2. home-theater
  3. 1179795003

is it worth it?

i have a 2 channel all linn activ system with vinyl as my main, preference. currently dont have a cdp as i recently sold it to help fund upgrade of amps. been thinking that with the system i have, why not take advantage of it and use it for 2 channel video. i have NO desire for 5.1 at all. in my room right now there isnt even a tv. i want to get my feet wet, but by no means want to spend crazy...i saw a magnavox 32"lcd at homedepot, dont know model#, but its got 1368x 7 hundred and somethin..not sure...what if i got this and one of the oppo players...again, no goal for blue ray, hddvd, just plain old dvd movies and more than likely concerts. pls see my system and let me know if im wasting my time or if ive found a great way to get into video for under 1k for tv and player. thanks in advance everyone
jaf2290
11 responses Add your response
audiotomb's avatar
audiotomb
1,112 posts
 
jaf - I do two channel video - it's great

get an upsampling dvd player
1080i units are selling inexpensively these days and really bring video home

also why would 5.1 or 7.1 be better?

smearing images in a small room - illogical Captian Kirk
jaf2290 OP
107 posts
 
Jim, 1.1 on order
Psyche! the beauty of this is with my recent amp upgrade, im now sellingmy rel sub, so the money from there can be used here..no out of pocket excense..thankful for agon and second hand buyers such as myself which allow many of us to participate in this hobby at a higher level than we could afford in many cases.
somec59
245 posts
 
Go for it there are lots of great music DVDs and concerts on Netflix. Is this for daytime or nighttime viewing? If you can control ambient light get a projector and Oppo. Paint the wall light grey, eggshell finish. At the small side of the equation you'll easily get a 7 x 4 foot picture for 1,100. You'll get hooked and upgrade.
jim_swantko
301 posts
 
Go get a 1.1 and let it downconvert all the MC to 2-channel. It suuuuure sounds good! :)

See you over on Tropica!

Seriously however - I say go for it.
geared4me's avatar
geared4me
219 posts
 
Yes! Based on what you are wanting to do this sounds like a good package. The Magnavox has an hdmi connection so I would suggest the Oppo dv-981hd. It comes with a good hdmi cable and down mixes to 2channel very nicely. I did the exact same thing that you are wanting to do. I got this Oppo and a 37" panasonic plasma to add to my 2channel system and it has been great.
jaf2290 OP
107 posts
 
avguy,
you make a good point. however, as much as im into my hifi and vinyl playback, i really dont care much about video or audio of video...i am just looking for a way to enjoy my hifi more with the family than by myself...dont get me wrong, ultimately id love an XBR flatscreen for main room, but having a 36" wega XBR, this will last me another 10yrs, and picture is strong!! I struggle tryin got keep up with video as items become dated soooo fast.. i just like to get a good product once and stay with it. arguably the magnavox may not be that "good product" but if i don tlike it it will go nice in bedroom!!hahah
avguygeorge
2,300 posts
 
I just thought I'd add my 2cents worth.---I would guess lots of folk only think about the video quality for blue ray and hd-dvd. Little do they know, the audio for these formats is just as big a jump.---Simple deduction; uncompressed audio is that much better than compressed audio. The price on these players keeps dropping.
jaf2290 OP
107 posts
 
Shadorne, i dont understand what you mean. i intend to watch in 2 channel mode only, no .1, no center channel. i believe many movies are recorded in 2 ch as well. does the oppo convert to 2 channel if necessary?

Thanks.
Gregm, my room is 12x18 with gear on the 12'wall. the thing is i can get this tv, model 32MF337B for 630 bucks, brand new. almost too good to pass up. i agree a 40" would be better, but of course more$. i figure if i dont like the 32", i can always use it somewhere else or just sell it. rrp for this is 800 i think.
gregm
3,405 posts
 
The oppo is fine. The TV screen should be as large as necessary to get a feel of the visual "effect". 32 may be a tad small -- but no sweat. Think of a concert and what size screen can transpose you (or trick you into focusing yr attention).

IMO, excellent idea to try it all out for ~1k.
shadorne's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
shadorne
7,477 posts
 
Unless you have a dsp then you will lose the 0.1 channel and center channel info...you need a DSP too in addition to the TV and player!
kthomas
911 posts
 
Absolutely, IMO. There are tons of great music DVDs, of all genres, and they're getting better all the time.
Log in to respond
More to discover
80x80
SVS PB3000BA
SVS PB-3000 13" Ported Subwoofer SVSPB3000BAOB
80x80
Wilson Audio XS
THX Select Powered Subwoofer
80x80
Emotiva RMC-1L