Help in putting together a home theatre setup

[tagaravabha]

Hi everyone, Ive fallen behind in my tech-savviness over the years, and was hoping some of you could help me put together a new home theatre system. I've done enough research to buy some components, but there's still a lot I dont know. Here's what I've purchased so far:

1. Samsung 55" LED 3D TV
2. Antennas Direct DB4e HDTV antenna
3. Denon AVR-1713 receiver
4. Polk Audio TL3 centre and front L/R speakers and SC60 rear in-ceiling speakers
5. Polk Audio DSWPro440wi 8" subwoofer
5. Room pre-wired for 5.1 surround sound
6. Home pre-wired with Nuvo 4-zone, 4-source multi-room audio system
7. TV outlets around the house with HDMI and coaxial connections

Here are my "wants":

1. I want to be able to distribute OTA HDTV to all the TVs in my house, and want as many channels as possible. What pre-amplifiers and/or amplified distributors should I look into, and where should they be placed?
2. I want to be able to stream audio and video from the internet, and occasionally use my old Wii system. Do I need an HTPC? Is there a good media extender/box out there that I should look into? Will I need both? How do I connect them? Are there any features I should look for, that will enable me to use my 5.1 setup and 3D capability? There's a thread on a sale on the XIOS box - will that satisfy my requirements?
3. I want to be able to tune in satellite radio. Do I need to buy an antenna separately for this? How does it connect to the receiver? How should I compare the various satellite radio providers?
4. Logitech Harmony remote: there are so many varieties of this item, that I dont know which one is most appropriate for the setup I'm trying to create.
5. Wiring/cables: what kind and how much of each kind of cable should I purchase if I want to attempt the futile and wire this stuff myself?
6. Lastly, I want to make use of as many sales as possible to minimize the cost, and it appears that you guys are experts in where to find the most reliable retailers who sell at reasonable prices. Where should I buy these components, if I want to make all my purchases in the next couple of weeks?

Thanks so much to all of you!

[Mr Nobody]

1. Preferably the cable from your antenna goes to your basement. You attach it to your distro amp, then cables go from that to each room in your house. You need the pre-amp if the run from your antenna to the basement is very long (50+ ft?). Get a Channel Master amp.
2. Depends, what is the source? Netflix? A website?
3. Dunno anything about satellite radio.
4. Just get whichever Harmony that is in your budget, looks good, and supports the # of devices you have and plan to have in the future. Harmony One is a good place to start.
5. What kind of wiring/cabling? Speaker wire? RG6 cabling? I have a 1000ft roll of RG6 and a crimper, which is a lot cheaper than buying pre-terminated cables. I'm not an audiofile so I won't make any recommendations on speaker wires, but I have Cat5 braided wires that I have swapped out for some heavy speaker wires from Home Depot.
6. Scope out what equipment you want to buy, then keep an eye on the Hot Deals forum.

[tagaravabha]

Thanks very much for the reponse - some more questions!

1) The distribution amps I could find on the internet usually provide about 4dB of gain per output - this sounds like it will only help to pre-empt the cable losses to all my TVs...what if I also have a weak OTA signal at my antenna? In that case, wouldn't I also need a pre-amp?
2) I learned a bit more about this since I posted; I want to stream internet TV (free if possible, and preferably not just limited to Canadian content), music from networked hard drives, and possibly use the same GUI to watch my OTA HDTV. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Roku XS looks like the best bet for the first point (and the third, with the Live TV add-on), and Boxbee looks like the winner for the second point. I also heard that Roku XS can do streaming of local content with the Plex app - is it as good as Boxbee? If so, I'll go with the Roku XS. If I buy the US version of the Roku XS, will it work well in Canada? Or do I have to buy the Canadian version?
3) Regarding satellite radio, it appears my A/V receiver can stream the internet version of this.
4) I figure I need to control my TV, AVR, media extender, and Blu-ray player - there seems to be a Logitech Harmony remote that can replace 4 remotes, so would this be enough, or am I missing something obvious?
5) I need several ~4' HDMI cables (is there a reason for me to want 1.4 vs. 1.3?), and speaker wire too (are there quality differences? Would you go to places like meritline or dealextreme to get wiring? If so, which kinds?). Would appreciate the advice of any forum audiophiles on the last point! I also need some good coaxial cable to go from the wall plates to my TVs. My house is wired with what appear to be very high quality coaxial cables.
6) I'll keep checking the Hot Deals forum - thank you!

[ppl4golf]

1. I use Channel Master 7778 preamp and Channel Master 4314 distribution amp. My situation is extreme as I am feeding more than 10 devices and my location is a dud for OTA therefore I needed a preamp. No way to know unless you have some idea of you reception results. You have a good antenna and I hope you're putting it outdoor and you should get good results.

2. Get a WDTV Live if you don't want a full fledged PC.

3. You need to SUBSCRIBE. If you receiver is not SAT RADIO ready, don't even waste your time and money.

4. Mr. NB hit the nail right on the head. Get the cheapest one. Logitech really cheapens out these days. The newest cheap Harmonies only does 5 devices. 2 are gone to TV and Receiver.

5. You current gears do not command high grade speaker wires. However, while you're at it doing in-wall wires/cables, might as well buy something half decent. Banana plugs if you like the convenience. Do 2 CAT6 cables per jack but not HDMI. One more note, if possible, return the receiver and get something that is network ready. Return that Nuvo as well and put the cash toward a half decent receiver.

Sorry if these advice sounded too blunt:)

[george__]

Shouldn't this be in entertainment section?

[warpdrive]

Shouldn't this be in entertainment section?

nope.

Putting together a home theater system is a technical issue. Entertainment is what you do with it after you've put it together.

[Mr Nobody]

1) The distribution amps I could find on the internet usually provide about 4dB of gain per output - this sounds like it will only help to pre-empt the cable losses to all my TVs...what if I also have a weak OTA signal at my antenna? In that case, wouldn't I also need a pre-amp?
2) I learned a bit more about this since I posted; I want to stream internet TV (free if possible, and preferably not just limited to Canadian content), music from networked hard drives, and possibly use the same GUI to watch my OTA HDTV. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Roku XS looks like the best bet for the first point (and the third, with the Live TV add-on), and Boxbee looks like the winner for the second point. I also heard that Roku XS can do streaming of local content with the Plex app - is it as good as Boxbee? If so, I'll go with the Roku XS. If I buy the US version of the Roku XS, will it work well in Canada? Or do I have to buy the Canadian version?


1. I'm not a pro on this, but an amp is not a replacement for a weak signal. Say you put in a really strong amp, it will just add too much noise (signal to noise ratio will be too high). The pre-amp is there to compensate in the loss from the long cable run. The distro amp is to compensate for the loss in each split (-3.5db for a 2-way, 7.0 for a 4-way). If you have a weak signal, you need to make it stronger - higher elevation, stronger antenna, better position (avoiding obstacles), better aiming, etc.

2. Can't comment on Roku or Boxee, but what internet TV are you referring to? Or is this just a general question and you are unsure of the source either? For OTA, you just use the TV. No need for any boxes.

[ppl4golf]

I stumbled across using a preamp back in the days when I totally got pwned buying a CM4228 and got worse reception than a CM4221. I took back the CM4228 and exchanged it for a preamp. The funny thing is I would have never paid $90 to get a preamp otherwise.

It makes sense to think preamp amplifies both signal and noises and is not supposed to help...WRONG!

Voila! preamp is night and day better with distant reception (in my situation).

Adding preamp is one of the two things I'd consider when reception is poor to start with. The other thing to do is to stack an identical antenna. A distro amp is fine after you have established solid reception.

[PwrSurge]

7. TV outlets around the house with HDMI and coaxial connections


Just a quick note to make sure to have at least 2 coaxial connections at each room (3 recommended) as it will allow you to also have cable or satellite as you can't combine antenna and cable TV on the same coax. Although you can use diplexers to combine antenna and satellite, it is best to avoid it if possible in order to maximise signal strength. We often have to drill a hole in the wall from outside even with new homes because the builder only put a one coax outlet and it's almost impossible to fish a new line in once the basement is renovated.


Regards,

PwrSurge