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Forums › Home Theatre (incl HTPC) › simple HT setup


509 posts

Ultimate Geek
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# 177556 6-Aug-2015 17:06
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My parents ( who will hardly ever watch it) want a "home theatre" set up, 
I'm guessing it will be used to watch the news, hopefully surf the net and a very occasional movie .
So  I'm thinking of giving them my old pc and an entry level projector $800-1000 mark.
They have a basic surround sound setup already.

So, can anyone recommend a projector,? bearing in mind it will probably never be used in the day.
 Is it safe to buy secondhand led projectors ?
What should I do for a TV tuner ?, no sky just normal TV
Are there solutions for making everything simple to operate ?

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2627 posts

Uber Geek


  # 1360246 6-Aug-2015 19:42
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If they want to "surf the net" from the living room, get them a cheap laptop or tablet. I have never thought it was a very satisfactory experience trying to do it on a TV from a distance.

Regarding the rest, it kind of depends on what they want to do.

My definition of the most minimalist "home theatre" setup is a decent sized telly, a soundbar, and a blu-ray player.

From there, if they would actually use it, a hard-drive based twin-tuner Freeview set top-box, and proper surround sound using a receiver would be logical upgrades. Followed by a projecter and screen instead of a telly if they wanted a proper movie experience.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend a solution involving a PC for an older relative unless I was confident that they would actually be comfortable using it, and also that it added something significant they needed that a BR player (with Netflix and Lightbox) and Freeview STB couldn't offer. Otherwise, it would make for a worse experience for them and a lot more support work for me.

8754 posts

Uber Geek

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  # 1360249 6-Aug-2015 19:48
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a home theater setup doesn't mean you need a projector.

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