New Setup and Questions!

[Drunkship]

Sunday my dad bought a new setup for the family room. We have everything delivered, but the Geek Squad from Best Buy won't be here until Saturday to hook it up. Anyways I have some questions:

1) Are the cables provided by the Xbox 360 good enough for HD play or should I spent the money for the Monster cables?
2) Are most Xbox 360 games in 5.1?
3) I heard that DLP is better than LCD for video games, is this true?

Here are the things we have as well as info about them incase you guys need to know:

Samsung 42" DLP HDTV
http://www.circuitcity.com/IMAGE/product/enlarged/sam/EC.SAM.HLR4266W.JPG


42" DLP TV
Widescreen (16:9)
Picture-in-picture
Built-in HD tuner
HDMI input
720p resolution


Seems as though it doesn't support 1080i, but hey what can you do?

Yamaha YHT-160 System
http://ai.pricegrabber.com/product_images/7796000-7796999/7796883_640.jpg


5.1 channel 650W powerful Surround Sound
110W x 5 Channels + 100W subwoofer
Included Components: Receiver
Number Of Speakers: 5 Speakers and Subwoofer
Front Speaker: 2 Way
Main Speakers Power Output: 30 Watt RMS
Subwoofer Power Output: 100 Watts

[Don_Rico]

Just rub it in, rub it in... jk

[Italia_NYC]

Sunday my dad bought a new setup for the family room. We have everything delivered, but the Geek Squad from Best Buy won't be here until Saturday to hook it up. Anyways I have some questions:

1) Are the cables provided by the Xbox 360 good enough for HD play or should I spent the money for the Monster cables?
2) Are most Xbox 360 games in 5.1?
3) I heard that DLP is better than LCD for video games, is this true?

Here are the things we have as well as info about them incase you guys need to know:

Samsung 42" DLP HDTV
http://www.circuitcity.com/IMAGE/product/enlarged/sam/EC.SAM.HLR4266W.JPG


42" DLP TV
Widescreen (16:9)
Picture-in-picture
Built-in HD tuner
HDMI input
720p resolution


Seems as though it doesn't support 1080i, but hey what can you do?

Yamaha YHT-160 System
http://ai.pricegrabber.com/product_images/7796000-7796999/7796883_640.jpg


5.1 channel 650W powerful Surround Sound
110W x 5 Channels + 100W subwoofer
Included Components: Receiver
Number Of Speakers: 5 Speakers and Subwoofer
Front Speaker: 2 Way
Main Speakers Power Output: 30 Watt RMS
Subwoofer Power Output: 100 Watts




1) YES, they will be fine. Save your money and buy a game instead.

2) YES

3) Not really. The only reason you may have heard that is due to some cheaper model LCD response times being ridiculously high, and therefore you’ll notice motion-blur and/or tearing. But I’ve played it on a few nice LCD devices and it looks great. DLP has it’s own issues. Another time, another thread. :)

[Drunkship]

Just rub it in, rub it in... jk

It's my dad's setup in the family room, I'll only be able to play it sometimes on there. I'll still mostly be playing it on my 19" SDTV.

Not really. The only reason you may have heard that is due to some cheaper model LCD response times being ridiculously high, and therefore you’ll notice motion-blur and/or tearing. But I’ve played it on a few nice LCD devices and it looks great. DLP has it’s own issues. Another time, another thread. :)

Would you care to elaborate on the DLP issues? I'd like to know what's in store for any problems I may be soon to experience.

[Italia_NYC]

It's my dad's setup in the family room, I'll only be able to play it sometimes on there. I'll still mostly be playing it on my 19" SDTV.



Would you care to elaborate on the DLP issues? I'd like to know what's in store for any problems I may be soon to experience.

Quite honestly my friend, if you don't know what shortcomings DLP may or may not exhibit; then I am doing you a favor by not telling you. The reason I say this, is because once pointed out, and you search for and find this shortcoming, you will notice it for the rest of that televisions life, possibly ruining your viewing experience. I have proven this (though not purposely) time and time again, and have now stopped pointing this out to my customers and instead leave them with "If it looks fine to you, that's all that matters". So I will leave you with the same. :)

By the way, should there possibly be anyone on here who know’s what I am talking about, please be thoughtful enough to ask Drunkship if he really wants to know before throwing it out there. :hmmmm:

That aside, you really shouldn't worry. That's a nice television there, and DLP is a good technology. Enjoy it!

[TurkeyRap]

i have the TV u got in 56' Its sick and i think it does support 1080i, but im not sure. I mean it looks great when u put the 360 on 1080i in the display settings. And yea the cables are fine. And i have to DLP HDTV's i think there the best. Thats a nice setup. Good Luck with the setup :biggrin:
And Enjoy

[Obi198]

Yea of course it supports 1080i if it supports 720p. I've never heard of a case where a tv supported 720p and not 1080i. It's usually vice-versa. It only shows 720p just to show that it is capable of that in addition to 1080i.

[Italia_NYC]

It is a 1280 x 720 television. Native 720p. Not 1080i.

I am not going to get into this again, but the bottom line is, that device will not display 1080i; it will instead deinterlace and scale it to 720p. :bebored:

[taylor410]

Hehe i have yet to find the rainbow on my dlp set.... 52" HDTV with a 1500 watt total surround sound setup :P

[taylor410]

And dont you dare buy monster cables...while they are good quality, they are hideously overpriced. But definitely buy a optical (toslink) cable for your surround sound. Amazing to have surround sound in PGR3.

[Sharky]

Quite honestly my friend, if you don't know what shortcomings DLP may or may not exhibit; then I am doing you a favor by not telling you. The reason I say this, is because once pointed out, and you search for and find this shortcoming, you will notice it for the rest of that televisions life, possibly ruining your viewing experience. I have proven this (though not purposely) time and time again, and have now stopped pointing this out to my customers and instead leave them with "If it looks fine to you, that's all that matters". So I will leave you with the same. :) !

I completely agree. I always tell friends & family (especially the ones who continue to ask) that I can tell you the pros & cons of each technology, but it really comes down to the TV that you like the best... unless it's a plasma!:aetsch: (J/K)

By the way, should there possibly be anyone on here who know’s what I am talking about, please be thoughtful enough to ask Drunkship if he really wants to know before throwing it out there. :hmmmm:

Completely agree!!! Besides Drunkship can easily find the answers himself by doing a few quick Google searches...

That aside, you really shouldn't worry. That's a nice television there, and DLP is a good technology. Enjoy it!

Yes it is. :beer:

[QuantuM]

Quite honestly my friend, if you don't know what shortcomings DLP may or may not exhibit; then I am doing you a favor by not telling you. The reason I say this, is because once pointed out, and you search for and find this shortcoming, you will notice it for the rest of that televisions life, possibly ruining your viewing experience. I have proven this (though not purposely) time and time again, and have now stopped pointing this out to my customers and instead leave them with "If it looks fine to you, that's all that matters". So I will leave you with the same. :)

By the way, should there possibly be anyone on here who know’s what I am talking about, please be thoughtful enough to ask Drunkship if he really wants to know before throwing it out there. :hmmmm:

That aside, you really shouldn't worry. That's a nice television there, and DLP is a good technology. Enjoy it!

From what i understand is that the major problem with DLP is video lag. But at the same time the reason for being so was that the native resolution for a DLP is 720p and you only really have video lag for 480 games. So now that the 360 has everything at 720p minimum i dont think he will run into any problems.. do you?:Pcguru:

[Rooster242]

It is a 1280 x 720 television. Native 720p. Not 1080i.

I am not going to get into this again, but the bottom line is, that device will not display 1080i; it will instead deinterlace and scale it to 720p. :bebored:

So in this case is it better to set the 360 to 720p or 1080i output? In other words is 1080i deinterlaced and scaled to 720p better than 720p native? ...or is that a stupid question? :hmmmm2:

[Italia_NYC]

From what i understand is that the major problem with DLP is video lag. But at the same time the reason for being so was that the native resolution for a DLP is 720p and you only really have video lag for 480 games. So now that the 360 has everything at 720p minimum i dont think he will run into any problems.. do you?:Pcguru:

Boy, no love for Drunkship huh? lol

DLP is not the only technology prone to "video-lag". Technically speaking, it really lies in the hands of the cable company and/or the incoming signal. Discovery-HD is a prime example. It is an awful feed through most cable companies, and as such, just about everyone, no matter what technology their tv is, has experience some form of video-lag, otherwise known as audio sync delay. I myself have, with LCD. Those with high-end equipment may have an audio-delay feature on their receiver and/or display device that remedies this issue, which is what I've done in the past. It works quite well.

The conversion of signals (1080i to 720p) is said to be partially responsible for this lag, but that is untrue. Even a direct, unconverted 720p to 720p native resolution has been known to exhibit this behavior. It appears to be accentuated on Samsung DLP models, though no model is really exempt from this.

If all this is making you nervous Drunkship; it shouldn’t. I have a feeling when you turn this television on, there is a chance you may make a mess of your draws. :)

Let your eyes be the judge. This lag issue is a well-known and documented issue with Samsung, and I know from experience, if you are unhappy with it, they and/or the store you purchased it from, will allow you to return it. No questions asked.

[Italia_NYC]

So in this case is it better to set the 360 to 720p or 1080i output? In other words is 1080i deinterlaced and scaled to 720p better than 720p native? ...or is that a stupid question? :hmmmm2:

No such thing as a stupid question. Only stupid answers. :)

Whenever you have the opportunity to send an unconverted/unscaled signal to your device to display it in its native format, you immediately celebrate and choose that option. In this case, yes; you should set the 360 to send a 720p signal to the device.

[Rooster242]

No such thing as a stupid question. Only stupid answers. :)

Whenever you have the opportunity to send an unconverted/unscaled signal to your device to display it in its native format, you immediately celebrate and choose that option. In this case, yes; you should set the 360 to send a 720p signal to the device.

makes sense. you sound like you know your sht so i got another question (not really realated to the 360 but something i've been wondering about), what the deal with compressed audio... my reciever reciever has a setting for compressed or uncompressed audio, which is better and why would i ever want to use compression?

[pseudohippy]

Since all the experts seem to be in here I am wondering if Viewsonic is considered one of those low quality LCD's that shows lag. I have a 32" that I play my 360 on. I also have a 57" Hitachi projection that only does 1080i and not 720p. I was going to get a second hd cable for my box so I can be hooked up to both tv's all the time and switch only the plug in the back of the box. Will I have to adjust the xbox's settings everytime too.

[Xtrm Liability]

It is a 1280 x 720 television. Native 720p. Not 1080i.

I am not going to get into this again, but the bottom line is, that device will not display 1080i; it will instead deinterlace and scale it to 720p. :bebored:

Yeah he is right! Italia_NYC and I have allready went over this in another thread. I know because I have the Same exact Samsung DLP TV (46"). It looks great in 720p though, trust me, you made the right choice for a gaming HDTV. I also have the same/similar Yamaha Amp/Reciever except mine is the HTR-5750. Great setup! :top:

[Italia_NYC]

makes sense. you sound like you know your sht so i got another question (not really realated to the 360 but something i've been wondering about), what the deal with compressed audio... my reciever reciever has a setting for compressed or uncompressed audio, which is better and why would i ever want to use compression?


That is a really odd setting for a consumer-grade receiver to have. It should be automatic. Virtually all audio (unfortunately) is compressed; this includes Dolby, DTS (Though less compressed than Dolby), mp3's and anything coming in from your cable provider. There are few formats that I know of that are uncompressed. The few that come to mind are wav and aiff files. I'm sure there are more, but you get the point.

[Italia_NYC]

Since all the experts seem to be in here I am wondering if Viewsonic is considered one of those low quality LCD's that shows lag. I have a 32" that I play my 360 on. I also have a 57" Hitachi projection that only does 1080i and not 720p. I was going to get a second hd cable for my box so I can be hooked up to both tv's all the time and switch only the plug in the back of the box. Will I have to adjust the xbox's settings everytime too.

If you are thinking of using the Viewsonic as a TV and/or gaming monitor, then yes your assumption would be correct. Though I don't want to say "low quality", let's just say they are not best used as TV's or for gaming. For starters, they often have odd native resolutions. And most of the Viewsonics I see have pretty high response times.

As for your other question; yes, you very well may have to switch your 360 settings from 720p to 1080i as you go from LCD to Projection tv. Depending on your LCD's native rez (I'm guessing it's pretty high), you could try setting your 360 to 1080i on the LCD and see how it looks. If it's passable, you could leave your 360 settings on 1080i. :)

[pseudohippy]

So in other words I am the luckly one that doesnt seem to have an eye for these things because my viewsonic looks fantastic to me playing games at 720p. Its definately at TV but I only use it as a gaming monitor and computer monitor which is badass to me. I love it! Surfing from the couch is cool.

I copied some of the advertising jargon but cut alot out:

ViewSonic's N3250w high-definition, 32" wide-screen LCD TV display rewards you with stunning high-definition images whether you're using it as a PC display or the centerpiece of your visual entertainment. Advanced Clearpicture electronics, true 1366x768 resolution, and high brightness and contrast ratios deliver brilliant colors and crisp images. Connect HD set top boxes, DVD players, game consoles and more through the multiple video and audio connections to build a complete high-definition home entertainment system. Long-term compatibility with HDMI digital input ensures you'll continue to enjoy high-definition video entertainment and computer graphics into the future.

So the native resolution is 1366X768. If this is an odd resolution then am I missing things on the screen. How will that mess me up. Also I cant find anything on the response times. I dont know what that is. How can I check this, I might just be missing it somehow. I want to know all this because me and my girlfriend are thinking of financing another tv for the bedroom or switch the viewsonic into the bedroom and want to get the right tv next time.

Dont get me wrong though because to me it looks just as good as the Samsung the put on the display systems for the 360 playing COD 2. But I must admit I dont really have an eye for the details that are not as good. Difinately havent seen any blurring though.

[pseudohippy]

I found out the response time. It is 12ms. Is that not good lol. What is a good number and if you have talked about this before give me a link or directions to go and read about response times. Ill google it some tonight too.

[Italia_NYC]

So in other words I am the luckly one that doesnt seem to have an eye for these things because my viewsonic looks fantastic to me playing games at 720p. Its definately at TV but I only use it as a gaming monitor and computer monitor which is badass to me. I love it! Surfing from the couch is cool.

I copied some of the advertising jargon but cut alot out:

ViewSonic's N3250w high-definition, 32" wide-screen LCD TV display rewards you with stunning high-definition images whether you're using it as a PC display or the centerpiece of your visual entertainment. Advanced Clearpicture electronics, true 1366x768 resolution, and high brightness and contrast ratios deliver brilliant colors and crisp images. Connect HD set top boxes, DVD players, game consoles and more through the multiple video and audio connections to build a complete high-definition home entertainment system. Long-term compatibility with HDMI digital input ensures you'll continue to enjoy high-definition video entertainment and computer graphics into the future.

So the native resolution is 1366X768. If this is an odd resolution then am I missing things on the screen. How will that mess me up. Also I cant find anything on the response times. I dont know what that is. How can I check this, I might just be missing it somehow. I want to know all this because me and my girlfriend are thinking of financing another tv for the bedroom or switch the viewsonic into the bedroom and want to get the right tv next time.

Dont get me wrong though because to me it looks just as good as the Samsung the put on the display systems for the 360 playing COD 2. But I must admit I dont really have an eye for the details that are not as good. Difinately havent seen any blurring though.


My friend, you said it all; "my viewsonic looks fantastic to me". Stop there and go on enjoying life. lol


1366x768 is in fact an "odd" or non ATSC/NTSC resolution. For comparison, 720p is 1280x720 and 1080i is 1920x1080.

So when you feed it a 720p signal, the Viewsonic is scaling it to it's native resolution; 1366x768. So theoretically, you are not losing any information or detail; in contrast, there is too much information and the overall image may suffer from pixilation or other artifacts from being scaled.

You are doing the right thing though by feeding it 720p. As 1280x720 is closer to 1366x768 than 1920x1080 is.

As for checking the response time of the monitor; if you can’t find this spec in the manual, there is actually a small computer program out there that can determine this. It is quite useful as 8 times out of 10, the result is way off from the Manufacturer specs. Can’t remember where I found this, but if I find it, I will post it for you.

[Italia_NYC]

I found out the response time. It is 12ms. Is that not good lol. What is a good number and if you have talked about this before give me a link or directions to go and read about response times. Ill google it some tonight too.

Some people might say anything 8ms or less. In reality though, it all comes down to the manufacturer, and how legit their specs are. As with anything, some manufacturers tend to over exaggerate their claims. This is true with most things in the Audio/Video field; especially where TV's and Receivers are concerned. For instance those Dell widescreen LCD monitors have tremendous response times; better then they claim in fact.

[pseudohippy]

Well Im kind of sad now. But like I said I do enjoy it alot. Looks better than my old school 27" rca mongo sized tv I used to use. So I guess Ill just enjoy what I have. Its not like Ive ever been able to afford the best stuff that I would like to have. I feel like I am on top of the world with the two tvs I have now though. The best this electronic junky has ever had lol. Now I need to also figure out which reciever I should buy but that is a whole different converstion. I want it to work good with these speakers I got recently. They are called EV's (Electro Voice). They came out of a THX movie theatre that recently shut down only a year after their big sound upgrade. Luckily my friends dad worked there and they got to buy up to four of these speakers each for a killer deal ($50.00 ea.). They are the same ones I see in almost all of the theatres that I go to. Not the huge ones, just the 10" models that are on the wall along the seats to the side. I just wonder I any old reciever that I will buy will optimise these speakers or if I need something special.

[Italia_NYC]

Well Im kind of sad now. But like I said I do enjoy it alot. Looks better than my old school 27" rca mongo sized tv I used to use. So I guess Ill just enjoy what I have. Its not like Ive ever been able to afford the best stuff that I would like to have. I feel like I am on top of the world with the two tvs I have now though. The best this electronic junky has ever had lol. Now I need to also figure out which reciever I should buy but that is a whole different converstion. I want it to work good with these speakers I got recently. They are called EV's (Electro Voice). They came out of a THX movie theatre that recently shut down only a year after their big sound upgrade. Luckily my friends dad worked there and they got to buy up to four of these speakers each for a killer deal ($50.00 ea.). They are the same ones I see in almost all of the theatres that I go to. Not the huge ones, just the 10" models that are on the wall along the seats to the side. I just wonder I any old reciever that I will buy will optimise these speakers or if I need something special.




LOL....That is funny! Those EV's are hard core speakers! They are friggin bullet-proof! They are often used at rock concerts at things of that nature. I don't think they will work well in a residential home theater. They require like 1000 watts for optimal sound. Most of them though are 8 ohm speakers, so that won’t pose a problem for a regular receiver, but the power requirements those speakers demand, very few (if any) consumer-grade receivers will be able to accommodate. You most definitely will need to go the separates route (ie. separate pre-processor and separate amps for the speakers) to push those babies properly.

[Drunkship]

Hey, I was wondering which cable I should buy that will allow me to play Xbox 360 in surround sound, and how to set it all up to the TV and reciever.