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#1
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer as Reciever For a Blind Home Owner
I have a Yamaha receiver that regularly annoys me. It doesn't do any input
conversion, so if I want to run either component, S-video, or digital sound (like AC3) I'll have to run everything that way, and of course my gear doesn't support all that. I also can't replace all my gear, as some of it, especially the Laserdisc player, aren't made anymore. Volume is a problem with some of the components. My Boston Acoustics speakers require a higher input power rating than I consider a comfortable listening level. I discovered the problem wasn't a blown driver when I hooked up my laptop to the receiver and dropped its volume and cranked up the power amp. I need more wattage and the ability to lower independent volumes for each component. And I'd like to go Blue Ray so I can start taking advantage of the Blue Ray discs with descriptive video on them. I already have a computer in there, (to play my ripped CD's and downloaded files, as it was easier to just rip everything and then access it through the computers instead of trying to find something on a shelf) and with Jaws it'll be fully accessible, assuming I find the right applications. Plus I could take advantage of Amazon Prime and Netflix content, which will have to have descriptive video fairly soon as an option. So here's what I'm thinking. I want to get rid of the receiver, pick up a few power amps to feed the Boston Acoustics speakers, Grab three more speakers for a 7.1 setup, and then set up the Stereo Computer (A dual core Dell) as the nexus of my home stereo system. The Dell has PCI Express slots. I'll swap out the internal DVD-R drive for a Blue Ray drive. I'll need inputs for a VCR, (until I get all my VHS tapes converted -- I have some rare things there that will need custom conversion, and I have a friend who's good at this) and the AC3 and video inputs from the Laserdisc player. A turntable and cassette deck are always nice but not mandatory. I'll also want to put a tuner card in the computer in case I decide to get cable again. So this is 2-4 inputs, One of which (the VCR, just in case) also needs an output, and a 7.1 PCI Express card out. I'll need at least two video inputs in for the Laserdisc player and the VCR, and AC3 in there somewhere, again for the Laserdisc player. Four inputs could mean an 8 port audio interface, and I'd also need an output card that will support 7.1. Then I'll need to source some way to get HDMI video into a regular composite TV signal for now until I get one of my two projection units troubleshot and hung. After that it's a matter of locating seven channels of power amplification, some way to use a remote with the computer, and some applications that I can control all of this. I'll probably use IBlink or Winamp for radio stations, too. So: Anyone know of any good PCI Express 7.1 cards for a reasonable price? 24/96 or better would be a plus. Anyone know of anything that will let you control a computer with a remote? Anyone got any good suggestions on multi-channel power amps at a reasonable price? I don't need pro-audio stuff for this, and the room is about fourteen feet wide and eighteen feet long for the living room portion of it. What PCI Express interfaces are good enough to do home audio at a reasonable price with at least 8 inputs? How can I get at least two composite video inputs into the computer? What about an AC3 input? How about something that will output video? I probably need only one additional video output for the VCR. Anyone have any suggestions for control software for home audio systems? I want this to be user friendly enough that a roommate or visitor doesn't need a thirty minute teaching session to be able to do something to watch a movie or listen to music. And being able to control the additional outputs would also be nice, as my plans are to eventually wire the whole house for sound, so I can do a stereo feed to the rest of the house for music in the bedrooms, kitchen, game room Zen room, and back patio. But the software also has to use standard navigation commands so I can navigate without a mouse. General suggestions on this procedure and all will also be appreciated. I'm not in a hurry right now -- I'm in the initial stages of all of this, so there's a lot of thinking that will happen long before any real serious purchasing happens. And suggestions of who I might contact for more information would also be nice. Thanks for any assistance y'all can provide. |
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#2
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer as Reciever For a Blind Home Owner
On Sun, 16 Jun 2013 10:27:45 -0500, "Nicole Massey"
wrote: I have a Yamaha receiver that regularly annoys me. It doesn't do any input conversion, so if I want to run either component, S-video, or digital sound (like AC3) I'll have to run everything that way, and of course my gear doesn't support all that. I also can't replace all my gear, as some of it, especially the Laserdisc player, aren't made anymore. So, BUY a new HT receiver for a mere $200 and all your troubles go away. Do NOT buy a Yamaha. |
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#3
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer as Reciever For a Blind Home Owner
"DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno" wrote in message
... On Sun, 16 Jun 2013 10:27:45 -0500, "Nicole Massey" wrote: I have a Yamaha receiver that regularly annoys me. It doesn't do any input conversion, so if I want to run either component, S-video, or digital sound (like AC3) I'll have to run everything that way, and of course my gear doesn't support all that. I also can't replace all my gear, as some of it, especially the Laserdisc player, aren't made anymore. So, BUY a new HT receiver for a mere $200 and all your troubles go away. Do NOT buy a Yamaha. Yamaha is SO much better quality than a lot of the (other) crap out there these days. I do authorized service for Sony, Pioneer, Denon, Marantz, and Samsung. I'd pick Yamaha any day. Not sure about the OP's requirements however. His needs are pretty specialized. He may need some external processing units no matter what he chooses to replace his old unit. Mark Z. |
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#4
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer as Reciever For a Blind Home Owner
"DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno" wrote in message ... On Sun, 16 Jun 2013 10:27:45 -0500, "Nicole Massey" wrote: I have a Yamaha receiver that regularly annoys me. It doesn't do any input conversion, so if I want to run either component, S-video, or digital sound (like AC3) I'll have to run everything that way, and of course my gear doesn't support all that. I also can't replace all my gear, as some of it, especially the Laserdisc player, aren't made anymore. So, BUY a new HT receiver for a mere $200 and all your troubles go away. Do NOT buy a Yamaha. The blind accessibility issue still isn't addressed with that course of action. |
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#6
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer as Reciever For a Blind Home Owner
"whosbest54" wrote in message ... In article , says... I have a Yamaha receiver that regularly annoys me. It doesn't do any input conversion, so if I want to run either component, S-video, or digital sound (like AC3) I'll have to run everything that way, and of course my gear doesn't support all that. I also can't replace all my gear, as some of it, especially the Laserdisc player, aren't made anymore. Volume is a problem with some of the components. My Boston Acoustics speakers require a higher input power rating than I consider a comfortable listening level. I discovered the problem wasn't a blown driver when I hooked up my laptop to the receiver and dropped its volume and cranked up the power amp. I need more wattage and the ability to lower independent volumes for each component. And I'd like to go Blue Ray so I can start taking advantage of the Blue Ray discs with descriptive video on them. I already have a computer in there, (to play my ripped CD's and downloaded files, as it was easier to just rip everything and then access it through the computers instead of trying to find something on a shelf) and with Jaws it'll be fully accessible, assuming I find the right applications. Plus I could take advantage of Amazon Prime and Netflix content, which will have to have descriptive video fairly soon as an option. So here's what I'm thinking. I want to get rid of the receiver, pick up a few power amps to feed the Boston Acoustics speakers, Grab three more speakers for a 7.1 setup, and then set up the Stereo Computer (A dual core Dell) as the nexus of my home stereo system. The Dell has PCI Express slots. I'll swap out the internal DVD-R drive for a Blue Ray drive. I'll need inputs for a VCR, (until I get all my VHS tapes converted -- I have some rare things there that will need custom conversion, and I have a friend who's good at this) and the AC3 and video inputs from the Laserdisc player. A turntable and cassette deck are always nice but not mandatory. I'll also want to put a tuner card in the computer in case I decide to get cable again. So this is 2-4 inputs, One of which (the VCR, just in case) also needs an output, and a 7.1 PCI Express card out. I'll need at least two video inputs in for the Laserdisc player and the VCR, and AC3 in there somewhere, again for the Laserdisc player. Four inputs could mean an 8 port audio interface, and I'd also need an output card that will support 7.1. Then I'll need to source some way to get HDMI video into a regular composite TV signal for now until I get one of my two projection units troubleshot and hung. After that it's a matter of locating seven channels of power amplification, some way to use a remote with the computer, and some applications that I can control all of this. I'll probably use IBlink or Winamp for radio stations, too. So: Anyone know of any good PCI Express 7.1 cards for a reasonable price? 24/96 or better would be a plus. Anyone know of anything that will let you control a computer with a remote? Anyone got any good suggestions on multi-channel power amps at a reasonable price? I don't need pro-audio stuff for this, and the room is about fourteen feet wide and eighteen feet long for the living room portion of it. What PCI Express interfaces are good enough to do home audio at a reasonable price with at least 8 inputs? How can I get at least two composite video inputs into the computer? What about an AC3 input? How about something that will output video? I probably need only one additional video output for the VCR. Anyone have any suggestions for control software for home audio systems? I want this to be user friendly enough that a roommate or visitor doesn't need a thirty minute teaching session to be able to do something to watch a movie or listen to music. And being able to control the additional outputs would also be nice, as my plans are to eventually wire the whole house for sound, so I can do a stereo feed to the rest of the house for music in the bedrooms, kitchen, game room Zen room, and back patio. But the software also has to use standard navigation commands so I can navigate without a mouse. General suggestions on this procedure and all will also be appreciated. I'm not in a hurry right now -- I'm in the initial stages of all of this, so there's a lot of thinking that will happen long before any real serious purchasing happens. And suggestions of who I might contact for more information would also be nice. Thanks for any assistance y'all can provide. I'm fairly knowledgeable of PCs and home theater (HT) and I don't think your plan is very practical. It might be possible to make it work, but by the time you find everything you need and get software that does it all to work the way you want, you may be out a lot of time and money that would be better put into a more standard HT setup. The 2 most significant gaps in the info you provided a What inputs does your TV have? What outputs does your PC have? Once I have that info, I might provide more recommendations, but for starters, assuming your TV has HDMI inputs: - Get a decent 7.1 A/V receiver with enough power for your speakers as proposed that converts all video to HDMI and does HDMI switching. It will need the necessary audio inputs for all your components as well. Most decent A/V receivers will meet your needs, including multi-room audio. - If your PC has only VGA video and a 2 channel analog output, then you could hook the vid out to the TV if it has a RGB/VGA input and the analog audio to the new receiver. A plus would be an HDMI output from the PC you could hook up directly to the receiver. It might be worth getting the hardware to do that on the PC, but it really depends on what you want to use the PC for. If you are serious about internet sources being your main form of entertainment, then consider it. A new PC with a Blu-Ray drive and HDMI output might not be tremendously more expensive than adding the hardware for HDMI and Blu-Ray to your existing machine. If your TV only has a HDMI input and no RGB/VGA, then you may have to go the HDMI route. I have a PC with a digital coax audio and VGA out. My LG flat screen plasma has a RGB/VGA input and the audio goes to my receiver. I've had great results with internet sources. A generic tuner card would work for over the air, but many cable companies are beginning to encrypt everything and if your cable provider is doing the same, then you'd need their tuner box or perhaps something CableCard ready. The current TV has Composite video, coax, and left and right audio, and that's it. It's an old CRT TV, probably 28 inches in the screen or so. The future projection unit is a 3M unit with component and composite video and VGA in -- it's a pull from a local university. The computer has the basic array of computer I/O for audio (Mic in, Line In, Line/speaker out) and HDMI video. I know a lot about audio engineering for the professional and semi-professional side of things, and it'd be a lot easier to get an 8 channel stereo mixer and use sends to feed the center, side, and rear speakers with a crossover from the entire deal for the subwoofer, but that's a lot more than I'd want in a living room because it would leave anyone besides me in the dust without a long discussion about how it all worked. The overriding concern about this and using the computer is one of accessibility -- my blindness is almost total now after a hypertensive event right at ten years ago, so something where I can use a screen reader on the computer would be the main goal. Plus I have a lot of CDs ripped, over 500, and I'm contemplating the purchase of the complete Mozart set at some point not too far in the future, which will be an immediate jump of another 170 discs. Having the ability to build playlists and run everything from the computer is a good thing. And as you mentioned, computers are getting cheaper all the time, so I can replace it when it gives up for a lot less money than replacing a stereo component, and since PCI Express seems to be the popular standard right now going with either that or Thunderbolt seems to be a good plan for keeping the hardware usable for a good while. |
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#7
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer as Reciever For a Blind Home Owner
In article , says...
The current TV has Composite video, coax, and left and right audio, and that's it. It's an old CRT TV, probably 28 inches in the screen or so. The future projection unit is a 3M unit with component and composite video and VGA in -- it's a pull from a local university. The computer has the basic array of computer I/O for audio (Mic in, Line In, Line/speaker out) and HDMI video. I know a lot about audio engineering for the professional and semi-professional side of things, and it'd be a lot easier to get an 8 channel stereo mixer and use sends to feed the center, side, and rear speakers with a crossover from the entire deal for the subwoofer, but that's a lot more than I'd want in a living room because it would leave anyone besides me in the dust without a long discussion about how it all worked. The overriding concern about this and using the computer is one of accessibility -- my blindness is almost total now after a hypertensive event right at ten years ago, so something where I can use a screen reader on the computer would be the main goal. Plus I have a lot of CDs ripped, over 500, and I'm contemplating the purchase of the complete Mozart set at some point not too far in the future, which will be an immediate jump of another 170 discs. Having the ability to build playlists and run everything from the computer is a good thing. And as you mentioned, computers are getting cheaper all the time, so I can replace it when it gives up for a lot less money than replacing a stereo component, and since PCI Express seems to be the popular standard right now going with either that or Thunderbolt seems to be a good plan for keeping the hardware usable for a good while. Not having HDMI on the projector limits your ability to do Blu-Ray to a computer. Look for a A/V receiver that converts everything to component for the projector, but use the VGA on the projector for the PC. Route all your audio through the receiver. You could possibly use the HDMI out from the PC to the receiver to manage the audio, or use the analog audio out from the PC and hook that to the receiver. whosbest54 -- The flamewars are over...if you want it. Unofficial rec.audio.opinion Usenet Group Brief User Guide: http://whosbest54.netau.net/rao.htm Unofficial rec.music.beatles Usenet Group Brief User Guide: http://whosbest54.netau.net/rmb.html |
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#8
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer as Reciever For a Blind Home Owner
"whosbest54" wrote in Not having HDMI on the projector limits your ability to do Blu-Ray to a computer. Look for a A/V receiver that converts everything to component for the projector, but use the VGA on the projector for the PC. Route all your audio through the receiver. You could possibly use the HDMI out from the PC to the receiver to manage the audio, or use the analog audio out from the PC and hook that to the receiver. Oh, the Yamaha won't work for Blue Ray either, as it's a 5.1 unit, so I'm looking at something better anyway if I go with Blue Ray. So Blue Ray won't display through VGA even if the player is internal to the computer? That does change plans a bit. |
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#9
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer as Reciever For a Blind Home Owner
In article , says...
"whosbest54" wrote in Not having HDMI on the projector limits your ability to do Blu-Ray to a computer. Look for a A/V receiver that converts everything to component for the projector, but use the VGA on the projector for the PC. Route all your audio through the receiver. You could possibly use the HDMI out from the PC to the receiver to manage the audio, or use the analog audio out from the PC and hook that to the receiver. Oh, the Yamaha won't work for Blue Ray either, as it's a 5.1 unit, so I'm looking at something better anyway if I go with Blue Ray. So Blue Ray won't display through VGA even if the player is internal to the computer? That does change plans a bit. I have a Blu-Ray hooked up to a 5.1 receiver with coax audio and it works fine. It will play DTS in 5.1 and DD 5.1 from standard DVDs. But you said your current receiver is underpowered for your speakers. And it likely won't do much for multi-room audio. Almost all the Blu-Ray players I've seen manufactured recently have only HDMI outputs. You may be able to find one with a component output - perhaps an older unit. Any newer ones with component are suppose to limit vid quality to 480p (or is it 480i?) on the component out anyway for copy protection reasons. So, as I said, you'd have to use a computer for Blu-Ray video for the best display using the projector you mentioned as the projector doesn't have HDMI. whosbest54 -- The flamewars are over...if you want it. Unofficial rec.audio.opinion Usenet Group Brief User Guide: http://whosbest54.netau.net/rao.htm Unofficial rec.music.beatles Usenet Group Brief User Guide: http://whosbest54.netau.net/rmb.html |
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#10
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer as Reciever For a Blind Home Owner
On Mon, 17 Jun 2013 05:59:56 -0500, "Mark Zacharias"
wrote: "DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno" wrote in message .. . On Sun, 16 Jun 2013 10:27:45 -0500, "Nicole Massey" wrote: I have a Yamaha receiver that regularly annoys me. It doesn't do any input conversion, so if I want to run either component, S-video, or digital sound (like AC3) I'll have to run everything that way, and of course my gear doesn't support all that. I also can't replace all my gear, as some of it, especially the Laserdisc player, aren't made anymore. So, BUY a new HT receiver for a mere $200 and all your troubles go away. Do NOT buy a Yamaha. Yamaha is SO much better quality than a lot of the (other) crap out there these days. I do authorized service for Sony, Pioneer, Denon, Marantz, and Samsung. I'd pick Yamaha any day. Not sure about the OP's requirements however. His needs are pretty specialized. He may need some external processing units no matter what he chooses to replace his old unit. Mark Z. Think you could do a full re-furb on my $1200 (1990 dollars) LaserDisc player? It needs all new EL caps all the way through. And that will likely solve the issue it was starting to have way back when it quit. The other three players I have work fine. Figures the crazy expensive one would be the one that dries up. |
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#11
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer as Reciever For a Blind Home Owner
On Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:03:12 -0500, whosbest54
wrote: Almost all the Blu-Ray players I've seen manufactured recently have only HDMI outputs. You may be able to find one with a component output As far as I know, BD players have NEVER had component output. They are REQUIRED to have an HDCP compliant HDMI output. IF they ALSO have a component output, it will be handcuffed down to 480p for all bd output fed to it. The HDCP rule is that if ANY full res HD signal gets downgraded to a different output format interface, the resolution ALSO has to be downgraded to 480p. |
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#12
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer as Reciever For a Blind Home Owner
On Mon, 17 Jun 2013 05:59:56 -0500, "Mark Zacharias"
wrote: Yamaha is SO much better quality than a lot of the (other) crap out there these days. You must have missed the part where he stated that the inputs are not cross switchable. |
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#13
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer as Reciever For a Blind Home Owner
In article ,
says... On Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:03:12 -0500, whosbest54 wrote: Almost all the Blu-Ray players I've seen manufactured recently have only HDMI outputs. You may be able to find one with a component output As far as I know, BD players have NEVER had component output. I didn't say only a component output, it obviously could have both HDMI and oomponent under my sentence. Here's one that does have a component out, as well as composite and S-Vid. http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-BD-P10.../dp/B000F99FDE IF they ALSO have a component output, it will be handcuffed down to 480p for all bd output fed to it. True, and I said that. But I should note that went into effect after BD players were already manufactured for some time, so there may be older ones out there that have higher res component outputs. The HDCP rule is that if ANY full res HD signal gets downgraded to a different output format interface, the resolution ALSO has to be downgraded to 480p. The output format interfaces composite and S-Vid would be 480i, not 480p. whosbest54 -- The flamewars are over...if you want it. Unofficial rec.audio.opinion Usenet Group Brief User Guide: http://whosbest54.netau.net/rao.htm Unofficial rec.music.beatles Usenet Group Brief User Guide: http://whosbest54.netau.net/rmb.html |
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#14
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Computer as Reciever For a Blind Home Owner
"whosbest54" wrote in message ... In article , says... On Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:03:12 -0500, whosbest54 wrote: Almost all the Blu-Ray players I've seen manufactured recently have only HDMI outputs. You may be able to find one with a component output As far as I know, BD players have NEVER had component output. I didn't say only a component output, it obviously could have both HDMI and oomponent under my sentence. Here's one that does have a component out, as well as composite and S-Vid. http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-BD-P10.../dp/B000F99FDE IF they ALSO have a component output, it will be handcuffed down to 480p for all bd output fed to it. True, and I said that. But I should note that went into effect after BD players were already manufactured for some time, so there may be older ones out there that have higher res component outputs. The HDCP rule is that if ANY full res HD signal gets downgraded to a different output format interface, the resolution ALSO has to be downgraded to 480p. The output format interfaces composite and S-Vid would be 480i, not 480p. Okay, so it sounds like the best idea would be to sell my two 3M projection units and get one that has HDMI as an option to remove some of the format conversion issues from the system. This would probably alleviate some of the other issues, as the 3M units have a minimum throw range of fourteen feet, and that's about the width of my living room, so getting one that better fits the space would be much better. If I had the money to spend I'd probably sell everything and build from scratch, but unfortunately I have to work with what I currently have. So it comes back to getting audio into the computer and back out again, and getting video into the computer and back out again, and finding a good way to controll all of this in a manner intuitive to folks who are neither audiophiles nor audio professionals. (which probably means some sort of remote to control what's switching in the computer) As for a tuner card, as mentioned earlier, I'd need to get one that works with the local broadcast HD channels, as there's no reason to drop a converter into the mix as well as all of the other things needed. I also probably need to get one of the speakers down and have someone who can see read me the specs on the back, or at least the model number so I can research their specs on the web, so I know how much power they need and how much they can take. They came out of classrooms at a major music university, and they're not showing any distortion if the volume level is up enough to give the speakers the power they need, so they should probably do the gig if I can get enough juice into them to drive the coils and crossovers. The other piece of gear I'm not ready to let go of is the Pioneer CLD-409 Laserdisc player. But I'm willing to part with the reciever (Yamaha RX-V461) and DVD/VCR (Sylvania dvc860D) if I need to. I'd prefer not to let the subwoofer go (not sure of the brand and model) unless I really have to. Oh, and the computer is a DELL Optiplex 780 E7500 Minitower. Maybe that will clear up some of the uncertain areas in all of this. And one more thing -- I'm not a "he". |
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