Strange Attitude Blog

I changed my mind.  The other webkit was too complicated to install.  This one is already installed and working like a we dream!

The dotMobi WordPress Mobile Pack | mobiForge.

For those of you who try to access your website from your Blackberry etc.  I give you the WordPress Mobile Edition 3.0 | alexking.org.

I’m gonna try it tonight.

My last post (about silly home theater stuff) was a bit premature.  I was all excited about the New Sony DG820 Home Theater Receiver I bought.  After spending all day hooking it up and screwing around with it I learned that it was NOT what I needed (wanted).  It did not have some critical features that I was expecting.  But if you are looking for a strong HT receiver I highly recommend the Sony DG820.  It’s quite a nice piece that delivers a huge bang for the buck.

Here’s a link to the CNET Review for the STR-DG820

I slept on it and woke up the next day with my mind made up.  The 820 is going back to the store and I was either going to walk out with nothing or exactly what I want.  As soon as I walked back into the store I saw my sales guy who helped me the day before.  He actually recommended a receiver that did have the features I needed but I didn’t take his advice.

Let’s take a step back.  Normally when I make this sort of purchase I research the crap out of it.  I spend more time reading reviews and forums than you can imagine for about three weeks before pulling the trigger.  Then I spend another month trying to find the item I want.  This was not quite like that.  I rushed myself and ended up with something that was not what I needed.

Back to business, I see this guy and he walked up and asked what the problem was.  I explained it too him and we set out on a mission to fill my requirements.  The first place he takes me is to the open box items.  There were a few there to choose from and they were INSANE deals!!!!  Half of them were $1000 off the MSRP!!  I saw the a really good one. It was actually two tiers above the one I was looking for (they didn’t have that one).

I negotiated the price down another 20% and then told the guy to sit tight while a looked around a bit more.  Just to make sure I found the right one.  Remember, I’m stuck with this thing for about 8 -10 years so it’s gotta be good.  I came back and gave him the nod with the stipulation it comes with the microphone (for auto calibration) and manual.  They young man went out back and looked for them.  20 minutes later he came back empty handed.  He knocked another $50 off the price out of pure embarrassment.  I took the deal, knowing my neighbor has the microphone and I can get the manual on the web.

Here is what I got — Onkyo TX-NR906 Flagship Receiver

This bad boy fits my needs and for the price that I paid it was a steal.  Well worth the money.  Here is a list of the features.

Two of the coolest things about it are.

• OSD (On Screen Display) – normally programming these things usually a chore but with this OSD you can program it while using your TV instead of the little LCD on the front of the receiver.

• Auto Calibration – To properly setup a HT receiver you need to calibrate the sound.  The crossovers and the gains for each channel (7 of them) need to be adjust to deliver the best performance.  The SR-906 has built in software that works with a microphone that you place in the listening position and it measure some test tones.  But his one takes it to the next level and lets you measure the sound at up 8 seating positions.  It takes the measurements and runs some calculations to give you the settings for the best overall sound field.  This saves hours of time for the seasoned theater geek like me.

I have highlighted the really cool stuff.

Amplifier
# Channels	7.1
Power (8ohms 20-20kHz 0.08%) /Ch	-
Power (8ohms 20-20kHz 0.05%) /Ch	145W
THX Certified	(Ultra2 Plus)
Continuous 6ohms Rated
Certified 4ohms performance
All Discrete Circuitry
Dual PUSH-PULL Design
Independent Block Construction (Amp/Preprocessor)
Toroidal Transformer
Independent Power Supply	(4)
Bi-amp Capability For Front
BTL Capability For Front	(230W)
Processing
DOLBY Decoder	DD Plus, TrueHD
DTS Decoder	DTS-HD Master Audio DTS-HD® High Resolution Audio
Dolby PLIIz	-
ONKYO GAME Surround Modes	-
DTS Surround Sensation Speaker / Headphone	-
Neural Surround	(Neural THX)
THX Processing Mode
Audyssey Dynamic EQ
Audyssey Dynamic Volume	-
Direct/Pure Mode	/
Music Optimizer
192K/24 Bit DACs	(Burr Brown)
VLSC	(ALL CH)
isf Certified Calibration Control
Connectivity
Audio I/O	9 / 2
Phono Input
Digital Audio IN (OPT/COAX)	3 / 3
Digital Audio OUT (OPT/COAX)	1 / 0
Composite I/O	6 / 1
S-Video I/O	6 / 1
Component Video I/O	3 / 1
Front-Panel A/V	L / R / V / S /USB
Front-Panel Optical
Front-Panel Portable input (stereo mini jack)	-
HDMI I/O	4 / 2
HDMI Version	V1.3a Repeater
Component Video Upconversion
Analog To HDMI UpConversion
1080i Upscaling	(HQV Reon)
1080p Upscaling	(HQV Reon)
Multi-Channel Input	7.1
Analog Pre-Outs	7.1
Speaker A/+B
Powered Zone2
Zone 2 Line Out
Zone 2 Video Out
Zone 3 Line Out
iPod Ready	(Option)
HD Radio Ready	(Built-in)
XM Radio Ready
SIRIUS Radio Ready
Internet Radio Capable
Streaming Audio From PC
Streaming Audio From USB memory
Integration Access
RS-232
IR Input
Ethernet
ONKYO-RI System Control
12V Trigger	(Zone2)
Miscellaneous
Pre-Pro/Learning Remote	/
Back-Lit Remote
On Screen Remote Programming	-
Bi-directional Remote Setup	-
Activity Based Remote	-
Color-Coded Speaker Terminals
Auto Speaker Calibration W/Mic.	(Audyssey MultEQ XT)
OSD Out
Solid Aluminum Front
Warranty	2 YEARS