[kb100]

Originally Posted by Fillmore

Hi V12,

Awesome photography.
Except for 2 things that you did not detail upon.

1. More detailed pictures of the natural rock formation, of the rocks at St Marys island. This is one of the few places in the world where you can find perfect rectangular shaped long rocks. Some of them in fact look like coffins stacked over each other .

2. A few pics of the Killer buses that ply between Udupi and Mangalore. For those who have not gone in these buses, you should sit in the front next to the driver, And you will observe that these bus drives do the same level of cutting as our Bangalore auto drivers do. But the difference is that they do it at speeds of 60kmph.

Hey Fillmore

What on earth are you talking about??

This here is a Home Theatre thread - though most things in home theatres are generally rectangular in shape too!

[madbullram]

Shaj: What happened? did you see the demos?

@all sorry for the double posting, just got up from bed and posting

[madbullram]

Shaj: What happened? Did you see the demos?

Venkat: I was in your same position 2 yrs back. I decided to go for a DVD HT unit and then later buy a full blown HT. I was almost sold with SOny till I heard the Philips HT unit in UK. Came back to India bought it the same day it was launched here. Trust me its awesome. Yes, it wont produce 100% as the component HTs but its alsmot 95% there and I dont miss much compared to my Yamaha + Polk setup I had in the US of A. And they look so sleek that your plasma would be a perfect twin!!!

[kb100]

There is also a higher model - the Philips HTS9810/59 - this comes with full 1080p upscaling and wireless rear surrounds!

Looks better on paper!

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

In the process of planning for a HT system.

Can somebody please list the features one should look for in a HT system?

What are the advantages / disadvantages of converting the PC into a HT system (with a separate video output to the TV) rather than going in for a dedicated HT system? (all I would need right now is a separate 5.1 sound card and a video card with output to the TV - that means around 6K max for the two cards, and a good set of speakers - what should be the budget?). I am considering the PC option because not all HT systems play back all file formats. (like ogg, and then there is the geographic limitations, which can be overcome on the PC)

What connectors should the TV have? I am seeing HDMI thingie on most systems featured on the web - but my TV does not have one and is due for replacement anyway, but a HT and new TV would be at least 12 months apart. (cash flow constraints).

What kind of wiring connectors for the speakers (remember the thread by somebody here about not being able to connect speakers to the DVD player)?

Would the wires coming with the HT system suffice, or should I go in for separate wiring kit?

And finally, if I consider to change the TV, are TVs without built in audio available? Because if I have a HT system with its own speakers, and go in for a set top box with video out to the TV's AV in, and audio directed into the HT system, having a build in speaker for the TV would be a waste of money. Or am I wrong here?

And I am in no hurry, can waith till April, when the FinMin@home will relax the purse strings and the FinMin@New Delhi will hopefully cut the taxes.

[shajufx]

Originally Posted by madbullram

Guys if you are looking for a compact home theatre DVD HT system, pls try the Philips HTS 4750. After experimenting with many I bought this 2 yrs back.

Hi Ram, that was a hell lot of tip to me and an eye opener. If you didnt post it here, I would have never ever taken a demo for a philips product. May be you can call it prejudice, mindset or anything ! I owe you a drink anytime we meet. Now HTS 4750 is an outdated model and available nowhere. Latest we have HTS 9810, HTS 3568 and HTS 3569.

Originally Posted by VSG12777

But yes - please do take the demos of Denon 1509 / ProFX Fusion 5 package, Onkyo 304E / 4700 speaker system and the Philips. The Denon package would be around 38k, Onkyo as you said would be 29k and the Philips would be around 24-25k. The Denon and Onkyo are component home theatre systems while the Philips is not. So there would be a big difference in sound quality. Check them out and you would know what I mean.

Yes, my first visit was to Profx today as posted in the morning. I took a demo on the Denon 1509 with the Profx Fusion speakers. 1509 is only an AV receiver, can not exist without a seperate DVD player unit. So, the total cost with a denon DVD player (12k) will cross 50k. That is almost double my budget, I was not bothered about stretching it upto 50k if I really liked the quality, set up and the overall performance.

Very frankly speaking, I did not like the 5.1 DTS movie that was played for me. My present 6 year old Sony felt better in my mind. Then I asked him to play Santana's few numbers from their collections. I loved the guitar and vocals, but I am not throwing 50k for listening to Santana all day ! After being in Profx for almost an hour, cross checking different models, towers, speakers, units etc. in display I left for Onkyo.

Originally Posted by VSG12777

For HDMI - The Denon AVR 1509 has HDMI switching but no video processing / upscaling. I think it has 2 HDMI inputs and 1 output.
Venkat

True, Denon 1509 has no upscaling, signals just pass through. So, it doesnt look like a perfect pair for a 42" Plasma for that price.

Originally Posted by madbullram

Shaj: What happened? Did you see the demos ?

Yes, I am describing that right here ! So, my Onkyo demo went without any great impressions. I still could not find anything better than my 6 year old Sony. I hardly spent 10 mts taking demo on Onkyo, with few customers checking LCDs around, could not get a closer feel of the Onkyo. I could notice some distortion when volumes were raised a bit.

Now it started raining heavy, I had to finish my target of the day by any means, that is a proper demo on Denon, Onkyo and Philips ! Sadly Philips has only one full swing showroom in the whole of Bangalore, that is at Jayanagar 5th Block. There was a second one at Rajajinagar which got closed last year. So, I had no choice but to make it all the way to Jayanagar. I stay close to Hebbal, which is the North outer ring road and Jayanagar 5th Block comes very close to the South outer ring road.

Originally Posted by kb100

There is also a higher model - the Philips HTS9810/59 - this comes with full 1080p upscaling and wireless rear surrounds! Looks better on paper!

I spoke to someone in each showroom over the phone, before I made my schedule for the day. That was checking few features, prices, dimensions etc. So, when I reached each place, it was easy for me to get straight to the demo and complete it without any delay anywhere.

Now I am at Philips. I had spoken to Mr.Dilip over the phone (owner) and he was expecting me. Straight to the demo room. The only place in my today's schedule, I could find a proper Home theatre demo room with the correct spacing, lighting and other necessary set up.

We are checking the HTS 3569 now. Demo chap was very professionally speaking, explaining things like he is doing it to a totally newbie into Home theatres. First he played the DVD live show record of the Beetles, it was good. Then he kept the highway scene of the 'Final Destination'. I could not speak for few minutes ! I could feel I was in the middle of that highway ! I am getting a real effect which I could not find it with Denon nor Onkyo ! Then we came to some MP3s of mixed variety, soft, hard, loud, soothing etc. I was already blown out in the beginning itself. I did not want to think about the brand, place, price or anything. It was Philips all the way ! All this comes for 22k cheers:

The higher model 9810 was out of my mind since I have heard enough of complaints about the wireless rear speakers of most brands, so that was totally a NO NO to me.

My demo stuff lasted almost 30 minutes, I came out of the demo area with a smiling face. Sat with Dilip, swiped my card, took an MX-2782 HDMI cable for 400 bucks, gave the address and made sure they deliver it by 24th Monday, 12pm. If I insisted he could have delivered it to my place by night itself by a citycab or something, since his delivery guy is off on sundays. I didnt want that, so waiting for the 50 kg huge box to arrive my place in another 14 hours !

Overall impression and conclusion:
Philips HTS 3569 has everything what a normal home user wants. All the features are available on the net, so I am not repeating it here. I liked the compact main unit which looks sleek and stylish with clear display. All 4 speaker towers are wooden and looks stylish too. Centre speaker is large like professional speakers. The sound effect, clarity and the overall impression depends a lot on the wooden material and finish of this product as I understand. I will give a detailed impression after I set it up at home.

[kb100]

Congratulations Shaju! You will NOT regret it! Philips HT is clearly much better than anything in that price range (or even double that).

[flipsyde]

I have a good offer for the Onkyo TX-SR304E with Pure Acoustics Dream Nano Series Speakers. I have been quoted Rs.28,000/- for the same probably negotiable by another 1k or 2k.

I have also seen the Onkyo TX-SR304E with the Onkyo 4700 series Floor standing 5.1 speaker system for Rs.35,000/- from E-Zone.

I currently am planning to hook it up to my Panasonic LX80 32" LCD in the bedroom which is around 200 sq.ft. but later will shift the same to a 450 sq.ft. dedicated home theater room along with a Panasonic PV8 42" Plasma.

Now I have heard both and they sound really good. I have come across the Pure Acoustics brand for the first time and they sound fabulous! I am happy with them but I am not sure if they would fill a 450 sq.ft. room at a later stage (3-4 months from now). Which one is a good proposition? I am ready to stretch upto 35k for the home theater system not more.

Are there any other brands/models I should be considering? I am not in a big hurry to make my purchase but I would prefer it to be done by the 1st week of December.

[VSG12777]

Congrats Shajufx !! Glad to know you found something that you were 100% satisfied with for just 22k. Fantastic. As for the higher end brands, well maybe they didn't play the right kind of material for you to listen or maybe the setup was not proper. Oherwise more or less I am sure you would have decided and swiped your card at the ProFX showroom itself.

Anyway individual tastes always differ. Great that you got a very nice Philips system for just 22k. System looks nice in the picture too. I shall check out the system on the Philips website. Philips is generally good value for money and it's been proven in this case. Once again congrats and please do post back with a more detailed review once you set it up at home together with your plasma with nice pics of everything set up together. Can't wait to see those pics.

Warm regards,
Venkat

[madbullram]

@ Shaj: Congrats mate. I have a wide grin now . I am glad you liked it mate. Trust me when I say I have a philips HT my friends see me like a ignorant dude because they boost a Denon, Yamaha, Onkyo, Polk setup costing 1 lakh and here is poor me who shelled out 25K for the entire setup. But when they watch Matrix or LOTR and they turn behind when the dragons move in from behind, I know they are sold. I am sure they had a drink after it.

I am not Pro, but I go with my ears. With so many Demos what I realised is, what matters the most is how good is the centre speaker and Sub. This is where Philips scores, at 125 X2 it just blows you away. The active speaker is not just about power but how clean and tight the base is. I see the model you picked is passive one, but I hope it will be closer as Philips is damn good. These are CBU units not manufactured in India and they are so clean.

The website still shows the model, sad you couldnt buy that. It very sleek. But what matters is you like it. and MORE IMP YOUR EARS LIKED IT.

I keep telling my friends not be closed about brands but they dont accept. They feel only a proper component HT is good. Until and unless you have that kind of room and environment, the diff btw a DVD cum HT like Philips and COmponent ones upto range of 60K of any brand Onkyo, Denon etc are almost same. The difference is negligible (only Philips not the sony crap).

These are my views from my ear and I am glad it helped you. Give us a report after watching few films mate!!!

ENJOY

[madbullram]

Originally Posted by VSG12777

As for the higher end brands, well maybe they didn't play the right kind of material for you to listen or maybe the setup was not proper. Oherwise more or less I am sure you would have decided and swiped your card at the ProFX showroom itself.

Anyway individual tastes always differ. Great that you got a very nice Philips system for just 22k. System looks nice in the picture too. I shall check out the system on the Philips website. Philips is generally good value for money and it's been proven in this case.

Warm regards,
Venkat

Venky,
I am not a Philips guy, but I give their HTs 5 star rating. Trust me, walk to Philips Arena in mount road and take a Demo. Then put your opinions on Denon/Onkyo vs Philips. Trust me not much to choose between the lower models of Denon and Onkyo and Philips, Infact in the lower end I would place Philips better than Denon or Onkyo. The diff starts at the higher ends.

Having said that I have had Yamaha and Polk setup in US in my home theatre and thats a complete different experience. But that would cost me 2 lakh + in India

Cheers!

[VSG12777]

Flipsyde

Like I have mentioned before, since you are in Chennai please go to the ProFX showroom and get a demo on the Denon AVR 1509 / ProFX Fusion 5 tower speaker system. They sound superb too. The package costs 38k now at ProFX and is a very good deal. You can compare this to the Onkyo 304E / 4700 tower speaker system, though the Onkyo 4700 tower speakers ar thinner (width wise) and shorter (height wise) compared to the ProFX Fusion 5 tower speakers.

Since your budget is 35k, if you can stretch it to 38k you can pick up the Denon 1509 / Fusion 5 system if you are happy with it. Send me a PM and I will give you the contact details of a guy at ProFX who gave me a demo 2-3 weeks back. I had a very quick demo though but was quite impressed with the detailing in the sound from those Fusion 5 speakers (ProFX own brand, assembled by ProFX but actual speakers made by Pure Acoustics as per ProFX design specs).

The Onkyo 304E / 4700 speaker package is also a good deal. See which one satisfies you more.

You can find the PDFs for the Denon AVR 1509 and the Fusion 5 speaker system attached by me earlier in this thread. Or you can get them from Profx - Advanced Audio Solutions.

Alternatively you can also check out the model that Shajufx has just purchased - Philips HT 3569 which he says for 22k is fantastic.

Best of luck and post back with more info !!

Warm regards,
Venkat

[VSG12777]

Yes Ram I definitely agree with you. I shall soon go and take a demo at Philips Arena as you said. The only thing about that place is that it is located at an odd place. Parking is a pain in that street.

Well if you have had such an expensive setup in the USA and have now given a 5 star rating to this Philips system, that definitely means the Philips is really good. I shall definitely check it out, especially the model that Shajufx has now purchased.

What you have said about the difference showing up in the higher end ranges of Onkyo / Denon etc. is also a point I have noted. But most A/V forums and magazines recommend a separate receiver and speaker system even in the lower price ranges for better sound. My point is, then why are HTiBs still so popular and why are they getting better each year with different models and features ?

I myself use a 2003 model Sony HTiB model HT-DDW840 which is a 5.1 system, 600W RMS total, 100W RMS for each satellite speaker and subwoofer. It has a powered active subwoofer and the receiver has a built in AM/FM tuner - Dolby and DTS decoding. The sound is pretty good till now and our hall here in this house is quite huge almost 400 sq ft.

Warm regards,
Venkat

[madbullram]

Originally Posted by VSG12777

What you have said about the difference showing up in the higher end ranges of Onkyo / Denon etc. is also a point I have noted. But most A/V forums and magazines recommend a separate receiver and speaker system even in the lower price ranges for better sound. My point is, then why are HTiBs still so popular and why are they getting better each year with different models and features ?

Warm regards,
Venkat

I dont have a clear opinion, but here are my views (I have many pros that throws this though):
1. Samsung, LG, Sony etc I heard was not upto mark but Philips was something very neat. So in general, they all say it sucks compared to a component which is true. If I hadnt auditioned Philips at my friends place in UK i would have also gone ahead and bought a entry level component HT

2. With technology changing, DVD HTs have problem. Now I need a blue-ray, I have to buy a PS3 or a blue ray player and connect to my Philips system. It has limited expansion slot and input slots compared to a Denon or Onkyo, This is one such restriction.

3. With brands changing models, service could become a problem in future and more so for DVD players unit.

4. I feel reviewrs are biased

These are my what i call as ear-views not based on any professional reviews!

[shajufx]

Originally Posted by VSG12777

Congrats Shajufx !! Glad to know you found something that you were 100% satisfied with for just 22k. Fantastic. As for the higher end brands, well maybe they didn't play the right kind of material for you to listen or maybe the setup was not proper. Oherwise more or less I am sure you would have decided and swiped your card at the ProFX showroom itself.

Once again congrats and please do post back with a more detailed review once you set it up at home together with your plasma with nice pics of everything set up together. Can't wait to see those pics.

Yes, what you said is true. Denon, Profx set up was not proper. Also I didnt want to buy a DVD player and a AV receiver seperately. So, everything put together you get a basic Denon for around 50k, which is not worth the money while comparing to Philips model I bought for 22k (less than half !).

I will post the pictures once the work is complete. Now my Plasma and the HT are back to its Boxes. Electrician will chip the wall, make some extra plug points and complete his job by tomorow, then the carpenter will come and fix the half cabinet. Painter will complete the remaining stuff by wednesday. I didnt call the Panasonic installer guy till now. May be I will call him after the paint is dry, probably Thursday.

Originally Posted by madbullram

@ Shaj: Congrats mate. I have a wide grin now . I am glad you liked it mate. Trust me when I say I have a philips HT my friends see me like a ignorant dude because they boost a Denon, Yamaha, Onkyo, Polk setup costing 1 lakh and here is poor me who shelled out 25K for the entire setup. But when they watch Matrix or LOTR and they turn behind when the dragons move in from behind, I know they are sold. I am sure they had a drink after it.

These are my views from my ear and I am glad it helped you. Give us a report after watching few films mate!!! ENJOY

As I said in one of the earlier posts, I would have never gone to a Philips demo if you didnt post that time. First impression at the demo was great. All the time I was joyfully thinking "Oh this thing is coming to me for just 22k". Denon demo I didnt like the Movie effects, though I liked the music audio, Philips I liked everything that was demonstrated.

I checked few Music audios and 2 movies just to make sure the package contains working piece . The DTS print of 'Johny English' brought from Muscat showed 'wrong region', it didnt play too ! Then I checked 'The Lion King' bought from Singapore. It worked well, I could see the quality difference on the HDMI cable from my past 6 years of S-Video usage for DVDs.

Now a very practical question to friends here. I need to chip the wall from the cabinet to the centre of the Plasma for all the cables to be concealed behind the plaster & paint. My carpenter suggested 3 pipes put together of 1 inch size each. But I wanted to be more practical than being sorry after all the work is done. Just tried the HDMI cable through a 1 inch pipe, it could not pass. Even a component cable with the 3 heads will not pass through. Could someone guide me on this ? Electrician will come in the morning and finish the work by lunchtime. Suggestions please !