CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

**Curt Palme**

So... the fiance goes out and buys a Wii for everyone. Great. I's gots no place to plug it into. Smile

She wants it in the HT room, which figures. I have a myriad of remotes on the table, I'm the only one that knows how to switch stuff, so.. since I was thinking of rewiring and reworking everything anyways, I guess now is the time. sh*t! Smile

Here's what I currently have:

-XBox 360
-HD receiver w/HDMI or component
-Samsung BR player
-Wii w/component out
-Lumagen HDP
-Denon 3801 receiver w/analog switching only.
-6 remotes on the coffee table.
-Extron SW 2 RGBHV switcher(s)
-VHS machine (can't remember when I used it last, but it's in the rack)
-9500 LC (soon to be the Ultra)

-I use external power amps for everything, and I only have 5.1 at this point. I can wire for 7.1, but I'm not sure I need it.

What I figure I should do:

-change over to to a receiver with HDMI switching. THe Denon with Audyssey calibration system.
-route the BR and HD receiver sources to the receiver via HDMI.
-output the HDMI to a Fury2 into one side of the Extron switcher
-All other sources (XBox and Wii and VHS) to the Lumagen, output of the Lumagen to the other side of the Extron switcher.
-get a remote that I can program everything with, save for the Extron switcher. Video on one side of the switcher, gaming on the other.

One day I'll get to programming the Crestron system I have, but that won't be today or tomorrow. It's been sitting here for 5 years already..ha!

Oh and I guess the Wii has to go under the screen, right? That means running more cabling to the front of the room.

Of course, I want to spend NOTHING on this, and hope that the sale of my Denon and similar Yamaha receiver will offset the cost of the new receiver.

BTW, my HD receiver outputs a signal on the HDMI output at all times, so putting a Fury HDMI 3 wayswitch into the mix won't work, as it will stay locked onto the HD receiver, even when it's turned off.

Also, I'll need a remote that works with the Marquee.

Hoping to stay under $500 for the remote and receiver... One that converted all video inputs to HDMI out would be nice, but I don't think I'll find one for cheap, right? Used stuff would be fine.

Ideas?

MikeEby · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 5237 Location: Osceola, Indiana

The only input I have...(Sorry about the bad pun) Would be have the Wii going to the Lumagen HDP. 480p would look like crap on an Ultra, SCAN LINES yck!

Mike

jkruger · Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 2435 Location: Carlsbad, CA

Does your HD receiver have a auxiliary component input? Mine does. The little pickup bar is the only thing that needs to under the screen.

jkruger · Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 2435 Location: Carlsbad, CA

Mine is running thru a Samsung T-165 OTA box, and it looks great.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 12:41 am Post subject:

The Denon 3801 has two component in and one out. I'm currently upscaling my component output of the HD receiver to 1080p via the Lumagen, but I didn't really see a difference between 1080i and 1080p.

Mike, yes, the Lumagen will upscale the Wii and XBox 360 output to 1080p. HD will run HDMI 1080i, BR will run 1080p.

Since the lower end Denons (or other brand, I like Denon, but am not stuck on it) don't convert signal formats or do scaling, I'll run the component output into the Lumagen for upscaling.. like this:

BR HDMI output and HD HDMI output -> Denon receiver
Wii and XBox component output -> Denon receiver

Denon HDMI output ->Fury2 -> Extron switcher
Denon component output -> Lumagen input

Lumagen output -> Extron switcher.

The Denon will handle all audio of course.

Has anyone extended the Wii pickup bar by 25' or so? That would save some hassle in running cables.

MikeEby · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 5237 Location: Osceola, Indiana

JustGreg · Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 3098 Location: Kenosha, WI

Yeah the Wii looks like crapola with a CRT pj. The scanlines are big enough to crawl through. It was never intended to be a NextGen console and it lives up to that. I don't own any plasma or LCD TV's/monitors big enough to play on so I live with it. The truth is I don't use the Wii much at all because of that and I'm not going out and buying another scaler...again.

Go for a wireless sensor bar. This one is adjustable for large or small rooms. There may be better ones. I bought a Wii approved wireless bar and it works great EXCEPT for one shooting game. It won't calibrate.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/BD%26A+-+Ultra+Wireless+Sensor+Bar+for+Nintendo+Wii/9504146.p?skuId=9504146&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=9504146&ref=06&loc=01&id=1218115834193

Kevin D · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 63

You can easily extend the length of the sensor wire if you're too cheap to buy a wireless one. The cables are waxed, so be sure to scrape that off.

Plus it only runs on 12v. There's no communication back to the Wii, so you can just connect it to a wall-wart if you wanted.

Kevin D.

JustGreg · Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 3098 Location: Kenosha, WI

There's some YouTube vids of how to make an IR sensor bar from a wired one. Pretty simple schematics. You may even have the parts on hand already.

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

Killer price at 479.00 Better hurry........ Smile

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002DSMNPC

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

Damn-it. Its showing 499.00 and I just received an email that Amazon had it for 479.00 ..... WTF?

paw · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 1176 Location: Arvada, CO

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 5:04 pm Post subject:

OK thanks guys! I've ordered 30' of wired sensor cable, that should do it I think. I trust wired more than wireless.

Not quite ready for the receiver yet, but it's a good deal for sure. I'm sure I can grab it later for a similar price. It's always tempting to get a broken one on eBay.. Wink

ecrabb · Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 6:06 pm Post subject:

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 6:07 pm Post subject:

Nope, didn't have a clue, but suspected that once I read all the posts... and had already ordered the cables. DOH! Smile