WD TV Live with Home Entertainment Audio Systems

Hi, I am a complete noob when it comes to how these setups may work. I currently have my WD TV live running files from my network share. I have Bluray files in MKV format that uses DTS audio channels.

My TV does not support this and the TV Live is set to Stereo so that I can actually get audio from my TV. From looking around here, I noticed that I need what’s called a DTS receiver for this to work. So I started looking at some entertainment systems. I was looking at Bose Lifestyle systems and I am wondering how this would work with the TV Live if anyone has experience.

How would the wiring work? Would I be connecting the TV Live to the audio receiver and from the audio receiver to the TV, both with HDMI? Is there any problems with the video and audio from doing this? As I understand it, my WD TV live can play almost all formats, so that is one of the big reasons I got it. If it is doing the transcoding, how would this work with a bose lifestyle system?

I was looking at a system like this: http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/home_theater/51channel_systems/dvd_systems/lifestyle_35/index.jsp

If someone has experience with their WD TV Live and hooking up to a good system, please let me know the model you’re using as well as I have most certainly not made a decision as to which home theatre system I am getting.

Totally aside from the fact I hate TIAB (Theater in a Box) solutions, it doesn’t appear at first glance this will do what you want.

What you need, ideally, is a receiver that has HDMI inputs.  You *can* route the HDMI to your TV and audio out optically (which this receiver supports) but if you have other things attached (blu-ray player, cable box) that use HDMI then you will end up with a mess of these cables and possibly some things which don’t offer optical out.  And you will also involve possible sync issues.

But worse than that, you can get a MUCH better audio experience for a fraction of this cost.  Start shopping around for a quality home theater receiver (receiver only).  IMHO nobody (outside of Onyo) makes better audio stuff right now than Yamaha.  You can get a real top of the line 7.2 system from them for less than $600, something that will blow your windows out.  Add on some nice speakers (and Yamaha makes a set of these as well) a couple of powered sub woofers and you’ve spent less than $1K for audio that’s out of this world (now, depending on what you spend on speakers you can spend a LOT more, but unneeded, again IMHO).

Then all you do is route the HDMI from the Live to the receiver, and the HDMI out from the receiver to your display and you’re good to go (after switching back to digital in the Live, that is).  If you want specific model recommendations I can provide some (or visit Amazon.com and start doing some searching, as the reviews posted there are usually spot on).

Thank you Mike. That solution is exactly what I’m looking for. The reason I chose the Bose is that I’ve always liked the quality and design, though its price is ridiculously high. I also know that they don’t fare as well as other audio equipment makers out there.

Please, if you have any recommendations, it’d be appreciated. My biggest issue beyond picking a system that works (or works well) with the TV Live is the running of wires for my rear speakers. Do you happen to have any recommendations for wireless speakers if it is worth looking into and a good receiver that can meet this objective?

I have one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-RX-V765BL-7-Channel-Theater-Receiver/dp/B001S2RD90/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1273085632&sr=8-2

(note the reviews).  I also have other Yamaha receivers, but this is for my main theater room, and you can’t get any better than this (nor do you need to spend any more money).  If you don’t need this much power (my theater room is around 525 square feet or so) and are willing to live with 5.1 (the Live will only output 5.1) this is nice as well (I bought one for my 340 square foot bedroom and our 55" LED in there):

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-HTR-6240BL-525-Watt-5-Channel-Receiver/dp/B001S2RDAY/ref=dp_cp_ob_e_title_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1273085853&sr=8-20

I’m not a huge fan of wireless speakers.  I know, everyone hates wires, so you run them through your walls.  Trust me, I’m an old man, if I can do it, so can you.  And with today’s flat cables it’s no issue even if you can’t run them through your walls (in the bedroom I opted out of doing it and just ran them under our wall to wall carpet – the flat cable made it easy to thread across and then up the wall almost invisibly.  Hey, if MY wife didn’t complain yours wouldn’t either ).  My neighbor put his rear speakers in his ceiling – they have some nice units that can be positioned so you’d never know they were there (and yet put the right sound right where you are).  If you don’t want to do this yourself take the money you save (from not buying the Bose) and hire someone to do it (shouldn’t be more than $100 for almost ANY wiring job done right – and you might pay a whole lot less).

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the suggestions. My biggest problem is I have a rather large finished basement.

The TV sits in the middle of the basement and it’s finished hardwood flooring. Any sort of wiring would have to run up the wall and across the ceiling (visibly) or along the floor (no carpeting). I can’t upheave the floorboards to accomplish the wiring through the floor. That’s my biggest problem at the moment. I can set up the system and I’m sure it’d sound great, but I’d have a bunch of visible wires. I suppose I can hire somene to run the wires for me but there’s a certain versatility to wireless speakers that I enjoy - that and I don’t need particularly loud sound.

You sound as if you already have some wireless speakers – should be able to use them with almost any receiver for your surround part of the equation.

I currently don’t have any speakers or receivers actually. Still using the 2 audio channel from the TV. :slight_smile:

It’s really the design. On the right side of my (TV) basement is stairs and open area to other room. On the left side (about 6 ft away) is the left wall. So my only choice becomes running the wire from the back of the TV, through the wall (where the outlet is) up to the ceiling, straight across to the back of the room, and then down the 2 pillars left and right of my couch. If the room was smaller, or if the entrance of the basement was to the rear, I wouldn’t have this issue at all. Perhaps I should reconsider the placement of my TV instead.