AV upgrades
Dec. 15th, 2008 05:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cryowizardI'm using the upcoming cosmetic renovation of my place to get new furniture and, more importantly, new HD AV system.
I have purchased my venerable Sony STR-DA30ES receiver in April 1999 and up until just a few years ago it has been more than enough, with its Dolby Digital DSP and optical digital inputs. In almost 10 year of operation, I have been totally satisfied with the receiver. The DSP died in spring of 2007 (leaving just the video working with no sound), at which point I had a choice of either upgrading to a proper HD receiver (which would have necessitated buying a new HDTV, which would in turn have required a change in the AV storage) or just fixing the good old one. So I fixed it for $180 in a LI lab. It still works fine. Sony used to rule, really.
My old Sony 27" CRT TV has also been purchased around the same time. The damned thing doesn't even have an S-video input, ferchrissakes, so it has to go :)
Now that I am throwing out all of my old furniture including the AV storage rack, I'm treating myself to a new HDTV, HD receiver and a Blu-Ray player. I am allowed to change AV components once in a decade, am I? :)
After much research, seems like receiver choice will be Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH. It has three primary things I need in a modern receiver: great sound processor, upconversion of all video inputs to HDMI 1080p, and DLNA-compliant MP3/WMA/video playback from your LAN/internet. The choice is not final but it seems that for the price neither Sony, nor Denon, nor Yamaha provide the complete feature set I need. The only thing about this Pioneer people complain about is an apparently terrible on-screen menu for setup. I'll live.
TV research to follow...but could be Pioneer Kuro Elite series if the price is right...
I have purchased my venerable Sony STR-DA30ES receiver in April 1999 and up until just a few years ago it has been more than enough, with its Dolby Digital DSP and optical digital inputs. In almost 10 year of operation, I have been totally satisfied with the receiver. The DSP died in spring of 2007 (leaving just the video working with no sound), at which point I had a choice of either upgrading to a proper HD receiver (which would have necessitated buying a new HDTV, which would in turn have required a change in the AV storage) or just fixing the good old one. So I fixed it for $180 in a LI lab. It still works fine. Sony used to rule, really.
My old Sony 27" CRT TV has also been purchased around the same time. The damned thing doesn't even have an S-video input, ferchrissakes, so it has to go :)
Now that I am throwing out all of my old furniture including the AV storage rack, I'm treating myself to a new HDTV, HD receiver and a Blu-Ray player. I am allowed to change AV components once in a decade, am I? :)
After much research, seems like receiver choice will be Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH. It has three primary things I need in a modern receiver: great sound processor, upconversion of all video inputs to HDMI 1080p, and DLNA-compliant MP3/WMA/video playback from your LAN/internet. The choice is not final but it seems that for the price neither Sony, nor Denon, nor Yamaha provide the complete feature set I need. The only thing about this Pioneer people complain about is an apparently terrible on-screen menu for setup. I'll live.
TV research to follow...but could be Pioneer Kuro Elite series if the price is right...
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no subject
Date: 2008-12-16 01:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-16 01:38 am (UTC)And she died, by the way.
no subject
Date: 2008-12-16 01:40 am (UTC)another one bites the dust
Date: 2008-12-16 02:19 am (UTC)Re: another one bites the dust
Date: 2008-12-16 03:07 am (UTC)Come February, they won't even be broadcasting 4:3 any more.
LukeLena, come with us to the HD side, and together we shall rule this digital universe!no subject
Date: 2008-12-16 05:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-16 06:30 am (UTC)But I'll be damned if those speakers don't look funny...