Is your home theater setup to be dual purpose with both HT and 2 channel in mind? What have you done to make the setup dual purpose?

HDNLUVNIT · Mar 22, 2024

ChristopherP said:
Understand the LDs aren't in the mix, but may not be as bad as all that. I have a Kanex S-Video (also RCA audio) to HDMI converter which I use for both the SVHS Tape deck and the Pioneeer LD. It outputs an excellent signal which I feed my AVR which upscales to 720i, and my Sony Panel does a pretty good job of upscaling to play on the 4K screen, albiet with vertical bars of course. But for old concert and vintage movies it works. So all is not lost for the SVHS/LD in a current HT, just be in the mood for nostalgic. YMMV of course.

Thanks very much for that information. A quick search online reveals a plethora of options available to me that, frankly, I had not considered. The piece of gear I neglected to mention is the heart of my HT setup - the TV. I have a trusty old Panasonic TH-58PZ700U Plasma TV. While the best it can do is 1080P, the picture remains beautiful. Tough to beat a plasma for deep blacks. One of the best features of this TV are the speakers. Unlike most of today's TV's, it is completely watchable without engaging the Yamaha for sound. It can actually produce bass. There are often times when it is not necessary to fire up the entire system.

That said, the devil on my shoulder actually wishes the 17 year old beast would blow a circuit board so I could justify a new, modern, 4k TV with a larger screen. Since the old boy has such a large cabinet (and weighs a ton), I could easily put a 65 inch TV in the current footprint.

Thanks again for letting me know I can breathe new life into my LD option.

Gerry Iaria · Mar 30, 2024

VinceHoffman said:
Our double duty music and cinema room features two completely independent source, preamp, and bass management front ends. Only the L & R front active ATC monitors, the four Seaton subwoofers (in a distributed bass array), along with a DSPeaker AM2.0 subwoofer eq are shared between the two front ends. All the silver boxes are 2 channel and black boxes are multi-channel. I use a pair of ARX RS-1 12v triggered, relay actuated XLR switch boxes to seamlessly and transparently switch between the front ends.

View attachment 68693
Additionally the front LCR trio are placed 5 feet off the front wall for best imaging and soundstage performance. Finally while the acoustic treatment strategy addresses all loudspeaker sound sources, it prioritizes stereo playback.

View attachment 68695 View attachment 68696

nice set-up, I can see that the middle seat is used the most

ChristopherP · Apr 20, 2024

Mike, find an old Pioneer LDV, they are repairable in most cases.

ChristopherP · Apr 20, 2024

HDNLUVNIT, I totally understand about the Plasma screen. I finally broke down and bought the TOTL Sony Bravia a couple years ago. At the time the OLED was just amazing and it was time for 4k. I'd still go with a 65" Bravia 8 if I were in the market.
What happened to the Pioneer Kuro Plasma? It in my daughters game room hooked to three gaming systems. I am sure it will never die. Don't wait. Put it in another place and get that OLED.
Cheers Chris

HDNLUVNIT · Apr 21, 2024

ChristopherP said:
HDNLUVNIT, I totally understand about the Plasma screen. I finally broke down and bought the TOTL Sony Bravia a couple years ago. At the time the OLED was just amazing and it was time for 4k. I'd still go with a 65" Bravia 8 if I were in the market.
What happened to the Pioneer Kuro Plasma? It in my daughters game room hooked to three gaming systems. I am sure it will never die. Don't wait. Put it in another place and get that OLED.
Cheers Chris

Well, I took your advice regarding the Pioneer LD Player. I bought this device from Amazon. Is the video crisp and clear? No, but totally watchable. Allows me to dust off my extensive LD collection - many of which are still unwrapped.

Problem with replacing the old plasma is I don't have another space in the house to accommodate it. Then, there's the SOAF (Significant Other Acceptance Factor)..................

As for repairs for my old Pioneer LD, in this area - Metro Detroit and Toledo, OH, there are none. The last shop (in Roseville, MI) I had make a repair on the Pioneer closed up several years ago - and they said parts are no longer available. So, finding and acquiring identical units for parts would likely be my only option.

Thanks again for your original suggestion regarding the Pioneer. I appreciate it.

Slante'

ChristopherP · Apr 21, 2024

Nice solution Slante, Great find. I use a kanex box for the same thing. I'm sure if you search here you'll find folks who know who repairs in the region, perhaps Chicago area? Most cases a belt change is DIY. If you find a shop with working units, buy two store one. This is what I did. Also, I have a higher end SVHS machine which accepts inputs, so I run my LD into my SVHS machine and use the converter box. A detail but pertinent. When you look at replacing your plasma, be sure the new panel has excellent top of the range upconversion. That and b&w were major criteria that caused me to purchase my Bravia a few years back. It had at that time, hands down the best upscaler, and I have a large LD / DVD collection. Being able to have 1080p upscaled to 4k and always look good is a major requirement if you're going to continue with lower res media at a reasonable price. Little converter box like you purchased plus great upscaler get happy movie watching. Enjoy the journey.

HDNLUVNIT · Apr 22, 2024

ChristopherP said:
Nice solution Slante, Great find. I use a kanex box for the same thing. I'm sure if you search here you'll find folks who know who repairs in the region, perhaps Chicago area? Most cases a belt change is DIY. If you find a shop with working units, buy two store one. This is what I did. Also, I have a higher end SVHS machine which accepts inputs, so I run my LD into my SVHS machine and use the converter box. A detail but pertinent. When you look at replacing your plasma, be sure the new panel has excellent top of the range upconversion. That and b&w were major criteria that caused me to purchase my Bravia a few years back. It had at that time, hands down the best upscaler, and I have a large LD / DVD collection. Being able to have 1080p upscaled to 4k and always look good is a major requirement if you're going to continue with lower res media at a reasonable price. Little converter box like you purchased plus great upscaler get happy movie watching. Enjoy the journey.

I am curious about the SVHS machine between your LD and the converter box. What does it bring to the party? I, too, have an old Sony high end SVHS machine that is not currently a part of my HT setup - but it could be.
I also appreciate your comments regarding the Sony Bravia. I have been trying to get myself back up to speed with all things HT after about a 15 year hiatus. While I read with great interest about the new OLED TV's, the Sony Bravia mini LED has caught my attention for a number of reasons. I have always had a preference for Sony TV's - though I did find it curious to read (Sound and Vision April/May 2024) that at this year's CES, Sony did not have a single TV at their booth. Apparently, this is not the first time that has happened. That seems odd.

ChristopherP · Apr 22, 2024

HDNLUVNIT said:
I am curious about the SVHS machine between your LD and the converter box. What does it bring to the party? I, too, have an old Sony high end SVHS machine that is not currently a part of my HT setup - but it could be.
I also appreciate your comments regarding the Sony Bravia. I have been trying to get myself back up to speed with all things HT after about a 15 year hiatus. While I read with great interest about the new OLED TV's, the Sony Bravia mini LED has caught my attention for a number of reasons. I have always had a preference for Sony TV's - though I did find it curious to read (Sound and Vision April/May 2024) that at this year's CES, Sony did not have a single TV at their booth. Apparently, this is not the first time that has happened. That seems odd.

My SVHS unit is and SLV-R1000. It has a flip down front and jog/shuttle wheel. Accepts S-video inputs. It was TOTL in its day. They made a higher end unit, very rare but better build. I love this thing; it’s what motivated finding the S-video to HDMI conversion box. Having the input is icing on the cake. You can see from the earlier shot I am into tape, so I still have all my VHS and Home movies in the house and some in storage. It’s amazing how much media has changed. BTW, AVNirvana is my primary source for HT. Hope that answers your question.

Best, Chris

HDNLUVNIT · Apr 22, 2024

ChristopherP said:
My SVHS unit is and SLV-R1000. It has a flip down front and jog/shuttle wheel. Accepts S-video inputs. It was TOTL in its day. They made a higher end unit, very rare but better build. I love this thing; it’s what motivated finding the S-video to HDMI conversion box. Having the input is icing on the cake. You can see from the earlier shot I am into tape, so I still have all my VHS and Home movies in the house and some in storage. It’s amazing how much media has changed. BTW, AVNirvana is my primary source for HT. Hope that answers your question.

Best, Chris

Thanks, Chris. I will have to check the model number on mine but I am pretty sure it is exactly the same as yours. Yes, media has changed a GREAT deal over the years. I do regret getting rid of my old Sony Betamax unit - if for no other than nostalgic reasons. IMHO, it was the better format. I recently tossed about a dozen HD-DVD's having tossed the HD-DVD player years ago. Remember that format war?

ChristopherP · Apr 22, 2024

Yes, I do. I agree about the technical superiority of the betamax. I waited on getting a great deck until the wars were over and Sony threw in the towel. Their SLV-R1000 and pro version were excellent decks, but others were more robust. The tech turned up in the Hi-8 format later. I have one of those Hi-8 mono decks, but haven't installed it in the system. I never went for HD-DVDs, I stuck with DVDs using the Sony NS3100es. My daily driver now is an Oppo 203 UHD and everything else player. Wish I'd bought two.

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