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Sitting Room as Home Cinema

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭SachaJ


    A new toy arrived today in the shape of a Darbee Vision 5100. I've had the 5000 "Darblet" before but sold it back in September as I needed the funds for something else.

    IMG_0284.jpg

    I'm not entirely sure how the Darbee works but I think it enhances darker colours to give more prominent outlines etc. Anyways, tonight I plugged in the 5100 and switched on demo auto on/off, high definition mode & set it to 60% of the effect. Oblivion was the demo movie of choice as Tom gets a few close-ups early on. The extra sharpness/detail on his cheek, lips and chin is amazing. A couple of iPhone photos:

    IMG_0286.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭SachaJ


    I've not updated this thread in a while but some big changes are afoot.....

    I'm building a pelmet around the screen to hide it completely and also a pelmet around the back of the room to hide 4 x Monitor Audio CT265-IDC ceiling speakers for Dolby Atmos. The pelmet frame is mostly built now and speakers arriving tomorrow. Also the rear pelmet will house some Philips Hue LED lights.

    Here's a thread on AVForums in relation to the pelmet build
    https://www.avforums.com/threads/doing-up-the-sitting-room-a-diy-pelmet.1962198/


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 18,527 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    Hey Sacha, away from home so forget my AV password to comment there, for any long length screwing into walls or wood the best stuff out there at the minute are concrete screws, they are fantastic and much better than frame fixers, probably won't get them in bnQ but your local builders providers should have them, you'll need a 6mm drill hole and from memory number 25 star bit, well worth the investment.

    http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0269/2767/products/adjustable4_grande.jpeg?v=1379366039

    You'll be able to buy different lengths and individually


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭SachaJ


    slave1 wrote: »
    Hey Sacha, away from home so forget my AV password to comment there, for any long length screwing into walls or wood the best stuff out there at the minute are concrete screws, they are fantastic and much better than frame fixers, probably won't get them in bnQ but your local builders providers should have them, you'll need a 6mm drill hole and from memory number 25 star bit, well worth the investment.

    http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0269/2767/products/adjustable4_grande.jpeg?v=1379366039

    You'll be able to buy different lengths and individually

    They look good and I might try them for any more screwing to walls. I think my local builders suppliers have them and they recommended them also before I started (which I didn't listen to). In hindsight I think they might have been better for the front wall where I had so much trouble getting the frame fixers to hold. Thanks for the tip and maybe I'll listen to the builders suppliers in future!

    As part of todays delivery of CT265-IDC's today I'm also getting a couple of Monitor Audio CL80 garden speakers so wiring them up will be the project for the weekend. As my Yam 3040 has 9 onboard channels which I'll be using for the sitting room I've had to purchase a Nakamichi AVP1 7 channel power amplifier to get the extra two amps for the garden. I'll use 5 of the Nak's channels to power my 5 lower speakers in the sitting room (and leave the Yam to power the Atmos speakers only) in addition to the two garden speakers.

    @slave1 - Looking at your stuff on Adverts I reckon you might sell that Octava quicker over on AVForums and get more for it. I sold two on there recently and I got around £60 or £70 for an Octava 4x1


  • Subscribers Posts: 3,697 ✭✭✭TCP/IP


    Where did you get the Darblet and is it rack mountable. Thx a mill


    SachaJ wrote: »
    A new toy arrived today in the shape of a Darbee Vision 5100. I've had the 5000 "Darblet" before but sold it back in September as I needed the funds for something else.

    IMG_0284.jpg

    I'm not entirely sure how the Darbee works but I think it enhances darker colours to give more prominent outlines etc. Anyways, tonight I plugged in the 5100 and switched on demo auto on/off, high definition mode & set it to 60% of the effect. Oblivion was the demo movie of choice as Tom gets a few close-ups early on. The extra sharpness/detail on his cheek, lips and chin is amazing. A couple of iPhone photos:

    IMG_0286.jpg


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭SachaJ


    TCP/IP wrote: »
    Where did you get the Darblet and is it rack mountable. Thx a mill

    Yes it is. It's 1U in height and came with a pair of ears/brackets to mount in a standard 19" rack. Or it's the standard 438mm (or whatever) width to sit on a normal AV shelf.

    I bought it from Ideal AV (https://www.idealav.co.uk/product/darbee-dvp-5100cie-custom-installer-edition/) where I get most of my kit.

    If you're ever this far north (Drogheda) welcome to drop in for a look at it.

    Here's a photo from someone on AVForums that has it rack mounted

    5100CIE-mounted.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 65 ✭✭clancynl


    SachaJ wrote: »
    Thanks for that. Might give it a bash and see what it's like

    Old thread, but just wanted to mention JRiver .. blows Kodi, Plex and any other media player out of the park. You've to pay for a license, but well worth it .


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭SachaJ


    clancynl wrote: »
    Old thread, but just wanted to mention JRiver .. blows Kodi, Plex and any other media player out of the park. You've to pay for a license, but well worth it .

    In what way do you think it blows Kodi out of the water? I've tried JRiver and couldn't bond with it at all. The UI is nowhere as easy to use as Kodi and the skins are more limited. The version I had wouldn't even scrape cover art - was a known bug at the time (and that was less than 6 months ago).

    With Kodi I have it running MPC-HC and madVR as external players/renderers so it should match JRiver's "Red October" configurations fairly good I think. Audio wise everything is passed through to the AVR anyway so audio shouldn't be any different.

    Kodi is aimed to be the most user friendly media player but not necessarily the best so I'd be interested hear your opinions on JRiver MC.


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 18,527 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    Kodi is simply the best, best skins, best functionality and customisation and free as a bird, I have it feeding my Panny 60" and Panny 120" PJ and it plays everything 2d/3d flawlessly.
    Gonna be feeding my 65" 4k Sammy next week too as my Panny went all DSE on me


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭SachaJ


    slave1 wrote: »
    Kodi is simply the best, best skins, best functionality and customisation and free as a bird, I have it feeding my Panny 60" and Panny 120" PJ and it plays everything 2d/3d flawlessly.
    Gonna be feeding my 65" 4k Sammy next week too as my Panny went all DSE on me

    Yep - I've been around other media players and I always come back to Kodi for MY OWN USE. I was having some issues around HDMI handshaking (that's more PC related than Kodi) and the fact that if I use MPC-HC as an external player I cannot have Kodi set to automatically play the next file so in essence Kodi is useless for the kids watching their cartoons (ie. I want one to play after the other).

    To get over that I bought a Mede8er 1000X3D off eBay for all the kids stuff. No where near as nice as Kodi or as fast (UI) but it's simple and works. Kids use the Mede8er and I use Kodi. Looks great on my TV and the 130" screen.

    A "Dr. HDMI" has more or less sorted the HDMI handshaking issues also.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 65 ✭✭clancynl


    SachaJ wrote: »
    In what way do you think it blows Kodi out of the water? I've tried JRiver and couldn't bond with it at all. The UI is nowhere as easy to use as Kodi and the skins are more limited. The version I had wouldn't even scrape cover art - was a known bug at the time (and that was less than 6 months ago).

    With Kodi I have it running MPC-HC and madVR as external players/renderers so it should match JRiver's "Red October" configurations fairly good I think. Audio wise everything is passed through to the AVR anyway so audio shouldn't be any different.

    Kodi is aimed to be the most user friendly media player but not necessarily the best so I'd be interested hear your opinions on JRiver MC.

    Erm ... I've used Kodi since XBMC days, and was introduced to Jriver by a post over on AVSforum. I'm a woeful tinkerer and was playing around with getting MadVR integrated into XBMC at the time. It was possible to do, but was very finniky. What attracted me to Jriver was that the MadVR filters were pre-baked into the JRiver app.

    A bit of reading revealed that JRiver started out as an audiophile solution for Losless Playback (FLAC etc), so their audio processing was already top notch, they eventually got into video playback with MadVR intagration, and although it takes a more powerful GPU to get the most out of it, the results are audibly and visually noticable.

    Playing a 1080p rip through XMBC, and then through JRiver ... the difference in audio playback is not subtly different, but definitely audibly so. A marked difference.
    And with MadVR, street lighting / neon signs for instance, just have a more spectrumed glow (if you catch my drift) .. there's to be more of a gradient in the lighting. (That was improved even more when I upgraded from the dedicated Intel Graphics to a dedicated AMD R9 280x). XBMC's video lookes fuzzy afterwards .. definitely not as crisp or clear

    Throw into the mix that JRivers Options keep a tinkerer up into the wee hours trying this and that with this video and that file (skins are available, but not priority because it takes away from the processing power of the underlying app seemingly, plugins abound, but rearely play around with them .. I should do really), it leaves Kodi and the like a bit lacking for me

    A few links that convinced me: From AVS

    MadVR Options for the tweaker :)

    JRiver Review

    Oh .. and their Music Manager is light years ahead of iTunes ... and again .. playback quality with bags of punch.

    EDIT: Considering you've got a Darbee in your AV Chain would aid Kodi Video quality no doubt. I'm considering the Darbee Darblet presently, for integration with my recently purchased Benq1070 ... I've promised my SO that that'll be it then ... (for another month :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭SachaJ


    clancynl wrote: »
    Erm ... I've used Kodi since XBMC days, and was introduced to Jriver by a post over on AVSforum. I'm a woeful tinkerer and was playing around with getting MadVR integrated into XBMC at the time. It was possible to do, but was very finniky. What attracted me to Jriver was that the MadVR filters were pre-baked into the JRiver app.

    A bit of reading revealed that JRiver started out as an audiophile solution for Losless Playback (FLAC etc), so their audio processing was already top notch, they eventually got into video playback with MadVR intagration, and although it takes a more powerful GPU to get the most out of it, the results are audibly and visually noticable.

    Playing a 1080p rip through XMBC, and then through JRiver ... the difference in audio playback is not subtly different, but definitely audibly so. A marked difference.
    And with MadVR, street lighting / neon signs for instance, just have a more spectrumed glow (if you catch my drift) .. there's to be more of a gradient in the lighting. (That was improved even more when I upgraded from the dedicated Intel Graphics to a dedicated AMD R9 280x). XBMC's video lookes fuzzy afterwards .. definitely not as crisp or clear

    Throw into the mix that JRivers Options keep a tinkerer up into the wee hours trying this and that with this video and that file (skins are available, but not priority because it takes away from the processing power of the underlying app seemingly, plugins abound, but rearely play around with them .. I should do really), it leaves Kodi and the like a bit lacking for me

    A few links that convinced me: From AVS

    MadVR Options for the tweaker :)

    JRiver Review

    Oh .. and their Music Manager is light years ahead of iTunes ... and again .. playback quality with bags of punch.

    OK I hear you.... I'll take on the Pepsi Challenge and see how JRiver compares to KODI when I have my Atmos setup finished (only running 2.1 at the minute). I've been using XBMC/KODI for years now also and my HTPC has a GeForce GT 730 dedicated card (fairly low end in fairness).

    As mentioned I'm using MPC-HC as an external player for KODI so when I play an MKV, KODI minimises and MPC-HC takes over. MPC-HC then uses madVR to render the video so in essence I'm using KODI as a video manger/video wall but MPC-HC/madVR to do all the work.

    I'll try and have a read of those links. Cheers....


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 18,527 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    SachaJ wrote: »
    ... in essence Kodi is useless for the kids watching their cartoons (ie. I want one to play after the other)...

    Eh, Kodi has playlists so you can line up the cartoons, I keep all our kids TV and Films in separate folders i.e. no access to Game of Thrones or violent films so when I add Kodi to other parts of the house they will only be able to access those folders...


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭SachaJ


    clancynl wrote: »
    EDIT: Considering you've got a Darbee in your AV Chain would aid Kodi Video quality no doubt. I'm considering the Darbee Darblet presently, for integration with my recently purchased Benq1070 ... I've promised my SO that that'll be it then ... (for another month :)

    Do it - get the Darbee. I swear it upgrades your projector by about a grand. What I mean is you'd have to spend an extra grand on a projector to gain the sharpness that the Darblet will give you for less than £200. You can see in my images earlier in the thread how much sharper Tom Cruise's face is with the Darbee switched on.

    And buy it from Allan @ Ideal AV also. I get quite a bit of kit off him and he's brilliant for pre-sales, backup support and so on.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭SachaJ


    slave1 wrote: »
    Eh, Kodi has playlists so you can line up the cartoons, I keep all our kids TV and Films in separate folders i.e. no access to Game of Thrones or violent films so when I add Kodi to other parts of the house they will only be able to access those folders...

    Yeah I looked at that also and using different profiles etc but in the end the Mede8er was just a simple solution. I wanted to get to a place where it would just work 100% of the time so the wife wouldn't be ringing me if XBMC minimised or something like that. Like I said for me it's Kodi every time, for them my life is easier if it's the Mede8er....


  • Registered Users Posts: 65 ✭✭clancynl


    SachaJ wrote: »
    OK I hear you.... I'll take on the Pepsi Challenge and see how JRiver compares to KODI when I have my Atmos setup finished (only running 2.1 at the minute). I've been using XBMC/KODI for years now also and my HTPC has a GeForce GT 730 dedicated card (fairly low end in fairness).

    As mentioned I'm using MPC-HC as an external player for KODI so when I play an MKV, KODI minimises and MPC-HC takes over. MPC-HC then uses madVR to render the video so in essence I'm using KODI as a video manger/video wall but MPC-HC/madVR to do all the work.

    I'll try and have a read of those links. Cheers....

    Whooo ... Atmos :eek: I'm jealous now. Sounds awesome!

    Your solution sounds like what I was aiming for with MadVR / XBMC integration, with MPC looking after it all. So maybe from a Video quality perspective, it'd be interesting so see if Jrivers Pre-baked MadVR settings vary from MPC's.

    But from an audio perspective you should notice a fair kick out of Jriver compared to Kodi. I certainly did. Just playing a video at the same volume level between XBMC and JRiver .. it was initally just immediataly Louder. Then the subtleties kicked in ... glass shattering etc .. (Yamaha RX-V673 here with Monitor Audio Silvers for reference)

    Again, it's personal preference, but JRiver does it for me personally... happy reading!

    Let us know how the Atmos setup goes!


  • Registered Users Posts: 65 ✭✭clancynl


    SachaJ wrote: »
    Do it - get the Darbee. I swear it upgrades your projector by about a grand. What I mean is you'd have to spend an extra grand on a projector to gain the sharpness that the Darblet will give you for less than £200. You can see in my images earlier in the thread how much sharper Tom Cruise's face is with the Darbee switched on.

    And buy it from Allan @ Ideal AV also. I get quite a bit of kit off him and he's brilliant for pre-sales, backup support and so on.

    Thanks for the tip! Will do :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 65 ✭✭clancynl


    SachaJ wrote: »
    OK I hear you.... I'll take on the Pepsi Challenge and see how JRiver compares to KODI when I have my Atmos setup finished (only running 2.1 at the minute). I've been using XBMC/KODI for years now also and my HTPC has a GeForce GT 730 dedicated card (fairly low end in fairness).

    As mentioned I'm using MPC-HC as an external player for KODI so when I play an MKV, KODI minimises and MPC-HC takes over. MPC-HC then uses madVR to render the video so in essence I'm using KODI as a video manger/video wall but MPC-HC/madVR to do all the work.

    I'll try and have a read of those links. Cheers....

    Forgot to mention ... JRiver has a Mobile App too .. which works pretty well on Tablets. A bit clunky sometimes .. but rather cool :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭SachaJ


    clancynl wrote: »
    Whooo ... Atmos :eek: I'm jealous now. Sounds awesome!

    Your solution sounds like what I was aiming for with MadVR / XBMC integration, with MPC looking after it all. So maybe from a Video quality perspective, it'd be interesting so see if Jrivers Pre-baked MadVR settings vary from MPC's.

    But from an audio perspective you should notice a fair kick out of Jriver compared to Kodi. I certainly did. Just playing a video at the same volume level between XBMC and JRiver .. it was initally just immediataly Louder. Then the subtleties kicked in ... glass shattering etc .. (Yamaha RX-V673 here with Monitor Audio Silvers for reference)

    Again, it's personal preference, but JRiver does it for me personally... happy reading!

    Let us know how the Atmos setup goes!

    It's a long road as I've been setting this up for months now at this stage. I was using a Yamaha 3040 AVR but sold that recently and now have a Marantz 7702 and a pair of Nakamichi AVP1 power amplifiers so will be using 11 channels for the sitting room. My speakers are all Monitor Audio also with Apex 40's across the front, RXFX as my sides and CT265-IDC's in the ceiling. Haven't figured what I'll be running as rears yet but lately I've been reading about DIY speakers and thinking of building a set.

    Are you running the new Silvers or the pre-RX Silvers series?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭SachaJ


    clancynl wrote: »
    Thanks for the tip! Will do :)

    yeah do. He's the UK and Ireland distributer for Darbee Vision anyway so you might as well go straight to the source.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 65 ✭✭clancynl


    SachaJ wrote: »
    It's a long road as I've been setting this up for months now at this stage. I was using a Yamaha 3040 AVR but sold that recently and now have a Marantz 7702 and a pair of Nakamichi AVP1 power amplifiers so will be using 11 channels for the sitting room. My speakers are all Monitor Audio also with Apex 40's across the front, RXFX as my sides and CT265-IDC's in the ceiling. Haven't figured what I'll be running as rears yet but lately I've been reading about DIY speakers and thinking of building a set.

    Are you running the new Silvers or the pre-RX Silvers series?
    RX Silvers akin to these. (not sure whether they're new or pre- .. pre- i think)


    I went with a BK Elec Sub rather than MA's own. Was very tempted by the BK Monolith, but ... well ... I'd doubt the neighbors would've appreciated it :)

    I'm trying to save for the RXFX .. considering using them for the side sound stage in a 7.1 setup. How do you find them? Or would the be better off as pure rears?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭SachaJ


    clancynl wrote: »
    RX Silvers akin to these. (not sure whether they're new or pre- .. pre- i think)


    I went with a BK Elec Sub rather than MA's own. Was very tempted by the BK Monolith, but ... well ... I'd doubt the neighbors would've appreciated it :)

    I'm trying to save for the RXFX .. considering using them for the side sound stage in a 7.1 setup. How do you find them? Or would the be better off as pure rears? How do you find them?

    Ah you have the same as me - the RX "Silver" series. The previous series and the new series were just called the "Silver". I have the RX1 (kitchen) and RX2's (office). I also run the BK XXLS400 in the sitting room but have the urge for a dual sub setup so not sure whether to try and build a pair of matching subs but that's down the line a bit.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭SachaJ


    clancynl wrote: »
    I'm trying to save for the RXFX .. considering using them for the side sound stage in a 7.1 setup. How do you find them? Or would the be better off as pure rears? How do you find them?

    Yeah the RXFX are great speakers I have to say and can be used both as sides and rears or some people use them for both in a 7.1 (so 4 x RXFX). You won't be disappointed with them anyway


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