Help me spend/save money

[osxx]

when looking for 4ohm if it says 8ohm is that better or worse?

the three units i am looking at:yamaha rx-v671;pioneer VSX-1021;Onkyo TX-NR709

There is no better or worse its the fact that speakers do to their design vary
in impedance across the frequency spectrum and in all my years of working
with them I have yet to see any that don't dip down into the lower ohms
some less than others. A lot of people don't give merit to THX certified but that is one of the requirements thats not saying a brand out there will not meet that spec if its not certified. Go demo as much as you can and let your ears be the final judge but remember it has to be the same component combination to mimic the sound you heard at home also room size and layout will greatly affect the sound.

 

[RustProofCorn]

Thank you for your input osxx!

unfortunately i live in a tiny podunk town in Alaska. if i ever did have a day off (my schedule is 7 days a week 24hrs/day) i could go to anchorage which is about a 4 hour drive but that is such a hassle. i usually end up ordering stuff online.

I know by my statement about working 24/7 people might call bs but lets put it this way. My last day off was may 30th. I took 8 days off in January to go to Hawaii. Total days off the year 2011 so far 9.

 

[osxx]

Thank you for your input osxx!

unfortunately i live in a tiny podunk town in Alaska. if i ever did have a day off (my schedule is 7 days a week 24hrs/day) i could go to anchorage which is about a 4 hour drive but that is such a hassle. i usually end up ordering stuff online.

I know by my statement about working 24/7 people might call bs but lets put it this way. My last day off was may 30th. I took 8 days off in January to go to Hawaii. Total days off the year 2011 so far 9.

i understand but I don't think you could go wrong with the Onkyo and for speakers Klipsch for the bang for the buck. Subwoofer which I recommend in any system SVS is hard to beat for both quality and price plus their customer service is equal to Apple's.

 

[RustProofCorn]

Klipsch speakers may be a little out of my price range. Unless I saved for a while

 

[RustProofCorn]

ok i am making one of my purchases 14:30 Alaska time (thats an one hour ten minutes from now) and here is my question: Buying a mac mini should i get standard or server? it will basicly just be used as a backup for ipods(there are 4 in our house) iphones (2 of those) ipad 2(only 1) and to watch hulu plus and what not. i dont want to use my mac anymore for all these igadgets. what you think? can i get away with the base unit? it will be connected to a 55" plasma panny full time it will never be turned off and such

 

[iggibar]

If I were you, I would LOVE to snatch this up: Refurbished Mac mini 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo - Apple Store (U.S.)

 

[RustProofCorn]

If I were you, I would LOVE to snatch this up: Refurbished Mac mini 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo - Apple Store (U.S.)

how would that run with lion? lion is a big reason i wanted a mini

 

[iggibar]

how would that run with lion? lion is a big reason i wanted a mini

My MBP has the same processor, and it runs flawlessly!

 

[RustProofCorn]

wow i was really considering this until i saw how hard it is to change the hdd i mean sheesh and it voids the warranty

 

[iggibar]

wow i was really considering this until i saw how hard it is to change the hdd i mean sheesh and it voids the warranty

Yeah, unfortunately, that's what almost always happens when you cram so much stuff in such a little place, along with being designed the way it is. That wouldn't stop me from getting it.

 

[bobtomay]

You can build a pretty nice Win7 HTPC for close to the same price as a Mac mini. And unfortunately, I'm still a proponent of Win7 over OS X for a HTPC for the same reason I'd still have to go with Win 7 for a real gamers box.

I've been a fan of Antec cases for many years now and they, along with a few others, are making cases specifically designed for home theater. You can go from mini ITX cases about the size of the Mac mini to a couple that look like just another piece in your entertainment center like this one.

Lot of choices out there to spend that cash that I know has got to be burning a hole in your pocket by now.

 

[RustProofCorn]

man its been a few years since i have built a pc. i don't even know what is good out there.

 

[osxx]

man its been a few years since i have built a pc. i don't even know what is good out there.

There are lots of articles from the PC mags on how to build on a budget problem is once you get started its like building a hot rod and you go well
if I bump this up then I need to increase this and it will not be compatible with that next thing you know budget blown or at least that happens to me.

 

[bobtomay]

It's been a couple years now since I last researched/built a new rig also. But, don't think it's changed all that much - and the good thing is, a HTPC doesn't require top of the line anything for a nice rig like you would with a true gaming machine.

And Lian Li, Thermaltake and Silverstone have jumped onto the HTPC case designs also. Check out this one - sounds like a bear to build in - but looks pretty cool. I have this Antec case. I could use a video card upgrade, but just haven't gotten around to it.

The AVS forums are a great place for looking to see what others are doing currently for their HTPC builds.
They do have a Mac contingent there also.

I will say, a Mac mini is not as bad an option as it was even 2 years ago. Almost everyone is allowing use with OS X, but there are still some that are not going to work - most notably Amazon's unbox service only allows streaming and not downloading with OS X.

 

[RustProofCorn]

I will say, a Mac mini is not as bad an option as it was even 2 years ago. Almost everyone is allowing use with OS X, but there are still some that are not going to work - most notably Amazon's unbox service only allows streaming and not downloading with OS X.

I see what you are saying here. Really the only reason i would use this as a HTPC though is for Hulu Plus.

I allready have a dishnetwork receiver 922 which does all my dvr needs. there are just a few shows my wife would like to watch that are only available at the same times i have both tuners on the 922 recording on. Now my Tv,Ps3,BR, and some other junk i have already have Hulu Plus but with thoes devices you cant watch some programing my wife desires you can only watch them on a computer. I think i may stick with a Mini i have read some others using them for just what i am using the ipad in mirroring mode as a controler for it and it sounds pretty nice.

Mini primarily for/ hulu plus;ios device backup;web surfing

 

[bobtomay]

Something you may not realize - with an over-the-air antenna - the dishnetwork receivers can record 3 stations at a time - 2 satellite feeds and one over-the-air. I set up one in the attic just for this purpose and to be able to watch TV when the weather is interfering with satellite reception. (At least I would assume the 922 can do this - both the 622 and 722 will.)

Of course, don't know how far you are from your local towers. You can use this site to see if it's even feasible for you.

 

[RustProofCorn]

Something you may not realize - with an over-the-air antenna - the dishnetwork receivers can record 3 stations at a time - 2 satellite feeds and one over-the-air. I set up one in the attic just for this purpose and to be able to watch TV when the weather is interfering with satellite reception. (At least I would assume the 922 can do this - both the 622 and 722 will.)

Of course, don't know how far you are from your local towers. You can use this site to see if it's even feasible for you.

that is how i had it in utah. but now in Alaska i am in a bunch of trees and can only get 2 channels over the air. it stinks. i have about 900 invested in trying to get ota over getting dish. it was a real bummer

 

[bobtomay]

Sounds like my kind of place up there - except for the weather.

 

[RustProofCorn]

Sounds like my kind of place up there - except for the weather.

It is way nice in the summer. I would take just about anywhere else in the winter..

not to bad this morning about 38 out there

 

[bobtomay]

lol - that's middle of the winter cold here.