Home Theater/Game Room Thread

KurganAU

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Can I ask what problem you are trying to solve that requires a standalone digital media player running VLC as its operating system?

Only ever heard of VLC as a multiplatform app. You could try having it load at startup on your OS of choice in some sort of kiosk mode maybe. I think Win 11 has such a mode built in now, can configure per user.

There could also be better tools for the job, hardware and software wise, depending on your use case.
 

Kais

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Finally getting around to looking into a decent sound setup and I don't recognize half the brands anymore. So so Lost. Have decided to start with a good 3.1 to turn into 5.1 down the road if I can ever work out how to run cabling to the satellite locations with my room layout. Baby steps. So far leaning towards Polk. ES20 Bookshelfs and ES30 Center. Onkyo TX-NR6100 receiver. I wasn't really planning to spend $1,500 so open to suggestions.
 

Armadon

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I really like my svs speakers. If the bookshelf speakers are the same quality of their floor standing then you really can't go wrong.
 
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TheNozz

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Can I ask what problem you are trying to solve that requires a standalone digital media player running VLC as its operating system?

Only ever heard of VLC as a multiplatform app. You could try having it load at startup on your OS of choice in some sort of kiosk mode maybe. I think Win 11 has such a mode built in now, can configure per user.

There could also be better tools for the job, hardware and software wise, depending on your use case.
Trying to watch an anime (SDF Macross) i have in MKV format. Plays fine on my PC, but not on my living room TV's media player (it's never had an issue with other MKV files).

I suppose it doesnt have to have VLC as its OS but what would be a very good standalone digital media player, one i could just insert a flash drive?
 

KurganAU

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Trying to watch an anime (SDF Macross) i have in MKV format. Plays fine on my PC, but not on my living room TV's media player (it's never had an issue with other MKV files).

I suppose it doesnt have to have VLC as its OS but what would be a very good standalone digital media player, one i could just insert a flash drive?

Ah ok. Could be a codec thing. For example your living room TV's media player might not like x265 mkv files but might play x264 mkv files just fine.
If you can find another download of the same thing it might make a difference, otherwise you could re-encode the downloads using something like Handbrake
But who has time for that :p

If you are willing to pay for an upgrade, knowing anything you download will work, buy a Nvidia Shield Pro and be done with it.
It's an Android box with a Nintendo Switch CPU, giving it enough grunt to play the 80gb to 100gb "2160p remux" downloads of 4K discs I throw at it.

I like that I get the read out on my A/V receiver and OLED that it's passing through Dolby Vision / Atmos from the Shield.
I know I'm getting an uncompromised experience for the movies I watch, whether I've bought them on disc and watch on the Panasonic UB820 or downloaded them and watch on the Shield.
There is no difference in quality between the two methods at this point.

I shelled out for lifetime Plex so use that as the app and interface to navigate hard drives / usb I plug into it, but the VLC app is a good back up and has worked well for me too.
 
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Kajiimagi

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Recently bought a Shield Pro, they are the shit! Love everything about it.
 
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Kais

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Received the Onkyo NR6100 Friday and ended up getting Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2 Bookshelfs instead of the Polks. They seemed to review better and front facing ports lets me place them closer to the wall. UPS lost the center channel in the east coast snow apparently so can't really set the sound profile up yet. Anyone have any thoughts to the AccuEQ calibration?

Grabbed a Shield Pro as well at Best Buy on the way home from work. Is it me or does it run just a bit stuttery? Button presses, menus, switching screens - it's not snappy.
 

Kajiimagi

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Received the Onkyo NR6100 Friday and ended up getting Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2 Bookshelfs instead of the Polks. They seemed to review better and front facing ports lets me place them closer to the wall. UPS lost the center channel in the east coast snow apparently so can't really set the sound profile up yet. Anyone have any thoughts to the AccuEQ calibration?

Grabbed a Shield Pro as well at Best Buy on the way home from work. Is it me or does it run just a bit stuttery? Button presses, menus, switching screens - it's not snappy.
My Shield Pro is snappy as hell but I'm comparing it to the shit web OS on my LG TV , so I guess that that with a grain of salt?
 

Kais

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My Shield Pro is snappy as hell but I'm comparing it to the shit web OS on my LG TV , so I guess that that with a grain of salt?
True enough, maybe i just expected more. And i grabbed for the same reason: LG OS which it is already miles better than.

Reading into it more seems there are other Launchers available with no ads and fewer previous and suggestions that make it snappier. Makes total sense being Android. Also seeing emulators for early consoles and Mame.

 

Kajiimagi

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True enough, maybe i just expected more. And i grabbed for the same reason: LG OS which it is already miles better than.

Reading into it more seems there are other Launchers available with no ads and fewer previous and suggestions that make it snappier. Makes total sense being Android. Also seeing emulators for early consoles and Mame.

Thanks for pointing that out but: wife can use it and it makes her happy as is. So I'm not messing with it.

Remember: happy wife , no annoying bitching!
 

Kais

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Thanks for pointing that out but: wife can use it and it makes her happy as is. So I'm not messing with it.

Remember: happy wife , no annoying bitching!
foreoveralone.jpg which allows me to indulge in my compulsive behavior to overthink, overconfiguring and fuck with just about everything i buy. Often to the point that it's too specialized and forget how it works a year later lol.

It seems like it's working real smooth tonight so far. Maybe it just needed time and a few reboots to cache and grab any background updates.

Amazon allowed me today to report non-delivery and is shipping a new Center speaker. May even arrive tomorrow.
 
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sukik

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anyone have a onkyo tx-rz30? I got a decent speaker set for free and started researching new av receivers. It looks like it would do everything I need and more. I need arc, 4 decent videos pass throughs, inputs for phono, cd and pc, and at least 5.1. Im already think about expanding the speaker setup to something like 7.1.2 atoms, but that will take some work and new purchases.
 
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Chanur

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anyone have a onkyo tx-rz30? I got a decent speaker set for free and started researching new av receivers. It looks like it would do everything I need and more. I need arc, 4 decent videos pass throughs, inputs for phono, cd and pc, and at least 5.1. Im already think about expanding the speaker setup to something like 7.1.2 atoms, but that will take some work and new purchases.
I don't know about the RZ30 per say but the audio guy I watch on YouTube loves that series of AVRs.
 
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BrutulTM

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My Onkyo died after 3 years but I read that it was a failing particular to that specific model that had defective capacitors in it. I toyed with the idea of replacing the capacitors but I knew that in reality that would mean it would sit on my work bench for 3 years and THEN I would throw it away so I just threw it away right away.
 
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Chanur

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anyone have a onkyo tx-rz30? I got a decent speaker set for free and started researching new av receivers. It looks like it would do everything I need and more. I need arc, 4 decent videos pass throughs, inputs for phono, cd and pc, and at least 5.1. Im already think about expanding the speaker setup to something like 7.1.2 atoms, but that will take some work and new purchases.
This is the guy I watch occasionally. I found he did a review on this.

 
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sukik

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I’ve had the RZ-30 for about a month now. I also picked up a pair of klippish floor standing speakers (rp-6000f ii), and cobbled together a 7.1.2 atmos speaker setup from a bunch of older speakers my dad and stepdad had laying around unused. It sounds way better than any soundbar I’ve ever owned, and has really given my home setup a real “home theater” sound for the first time that has me watching movies again. Also, no problems with the Xbox and PlayStation passing through 4k/60.

I have a list of real atmos and surrounds that I’ll be watching for on Black Friday. Probably all from the Klippisch RP line. The audio snobs on Reddit / other sites have mixed reviews on them, but the floor standing speakers I already bought sound good enough for me.
 
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Chanur

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I’ve had the RZ-30 for about a month now. I also picked up a pair of klippish floor standing speakers (rp-6000f ii), and cobbled together a 7.1.2 atmos speaker setup from a bunch of older speakers my dad and stepdad had laying around unused. It sounds way better than any soundbar I’ve ever owned, and has really given my home setup a real “home theater” sound for the first time that has me watching movies again. Also, no problems with the Xbox and PlayStation passing through 4k/60.

I have a list of real atmos and surrounds that I’ll be watching for on Black Friday. Probably all from the Klippisch RP line. The audio snobs on Reddit / other sites have mixed reviews on them, but the floor standing speakers I already bought sound good enough for me.
I have an older generation of Klipsch RP speakers. That are really great entry level enthusiast speakers. I have had them for almost ten years now and still pretty happy with them.
 
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