I need the LOT!!!

[julianmarksmith]

Hello All,

Apologies for a start, I'm a total newbie to all this and need some help for a complete refurb of my flat.

All your advice and ideas are welcome, my budget's about 2 grand, give or take.

I'll outline what I'm after and I'm hoping you can all point me in the right direction..............

The room is approx 3 metres wide. I've been advised on a 46" TV and have been looking at the SONY 46" LCD BRAVIA KDL-46V2500 , is that good advice? is it a good tv?

I've had an HDMI cable chased into the wall, the tv will be hung there so no wires show, I didn't realise the price of brackets! they seem well expensive - any advice there?

I want to connect a DVD recorder with hardrive thats HD ready, a cable V+ box, surround sound (all ideas considered from 5.1 to 7.2) with wireless speakers and if poss connect my pc, I may buy a desktop seperately but at present have a laptop with CGA connection.

I've seen HMDI selectors to allow me to connect the units and then run a single HDMI cable to the tv but is that what I should get? I really need particular help with the audio requirements. Do I need an amp? I want surround sound for all channels, not just when playing a dvd. I've just learnt about 7.2 but is it worth it and what about all the Blue-Ray stuff??!!!, i want wireless so nothing is showing, is that possible and does it degrade the quality?

5m of HDMI cable from Maplins is £49.99 - obviously the cable and connections are the most important thing but is this a good deal?

Lastly - universal remote controls for it all, what should I get?

Thanks for all your help - I've changed my mind more times than a groom on the morning of the wedding!!!!!

Cheers all
Jules

[CactuarCat]

Many recommend the Harmony 325 for a remote control.

If you shop around for HDMI leads, you may find a better quality lead for cheaper.

If it's a flat, how big is it? If not very then you may want to go for some really good stereo speakers with a sub.

If you want wireless bear in mind the range of speakers you can buy is restricted and they will have to have batteries in them (which need changing!).

[hornydragon]

Originally Posted by julianmarksmith

Hello All,

Apologies for a start, I'm a total newbie to all this and need some help for a complete refurb of my flat.

All your advice and ideas are welcome, my budget's about 2 grand, give or take.

OK lets take a step back here Refurb as in redecorate? or just refurb the electronics/entertainment system? I personaly would run mile from a sony for this use (infact any use in my opinion, they are useless) If your redecorating etc no need to look at wireless speakers you can install all the cables, Where abouts is the flat?

[julianmarksmith]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies. Its a complete refurb as in I gutted the place. The cable and electrics were chased in but I didn't have time to buy the speakers or anything else before it was re-plastered and its too late now.

I want wireless purely for the 'asthetic' value of having no trailing wires. I obviously want a good sound but its only for watching movies and sport, I'm not talking crystal clear opera or anything!!

Thanks if you can point me in the right direction.

[hornydragon]

it is still possible to have a very discrete install dont suppose you had speaker wires chased in at all did you? Even with wireless speakers you still need power (wireless power is still a fair off for domestic use) IMO it will porbably cost you more to go wireless than retro fit the cabling especially if the flat is platered but not decorated. Without seeing the flat it hard to say whats suitable do you have any photos?

[wywywywy]

I guess flooring is not in yet?
Floor-sockets are a good option - even more discret than wall sockets.

Oh and unless you can afford the X-series, otherwise I wouldn't consider a Sony.

[hornydragon]

Originally Posted by wywywywy

Oh and unless you can afford the X-series, otherwise I wouldn't consider a Sony.

Still wouldnt consider Sony

[julianmarksmith]

OK, I'll take the advice on the Sony but noone's suggested anything different?

The floor is in, and going to be carpeted, so need cable in a hurry, CactuarCat mentioned a better quality for cheaper - any websites or shops please?

What about the size of the TV and the HDMI switcher?

Sorry no pics at the moment. I'll try and get some on my phone and post them.

I'd really appreciate some help asap, looking in "What Hi-fi" did my head in! I can get any TV cheap so have about £1500 to spend on the rest but need to spend fast on some of the items to get it ready.

Thanks again

Jules

[hornydragon]

Jules where are you? I think you perhaps need some on site advice as it isnt easy to get what you need and suggest the kit. Its hard to suggest wothout knowing more there are system that offer the surround sound feel without all the speakers but unless room is perfect they dissappoint. Also wat about the kit? in a cupboard? open rack in another room?

[wywywywy]

Originally Posted by julianmarksmith

OK, I'll take the advice on the Sony but noone's suggested anything different?

Try Samsung's M series.

[hornydragon]

Originally Posted by wywywywy

Try Samsung's M series.

Frying pan to fire in my opinion

[julianmarksmith]

Thanks fellas,
Its been full on the last few days getting the place ready.
Cheers Dragon - I live in Letchworth - Herts, 30 miles north of London. There's a place in Stevenage that has a demo room and advertises in What Hi-Fi but haven't had time to go there.
Some decent cables on Play.com who are having a bit of a sale and there's a few codes out there so I may take a chance.

Its ground-rush now, I'll just have to buy and be damned!!!

Cheers

[rdmbfossa]

Dont know if you got a wall mount bracket. But these are excellent for the price.

Tilting Plasma/LCD wall bracket up to 60" just £20.80

I bough one last year and am very happy with it. Only thing to consider is that as it is a tilt bracket it sticks out slightly further than a standard bracket, about 7.5cms to the back of the screen, but it does make putting cables in to the back of the tv easier.

[julianmarksmith]

Thanks for that post - the brackets are excellent value and are as good as those 10 times the price. One for TV up to 55" for front room and one for the 32" in the bedroom with a combined cost of £60 and £20 of that was p&p so much appreciated.

cheers
Jules

[MarkP80]

Jules,

There's one thing that, in my experience, is key to getting a good install that you will be happy with in the long term. And that's to take your time.

I would personally advise you to just slow down a bit and really consider what you are trying to achieve and how you can actually achieve it. hornydragon has given you some good advice about speaker cables - if you haven't decorated yet (or even if you have) it's really worth considering getting some cables chased in.

Think about where your equipment rack will be located, what cables you are likely to need, where you are going to run them. Then get them in before your carpet!

There are specific forums here for flat panel tvs - you need to read some of the threads to get a handle on the pros and cons of each model to get a short list of those that suit your needs, then try and demo them.

HTH,
MarkP