus it can be replaceable, just like DS Rigs... by the time the temps would cook the CPU it would be ancient tech either way lol 


Sorry if my explanation is more confusing for you bro, but I tried to explain it as well as I could lol (i'm trilingual, so Don't be Hatin'...lol )

Ask other members on here as well for sure and good luck! Oh and make sure to visit actual stores to look at those TV's!

I was driving around to a bunch of my local Office Furniture stores and looking for some new furniture (New Desk, Leather chair, etc..) and then decided to go to Best Buy today to check out some new 3D Ready HDTV's from 50inch and up.

And here is the ones that I was told are "The Best in the Store" 3D/2D Ready Plasma Panels... BUT, in other words...  whatever those Best Buy kiddies tell ya... take that with a grain of salt and basically filter 'em out then go and check all the Credible Reviews from websites that you trust and read up on some actual customer reviews...
Well so far, this is a couple of ones that I liked myself thou, after reading up a bit on them:

1) "Samsung" 50" 3D Ready PLASMA -> PN50C7000 (~$1440) http://www.abesofmaine.com/item.do?item=SSPN50C7000&id=SSPN50C7000&l=NEXTAG (comes with ~$200 3D glasses)

2) "Panasonic Viera" 50" 3D Ready -> TC-P50VT25 (~$1940 @ Abes of Maine) or Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-TCP50VT25-TC-P50VT25-1080p-Plasma/dp/B003NA1AGM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1281910566&sr=8-1 (comes with ~$150 3D glasses as well)

Don't know about that resolution specs but it says for 24fps ??? So maybe it can't go that high if its at 60fps or 120fps? seems like its equivalent to DUAL LINK DVI actually? Maybe 2560x1440 at 120Hz? But then again maybe they are just stating that its compatible with 24fps Films on BluRay in higher then 1080P resolutions?

Don't even worry about Contrast Ratios which basically is a gimmicky trick to sell fancier named specs to unaware costumers. It actually completely falls apart (like dividing by zero in math terms lol) and means nothing,,, if lets say a LED HDTV can turn off its blackened pixels off at certain zones of the screen during dark scenes or even worth artaficially boost the whites and darken blacks to the point of loosing deepest shades then you won;t be able to measure Contrast ratios effectively which therefore translates to Infinite Contrast. And its called DCR by the way and I had my Pioneer Plasma calibrated with a professional A/V veteran and he said to always turn off DRC or it would crush the blacks and make any calibration settings worthless.

BTW if you can afford those TV's in such price range you should be happy with whatever you choose as its perfect for Gamers and BluRays in 2D or 3D.
They are all designed for low input lag and fast response time, to the point of not being able to perceive any delays at all.

Just remember when you look at one of them TV's in Best Buy it would be running that signal into the TV from a ~100 way Component Analog Splitter... so please bring your own USB Flash Stick and test it out of the Manager lets you or better yet... ask them to connect a PS3 console to it! And say I won't buy it unless you show me how it works with direct HDMI connection! :P

(sorry for the double post, the post before this was starting to give me the accursed black box of blindness. lol.)

Funniest, funniest thing happened to me today. I was at my (new) local Best Buy, and I managed to locate that sweet IPS panel Panasonic. actually, two series of Panasonic's have Panasonic confirmed IPS panels, so I was able to see around 4 generously sized ~40" IPS screens, compared to a bunch of TN panels around them. BIG BIG difference. I was excited, so I decided to ask a Best Buy employee whether they knew if other TV's had IPS panels. Here's where the fun begins:

1. First guy, like any regular TV salesman, stalks us up to when we stop, then he pounces - "Do you guys need any help? What kind of size range or what were you looking for specifically?" I explain that I'm looking for a TV with an IPS panel. He tries to comprehend what I'm saying. Sorta gets it, I tried to explain in layman's language of what I was doing, as if I was talking to a regular consumer buyer who knows nothing about LCD panels. Being a nice and understanding guy, he obviously feels that I'm way out of his knowledge department, nods, and goes off to fetch their "TV Expert".

2. Second woman watches her co-worker walk away, probably dunno what just happened, and thinks he just abandoned a paying customer. She walks up to me, asks what I'm looking for. Again, I try to explain. She gives me a really really weird look, and just walks away. LOL.

3. "TV Expert" man walks in with the first and second person. Second person still giving me that funny look. They leave eventually. Anyways, TV Expert man tries again to comprehend me. Still barely gets what I'm saying. Doesn't look like he knows the difference between a TN and IPS panel. So he's there, on the computer, I show him Panasonic's confirmation of an IPS panel (on Best Buy's site too, actually). He's still clueless. Next thing you know, he's there, GOOGLING "IPS Panel", "Panasonic IPS Panel", "Samsung IPS Panel", etc. online. ROFL. He goes through everything on his mind, first he thinks IPS relates to the bulb, then the panel itself, wait no, he was talking about active shutter, 3D tech? wtf? then he FINALLY gets that he has no clue what he's talking about, and doesn't quite get my question. Tries to make some sort of saying to save his dignity as the "TV Expert", and goes off. That was an interesting experience. LOL.


Edited by ablahblah - 17 Aug 2010 at 8:59pm

burn in? you mean what happens when you have a few pixels on a LCD displaying the same color for too long, and the color gets stuck on the panel? nah, I'm gonna be playing whatever I can at the maximum possible aspect ratio on it, pixels shouldn't really get stuck on one color for more than 30 min, and I'll also be turning it off when it's not in use.

...huh?

o hellz no, I just meant that I was reading an article by MaximumPC one day and that they said the HDMI 1.4 format should TECHNICALLY be able to support a 4kx2.5k res.

so what would you recommend, a double 470 with an overclock on both, or just go the whole dang way with double 480s?

i'll be buying within the next month or two. already scouted out ATI's 6XXX series, doesn't look too promising, so I'm returning home to nvidia. Resolution I'll estimate at 2560x1600, since HDTV's can never honestly give a true resolution spec. The last time I tried it I had a Sony Bravia rated at 1080p, max res of 1980x1200, and my laptop achieved a 2kx1k res on it. The screen would be 50+ with 1080p HD on it, don't know if that makes any difference in max res.

Silence would be pretty sweet, but I'd only allow a max of $400 on water cooling them. However, that would make for some sweet overclocking, right?

what waterblock would you recommend? also, for pump, res, and rad, what do you make of Swiftech's AIO rads? I'm trying to maximize savings, heh.


Edited by ablahblah - 19 Aug 2010 at 5:10pm

so what'd u recommend....o_o

just for GPUs. TV's I'm scouting out myself, lol.

double 470s? double 480s? liquid cooling part recommendations for a $400 max budget? vhat?


Edited by ablahblah - 19 Aug 2010 at 7:20pm

bah, ur right. lol. well, at least can you prep a list of parts? I might be able to squeeze another $50 into the budget, i guess.

you are talking about basically, parallel vs series. lol I have been trying to get DS to use parallel of GPU's for a long time now, but it has fallen on deaf ears lol.

ahh I see, that does look easier... so basically, as liquid enters in one side of the first card, it splits off because there are now two different directions to go by. and as the liquid from the second card returns, it only has one way to go because there's already some suction from the return tube, and the first card also has liquid exiting, right?

another thing, since this is a gpu loop only, again, I'm considering quick releases. out of curiosity though, if you had a loop without 'em, how would one go about sending a card in for repairs? draining, direct dismounting of cooler, ...? and how would you pull out a card while it's connected to another card via a SLI tube?


Edited by ablahblah - 21 Aug 2010 at 1:31pm

Thank you.  Cheers!  Elroy