# Rookie Needing Assistance



## Guest (Jan 1, 2008)

Hey Guys,

First things first, this website is amazing. Thank you to everyone who keeps this going. A week ago I couldn't even tell you what an HDMI cable was :dunno: now I know enough to get myself in trouble :yay: 

Hopefully this is the correct forum to start this thread. I want to build a low budget home theatre room. It will be utilized for 2 things: movies and scouting/recruiting - my wife coaches college basketball and it would be great to have the team over to watch breakdown of opponents as well as entertaining functions. 

Here are the products that i have come up with thus far:

*Benq W500:* I got this for Christmas at a pretty good deal on NewEgg.com ($799). I want to run Cable and the HD DVD player into the projector but it only has 1 HDMI outlet. Can I connect an HDMI cable from the Projector to something like this:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=4088&seq=1&format=2

and then run HDMI from the HDMI switch to the Receiver?

*Cable*: Comcast HD/DVR (Have this already)

*Receiver*: I chose these 2 because I need to spend $ furnishing the room and thought a package deal would be ideal...

Dennon DHT-488XP: This only has 2 HDMI inputs which worries my because those will be completely used up with the Cable Box and HD DVD. There is a monitor HDMI outlet but I am unsure what that is used for.

http://www.usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/3759.asp#

Onkyo HT-SR750: Again same issue

http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=HT-SR750&class=Systems&p=i

*HD-DVD*: Toshiba A3

*Screen*: I have begun reading the screen forum's and WOW, there is some great info. there. The room is 17' L x 14' W, with the screen showing on one of the 17' walls. I will take photos and get more info on this part as it develops.

I know this is a very basic Home Theatre package but I am pretty excited about it. I will definetly take pictures as I get this put together. Thanks in advance for any input! And of course, who cannot forget the banana dance: :banana:


----------



## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Hello and welcome to the Shack!



rawlaw79 said:


> *Benq W500:* I got this for Christmas at a pretty good deal on NewEgg.com ($799). I want to run Cable and the HD DVD player into the projector but it only has 1 HDMI outlet. Can I connect an HDMI cable from the Projector to something like this:
> 
> http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=4088&seq=1&format=2
> 
> and then run HDMI from the HDMI switch to the Receiver?


The "HDMI outlet" is actually an HDMI Input.



> Denon DHT-488XP: This only has 2 HDMI inputs which worries my because those will be completely used up with the Cable Box and HD DVD. There is a monitor HDMI outlet but I am unsure what that is used for.


The HDMI Monitor Out goes to that HDMI Input on your projector.

If you plan on having more sources at a later date and your receiver only has 2 HDMI Inputs, then you will need something like the HDMI switcher you linked to from Monoprice. This would expand one of your receiver's HDMI Inputs from 1 input to 4 inputs... thus giving you a total of 5 HDMI inputs on your receiver. If you already have the HD-DVD player and a cable box, then you will have 3 extra HDMI inputs with the Monoprice HDMI switcher added.

You still only have one HDMI cable going from the HDMI Monitor Out on your receiver to the HDMI Input on your projector. 




> *Screen*: I have begun reading the screen forum's and WOW, there is some great info. there. The room is 17' L x 14' W, with the screen showing on one of the 17' walls. I will take photos and get more info on this part as it develops.


Excellent guys in the DIY Screen forum... you will not go wrong there.

I suppose you want to use one of the 17' walls for the screen so that you can better accommodate the players on the basketball team, however, for home theater, your screen wall would be better served on one of the 14' walls. I guess it is going to depend on how you plan on using it the most as to how you ultimately set it up.


----------



## Guest (Jan 1, 2008)

Thanks for the quick response!



> The HDMI Monitor Out goes to that HDMI Input on your projector.


I was told at Best Buy (now that really makes me sound like a rookie) that I want to run HDMI from the DVD to the Projector and from the Cable Box to the Projector. And then Digital Optical from the DVD and Cable box to the Receiver. That's what lead to my concern regarding the projector having only 1 HDMI input.



> You still only have one HDMI cable going from the HDMI Monitor Out on your receiver to the HDMI Input on your projector.


Is this a bad thing? Meaning will I lose anything (i.e. signal, performance)?



> I suppose you want to use one of the 17' walls for the screen so that you can better accommodate the players on the basketball team


You are correct. I will read more about this when getting into the installation mode. 

Does the receiver seem adequate to achieve what I am talking about? Oh yeah, not sure if this makes a difference but the ceiling are 10' tall......which actually makes me concerned about calibrating the sound correctly.

Thanks again!


----------



## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

I have moved this to General Discussion. When you actually get into the design and construction of the room, you may want to start a new thread there.



> I was told at Best Buy (now that really makes me sound like a rookie) that I want to run HDMI from the DVD to the Projector and from the Cable Box to the Projector. And then Digital Optical from the DVD and Cable box to the Receiver. That's what lead to my concern regarding the projector having only 1 HDMI input.
> 
> Is this a bad thing? Meaning will I lose anything (i.e. signal, performance)?
> 
> Does the receiver seem adequate to achieve what I am talking about?


They simply misinformed you. HDMI will carry all of your video and audio to the receiver and then when you choose the source you want view and listen to, the receiver outputs that source to the projector and speakers. This is of course assuming your cable box is fully HDMI capable. If not, then you may have to run an optical cable to the receiver for it, but you still only need one HDMI cable from the receiver to the projector.

And no, this is not a bad thing. Only one video source will be traveling through the HDMI cable from the receiver to the projector.

Think of your receiver as being one of those Monoprice 4 in 1 HDMI switchers you are looking at, but instead of 4 inputs and 1 output, it only has 2 inputs and 1 output.

That receiver is one of Denon's latest models and appears to be fine, especially for a HTIB system. You probably won't get a lot of sub bass effect from that subwoofer... think about adding maybe a PB10-NSD or PB12-NSD from SVSound to your system and you'll appreciate it much more for being a more true to life home theater.



> Oh yeah, not sure if this makes a difference but the ceiling are 10' tall......which actually makes me concerned about calibrating the sound correctly.


The added height will probably make it better if you use the 14' wall for the screen. The challenge will be getting it to sound right acoustically with the screen on the 17' wall. At least that is my thinking on it... maybe some of the more informed will tell us differently.


----------

