On Saturday October 21, 2012 I went to IKEA and purchased the EXPEDIT bookcase for storage and prefect rear placement of my rear surround speakers. I purchased the 2 x 4 bookcase in Black-Brown color. I have it on the floor long way. I will post pictures under the Current Equipment List.
Much like the component cable for the Wii and the purchase of a Blu ray player, I should have done this a long time ago. Watching sports and movies in surround sound is truly a different experience than 3.1 or 2.1 systems can provide.
I still have to run the Audyssey room correction on the Onkyo TX-NR609 now that I have all six speakers connected. I am still playing with which settings I like the best for sound on movies and sports. I ran a test with Avatar which I only have on DVD (purchasing Blu ray soon) and I was impressed with all the sound that was presented in the rear channels.
Right now I am using Monoprice 18AWG CL2 Rated speaker wire that I had left over from the installation of the front left, right and center speakers. After reading some reviews and technical information on speaker wire I will be replacing the 18AWG with 12AWG on the fronts. I found some flat wire that I can route under the carpet to the rear channels. For now the wire to the rear surround speakers is run under a rug in and the couch that backs up to the bookcase.
When I replace the front speaker wire I will also be replacing the HDMI cable the runs from the Onkyo TX-NR609 to the TV. I am going to use the Ultra Slim Series High Performance HDMI cable with RedMere Technology. This is a much thinner cable than the current Monoprice 24AWG Category 2 Certified cable I am using now.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Sunday, October 14, 2012
OBi100 Firmware Update
On Saturday October 13, 2012 I found that OBi had release a new firmware update to the OBi100. The release is version 1.3.0 with build version 2744. Click here for the official release and information on previous firmware updates. Per the release issued by OBi version 1.3.0 build version 2744 addresses the following:
- Various software optimizations to improve performance.
- Support for fax pass-through event (RFC2833).
- Show fax mode active state in call status.
- Proxy redundancy fail-over then resume improvement.
There are also several enhancements for the OBi202 and OBi302, however I do not own either of these products so I will not include them in in this list. Se the official release noted above for details if you need them.
Just like the update preformed last month, and posted about here on this blog, I processed the update using the web interface. There are multiple options for applying firmware updates to the Obi100 but I prefer the web interface because it gives me a sense of control over the process. The steps for applying the update this way are provided by OBi in the link provided above. I'll provide them here for future reference:
Firmware Update Instructions:
1. Download the file to your computer.
2. Access the web page of the OBi device:
- From a phone attached to the PHONE port of the OBi dial * * * 1
- The IP address of the OBi will be read to you.
- Open a new browser window on your PC and enter the IP address of the OBi. (E.g. 192.168.1.110)
- When prompted, enter "admin" for username and "admin" for password.
If you have previously changed the password, use that instead of "admin."
3. Now that you have accessed the OBi web page, go to the "System Management" - "Device Update" page. From there, "Browse" to the firmware file you just downloaded above and click Update.
4. Wait for the OBi to restart (approx. 30 seconds) and you will be good to go.
- Various software optimizations to improve performance.
- Support for fax pass-through event (RFC2833).
- Show fax mode active state in call status.
- Proxy redundancy fail-over then resume improvement.
There are also several enhancements for the OBi202 and OBi302, however I do not own either of these products so I will not include them in in this list. Se the official release noted above for details if you need them.
Of particular note this time, this was the first time I have seen reference to an OBi302 device. The website current does not list this as a current product but does list it as a partner device. This device is used by vendors for their own VoIP.
Just like the update preformed last month, and posted about here on this blog, I processed the update using the web interface. There are multiple options for applying firmware updates to the Obi100 but I prefer the web interface because it gives me a sense of control over the process. The steps for applying the update this way are provided by OBi in the link provided above. I'll provide them here for future reference:
Firmware Update Instructions:
1. Download the file to your computer.
2. Access the web page of the OBi device:
- From a phone attached to the PHONE port of the OBi dial * * * 1
- The IP address of the OBi will be read to you.
- Open a new browser window on your PC and enter the IP address of the OBi. (E.g. 192.168.1.110)
- When prompted, enter "admin" for username and "admin" for password.
If you have previously changed the password, use that instead of "admin."
3. Now that you have accessed the OBi web page, go to the "System Management" - "Device Update" page. From there, "Browse" to the firmware file you just downloaded above and click Update.
4. Wait for the OBi to restart (approx. 30 seconds) and you will be good to go.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Harmony 880 Reprogrammed & Firmware Updated
Today I officially cancelled cable TV. We had Comcast and I have now setup a TiVo box and subscribed to Hulu Plus and Netflix to get all our streaming needs taken care of. I am using an over the air antenna to receive local channels in HD. So far so good with this setup. I setup everything last week and have been test driving all the features for the past week. My wife and kids can easily use the new technology so we good to go.
With the removal of Comcast cable service I had to remove the Motorola DCX3400 I had to reprogram the Logitech Harmony 880 remote. The update to the Activities was easy using the Logitech Harmony Remote Software (version 7.7.0). I removed the Motorola DCX3400 device and add the TiVo TCD-746500. Everything works like it should. I'll change some of the button layouts once I get a better understanding of what I use most.
When using the Logitech Harmony Remote Software I found under the Downloads section the option to update the firmware on the remote. I ran the process and the software did update the firmware on the remote. There are no release notes or read me files on the firmware so I do not know exactly what was updated. I plan to do so more internet searching and see if I can find disclosure information. If I am able to find information I will post links and the data here on this blog.
I am in the process of updating this blog to get everything current with all the technology changes that have occurred in my systems. I will be reviewing and updated the pages to reflect the current components and what the upgrade plan is now.
The biggest piece of news outside of the introduction of TiVo to the system is that my TV is now dying. About three weeks ago a single line of pixels on the left hand side of the screen stopping displaying. Depending on the source material the line is either green, red or black. In reviewing posts on the internet I am diagnosing that the y board has failed. Since the TV is over 5 years old it will not be covered and replacing parts would be silly. So the hunt for a new TV has begun.
There are several large purchases that will happen before the new TV. First will be new living room furniture since the couch and loveseat are over 10 years old now. I'll also be purchasing a bookcase that will hold the rear channel speakers. Finally going to have full 5.1 surround sound! Can't wait.
Other items I need to post about include: Another Obi firmware update, PC upgrade plans (possible HTPC if it works out), design for charging station, installation of over the air antenna, plans for solar panel charging station, and research on powerline networking.
That's all for now. Thanks for reading.
With the removal of Comcast cable service I had to remove the Motorola DCX3400 I had to reprogram the Logitech Harmony 880 remote. The update to the Activities was easy using the Logitech Harmony Remote Software (version 7.7.0). I removed the Motorola DCX3400 device and add the TiVo TCD-746500. Everything works like it should. I'll change some of the button layouts once I get a better understanding of what I use most.
When using the Logitech Harmony Remote Software I found under the Downloads section the option to update the firmware on the remote. I ran the process and the software did update the firmware on the remote. There are no release notes or read me files on the firmware so I do not know exactly what was updated. I plan to do so more internet searching and see if I can find disclosure information. If I am able to find information I will post links and the data here on this blog.
I am in the process of updating this blog to get everything current with all the technology changes that have occurred in my systems. I will be reviewing and updated the pages to reflect the current components and what the upgrade plan is now.
The biggest piece of news outside of the introduction of TiVo to the system is that my TV is now dying. About three weeks ago a single line of pixels on the left hand side of the screen stopping displaying. Depending on the source material the line is either green, red or black. In reviewing posts on the internet I am diagnosing that the y board has failed. Since the TV is over 5 years old it will not be covered and replacing parts would be silly. So the hunt for a new TV has begun.
There are several large purchases that will happen before the new TV. First will be new living room furniture since the couch and loveseat are over 10 years old now. I'll also be purchasing a bookcase that will hold the rear channel speakers. Finally going to have full 5.1 surround sound! Can't wait.
Other items I need to post about include: Another Obi firmware update, PC upgrade plans (possible HTPC if it works out), design for charging station, installation of over the air antenna, plans for solar panel charging station, and research on powerline networking.
That's all for now. Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Firmware Updates
Saturday September 22, 2012 was a busy day for updating firmware on system components. In reviewing releases from vendors I found that several of my components had new firmware versions to install.
The following components were updated. You can click on each component listed below to see more specific information about each firmware update.
OBi100 - Firmware released on 09/07/2012 version 1.3.0 (build 2721)
Onkyo TX-NR609 - Firmware released on 07/05/2012 version 1141-1600-0010-8106
Panasonic DMP-BDT210 - Firmware released on 07/09/2012 version 1.88
The following components were updated. You can click on each component listed below to see more specific information about each firmware update.
OBi100 - Firmware released on 09/07/2012 version 1.3.0 (build 2721)
Onkyo TX-NR609 - Firmware released on 07/05/2012 version 1141-1600-0010-8106
Panasonic DMP-BDT210 - Firmware released on 07/09/2012 version 1.88
Monday, September 24, 2012
OBi100 Firmware Update
On Saturday September 22, 2012 I found that OBi had release a new firmware update to the OBi100. The release is version 1.3.0 with build version 2721. Click here for the official release and information on previous firmware updates. Per the release issued by Obi version 1.3.0 build version 2721 addresses the following:
There is also an update for the OBi202. Since I do not own the OBi202 I had to be careful not to download the wrong update. Please the see official release noted above for notes on the Obi202 update and the separate download.
Just like the updates preformed in February, March, and May, and posted about here on this blog, I will update using the web interface. There are multiple options for applying firmware updates to the Obi100 but I prefer the web interface because it gives me a sense of control over the process. The steps for applying the update this way are provided by OBi in the link provided above. I'll provide them here for future reference:
Firmware Update Instructions:
1. Download the file to your computer.
2. Access the web page of the OBi device:
- From a phone attached to the PHONE port of the OBi dial * * * 1
- The IP address of the OBi will be read to you.
- Open a new browser window on your PC and enter the IP address of the OBi. (E.g. 192.168.1.110)
- When prompted, enter "admin" for username and "admin" for password.
If you have previously changed the password, use that instead of "admin."
3. Now that you have accessed the OBi web page, go to the "System Management" - "Device Update" page. From there, "Browse" to the firmware file you just downloaded above and click Update.
4. Wait for the OBi to restart (approx. 30 seconds) and you will be good to go.
For those who don't know, Obi100 is a VoIP Telephone adapter that allows you to use a traditional landline phone with Google Voice, SIP and other telephone interfaces. I use Google Voice on this device and highly recommend it. I have not paid for a landline phone for about 16 months. Based on my last landline phone bill (~$40/month) I figure that I have saved $600 (16 months times $40 less $40 for OBi100). Not bad for alternative to the traditional landline options out there. Also don't pay for Vonage (rip off if you ask me).
The calls and voice quality are very clear. There are two things to seriously consider about using an Obi100. First there are no emergency services provided with the phone. Meaning that 911 calls and other emergency service calls are not allowed. If you have a cell phone this should not be an issue in most cases. The second item to consider is the device is attached to your network and an internet connection must be available to work. If you have a power outage or your network goes down for any of a variety of reasons you will be without phone service. A battery backup power supply would help eliminate the power outage issue.
The device is extremely easy to use and setup. Before one of the last firmware updates posted about on this blog, I had some issues with having to reset the device. Over the course of about 3 months I had to reset the device about once a week. This has not happened since the firmware was updated. For the price and savings you can realize I highly recommend this product to anyone looking to cut their landline phone costs.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Onkyo TX-NR609 Firmware Update
Today, Saturday September 22, 2012, I came across the latest firmware update for the Onkyo TX-NR609 posted on the Onkyo website. The release date for the update is July 5, 2012. The official release posted says that it "Improves the operation when HDMI Through is set to on, and Stabilizes the operation of Network control, and Corrects the video output when the Picture Modes is set to Through. Click here to read official release. Notes about how I installed the update are below the picture.
As with all the Onkyo firmware updates that have been released since I have owned the TX-NR609, I have downloaded the zip file for safe keeping and back up if necessary. I find that Onkyo does not maintain a historical record of the firmware update files other than through the firmware update procedures that describe what each update addresses.
For the record of this post I have the following files:
Onkyo TX-NR609 - Firmware Update 09/14/2011 version 1091-1100-0010-6104
Onkyo TX-NR609 - Firmware Update 10/31/2011 version 1101-1200-0010-6104
Onkyo TX-NR609 - Firmware Update 12/20/2011 version 1121-1300-0010-6104
Onkyo TX-NR609 - Firmware Update 03/16/2012 version 1131-1400-0010-8106
Onkyo TX-NR609 - Firmware Update 07/09/2012 version 1141-1600-0010-8106
I unzipped the files and copied them to a 8GB USB drive (make sure the drive only has the unzipped files on it and that the drive does not have password protection on). Following the instructions from the manual, and also repeated in the official release noted above, I made sure RIHD was turned off. Powered down the AVR. Removed the UFW-1 from the front USB input. Plugged in the USB drive with the files copied to it. Powered on the AVR and TV. Selected the USB input on the AVR.
At this point the USB input will be initializing. Once complete you can press Setup on the remote. On the Menu select Hardware Setup. On the next menu select Firmware Update. On the next menu select Via USB. Finally select Update.
The process will then write the new firmware to the AVR. The last 3 updates took well over 45 minutes. This one, 5 minutes max. I started the process, went back to my computer to update this post. I went back to the TX-NR609 5 minutes later and it was done. When the process is done the front display of the AVR will display Completed! At this point you press the power button on the AVR (not the remote). Before turning back on unplug the USB drive from the front USB input. I reinserted the UWF-1 at this point.
I did not believe that it loaded properly so I started the process over. The informational display on the TV said that my firmware version was the most current version. I went in the Setup menu and checked the firmware version. The firmware version now reads 1141-1600-0010-8106.
Keeping with my practice of always having the latest firmware updates on my components I installed the update after I was comfortable about the information being released on the update.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Panasonic Blu-ray Player DMP-BDT210 Firmware Update
While researching how far behind I was on firmware updates I came across the following update for the Panasonic Blu-ray Player DMP-BDT210. After some online research I found the following information on the update:
Version 1.88
Released 07/09/2012
Stability and functionality of VIERA Connect Apps
Playability of Blu-ray Disc
(At the time of this post I found this update to applied to DMP-BDT110, DMP-BDT210, DMP-BDT215, and DMP-BDT310. I found this information on the firmware update on Panasonic's North America's website. Procedures provided were for downloading the update to your computer and building a CD-R to load into the player. I used my network to download the update manually via the player. Here is a link to the PDF on Panasonic's website for these instructions. I downloaded the update file just in case the network one failed or I need it for future reference. )
Keeping with my belief that it is always best to have the most current firmware version loaded to your components, I went about processing the update. Panasonic has made this process very easy with the DMP-BDT210 when it is connected to your LAN. You simply go through the Setup Menu to the "Other" section and select Firmware Update.
The player then connects to the Panasonic servers and downloads the new version. The entire process is self contained once started and no user interaction is required. The player will reset and start up again once the firmware has been downloaded and installed. This time around the entire process only took about 15 minutes.
It should be noted that I have my Panasonic Blu-ray Player connected via the integrated wireless connection. The connection point is my D-Link Xtreme N Gigabit Router DIR-655 located about 20 feet away in another room. The wireless signal passes through one interior wall at a 90 degree angle. As good as it will get at this location.
This is the third firmware update that I have installed on the Panasonic DMP-BDT210 since I purchased it. The first firmware update was for version 1.70 which came out after the date of manufacturing on the unit that I purchased. I installed the update on the very first day the Blu-ray player was connected to the Onkyo TX-NR609. The first firmware update was as simple as this one.The second firmware update was for version 1.80 which came out February 6, 2012. That update was easy to install too.
Version 1.88
Released 07/09/2012
Stability and functionality of VIERA Connect Apps
Playability of Blu-ray Disc
(At the time of this post I found this update to applied to DMP-BDT110, DMP-BDT210, DMP-BDT215, and DMP-BDT310. I found this information on the firmware update on Panasonic's North America's website. Procedures provided were for downloading the update to your computer and building a CD-R to load into the player. I used my network to download the update manually via the player. Here is a link to the PDF on Panasonic's website for these instructions. I downloaded the update file just in case the network one failed or I need it for future reference. )
Keeping with my belief that it is always best to have the most current firmware version loaded to your components, I went about processing the update. Panasonic has made this process very easy with the DMP-BDT210 when it is connected to your LAN. You simply go through the Setup Menu to the "Other" section and select Firmware Update.
The player then connects to the Panasonic servers and downloads the new version. The entire process is self contained once started and no user interaction is required. The player will reset and start up again once the firmware has been downloaded and installed. This time around the entire process only took about 15 minutes.
It should be noted that I have my Panasonic Blu-ray Player connected via the integrated wireless connection. The connection point is my D-Link Xtreme N Gigabit Router DIR-655 located about 20 feet away in another room. The wireless signal passes through one interior wall at a 90 degree angle. As good as it will get at this location.
This is the third firmware update that I have installed on the Panasonic DMP-BDT210 since I purchased it. The first firmware update was for version 1.70 which came out after the date of manufacturing on the unit that I purchased. I installed the update on the very first day the Blu-ray player was connected to the Onkyo TX-NR609. The first firmware update was as simple as this one.The second firmware update was for version 1.80 which came out February 6, 2012. That update was easy to install too.
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