Using your pc as your surrond sound system

[Stonewolf]

Was thinking about buying a new tv that has pc connection. I have surrond sound system for the family room, but I believe that my pc speakers kick my regular speakers butt. I have klipsch (thx) surrond speakers for my pc and they rock!!! Just wondering if anyone is doing this----and if anyone had recommendations as far as t.v.'s, etc...?
Also, Video card recommendations for strictly watching dvd's (not gaming) in mind? Can a person hook up a remote control to one's pc to run the options from about 8 feet away. thanks

[CanadianMetalMan]

With respect to watching a DVD. Buy a stand alone regular player. The one's for PC's are not bad but a stand alone player will still be better. I got that right from a Sony rep and after trying out several DVD players for my PC.......I agree.

[slappy_bender]

I've seen both, and I am currently using a pioneer 16x w a geforce 2 pro and it looks really nice. the only thing that I would have to say is if you use a dvd on your computer, in general for video playback, the ATI radeon is the way to go. a lot of the hardware decoding is done on the card and image quality is really nice.(I have a radeon on my other computer)

I disagree with you that PC speakers are better than standalone stereo speakers(I use my 19 inch sony trinitron monitor for video and my stereo for sound) but then again, I don't have 5.1 sound speakers........

[CanadianMetalMan]

I forgot to mention this. Slappy is right. A decent set of home speakers will never come close to pc speakers. I run my computer through my home set up. I actually have all Boston Acoustic speakers on my PC and it sounds good but not near as good as my home stuff. In fact it's not even close.

[Stonewolf]

thank you for the great input!!

I guess it really shows how poor my speakers are in my television room.

[wannano6]

Not exactly I to have the klipsch speakers on my computer I won't go as far as saying they sound as good as my stereo speakers but,it seems to be damn close those Klipsch definitely rock and I beat the bestbuy guy down and picked them up for $200.00 and must say they are worth it. I am currently building a computer just to run thru my stereo for music I have a 300 disc changer but I like the random option on the computer and the speed to change thru songs on the hard drive compared to changing disc(s) in changer.

[Stonewolf]

I agree with you 100% wannano6. My klipsch pc speakers are pretty damn awesome. Maybe it is because of my smaller pc area and the speaker placement , but they sound as good as anything I have heard as far as watching a dvd. I really believe because it is running through my pc. I read alot about people using the pc's to go along with their home theatre, and was just wondering about setting mine up. Now, I just need a progressive scan dvd rom for my pc and run it straight to my 36inch hd flat screen tv. If they make such a thing..

[Spree]

Still though it's going to depend on what hardware you have to use also. I mean cause if you want to have true theatre sound you need to go 5.1 which I don't think you will with your home computer. But it depends on what you have to run it with. Me personally I'm a sound junkie. I have a sony Dolby Digital reciever, a Dolby Digital Sony A55 for my DSS, and my Hitachi DVD is top of the line for medium priced DVD's. Plus I have Bose Acoustamos Cubes (five pairs) with a bose sub, plus a Polk Audio powered sub.

I doubt my computer could match it.

But I do play alot of MP3's on my computer still.

[wannano6]

I have a creative labs mp3 live 5.1 sound card it's not the best but does a nice job.

[Stonewolf]

Sounds like a great setup Spree. I have the same sound card as wannano6 and really like the sound from my pc speakers, it is very crisp and clear. Do you think satellite speakers are the way to go for my front left and right speakers or floor standing speakers? Is the price difference worth it? It looks like most high end theater systems look to have floor standing speakers in front. Also, Can a person buy individual bose or comparable satellite speakers? I have yet to see anyone sell individual satellite speakers. What does a bose owner do if he has one sat. speaker go out? thanks

[Spree]

I believe there are things you can do directly with the manufacturer if your cubes are damaged. As far as floor vs satellite. That is tough to say. I personally think that the satellites are better for theatre as long as you have a good sub. The one that comes with the bose system is not very good due to the nature of how it works. It doesn't run off a seperate sub channel. It basically serves as a crossover and removes the bass from the satellite speakers. This gives the satellites sensational sound but since most decent recievers have a dedicated sub channel the bass on the bose unit is not as good. I mean floor speakers are great but I think that in a theatre setup there is too much sound up front. The bose units are really nice for theatre. Now if you play alot of music, floor may be better. I think music sounds great on mine but I would imagine that a high performance floor model may play music better. Keep in mind that you don't want your rear speakers to be drowned out. Especially in a 5.1 setup. With my setup when I watch "Blade" and he throws that boomerang it makes your head spin cause you would swear that it just went around you!

[Stonewolf]

Thanks for the good info spree, it is appreciated!