Current Halo software version and update issues

[nicholtl]

I'm just wondering for you married guys, how you negotiate the "expendable income" which I assume, is normally reserved for anything you, your wife, or your kids want? Don't audio components tip the scales of spending heavily to your side? Doesn't that mean to even things up a bit, you owe her a (or several) pieces of diamond jewelry?

[cameronl]

i don't tell my wife how much it costs

CaM

[Peter Nielsen]

I'm just wondering for you married guys, how you negotiate the "expendable income" which I assume, is normally reserved for anything you, your wife, or your kids want? Don't audio components tip the scales of spending heavily to your side? Doesn't that mean to even things up a bit, you owe her a (or several) pieces of diamond jewelry?

No, I don't upgrade that often. My previous audio equipment was good for almost 20 years. Now it was time to upgrade. I plan on keeping my Maggies, the JC1s, A51, and T3 for 20 years. I will probably upgrade the C2 to a future model provided that Parasound keeps the visual appearance matching with the current Halo line. (The same goes for a future Parasound DVD).

Peter

[Brian]

It's easy, the expendable income is mine and whatever is left is hers. For awhile though, I thought my name had been changed to "Jerk".

[NMyTree]

I'm just wondering for you married guys, how you negotiate the "expendable income" which I assume, is normally reserved for anything you, your wife, or your kids want? Don't audio components tip the scales of spending heavily to your side? Doesn't that mean to even things up a bit, you owe her a (or several) pieces of diamond jewelry?

I don't negotiate anything whenn it comes to my Audio gear. Nor do I tell her the cost. It's none of her business.

I'm the main money earner in the house, and the one supports this family. She works, but doesn't make much money.

I set my priorities. My son's health and welfare (as well as his college fund) comes first. Then, our bills, expenses and Savings. The audio gear comes last. I save for months and months...before plunking down for a few pieces of gear. It's a cycle......I save..save...save, then, I buy...buy..buy. Then the cycle repeats itself.

My family doesn't sacrifice anything or go without anything they need. Plus I still account for some of the other pleasures in life; going out to dinner, movies, vacations, day trips, and buying DVD movies, CDs and other stuff we may want. Of course, there has to be a balance and budget to spending and saving.

I pull more than my weight and fullfill my end of the responsibilities.

My yard is clean.

She has nothing to complain or bitch about :B

[nicholtl]

Wow, that's cool. I always thought (based on everyone on forums always talking about WAF) that wives knowing how much audio gear costs was part of the equation, along with what fits in the decor, what goes where, etc. But I guess I could liken this to my dad's passion, which is golf. He goes out and buys new clubs all the time, and he probably doesn't tell my mom every time he does. I think your guys' approach is what I want to take when I get married. And that is:

"it's none of her business." 8)

[NMyTree]

She has nothing to complain or bitch about :B

Make no mistake, the above is true. But that doesn't mean she doesn't try (complaining and bitching). Once in a while...she gives it shot. :B :E :B

I simply respond with "Shall we discuss the manner and wisdom you utilize when spending your check? "

That stops it dead in it's tracks.

[Chetk]

I think it boils down to respect. I discuss every purchase decision with my wife. I'm building a new computer and I tell her when I'm buying and how much each component costs.

We budget EVERYTHING. We plan our income vs. our needs and wants. I paid off my $23,000 home theater in one year and didn't pay a penny of interest. We agreed that we would do without other things while paying it off to avoid the massive amout of interest that would have accrude.

Really, it's all about priorities. I take care of my wife. Anything she needs, she gets. I even enjoy showering her with things the "wants". But, I don't get things that I want if we can't afford them. It's a two way street.

Also, I highly recommend Quicken or MS Money to sync up your bank account and credit cards. I know exactly how much money I have (or don't have) on a daily basis.

You can't allow money to control you. You have to control your money.

One last note: Financial security is not based on how much you make, it's based on how much you spend.

[nicholtl]

It seems to me like a lot of people (not necessarily the members here, just in general) use the philosophy that whoever the main breadwinner is in the household, they automatically become "Man of the House."

It's a social phenomenon I learned in my sociology class. That's why a lot of the time, when women are the primary income providers in a household, the man is relegated (whether it's of his own voluntary desire or not) to do more of what is traditionally reserved for women homemakers do. That is, take care of the house, the kids, soccer practice, groceries, dinner, etc.

So it seems that along those lines, whoever brings in the dough is the one who gives orders, and whoever gives orders is the one who buys whatever they want. I really have no idea, I'm just asking, since this is very interesting and somewhere down the road, perhaps in 6 years, I'll be getting married, and I'd like to know what is generally the accepted practice.

Unless, of course, it's simply a matter of "to each his own," and/or respect, as chetk said.

[RJKuzma]

Halo controller software update???

This is all a very nice discourse on the sociological aspects of marriage and personal respect, but can we please return this thread to the issue of software update issues with the Halo controller? I subscribed to this thread so I will be aware of the latest information about the upgrades, not so I will be immediately notified about someone's philosophy on the give and take of marriage. Please, can we return to the original subject of this thread?

[Chris CRt]

This is all a very nice discourse on the sociological aspects of marriage and personal respect, but can we please return this thread to the issue of software update issues with the Halo controller? I subscribed to this thread so I will be aware of the latest information about the upgrades, not so I will be immediately notified about someone's philosophy on the give and take of marriage. Please, can we return to the original subject of this thread?

Yeah, WTF is the update? :B

[nicholtl]

Well considering the update is constantly being delayed, I don't see the harm in killing time by discussing other subjects that are interesting and relevant to all humans. For now, just delete the email notifications you receive if it bothers you so.

[Chris D]

Ah... yeah, I don't mind a bit of off-topic stuff here in our club, guys. That's fine, but I would prefer that it be done in a non-sticky topic so that I can put these few sticky topics at the top of our club and keep them for important info.

Don't forget, there's lots of other sub-forums here on HT Guide, including one for off-topic discussion!

Back on track here...

[Chetk]

So, how about that update that was due back in Nov...I mean...um...Dec...or...uh...actually I think it was Jan...?

Yeah, let's keep talking about how the release date keeps getting pushed back. That's super important and interesting.

But I digress. Although I participated in the off-topic discussion, I actually agree that we should try to stay on topic. :B

[Kingdaddy]

With HD (BR) DVD just around the corner the HDMI switching issue will be even more important to me, hope they are still planning a hardware upgrade before my Halo biodegrades back to whatever it was before. There is talk of possibly 8 discreet audio channels on some future BR DVD’s, possibly 2 ch dedicated for tactile transducers maybe even a special channel for one of those motion simulators. I really hate the idea of re buying all my movies yet again, but I would rally hate the idea that my newly acquired psuto-upgradeable processor cant handle the new equipment coming out later this year. I sure would like to see a SDI mod or addition to the C2

[Q-Man]

I called Parasound today to ask a couple of questions. There will not be a hardware update. Just a down loadable software update in a couple of weeks.

[john4618]

I called Parasound today to ask a couple of questions. There will not be a hardware update. Just a down loadable software update in a couple of weeks.

Not a hardware update in a couple of weeks, or not a hardware update ever ?

[nicholtl]

forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever

[Chetk]

Are you being serious? Will Parasound never release a hardware update for the C2 or the C1 or is it still unknown?

[nicholtl]

Still unknown. I think? Hopefully Brent can get back to us on this soon. Sorry, I was being stupid. Trying to bring a moment of levity to our dark, heavy, somber days of waiting.

[Brian]

Well, I also work (part-time) for a Halo dealer and have talked to Parasound and can say that what they have told me as a dealer is opposite of what Q-man was told.
If Parasound wanted the hardware upgrades they are working on public, I'm sure they'd post them on their site. They aren't going to just tell every Tom, Dick and Harry that calls what they have up their sleeve.
Hopefully Brent will chime in and confirm as well.

[smalone]

Is there an exact date yet of the new firmware release or is it still just "weeks" from today?

[SpOoNmAn]

weeks, no set date

[bhuskins]

I would say that it could be as close as a week away. I'll put it this way...the testing I've completed over the past couple of days has shown ZERO flaws...I'll keep everyone posted, but I could see it happening very, very soon.

It's now a matter of which day in the next week or so vs. how many weeks from now.

Everybody hang tight a couple more days and we'll get this update behind us.

Brent Huskins
Media Design

[Swfalcon]

I would say that it could be as close as a week away. I'll put it this way...the testing I've completed over the past couple of days has shown ZERO flaws...I'll keep everyone posted, but I could see it happening very, very soon.

It's now a matter of which day in the next week or so vs. how many weeks from now.

Everybody hang tight a couple more days and we'll get this update behind us.

Brent Huskins
Media Design

A couple of days ?... :P I wish you 'll be right
the hardware upgrade will be announced later ?

thanks

[bhuskins]

I'll know more by midweek, but it should be doable.

[bhuskins]

Expect hardware announcements in March...just like all the other companies are now saying. HDMI is still being ironed out...

[Chris D]

Well yeah, now we have new announcements in the A/V community like SACD possibly transmitting over HDMI, firewire, or proprietary conenctions. We'll see if Parasound wants to get on the bandwagon.

Of course, at some point a company has to say "hey, we're going with the technology upgrades that are available today, not wait for the next thing to come out tomorrow".

[goldear]

If the Halo (and many other SSPs) is going to stay relevant, I would hope that the hardware upgrade include HDMI. While I'm not really concerned with it for video-switching, the talk of HDMI "possibly" being the choice for DD+, HD-DTS and any other high-rez audio transmission is what concerns me. One of the problems with digital fiber optic or coaxial interfaces has always been that they are bandwidth limited...even with regards to 24/96khz material.

[Peter Nielsen]

One of the problems with digital fiber optic or coaxial interfaces has always been that they are bandwidth limited...even with regards to 24/96khz material.

The problem is neither the digital fiber optic or coaxial interfaces per se. The problem is the current standard for these interfaces. It's easy to do a 10 time or even 100 time faster optical interface. However, then it's of course not compatible with old standards any more... Same thing with the coaxial, with the exception that the RCA connector really is limiting. Replace it with a decent connector (e.g. BNC), and it can easily be made faster by magnitudes, albeit breaking current standards...

Peter

[goldear]

That's what I'm talking about...as standards stand today. When 24/96 was the big craze a few years ago, several AES recording engineers were wondering why everyone was in such a hurry to run out and get these 24/96 players when people were still limited by the interface. When I emailed Mike Rivers, who was a part of AES, he sent me back this statement:

"You can pass 24-bit data through the S/PDIF interface, but not 96 kHz sample rate. On the "pro" side, where the AES/EBU digital interface is the norm, there are the same problems, and the pro manufacturers have taken two different approaches, informally called "double-speed" and "double-wide".

The double-wide interface is easiest to implement since it uses standard AES/EBU interface chips and support hardware and firmware. AES/EBU normally carries both channels on a single connector, and this variation splits it into two connectors, each running at half the interface speed (which is twice the sample rate, since it normally carries data for two channels).

The double-fast interface requires different hardware and software to support it. Some manufacturers are offering both now, and hopefully a single standard will emerge."
--
Mike Rivers (I'm really mrivers@d-and-d.com)

I'm assuming that with HDMI, these limitations will no longer exist.

[JamesE]

After reading the information at http://www.vincilabs.com/ I would say that the hardware upgrade is probably a sure thing. If I were Parasound I would not come out with a hardware upgrade until the end of the year when one could be sure that the new standards for HDMI had been established and were not going to change again.

[Chris D]

And so it continues...

[nicholtl]

...If I were Parasound I would not come out with a hardware upgrade until the end of the year when one could be sure that the new standards for HDMI had been established and were not going to change again.

For that reason, I am glad it is not up to you.

[JamesE]

:B What would it accomplish by coming out with it now? What are you missing out on? Would you want to send your C1 in now and send it in again in December if the Movie Studios decide on a different standard. Integra 7.1 is being touted for its upgradablity and modualarity (SP?) But, the people that have bought the thing still don't know what works and what doesn't.http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...17#post5108617

If you had HDMI today what would you do with it?

As far as I am concerned the big attraction of HDMI is that high resolution audio can be brought into the preamp for processing, eq and bass management. The high resolution audio doesn't exist today.

According to Vinci Labs the new DSP modules will be capable of parametic eq--That's exciting! and well worth waiting for. Also, a C2 isn't in my budget yet so it makes it a little easier for me to wait.

[goldear]

Very true. In fact, Anthem has also pushed back their release date for HDMI because they can't be sure what the standard is going to be. I was reading an article a couple months ago about how everything in the A/V market had stabilized with the new formats...and now was the time to buy; I think I see more uncertainty now, than ever before.

On a positive note, Roger Dressler of Dolby did indicate that HDMI will be the standard (at this point) for the delivery of DD+/DTS-HD and any other high-rez audio format. For those without HDMI, they will be able to use the multichannel analog inputs on their SSPs...ala SACD/DVD-A.

[Peter Nielsen]

Yep. The next hardware upgrade needs to be a HALO universal CD/DVD player! AND it is paramount that it can easily be made REGION FREE. If Philips can break the rules with a multi million selling product (DVP-642, $69 at Target/Walmart), Parasound definitely needs to make sure that a code for making their player code free "accidentally" is posted on the internet... :B

Now, where's that software update for the C2 ?! :frypan:

Peter

[Chetk]

Hey, the update ought to be here any minute now.

Brent Huskins
Media Design

[Chetk]

Just kidding Brent. :B

[bhuskins]

that hurts...

:boohoo: :boohoo: :boohoo:

Brent Huskins
Media Design

BTW - It should be out any day!

[smalone]

Any news on the update?

[Chetk]

BTW - It should be out any day!

Unless it comes out at night. Then, it would be "any" night.

But, I just realized that you are right. I guarantee that if it comes out, it will be any day.

[MIB]

Unless it comes out at night. Then, it would be "any" night.

But, I just realized that you are right. I guarantee that if it comes out, it will be any day.

Anyone can email and ask when its due. The reply I got was 'next few weeks'

[Kingdaddy]

We have been hearing next few weeks for several months now, I don't think anyone is falling for that again. When it's here it's here, until then it may as well be never. I’m not actually that anxious compared to others, but no one likes to be repeadly told that it’s just around the corner at every corner, kinda makes you feel foolish.

[Peter Nielsen]

When it's here it's here, until then it may as well be never.

:agree: With the rumor of the upcoming universal DVD player, that's where MY attention is. Right now, I'm focussing all my waiting on that :B

Peter