Home Theatre System Using Laptops

Ben Falkon writes "This article takes a look at the possibility of turning a set of laptops into a home theater system. Considering Nelson Chang and the team at HP have had success with running projector party, I don't see why this is not possible. The only problem that I can see is that laptop speakers tend to be weak — then again, modern laptops are gradually being fitted with powerful speakers in these days, so that does not bother me much. A comprehensive discussion follows at the end of the article."

Comments

$200 - $400 amps have better sound and that is for

[Joe The Dragon]

$200 - $400 amps have better sound and that is for a full 5.1 or 7.1 system some even come with speakers.

Powerful Laptop Speakers?

[cleatsupkeep]

I feel like powerful laptop speakers are not measured on the same scale as powerful normal speakers, meaning powerful laptop speakers would be mediocre to poor home theater speakers, especially with the noise generated.

Re:Powerful Laptop Speakers?

[Endo13]

I agree. The speakers in my Asus laptop are exceptionally loud compared to most laptop speakers, but they're still awfully quiet even compared to basic cheap 2-speaker sets.

Re:Powerful Laptop Speakers?

[Fallingcow]

Also, I don't know about yours, but with mine "loud" = "distorted, tinny, and annoying". They're fine up to ~3/4 volume, but past that--assuming the sounds is cranked up in the software, too--they sound very, very bad.

Re:Powerful Laptop Speakers?

[Endo13]

I've actually been very impressed at the sound quality on mine, even at the higher volume levels it offers. It's not until I use the software equalizer to force higher volume levels that it starts to noticeably distort and sound bad. Obviously though, they don't have the real bass of a system with a sub, but the sound quality itself is at least as good as the average 2-speaker computer set.

Re:Powerful Laptop Speakers?

[thetartanavenger]

Speakers have three main desirables:

• Loud Volume
• Good Quality / Range
• Small Size

Pick two.

Re:Powerful Laptop Speakers?

[Endo13]

Exactly. And for a home theater system, no one needs option #3. So laptop speakers need not apply.

i for one dont happent to have 12 laptops

[wjh31]

just laying around, old laptops are FOOBAR or donated to 'needy' relatives, and it seems to me latptop speakers will by tinny regardless of how many you stack on top of each other, if something isnt capable of producing base, it doesnt become capable of it just because youve got lots of them.

laptops are fine for watching media on your own, but they are not a home theater, however they could be a nice low power consumption media center once you plug in a decent screen and speakers

Re:i for one dont happent to have 12 laptops

[0100010001010011]

People have been building HD projectors for a while using old laptops. (Also using old LCDs etc).

http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/17/how-to-build-your-own-hd-projector-part-1
http://lumenlab.com/projectors/

Re:i for one dont happent to have 12 laptops

[Anonymous Coward]

"it doesnt become capable of it just because youve got lots of them."

Actually, that is not true.

As long as you have the same surface area and cone excursion available, multiple small speakers will produce the same amount of bass as a larger one.

Bose used this method in their 802 PA speakers.

The multiple laptops will still sound rubbish though, as cabinet design is important for starters. I'm just being pedantic.

Because you can

[TBoon]

This clearly isn't done because it is in any way "better" than buying a cheapish sound system, but purely because of the geek-factor of building it. If you cant live with that, please apply for geek credentials, just so you can hand them in out the way out.

Re:Because you can

[westlake]

This is done purely because of the geek-factor of building it. If you cant live with that, please apply for geek credentials, just so you can hand them in out the way out.

all the same, there is much to be said for the hardware hack that is both imaginative and useful.

Where's the beef?

[Ostracus]

I'm going this way.

Re:Where's the beef?

[DogDude]

Uh, why? What does this thing do that a generic computer doesn't?

Re:Where's the beef?

[DimmO]

According to its datasheet, it can't do 1080p video output. That's something a generic pc doesn't (not) do.

Re:Where's the beef?

[Anonymous Coward]

Uh, why? What does this thing do that a generic computer doesn't?

Let's see:
Work as intended out of the box.
Save money vs. this setup.
Better looking then the generic PC.
Not as noisy as the generic PC

All I can say is "What are they smoking?"

[Fallen Kell]

... and can I have some?

/Paraphrase/ Modern day laptops are cost effective because they can be used as laptops when not in the grid \/Paraphrase/

What? TWELVE (12) MODERN DAY LAPTOPS are COST EFFECTIVE?!! Lets just give the benefit of the doubt that these are only the $800 variety and not the $2500 variety. For $9,600, you can buy an Integra DHC 9.9 pre-processor, a Emotiva MPS-2 multi-channel amplifier, and still have $6000 to buy speakers, and be under the cost of the 12 laptops. Not only that, but you will have all the same benefits and even more, since the pre-processor can accept HDMI v1.3, component, and composite video, and up-convert the video to 1080p to output all on a single HDMI connection to your TV, which means you can use other devices like stand-alone blu-ray, PS3, XBox360, etc., and connect to the system in HD (unlike the laptops). You also will have 200W power for 7 speakers, unlike the 5-10W for the 12 speakers from the laptops.

So again, what the heck are they smoking?

Re:All I can say is "What are they smoking?"

[dragonturtle69]

They're smoking GeekWeed :>) You know, the stuff that makes you take items and bend them to a new purpose just for the joy of doing it.

Me, I think this would be a fun project. Having the LCD's wrap around, and getting it to transition smoothly, plus then getting the sound to wrap around, well, that would just plain be cool. And if you want better sound, just use the audio out port to desktop speakers.

Better could probably be bought for less (assuming you have cash and not twelve laptops), but where is the fun in setting up a theater in a box?

Re:All I can say is "What are they smoking?"

[Fallen Kell]

That is just it. With this kind of cash, you aren't talking about a theater in a box, you are talking discrete separates, and high end speakers, with things like video upconverters, video processors (stream processing de-noise/artifact filtering), and other high-tech electronics (in other words all kinds of geek'ing out).

We are also talking "theater" here, which mean BASS... Personally, I have a setup which has 2x10" woofers, 2x8" woofers, 2x6.5" drivers, 24x5.25" drivers, 3x4" drivers, and 7x1" tweeters. Bass is all about pushing air. 24x1" tweeters just doesn't move much air. Heck, my CENTER channel speaker alone has more driver surface area than 12 laptops have (assume 24 1" drivers in the laptop = 24*(.5)^2*(3.14) = ~18.84sq. inches... my center has 1x1", 1x4" 2x6.5" drivers, so 0.785+12.56+2*33.16625=79.6775sq. inches... in other words over 4 times the surface area to push air), as well as about 3x the power driving the speaker (300W dedicated).

And I can tell you first hand and building, configuring, and tweaking a high end audio setup is more geek than you can believe.

I wonder what the frequency response is for the laptops... I have measured mine from 10Hz-50kHz (couldn't test higher because I have no method to generate a tone signal with a higher frequency, and no, obviously I did not use a CD since a CD maxes out at 44.1kHz).

Re:All I can say is "What are they smoking?"

[Fallen Kell]

Oh and during frequency testing, I found that the house has a fundamental or harmonic mode of 12Hz. Real interesting when playing that frequency and being told that paintings were falling off of walls a floor away (as well as on the complete other side of the house).

Re:All I can say is "What are they smoking?"

[dragonturtle69]

If they purchased new laptops for this, then it would be silly. I thought that they were theorizing about using old laptops, like corporate laptops that have been retired after two or three years. The batteries are junk and the keyboards worn out, but the displays are still okay. The speakers will be as tinny as ever and the displays would not combine for a perfect surround screen as the bezels will be in the way. Eh, still, just for fun.

And I agree with your points on making/selecting a proper sound system, that matching it to the surroundings and sound types is also good Geeky Fun.

Not just home theater

[John Jamieson]

I was just thinking about this the other day. The $379 laptop is often good enough for what I watch, low power consumers and quiet enough to be a HTPC. (and for sound I would plug it into a Home theater system any time I could)

And then I saw one of the MS Media servers being cleared out and I realized... I would have bought one a few years ago, but that seems like so long ago.
Nowadays, I could make about any PC into a media server by installing GNU/Linux, and if I was worried about power consumption, I would just use a slightly older laptop.
Get one of the Laptops where the screen is going/gone, most people throw them out. Put them on a Kilowatt meter and you will often be amazed how little current is drawn. (P4's fare worst)

It doesn't exist.

[Anonymous Coward]

They talk about the possibility of building it, not actually building it.

Why, why, why?

[DogDude]

Why would ANYBODY think of using a laptop's speakers for sound? That's ridiculously stupid. Get a 1/8" audio cable from Wal-Mart for $1.99 and plug the computer into a real stereo. I've been doing it since SoundBlaster 1.0 was released. It's not any harder than plugging headphones into an iPod, for the love of christ. Guess, what, my laptop IS my home theater system. Has been for about a decade. I just have my $1.99 Wal-Mart wire running from my laptop to my amp.

As far as "surround sound goes", what a crock that is. So you have some stupid action flick that has an explosion that is behind you, and one that's in front. BIG DEAL. It still sounds like crap.

Here's my solution for a home theater system:
1. Plug audio cable from any crappy computer into any halfway decent stereo amp.
2. Enjoy.

Coral Cache Link

[rufus t firefly]

Coral cache link: http://jamus.dannz.net.nz.nyud.net/technology/laptophometheatre.htm

Cables

[Anonymous Coward]

It's not a real home theater until you pay 40 grand for the cables.

Re:Cables

[SEWilco]

I'm sure you can buy cables for 40 grand from anyone here.

actually a great setup.

[Anonymous Coward]

i actually have this set up right now actually, using a vga link from the laptop to my 42'' lcd tv and a speaker link to the headphone on the laptop to the headphone jack on the tv... im sure if i were to spend a bit more i could hook it up to the surroundsound. im using a program called meedio you can look it up. its pretty cool. and 2 external hardrives full of my movies and tvshows.

Re:$200 - $400 amps have better sound and that is

[mrbcs]

I bought a used old 5.1 amp for $80 and two Technics speakers for $90. The system is hooked up to an AMD 3000 with a Gforce 5200 and media portal. I used a haupage remote. This mess is hooked up to a $500 projector (with which I received a free mount and screen). I have it set to 80" diagonal and it works perfectly. I've had it for over a year now and only used it 470 hours(Apparently, I thought it was a lot more). It's got a Wii and dvd also connected to it. All I'll ever need.

Specialised home theatre racks? Um what?

[gravyface]

Specialised home theatre racks are not crucial to the running of the home theatre system. Rather, book racks are adequate to fulfil the needs

Umm what? They're speakers... they don't need racks, they're rectangles or a built-in stand at the most. So instead of "specialized home theatre racks," we now need to line the room with book shelves for our 12 expensive, power-sucking laptops, who's fans (if they're Toshiba Satellite Hoovers) are going to contribute a wash of white noise and heat into the room. Awesome. Sign me up.

A powerful 12 watt speaker system!

[Anonymous Coward]

"A powerful 12 watt speaker system!"
lol, I love when advertisements brag about built in tv and laptop speakers.

Re:$200 - $400 amps have better sound and that is

[negRo_slim]

$200 - $400 amps have better sound and that is for a full 5.1 or 7.1 system some even come with speakers.

Yeah true but you can easily sacrifice usability and value by going with the stand alone amp.

*sighs*

[Anonymous Coward]

...and people wonder where the stereotypes of Americans as cash-flaunting, wasteful idiots came from

WAF

[Anonymous Coward]

They forgot to account for the WAF...

Re:gay niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

Amazing idea! Someone should turn that into a movie.

Comments on the feedbacks by the original author

[Jamus.2ya.com]

Hey guys. Thanks for providing me the important feedbacks with regards to my article. I have copied and pasted some of the comments and answered them in my forum. Please refer here: http://jamus.dannz.net.nz/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=23 Jamus.2ya.com