home cinema system advice please

markandkate

Last year we bought the big HD ready TV and now we want a home cinema system to use with it. We do not really play games on it and like music and films. We would like to record and play back programes. we do not have Virgin media and I am allergic to SKy.

Also what is freesat , we have built in digital channels but I don't think this is HD TV. Do we need it , can it be built in?

All advice gratefully received. thank you

dragon934

markandkate wrote: »

Last year we bought the big HD ready TV and now we want a home cinema system to use with it. We do not really play games on it and like music and films. We would like to record and play back programes. we do not have Virgin media and I am allergic to SKy.

Also what is freesat , we have built in digital channels but I don't think this is HD TV. Do we need it , can it be built in?

All advice gratefully received. thank you

As far as I know freeview has only recently provided HD boxes, so I doubt your built in one has HD. Freesat is similar to freeview however, it basically acts like a non subscribing sky box, in that any free unencrypted channel will be watchable. You don't get some free sky channels however (like sky news), there are little tricks you can do to manually add them, these can be "googled" for instructions. Freesat also has the free HD channels and also comes in a recordable "sky+ style" version. Another method is to get a third party satellite digital receiver, which will display any and every free channel going. Its completely indiscriminate and will even display the red button menu's of BBC and sky as a separate channel (although you won't get the functionality/interactivity) also, the order of channels could be all over the place, but on the plus side allows you to watch free channels that would otherwise be unavailable, like different BBC regions, sky sports news or sky news ireland(if you like irish adverts:)), another handy channel can be TG4 from ireland as its a bit like channel 4/E4 but sometimes shows US shows earlier. There you go, clear as mud;)

dragon934

I doubt very much you could build freesat/freeview HD into your TV if its not already there, Unless you fancy a hell of a weekend project of ripping your TV and newly bought freesat box up and bodging them in an unholy marriage involving lots of tears, a soldering iron and a swear jar:eek:.
On a more serious note.
There are several surround sound/HD recording/dvd(even bluray - recommended if your going the whole hog) cinema systems on the market, and the prices can be not to bad to astronomical. (you might also want your system to be able to record on to dvd/bluray disc aswell as the built in Hard Disk, which would bump the cost further. Also I noticed you called your TV "HD Ready" and not "Full HD".
There is a difference if this is what you meant. Full HD can display 1080p (or lower) while HD ready can only display 720P/ 1080i (if you don't know what they mean, its basically the number of lines and how it displays them - 1080 being better than 720 and p better than i. However nothing gets broadcast in 1080p so the only thing you would ever use 1080p for is watching Bluray movies (although you can watch them in the lower formats too. I'm afraid I've rambled on again so if you need to clarify something, please ask

trets77

markandkate wrote: »

Last year we bought the big HD ready TV and now we want a home cinema system to use with it. We do not really play games on it and like music and films. We would like to record and play back programes. we do not have Virgin media and I am allergic to SKy.

Also what is freesat , we have built in digital channels but I don't think this is HD TV. Do we need it , can it be built in?

All advice gratefully received. thank you

^^^ What they Said ^^^

and go down to your local Richer Sounds and talk to them .

amcluesent

I'm not sure if you're looking for a PVR to record Freeview programmes or a AV system to give you DVD/BluRay playback and a 5.1 surround-sound system. Maybe both.

First off, buy products by the same manufacturer as the TV. That means that the automatic switching of sources and integrated volume control etc. works using the HDMI interconnects. Plus the AV Receiver will have a remote that works the TV too.

dragon934

amcluesent wrote: »

I'm not sure if you're looking for a PVR to record Freeview programmes or a AV system to give you DVD/BluRay playback and a 5.1 surround-sound system. Maybe both.

First off, buy products by the same manufacturer as the TV. That means that the automatic switching of sources and integrated volume control etc. works using the HDMI interconnects. Plus the AV Receiver will have a remote that works the TV too.

Definately sound advice if your tv manufacturer has what your looking for

aliEnRIK

trets77 wrote: »

and go down to your local Richer Sounds and talk to them .

But dont take what they say as gospel, as they tend to try and sell you want they WANT to sell you as opposed to whats best for you

bcl999

amcluesent wrote: »

I'm not sure if you're looking for a PVR to record Freeview programmes or a AV system to give you DVD/BluRay playback and a 5.1 surround-sound system. Maybe both.

First off, buy products by the same manufacturer as the TV. That means that the automatic switching of sources and integrated volume control etc. works using the HDMI interconnects. Plus the AV Receiver will have a remote that works the TV too.

Depending on your make of TV, that might mean you are stuck with buying the dearest brands. Another way of solving this problem is to buy a programmable remote. I have a Logitech Harmony 525 which I think you can get for less than £30 now and it is a godsend. You can program it to do "activiteis" e.g. Watch TV, Watch PVR, WAtch DVD. You just press one button and it will turn things on and off and switch inputs accordingly.

trets77

bcl999 wrote: »

Depending on your make of TV, that might mean you are stuck with buying the dearest brands. Another way of solving this problem is to buy a programmable remote. I have a Logitech Harmony 525 which I think you can get for less than £30 now and it is a godsend. You can program it to do "activiteis" e.g. Watch TV, Watch PVR, WAtch DVD. You just press one button and it will turn things on and off and switch inputs accordingly.

have the 515 remote .. best £30 i ever spent on electronics .

bcl999

trets77 wrote: »

have the 515 remote .. best £30 i ever spent on electronics .

I agree. If anyone was to ask me what has been my best technology purchase that has actually made my life simpler - instead of making it more complicated - it would be my Logitech Harmony.