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  1. #1
    DF VIP Member BertRoot's Avatar
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    Default Serious advice needed on a potential AV setup

    Right bear with me as I know fuck all about this lot.

    My mate is gonna buy the Samsung 52 inch LCD panel. He wants to mount it over the fire on the wall and have as few cables trunked or routed to it as possible. He has a media centre, an XBOX360, and soon to have Sky HD.

    Is there some device, i.e. an amp, that will take feeds off all these things and channel the HD signal to the panel using 1 - 3 HD leads? I realise that he will have to run a phono cable to the amp to get sound from the telly though this isn't essential as I assume I can get the sound feed from the Sky HD box.

    Anyone fill me in on some ideas? Lets say money no object but would ideally like to keep it as cheap as possible. He already has a 5.1 system but this will probably be sold in favour of whatever solution is settled on.


  2. #2
    DF VIP Member blacksheep's Avatar
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    Default Re: Serious advice needed on a potential AV setup

    you can buy hdmi switches, am unsure about amps (haven't looked in a while) although you always used to be able to input various video feeds and output one feed to the TV.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Serious advice needed on a potential AV setup

    Firstly I wouldnt recommend mounting it above a working fire Bert!
    "Where you are is what you eat. When I'm in London I'll have beans on toast for lunch. On holiday � what? Tapas? Go on then I'll have a bit. You eat whatevers in that area"
    Karl Pilkington

  4. #4
    DF VIP Member BertRoot's Avatar
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    Default Re: Serious advice needed on a potential AV setup

    Quote Originally Posted by Nibb View Post
    Firstly I wouldnt recommend mounting it above a working fire Bert!
    Don't worry the fire is not in use nor will it be. ;-)


  5. #5
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    Default Re: Serious advice needed on a potential AV setup

    Then if thats the case the chimney is an ideal place for hiding/ routing the cabling!
    "Where you are is what you eat. When I'm in London I'll have beans on toast for lunch. On holiday � what? Tapas? Go on then I'll have a bit. You eat whatevers in that area"
    Karl Pilkington

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Serious advice needed on a potential AV setup

    "Where you are is what you eat. When I'm in London I'll have beans on toast for lunch. On holiday � what? Tapas? Go on then I'll have a bit. You eat whatevers in that area"
    Karl Pilkington

  7. #7
    DF VIP Member pheonixsingh's Avatar
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    Default Re: Serious advice needed on a potential AV setup

    i havent really kept up to date, but i believe amps with dolby digital trueHD etc i think with HDMI ports are out or soon to be as optical doesnt have enough bandwidth for the new audio formats, so for example a hdmi from sky hd to the amp then from the amp to the panel, is roughly how it would work i think.

    but say your using the existing amp, then you would just have to run video cables to the lcd anyway assuming the amp will always be on. as the set has 3 hdmi ports i belive, A hdmi port would be needed for the sky hd.
    DVI to HDMI cable for the pc would be the best option for 1:1 pixel mapping and a vga or component for the 360. and the amp would provide the audio.

    I personally think the hdmi switcher box is a bit tedious for general use, but setting up all the wires etcs is also annoying but for general use will be the most simplest option in my opinion.

  8. #8
    DF VIP Member BertRoot's Avatar
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    Default Re: Serious advice needed on a potential AV setup

    Right. I have been looking at a few amps and have a couple of other questions that hopefully someone can answer. If I get an amp that has 2 HD inputs and component outputs will I get 1080P via the component cable on the panel or am I howling at the moon. This amp was suggested by a mate.


  9. #9
    DF Super Moderator {{909}}'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Serious advice needed on a potential AV setup

    you will never get 1080P through component when playing movies, the 'guidelines' only allow 1080P movies over HDMI as it has more copy protection.

  10. #10
    DF VIP Member BertRoot's Avatar
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    Default Re: Serious advice needed on a potential AV setup

    Quote Originally Posted by {{909}} View Post
    you will never get 1080P through component when playing movies, the 'guidelines' only allow 1080P movies over HDMI as it has more copy protection.
    Just been having a look at the amp again and it has an HD output according to the picture.


  11. #11
    DF VIP Member DJAd's Avatar
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    Default Re: Serious advice needed on a potential AV setup

    Would you not get 1080p over the xbox 360 with the HD DVD drive then?

    The Sky HD box uses HDMI port and the sound from an optical.

  12. #12
    DF VIP Member BertRoot's Avatar
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    Default Re: Serious advice needed on a potential AV setup

    Fucking hell this is a confusing subject. Should be doing lots of work but instead trawling through AVForums. Found some nice looking speakers to go with an amp now. Next thing is getting the TV. Anyone got any good sites for cheap Samsung panels?


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    Default Re: Serious advice needed on a potential AV setup

    I think you can only get 1080p via the vga cable on a xbox 360. Also worth noting m8 is that fact that what goes in has to come out the same. So if you have a hdmi from your sky into your amp then the amp will output hdmi to feed your tv. So take the 360 for example which does not have hdmi, you use component cables to the amp and you must use component cables to the tv too. Basically the amp will pass thru but not convert 1 type of signal to another.

    Only way to make sure the tv is sorted is to run all types to it....vga, svhs, component, vga and hdmi plus l & r for sound. You need to bury em in the wall m8 if you can.

    Done all this with my projector and had to run a shed load of diff cables under my floor to make sure I had every connection covered. The last thing you want is to go to all that effort and find that you cant connect something at it's best quality setting.
    You see, TheThingIs, eventually you'll be all right!

  14. #14
    DF Super Moderator {{909}}'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Serious advice needed on a potential AV setup

    you can get 1080P out of the 360 but for games only, not movies (with component). HDMI will output 1080P for both, should you have an 'elite'.

    As with anything, id read as many reviews as possible and try and get a demo of the electronics before you spend anything, I wouldnt rush into buying a 52" LCD either, without checking out similar sized plasma. Plasma tends to be better for larger displays.

  15. #15
    DF VIP Member BertRoot's Avatar
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    Default Re: Serious advice needed on a potential AV setup

    Cheers so far guys. Gonna ask a few questions over on AV forums about all this and see what them lot say. Its a fucking nightmare. Fortunately it ain't me buying all this. The new Samsung panels look awesome at 52" but sadly you can't get them here yet.


  16. #16
    DF VIP Member pheonixsingh's Avatar
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    Default Re: Serious advice needed on a potential AV setup

    the problem is the xbox may output at 1080p but many sets will not accept a 1080p signal through vga or component, only hdmi, thats the case with my sharp aquous display.

  17. #17
    DF VIP Member BertRoot's Avatar
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    Default Re: Serious advice needed on a potential AV setup

    Went on avforums and ended up with the Sammy panel, some SVS speakers and an Onkyo 605 amp and some cabels and stuff with a great discount by doing the deal over the phone as opposed to on the net. That amp uses one HD cable for output and upscales from composite and HD.

    Thanks everyone!


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