Surround sound

HDTV is not complete without Dolby Digital. It has to be at least a 5.1 system (five speakers + one subwoofer). Good thing I installed a bunch of 16-gauge speaker wires in the wall and attic during the closet removal on the other side. For the two rears I first thought of flush in-ceiling speakers. But that would require a custom system, and aiming the sound would still be questionable. My office in-wall speakers sound great, but the walls here are exterior -- there's insulation and a header beam to deal with.

So I decided to get a bundled system (sometimes referred to as HTIB or Home Theater In a Box) with wall-mountable satellites. I got the same make as the TV, which allows use of just one remote. I made triangular boxes so that simple wall-mounting brackets could be used, aiming was more versatile, and wiring easily routed from the ceiling. For its shape and size I had to consider the future window trim and crown moulding. I think it looks okay.

HDTV has to be experienced to be appreciated. There are many levels of quality. Digital is all-or-nothing. There's never poor picture (displays vary, but that's a different matter) -- if the signal is weak there's just no picture at all. Not all digital is HD. Not all HD takes advantage of rear speakers. Not all DVD players can upconvert to near-HD resolution. And proper HDMI and optical cabling becomes noticeable. But once everything is in place, the results are truly amazing.

Now Monday Night Football crowds scream from behind.



Check HD programming in your area.

Antenna grounding

Of course, electrical grounding is important for any metal object sticking up on a roof. I soldered a 14 gauge copper wire to the mast, threading it into the attic just like I did with the signal cable, then soldered again to a copper plumbing pipe. A little spray paint makes it look amazingly professional!

Notice my roof covering is metal tile (it only looks like clay tile from a distance). I wonder what effect it'll have during a lightning strike...

Antenna

HDTV is digital, which means broadcast reception can be as good as cable or satellite. So far, it actually seems better. You obviously don't get a hundred channels. But with all the major stations broadcasting in digital, over-the-air reception easily trumps a basic subscription like Comcast's $14/month. It's free afterall. It only requires an ASTC tuner (either built-in or, in the case of HDTV-ready sets, separately purchased).

According to antennaweb.org, the main direction for 14 of the 15 primary digital signals in my area is about 187 to 194 degrees in compass orientation. They're mostly 21.7 and 25.5 miles away, so a medium-range directional UHF antenna is what I needed. NBC is the only station on VHF, which it won't get. I figure I can give up watching NBC.

I got the 42XG from AntennasDirect.com for $59. Important is also a RG6 coaxial cable to minimize signal loss. I found a roof vent nearby to get it into the attic. From there it goes directly into an interior wall, then comes out through a grommet wallplate to the TV without any additional connection. The mast, chimney mount and cable standoffs are from Radio Shack.

It's also a good idea to check USGS topo maps like topozone.com. There's actually a 360-foot (altitude) hill about 7 miles in the same direction -- while I'm at 180 feet with about 40 feet up to antenna. Apparently it's no problem.

Making way for flatpanel

My TV died. So I went ahead and got new equipment even though I wasn't ready to remodel the family room where it'll go. It'll be pretty messy once things get started, but I suppose I can move everything into another room when the time comes.

First I had to sell my old entertainment center. Cabinets like this will soon be totally obsolete -- the TV bay doesn't fit today's widescreens, and FCC have established a deadline for final transition to HDTV by 2008. It's such a relief to have found a buyer willing to pay $140! Good riddance with cashback!

I got a flatpanel -- for versatility. They don't take up much space. Prices have dropped, too. The other high-end option was projector, but that would require considerable compromise to room decor for a screen and the projector location. A flatpanel is so hip.

Drain pipe

All components to the system are standard local building supply stock -- solid 3" PVC landscape drain pipe, slip-fit connectors, PVC grated trench, and crack-resistant concrete. See previous post for more information.

Completed just in time for the rainy season!

Total cost = $180

Drain outlet rear

Precise elevation drops are important for proper water flow while maintaining maximum pipe coverage. Here, the outlet at the curb was already set at no more than half an inch above the outflow lip. It establishes where all upstream pipes must connect. Minimal intrusion into future landscaping was the objective, so the long straight run was kept at 1 percent slope. The shorter leg coming down to it is at 10 percent, which should provide plenty of flow momentum.

See inlet trench drain for more information.

Trench drain

I used two pieces of 1-meter trench drains (cemented together) cast into concrete, becoming a large inlet for rainwater that comes fast over the wide walkway. Establishing exact relative heights were important at every step during the installation. The step down and width of pour are essentially rise and run of stairs, so those minimum standards were considered. I kept the riser at four inches and gave the run a wide 13 inches.

All top surfaces were troweled with drainage in mind. The trench center was slightly depressed to take water from the ends. This is inlet side of the erosion-control drainage system. Connections embedded in concrete were cemented together. See the outlet side for more information.

At $100, these pieces were the most expensive parts of the system.