Video or Audio more important?

[Vick S.]

which do you guys feel is the best to upgrade first? It seems most here are audio nuts.

[Phil Rose]

Well... Personally, I upgraded the audio section of my system since I had a long term love affair with stereo and music in general. Another factor was physical limitations in my family room that prevented me from doing more than a good 32" direct view.

That doesn't mean that the video is less important. In fact, I believe that if you really want to do a great HT the audio system can be perfectly fine as a middle of the road system but the display should be great. But, YMMV.

[Andrew Pratt]

Well I view a HT as a system. As such I usually look to improve my weakest links in the system anytime I upgrade. For me at the moment thats my TV and my receiver...both are in the process of being upgraded soon. So to answer your questions I guess it depends whats your weakest link.
Would you please take a moment to descibe your system in your profile. Doing so really helps us to more accurately suggest something or answer questions etc.

[Mike Temple]

Depends on what is your weakest link.
I personally was blown away after getting a 50" RPTV and watching movies again on it. Without it, I personally need to sit too close to a smaller TV when watching 2.35 letterboxed movies, or it feels like I'm watching a real wide 13" TV.

The good part about the audio upgrade is that you can do it one piece at a time, speakers, center channel, sub, and reciever. This makes it feel like less of a hit on the wallet even though you eventually go a little over budget on each piece, which quickly adds up!

[migliore]

I think real good video can be more expensive than real good audio. Besides, most people have different opinions on audio stuff. Most people are in agreement as to what video equipment is good, and what defines good video equipment.

Besides, audio is more fun

Rob




Reviews and System

[Markj]

I think we (the member of this forum) are general HT nuts. So both are important and as said before you look for the weak link in your system. I have been in the audio side for some time now and am starting to look at my options on the video side. I still have upgrades to the audio that I want but my weakest part of my system is video. The only thing slowing me down is money.

[KennyG]

Welcome Vick...I'm in the process of upgrading my video right now. I came into HT from the audio end of things, and my sound system was so far ahead of my video display that it was almost embarassing. So I'm just waiting on stuff to arrive!!!
Before upgrading you've gotta look at your system and figure out the weakest link.

[Lexman]

Great question Vick! Also, welcome to htguide!

Myself, I seem to have always been fascinated with stereo equipment. One of a few people back in 1973-1974 to have "tower" speakers, an integrated amplifier, seperate tuner, cassette, and CD player. Oh wait! CD wasn't even around then. That was a turntable come to think of it that played those round discs.

It seems ironic that the video end got me seriously into home theater AFTER I had owned a pro-logic receiver. Yes, I set it up as 5 channel, but I never really got serious into it with laser disc and such.

All because I upgraded VCRs, things started to happen, rofl. Then a big screen, then, then, then... I am not sure why I chose to upgrade to nearly the max, the audio side. I guess audio is just a little more sexy, more bells and whistles AND, it does double duty for HT and music. I think that's what lures most people to be interested in audio more than video.

I would love to have HDTV/front projection, and a progressive DVD player/changer. But I chose to spend so much on audio, that I simply had to put on the breaks. Actually, with all the changes in video lately, it's probably just as well I did. But you know, I don't think they will ever stop the changes. Simply, if they do, they know they loose our business for a very long time.

I must try and resist all the latest formats that require new hardware. Fortunately, as long as it doesn't require more than 7 channels plus a subwoofer, I can simply upgrade e-proms for my Lexicon as new formats come out just as I did to get EX this year.

In the end, I go with the advice to upgrade whatever needs to be upgraded most, but a certain size screen is necessary to really enjoy the home theater experience. I think that size is no less than 32-35". Now, if your seriously into music, that changes the equation drastically.

Lex

[Huskerduck]

Hmmmmm Ive been asking the same for about 20 years now and still havent got it right, I always get cold feet or "sticker shock" when it comes to "doing it RIGHT" (definately in the audio aspect)
Lets just say Ive been getting by so long If I had just saved up 1 time and done it right I would be set, but theres always that $600 DD5.1/DTS reciever that was originally $1200 on the shelf that gets me or those $400 Bi/Dipole surrounds that are ONLY $200 today and as always I go that route Instead of doing it right the first time and sort of acquire a closet full of old "stuff" in the process so In the end My audio Is alright for movies but is far from audiophile or referance which for me has worked because my type of preferred music Isnt really music that needs it ( metal-like Metallica, Megadeth, and Older Rock like Rush, Van Halen, AC/DC type crud) When I watch Pink Floyd s "the Wall" and Metallicas S&M too me my system sounds awesome but If Lex would come over he would probably cringe, never the less I add a subwoofer here and a better Center there but again they are always "Deals"
Video on the other hand was the thing I never witnessed anything I thought was worth the price in a " Bigscreen RearProjectionTV " ( and dont have room nor dark enough area to put a FrontProjectionTV) untill DVD came around, after that it became quickly evident what I had wasnt working which was a 36" direct view
I couldnt deal with the black bars and small picture with DVD so I spent a year checking all options and in the mean time witnessed HDTV and that was my downfall
Since spending $5000 on a widescreen set was out of my budget I stumbled on an HD ready widescreen and DTC-100 (HDTV SetTopBox)for $3000 and took the plunge and can say Ive enjoyed Hundreds of movies and some HDTV since then
So now my answer swings to the same as everyone elses, what your the most needy in and in my case is now Audio

I also give a big ole WELCOME to the Forum
Mark




Mark


Ducks Meager Theater

[JonMarsh]

Well, I'm listening to music right now, while working on different things, and that's a giveaway of my priorities. From two years ago the system balance has changed TOTALLY, as far as the living room is concerned, going from a 4.1 (phantom center) surround setup with a 16:9 Sony 400Q projector and HTPC, with a pretty decent speaker setup (homebrew dual scanspeak woofer towers in front, D'Appollito MTM bookshelfs for rears, 250W/channel on mains, 125/channel on surrounds, 400W on custom sub) to what is currently an audio only two channel rig, new speakers, biamped, new preamp, new custom electronic crossover, new SACD player. I hope Lex would approve! Video is only one of my HTPC'sin the bedroom through an NEC 29" presentation monitor. It's nice for those more "intimate" movies, but I've got a tall pile of DVD's that I'm not playing until I have video in the living room again. And I'm having trouble deciding what to get, and how much I'm willing to invest. Uh, maybe that's not the right word- investments earn money, right? VPL10HT? LP350? The new baby JVC D-ILA? All have their pluses and minuses. If I could find another 400Q like the one we found for ThomasW's mom, I'd be tempted by that. I've had three different FPTV setups, and I think I'm probably going that way again- my RPTV is in the duaghter's bedroom, has been for quite a while. It's calibrated to within an inch of it's life, but it's not HDTV ready, so .....

I know, I know, everyone should have such problems. Well, my bank account isn't real happy with me lately anyway, so this may wind up having to wait until next Chrismas. Thank heavens for the NECXM29 Plus...

Welcome to the forums here at HTGUIDE!

-Jon

This is a never ending quest, or almost, it seems. I doubt I'm going to be upgrading the speakers, other than making some Watt/Puppy clones for the rears. T




Earth First!
_______________________________
We'll screw up the other planets later....

[SiliGoose]

My couch is even more important than both!

I wouldn't make substantial video upgrades until the HDTV growing pains are over. Use this (hopefully short term) period to give yourself the audio system you've always wanted.

One more observation: People who come to my HT expect good video. Its when they hear the quality of the audio that they start asking questions. I really think the audio sneeks up on them. They just don't realize how powerful soundtracks can be.




-Sili

[Vick S.]

thank you for the replys and the question about my equipment list is easy to complete.
Lets just say it is kind of bleak in all areas but I'm planning some big purchases very soon with some money I fell into.
I like going to movies but it is so expensive I could buy a Home Theater with what I spend in a year at the theaters.
I just bought a DVD player and love it but my TV now seems like a dwarf when letterbox mode is picked.

[DavidY]

IMO, audio is more important. The main reason IMO is that the video side of things is in a bit a flux...minimal, but growing number of HDTV channels, costly HDTV-ready TV's (around US$2K minimum). Also, most importantly, my room size (10'x20'x8' apartment living room, shared with dining table and computer desk) does not really support a 40"+ HDTV-ready TV. Even my recently purchased 32" TV is kinda big at a viewing distance of 7' or so.

IMO, the audio part of the system is more important because I use it for music also. In addition, there appears to be more differences/opinions in audio than in video. That's just my guess.

Dave

[Will Binegar]

I guess I'd answer in terms of emphasis rather than importance. I want both picture and sound to be the best possible, and I do put considerable energy (and money!) into getting the best picture I can swing. But I think that audio plays a larger role in the degree to which we are immersed in the movie experience.

There was a study some time ago that compared otherwise identical videoconference facilities, with the variable being the sound quality. The difference between the two systems was that the audio in one system was allocated double the bandwidth for audio transmission. Now we're talking about telephonic audio, certainly nothing even approaching a decent radio in quality. But what was interesting is that the focus groups reported better picture in the system with enhanced audio.