TV Home Entertainment Setup Ideas - Soundbar, Media Player, Music etc

IIGnomeII on 20/07/2020 - 23:41

Hi All,

I am about to setup our TV home entertainment from the ground up and can't decide on the options that would be the best fit - this is a slightly lengthy post I am sorry.

The basics are:
- We have bought a 55inch Sony X950G TV that I plan to wall mount in a corner due to space constraints (possibly flat on the wall as an alternative)
- I am on an android phone, wife is on an iPhone
- I use windows computers, we don't have current iPads or other mobile devices
- I have an Xbox 360 and PS3 that I previously used as a media center of sorts, mostly to install the apps for Netflix, Stan etc.
- In the current configuration the TV will be set about 6m away from us on the couch in a room without carpet (floorboards)
- We also have a 1 year old kid so looking to set things up out of reach or locked away so he can't destroy them.

The things I would like to address are better sound from the TV, the ability to play spotify or apple music through the house by linking multiple speakers together and media consumption in the form of on demand services.

To elaborate on this further, my needs/wants are as follows:

Media Player
- Play Netflix, Stan, Binge, Amazon Prime and the ABC kids app
- The built in android system on a Sony TV we currently use is absolute rubbish (reboots the TV, kicks you out of the app) hence why I am looking an an nvidia shield or xbox/ps on the new TV
- Record live TV? You can just plug a USB stick into the back of the TV if there isn't a unit that can do this
- Occasionally we might play a DVD but I can use one of the old consoles if required

Sound
- Better TV sound (obviously)
- Play music from a bluetooth device or directly on the unit
- If it can link other speakers together to simultaneously play music that would be great

I've only discovered recently that the google nest hub can be setup to play to multiple speakers and I like the idea of being able to use the screen for cooking in the kitchen or using voice commands but unsure how effective a solution it is.
So far I am thinking the solution is to get a google nest to control music, some sort of all in one soundbar for the TV sound and casting music to it but have yet to work out which one and an nvidia shield as the media center for all the apps. Ideally looking to spend under $2500 for the setup but can increase if there is no way to set this up effectively.

Just seeing if anyone has a similar setup, requirements or maybe just has a better idea of a setup that would address the things I would like to achieve. If the

Cheers!

Electrical & Electronics

Comments

  • oscargamer on 21/07/2020 - 08:01

    Skip read only.
    What's the room size?
    Is it enclosed by 4 walls?
    How far do you sit from the tv?

  • IIGnomeII on 21/07/2020 - 10:05

    6x4m, enclosed room. Sit about 6m from the TV, with some reconfigure that may change to about 3/4m from the TV

  • iampoor on 21/07/2020 - 10:39

    I have the 65" version of the X950G, not an audiophile but I find the audio pretty decent?

    Better than any other TV that I've had, doesn't sound as good as my old onkyo system obviously but close enough that I can't justify buying a soundbar so I will follow your thread and try to convince myself…

    Been using the TV for all apps and it has been great to be honest, maybe give it a go before buying a unit? I have a vodafone TV which I use for an old dumb tv and both are about as quick as each other.

    Other thing is that you can use the remote for voice searching and commands etc so maybe have a play with that, was quite fun until my son started using it to annoy me..

    • fredblogs on 21/07/2020 - 11:04

      I have this tv too and literally don't know what OP is talking about "The built in android system on a Sony TV we currently use is absolute rubbish (reboots the TV, kicks you out of the app)". I've never had unwanted reboots or being kicked out of an app. I'm using Kodi on the tv now and it works well.

      OP can you elaborate? Have you updated to latest firmware?

      Regarding sound, I find that music and sound effects are good but dialog isn't great - so that's why I want a soundbar too.

      • IIGnomeII on 21/07/2020 - 11:18

        Yep can do.
        It's a sony kd-55x8500, updated to latest patches and firmware.
        Apart from being super slow when you click the app or navigation button, the TV will randomly reboot to the Sony and Google boot images before going back to the menu. Other times it will be in an app and stop playing where you have to go back out to the menu and reload the app.
        TV has been factory reset twice and all the unrequired apps have been removed.
        Maybe the latest TVs have better Android installed but it has deterred me from relying on the inbuilt system. In saying that we can try it out for a bit and see how it goes, the old Sony worked fine until the updates were installed over the past year.

        • fredblogs on 21/07/2020 - 11:59

          You don't need a mediaplayer, these newer Sony TVs are much better than the old ones.

      • slow on 21/07/2020 - 11:42

        Same here, having Android on the TV is the best thing ever. For the first time I have a system that my technophobic wife can use, with all the apps installed on the TV itself with shortcuts, rather than on a separate media player. Have a separate raspberry Pi as a media server, but this is accessed though the app on the TV
        Maybe not the snappiest interface, but works very reliably

        Can stream from the raspberry pi from any other devices in the house

        I have a separate Yamaha AV receiver connected to good speakers that uses ARC to the TV. So the TV communicates with the receiver for sound volume, power etc seamlessly. Occasionally ARC stops working so have to power cycle the TV completely

        Can also stream bluetooth to the AV receiver from any device

        Receiver has separate speaker zones setup if needed, eg outdoors (needs to be changed on the receiver remote). I have considered installing a manual speaker switch box to make ti completely idiot proof

        May not meet all your requirements, but this setup works very well for me, and most importantly is very easy to use

    • fredblogs on 21/07/2020 - 12:29

      Btw I have a dumb tv too, do you recommend vodafone TV for that or would you get something different (e Xiaomi mi box) if you were choosing again?

      • iampoor on 21/07/2020 - 13:10
        +1

        No issues with the vodafone TV, would be happy to recommend it.

        Seems like the simplest/cheapest choice. Remote works fine and it just…works?

  • 7hours 44min ago on 21/07/2020 - 12:20
    +1

    If you want things to be simple, get a Sony soundbar (whatever model fits your budget) and a new Nvidia Shield Pro.
    The TV will connect well with your soundbar and the Shield will take care of everything the TV cant with respect to smart stuff.

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