Evolution of Home Theater

[Lex]

How many of you that are old enough to have been an adult when the first hi-fi VHS came out, that you stopped and thought, yeah, we will have 5.1 discrete channels someday. So I might as well start by getting that quadraphonic thing going by having 4 speakers running off a 2 channel pre-pro and amp with A/B speaker selectors. I tell you, when I first heard hi-fi VHS, I thought this is special. I for a fact did have hi-fi VHS in the 80s when it first came out. Paying 600 bucks for a Magnavox hi-fi VCR. Ouch. Was it worth it? Well, yes it was. Because it was for a fact what kept my interest in my system going when my rock and roll album buying began to slow.

I think where I am at now, vs. where I was at then, and think wow, what a transformation. Who would have dreamed of CD sized movies, and a 301 disc changer to hold them all back then. I would like to say those were the good old days. But I have to say in fact, "these are the good old days". That stuff early on was but a taste of a delicacy so sweet, as to beg you to say more more more.

Maybe Laser disc got some of you first? Does anyone have the dates on the intro if hi-fi VCRs and how they compare to Laser disc? I am thinking Laser didn't come along until the early 90s. But that could be incorrect.

I then evolved to Dolby Pro-Logic just after my divorce in around 1992-3 I think. BTW, in 1981 I bought the first contemporary cabinet Sony 26" television. Still a beautiful set, though not cable ready, even today with it's Pecan vaneer cabinet. A Technics DPL got me into 5 channel sound. I used my Paradox Rhinos from my 2 channel days. (in my museum now), used a Pioneer 60 buck center, and a pair of Bose 4000s for rears. Sometimes, I used the Bose on the front because the Rhinos were aging drastically. It was after I moved in my new house 2 years after my divorce that DPL began to be phased out.

Lex




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[George Bellefontaine]

I believe Discovision(the first type of laser disc) came out in the seventies and true laser disc,I believe started in the mid to late eighties.
I'm not sure when the first VHS-Hi-Fi was introduced, but I bought my first vcr around 1980-81.My first Hi-Fi vcr was about 1983 or 4.Like you, Lex, I got my first Dolby Pro Logic receiver around 1991 or 2. Yeah, we've come a long way,baby. From Pro-Logoc to DD 5:1 and now I am the proud father of a 6:1 system, and approaching 900 of those shiny discs that contain movies.




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[John Holmes]

Yes the good old days! I remember having a Quadrophonic stereo by Electraphonic, hehehe. It even had a built in 8-track. When I went to the military, my little brothers and sisters destroyed it. That was good times!

Funny, I don't recall when exactly vcr's went stereo but, I bought my first Laserdisc player while I was in Germany in Dec of 83. It was a Pioneer 600 series (I think). It was a top load unit, greyish plastic, and no remote. If you wanted a remote, you could order one that had a cord...now that's old! That was my love Boy, I had a lot of music laserdisc in those days.

Lex, you are right, I never saw the advancement that we enjoy today coming. I don't think that I thought about how much better it may get. I was too busy enjoying what I had at the time (something we all need to do more of today, including me!).

One last note. That laserdisc player was in the shop more than I ever got to use it. :B

Cool thread Lex!




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[Markj]

First hifi vcr was bought in 1984. DPL receiver was acquired in 1986. House payments stared after that so the laser years were skipped. Went to friend’s houses to watch laserdiscs. I like the digital age much better with DVDs, widescreen and sound formats that put you in the film!

[P-Dub]

I remember those discovision deals, you slid the movie into the machine with the jacket.

My first experience with Laserdisc was around late 80's. I remember a time in the summer of '87 when I saw Top Gun in a store somewhere. That was so cool.

DPL I briefly experienced around the early 90's. I knew one day I'd get some kind of system, but didn't look to further.

The most we ever had at home was a Hi-Fi vcr, and I hooked the audio out to my boom box. I thought that was so cool.

And in the past 2 years. Hey, it's exactly 2 years ago that I bought my DD setup, front speakers, receiver, sub, and dvd player. I've come a long way. And there's still so far to go.




Paul

There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count, and those that can't.

[Andrew Pratt]

well I'm not nearly as old as some here (wink wink) but I've been through the mono VCR's split into an old console stereo through the various dolby surround and pro logic days to where we're at now. Its been a great ride and one I'll not likely find a way off

[Kevin P]

How about my very first "home theater", where I took a 12" B&W TV in my bedroom (which was there for my TRS-80 CoCo), and connected it via the earphone jack to an amplifier and speakers I salvaged out of a defunct stereo phonograph. Circa 1984, and it really improved the sound. BTW, I watched Star Wars on this rig when it was first broadcast on network television in the early '80s.

After I moved into my first apartment the first two things I bought were a 19" color TV and a Fisher HiFi VCR (top of the line at the time--cost me $750). Initially I connected this to an Aiwa boom box with detachable speakers, and got to experience movies (VHS HiFi) in stereo for the first time. Later on I got a real stereo (real receiver, speakers, etc.) and hooked the VCR to that, and used it to watch TV and movies. Eventually, I moved up to a 27" TV ('91), DPL ('92), and LaserDisc ('93), and then everything was unchanged until '99 when I got a DD/DTS receiver (Yammie 795) and DVD player (Pioneer 414). Then starting late '99 (after paying off the car!) came the BIG upgrades: Platinum speakers (Oct. '99, finally have matching speakers all around), Pronto (Feb. 2000), 16:9 HD-RPTV (March 2000), Outlaw 1050 receiver (summer 2000), SVS sub (Oct. 2000), and last but not least, the Sony 9000ES SACD/progressive DVD player (Dec. 2000). And in February, the Fisher VCR I bought in '87 finally bit the dust so I picked up a cheap JVC 3800 S-VHS to replace it.

Now there's nothin' left to upgrade (well, almost nothin'... I can always add some CATCables!) On the bright side, now I can save up for a laptop.

KJP




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[Andrew Pratt]

Kevin that story sounds familar Was that a CoCo3? Thats the model I had...ah yes using a realistic tape recorder to save basic programs I'd spent hours typing in only to find they had a bug or typo in them

[Kevin P]

Yeah, I've posted that story on a few forums over the years...and probably on TTP as well

And it was the original CoCo, circa 1981. Silver case, chiclet keyboard, and 16K of RAM (though it got upgraded to 64K in '84). Early adopter.

[KennyG]

At first I was just jazzed to have a hi-fi VCR...high quality 2 channel movies were awesome!!!
Then I got a Denon reciever with Dolby surround(reciever? yukk!) "are you kiddin' me...movies with surround sound?" AWESOME!!!
I never even dream of 5 discreet channels.
Now I'm scheming on 6.1 or 7.1 mods to my preamp.

[Bob]

My first home theater experience was at my parents home. It was there before I was born. I grew up with my fathers collection of 16mm movies and 8mm movies, and slide shows. He turned the garage into a HT with a projection both and folding chairs. He belonged to a small Hi-fi club and built his own speakers and electronics. His idea of birthday and Christmas presents for me often consisted of various Heathkit projects. We even built our own TV.
I also collected films as a adult and had a very large 16mm collection at one time. The cost of properly storing it made VHS seem very attractive. Turns out, of course, that VHS has a much shorter life span than film. As do LD's, and we don't yet know about DVDs. Anyways, the films have all been sold, and no more projectors to thread. Now my HT is digital and all about sound. Although, for me the sound thing has really lost it's fascination. Love listening to music on my system but, am way over playing movies loud. Back to watching movies for their content and being wowed by the magic of movie making. Yup, after 36 years of being on numerous movie sets I still get excited by watching actors act, examining a directors choice of shots and editing techniques, and still constantly amazed at the ever new camera moves.
You think special effects are something? Next time you watch a movie pretend you are the camera and start thinking about how it gets from one angle to another, it is far more complicated than most special effects, and usually so well done you have never even noticed it.

[George Bellefontaine]

Very interesting post,Bob. BTW, when I was a teenager, the first thing I bought after I got a part time job was an 8mm projector, and later a camera.I used to import silent 8mm films from a US company called Blackhawk.Ah, nostalgia.




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[GregoriusM]

PONG!

Does that count as a first foray into Home Theater??? I know that everyone in the room watched when we played it, and definitely had to have a go with the rifle at shooting the bouncing square.

Hmmmmmmmmm....... I think the beeps were mono, so I don't think it could be counted as HiFi.

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Also, I used to love my Dad's reel-to-reel tape recorder (stereo, no less), with the 8-track tape slot in the side. Played through our beautifully wood encased ClairTone four-legged console stereo system. He used to say cassettes could never match the sound at the slow speed they ran at. "Reel" pain when you wanted to change tapes, too. And talk about "big" tapes!!!


... Greg

And where is my Commodore Vic-20 when I need it? I'm sure I could program it to tape my favorite shows on my VCR! Ya think?

[Lex]

Bob, truly a great post by you! I love the story, and the general well, um, evolution!

As some of you know, Bob visited me about a month ago in Knoxville. We had truly an outstanding day, that even included a speaker purchase! lol. I know Bob thought I was nuts. We walked into the local hi-fi shop, and there sitting in the floor were the Sonus faber Concertinos. I guess the rest as they say is history. Bob has a great room for his music and theater system too. Very Caalifornish!

Lex




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