Question Please help me set up a new 5.1 system with my projector

crb999

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Hi, I'm new here and I've glanced through a few pages to see if anybody else has raised my questions but there's over 1500 pages, so I didn't get far!

I thought my requirement would have been sorted a long time ago, but I find virtually nothing.

So, I'm using an Epson projector, which, When I'm using it, is behind me.

I had a Samsung 5:1 surround sound system DVD player and the speakers but it is broken. It sat behind me too.

Seems time for an upgrade I thought!

Blu-Ray makes sense, but I cant find one with the 5:1 plus speaker set up that I had.

As I'm fitting this into a new room, I thought it would be easy to find either a blue tooth or wifi speaker system for the front three speakers, ie front left, front centre and front right, to save the pain and the uglyness of running the wires all round the room.

The rear pair can be wired as they are sited close to the DVD player, behind me near the projector. That applies to the SW too.

I've found systems claiming "WiFi" and "Bluetooth" but on examination, they use these forms of communication to get the music or whatever, from my phone to their amplifiers.

No use to me!

Now the Samsung did it all, and to my 80 year old ears and eyes, was fine.

It seems if I go Blu ray, I have to have the player, then a 5:1 system that can handle the signal from the player, then some sort of transmitter to get the three front speaker signals over to them and then some sort of receiver/decoder for those front three speakers.

I've spent hours on the Amazon site and many others, trying to theoretically piece together a workable system, to no avail.

Then I found you guys and gals and so I hope I am tapping into a wondrous source of knowledge :)

It looks like I'll have to run the speaker wires round the room after all even if I actually draw back from 5:1 and just settle with a sound bar at the front! But even then, what do I look for that would tell me that one Blu-Ray player will give the right signals and have the correct connectors for a sound bar or a 5:1 system?

However, I'm certain some of you will have gone through these loops as well and so I rather hope you'll be able to guide me on different solutions.

Regards

Chris
 
Can anyone help this chap?
 
Hi, I'm new here and I've glanced through a few pages to see if anybody else has raised my questions but there's over 1500 pages, so I didn't get far!

I thought my requirement would have been sorted a long time ago, but I find virtually nothing.

So, I'm using an Epson projector, which, When I'm using it, is behind me.

I had a Samsung 5:1 surround sound system DVD player and the speakers but it is broken. It sat behind me too.

Seems time for an upgrade I thought!

Blu-Ray makes sense, but I cant find one with the 5:1 plus speaker set up that I had.

As I'm fitting this into a new room, I thought it would be easy to find either a blue tooth or wifi speaker system for the front three speakers, ie front left, front centre and front right, to save the pain and the uglyness of running the wires all round the room.

The rear pair can be wired as they are sited close to the DVD player, behind me near the projector. That applies to the SW too.

I've found systems claiming "WiFi" and "Bluetooth" but on examination, they use these forms of communication to get the music or whatever, from my phone to their amplifiers.

No use to me!

Now the Samsung did it all, and to my 80 year old ears and eyes, was fine.

It seems if I go Blu ray, I have to have the player, then a 5:1 system that can handle the signal from the player, then some sort of transmitter to get the three front speaker signals over to them and then some sort of receiver/decoder for those front three speakers.

I've spent hours on the Amazon site and many others, trying to theoretically piece together a workable system, to no avail.

Then I found you guys and gals and so I hope I am tapping into a wondrous source of knowledge :)

It looks like I'll have to run the speaker wires round the room after all even if I actually draw back from 5:1 and just settle with a sound bar at the front! But even then, what do I look for that would tell me that one Blu-Ray player will give the right signals and have the correct connectors for a sound bar or a 5:1 system?

However, I'm certain some of you will have gone through these loops as well and so I rather hope you'll be able to guide me on different solutions.

Regards

Chris
The obvious solution would be an AV receiver to connect all your devices and speakers, that said a decent bluray player with dual HDMI out and a soundbar would work.
A good idea of a budget would be useful.
 
Thanks for responding.

couple of problems in the communication.
Who are you? It's nice to know who you're taiking to.

What is an 'av' receiver? What would it cost? I guess it means 'audio/video' but why would I need the video?

What is dual hdmi? I know what dual is but why would I need 2 hdmi outputs?
As to budget, I want a perfect system for the smallest price.
My age dictates a low frequency range so hifi is not required.

As I think I mentioned, I want to have a wire less connection to only the front three speakers, left, centre and right.
Can you stick some names to the various parts of the equipment you mentioned so I can look at specs to see what it's all about.

Regards

Chris
 
Hi Chris an AV receiver is a amplifier that is used to convert video and audio from say a bluray player and send it to the correct output, speakers and display much like your Sony did, only generally better. Dual HDMI is exactly as it sounds 2 HDMI outs it would enable you to send sound to 1 device and video to another its not necessary but can be handy.
Will explain more later as I have to work now.

Razy60
 
Hi Chris,
If your after something like this
Then fine, but if your after something better then you are looking at spending a fair bit more plus if you don't want wires then even more. The simplest solution is something like the Panasonic dpb450 bd player and the polk sound bar, with the dual HDMI from the player video to the PJ and a single long HDMI or optical cable to the sound bar, there are other solutions but again budget is the key..
Which PJ do you have?

Razy60
 
Hi razy60, thanks for your response.

My pj is theEpson EH-TW650, and of course, it sits behind me so a 'wireless' connection to speakers that naturally sit behind me, is completely redundant.
I haven't looked at the Sony spec you kindly provided but will.
I can, and it looks like I will have to, run cables round the room, ah well!

Trying to keep up with what can talk to what is another matter altogether.

It was all so easy with the Samsung player. It dealt with the dvd and all the audio with just a single video lead going to the Epson. Those were the days ☺

Regards
Chris
 
Wireless Front LCR (Left, Right, Centre) - is not going to happen and even if it could the Loudspeakers would require individual mains power sockets.

Wireless HDMI - may be an option, though it is far simpler to use an HDMI cable to your projector. How long would the cable run be if you have to run a wire.

Soundbar - with HDMI Inputs and Outputs will potentially mean no additional speakers and speaker cable. How suitable a Soundbar is for you will depend on your room and room layout.

Room and Room Layout - will dictate what will work in your room.

Joe
 
Hi Joe,
Happy Christmas!
Imagine a room 12 feet square
The projector is in the middle of one wall, the screen in the middle of the opposite wall.

The minimum cable run to the three front speakers, would be 24 ft. But the cable run can't do that, it has to go down to the floor, along, then up and over the door, down to the floor again and round to the speakers. This increases the length by about 20 ft. (down to the floor =5ft, up to the top of the door =7ft and down to the floor again another 7ft)
I've no idea whether you can get an HDMI cable that long!

The ability to get those three signals to the front speakers is a problem.

Most walls have mains sockets on them as mine do, so that is not the problem.

I just have no idea what the magic box that sits between the projector and the front speakers, could be!

Nor can I grasp the protocols that have to be shared between the dvd player and that magic box!

And I don't have any clues as to whether the dvd player(s), have the ability to segregate the three front channels from the rest.

I am resigned to running miles of cable round the room and hiding it in plastic trunking .

Now, if I do that, I guess that actually prevents me from having a sound bar because, afaics, sound bars only take composite signals.

I'm still surprised that this remains a problem. There are thousands of prooectors out there, and they all have faced this conundrum!

Ah well, onwards and upwards I guess.

If anybody has any ideas on this problem, I'd love to hear.

Best regards

Happy holiday

Chris
 
Last edited:
Sorry Joe, the room is 12 feet square not 1 foot :)

And I just found out how to edit ☺
 
Last edited:
Your options for audio are either a Soundbar, Soundbar + Sub or AVR with wired speakers plus Sub.

You can run a long HDMI cable from a Soundbar or AVR to a Projector - if you go with a Soundbar + Wireless Sub you can minimise the wiring to just the long cable to the Projector.

Joe
 
Thanks Joe.

Razy60 made a good suggestion and I'm following that.

Thanks razy60

We can consider the matter closed!

Is there a procedural way of closing this off that I need to follow?

Regards

Chris
 

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