Forethought in Hindsight

[ljnumber8]

The problem with home theatre and MC or any cool gadgets is that they are so exciting that it is easy to just buy the first thing that suits you at the time and not think of the future and any possibilities that might interest you.

I have had made a few mistakes in the past 18 months that could have been avoided if I had any forethought.

Here they are in order if anyone is interested:
1. Bought an expensive receiver with video switching, but it does not have HDMI inputs. Thought I was never going to use them.
2. Wired up new house without HDMI cables. What was the point, I didn't have a HDMI amp. I just ran an S-Video, VGA and Componant Cable to the space where the projector was going.
3. did not run conduit or a draw wire. It is impossible to run another cable without a big mess
4. Got into MCPCs on the cheap other older parts. Stuff does not work as well as it should!
5. Blew my tax return on an 22" Samsung widscreen monitor, which only has DVI or VGA inputs. Plan was to use this for day to day TV and Projector for Movies and Sport. Cause Amp does not have CVI switching it's too difficult for the wife, who not has also decided that it is too unreliable watching TV with a PC.
6. Allowed wife to dictate budget for home theatre. So far projector has been promised to be allowed to be purchased 4 times. I even have sold my boat! Still no Projector

Mind you I am getting there slowly and also made some choices that have really paid off.

Just a heads up to everyone to really think about what you are trying to achieve if you are buying your components in bits when the budget allow it.

[ExtremePC]

In another thread you can read my fortunes/missfortunes with regards to my old storm damaged projector/insurance payouts etc, to cut a long story short I got an insurance payout for my old projector which origianlly cost me in the $14K mark, the payout is enough to buy a current HD projector also around the $12-14K mark.

After thinking long and hard, I came to the conclusion that I do not want the hassles of a projector again, I was going through 2 bulbs a year at $550 a throw and that was trade price to me! I checked the new projector I was looking at and the bulbs were $1200 - $1500 a pop! Stuff that I thought, I'm now getting a 47 inch True HD LCD and a new AMP/Reciever and tons of change left instead!

Projectors are great, I don't regret owning one for many years but I wouldn't do it again.

PS: I used to be in the HT install game and through some contacts I'm picking up a 47 Inch LCD with a native res. of 1920 x 1080, HDMI with HDCP etc etc. for under $3K

[leigh]

hey lj, i feel your pain.
i had to sell my guitar amp in order to build my htpc, the GAF would not have it any other way.
I get very philosophical about how i approach the whole technology thing. things just move along so quickly, and they are so expensive. When i finally settled on a case, 4 months later we get a new tv cabinet and now it doesn't fit in there (will have to get the table saw out!)
But what i do have is a good quality tv picture from the htpc, and reasonable sound and very slowly the GAF is increasing with use.

(i see the sound as good because at the moment its all i know - the sound is from onboard graphics going via red and white av cable into the av-in, in what can only be described as an early 80's mini system without a cd player!) one day i will get an amp.....

[ljnumber8]

ahh yes, didn't mention the cabinet issue!

Will have to replace the solid blackwood cabinet with some nasty MDF thing at this rate.