Some more thoughts...
Posted over at AV Fourms:
http://www.avforums.com/forums/what...bar-wireless-internet-setup.html#post15096860
Been struggling to find the right home theatre combination for my living room, although I feel like I'm getting closer. I'm a student in the UK on somewhat of tight a budget, but I also have an appreciation for the finer things in AV systems. Any feedback and suggestions on the below would be much appreciated:
First, here's a description of the space I'm working with: about 10 feet (3 meters) of viewing space between the wall the TV will be mounted on and the L-shaped couch. Behind the couch is a large brick wall. The room is a loft-style with very high ceilings and open adjacent kitchen. Most viewing will take place directly on from the L-shaped couch, but wide viewing angles from the adjacent kitchen would be a bonus but not essential.
In terms of use, I mostly watch movies and internet content (i.e., Charlie Rose, Channel 4 on demand, etc.). I have a strong preference for HD content. I really wish Netflix was in the UK as LoveFilm does not offering HD streaming at present. I don't plan on subscribing to Sky, Virgin or BSkyB, and I don't expect to be watching much BBC TV so Freeview is of limited value. I am signed up to Virgins 50MB/sec broadband and get speeds on average of >40MB/sec.
On TV, I think LED would be nice due to slenderness, but I'm not hung up on just LED. Size: probably 36"-42" is the sweet spot, although could go slightly larger (47") or smaller (32"). Really looking for good picture quality for value here. Would ideally like to find a used bargain on gumtree, craigslist, etc.
On TV features, ideally the TV would have access to tons of online HD content which I could stream wirelessly to it. Unfortunately it seems the UK is far behind the U.S./Canada in this department. I have an Android smartphone and Macbook Air, so something like the Plex integration coming with new LG TVs would seem like a great feature for me. Would love to use my Samsung Galaxy S2 as my universal remote!
On sound, I'm definitely more of audiophile than videophile, so would prefer to invest my money in sound (even though the listening space is small).
On audio setup, simplicity and as few wires and wall drilling as possible is also important. I'm wondering a high-end soundbar that I could also mount on the wall and sub combo is the way to go? Either the Yamaha YSP-2200 or the LG HLB54S Blu-ray disc player with speaker system seem like potential options, although I don't think either of these are wall mountable and will need a shelf built for them.
On thing I don't like about the LG is its depth, which will make it stick out from the wall a good distance and negate some of the benefits of a flat panel wall mounted TV. But the integrated Blu-ray player and wireless Sub sounds like a nice feature.
So if I go with the Yamaha, I would need a Blu-Ray player. I used to do some PS3 gaming in the U.S. and I was always intrigued by the UK PS3 add-on Go-Play with DVR functionality, but I promised myself and girlfriend who lives with me that I wouldn't do any gaming until I finish the PhD! Still, would I be better off just getting a PS3 to attach to the Yamaha YSP-2200.
Also, it would be nice to use my audio setup for music, not just movies, even though anything wall mounted won't really be pointed in the right direction for optimum room audio acoustics.
I was also wondering about getting an LCD TV with an integrated Blu-Ray player. Sony makes one, albeit a bit pricey, and Toshiba just came out with a reasonably price one for about £450. Not sure how something like this and the Yamaha YSP-2200 would work?
Thank you for your thoughts!
