Well, good or bad, for those of us who have read and participated in the AVS forums, I think the knowledge gained herein can actually affect a person's life in a number of ways, and I'm curious how it has done so for my fellow members.
For myself, when I joined AVS I knew what an HDMI cable did, what the difference between 1080p and 1080i was, that there were 2 competing HD formats in the "war", how to hook up a HTIB, BOSE sounded the best of any home audio :rolleyes:, monster cables are worth the money :eek:, and what a PS3, XBOX 360 could / could not do. That was basically it for my Hi Definition and "AVS" science knowledge.
Now? Now I find myself discussing crossover frequencies, lossless sound, how to make a DVD player region free, the best home theater sound for under $1000 bucks (receiver NOT included), and spending much, much more money then I ever thought possible on HD / BD discs, speakers, and players, and loving every minute of it.
More than anything though, setting up components used to be a chore, now it makes me grin from ear to ear.

Before I got on here I had never heard of Amazon.com. I have learned about, but still truly dont understand, things like avc, mpeg, dts, and many other weird initial things. I mostly visit this site for release dates and special deals and useful information of that sort.

It does give me something to do while I am waiting for the PC's and network I support to do what I actually tell them to do, you know the faster they get, the slower they are. Otherwise? Just a lot more twiddling of my thumbs would be involved without AVS. :)

I have learned a decent amount, I also hope I have given back in exchange for that knowledge.


Good point to the above poster... My knowledge of abbreviations has gotten much broader. :)

Knowledge and good deals.I fell in love with the pictures of home theaters but as I read and joined the knowledge that helped me make a DIY screen,Select a format,projectors and people helping with tweaking and calibrations.I love going into the electronic stores and listen to them try to tell me something that I already know and 90% of it I got from this forum.It mainly helped he to not get got.

I came here originally in my HDTV research, ended up getting help with a receiver purchase, surround speakers, and of course a PS3.

I learned a great deal while I was building my own theater (had never run across monoprice, ended up building my own screen, went purple, etc) and I like helping out others when I can with things I have run into. But the biggest thing that I have learned from this site is that I need a raise to afford everything i want!

I enjoy the interaction with people. In some areas they are a lot more knowledgeable than myself. Asking questions and challenging people (even people I agree with) as to why they say things helps me learn. I also find it very rewarding sharing information with others about my areas of expertise.

Originally I came here looking for advice regarding a receiver issue. Then I moved to the RP HDTV's, then stumbled across the HD DVD and Blu-Ray area. Its been very interesting. Like other posters, I have gleamed a lot, and finding a place like monoprice was great. I plan on continuing coming here for advice, especially when I start my dedicated Theater Room in the next few years.

And of course to keep up with the "war", even if it seems to be winding down now. Time will tell.

Well, I am sure a lot less productive at work. Although, I am also bringing my coworkers into the wonderful world of High Definition. This site has provided me with a wealth of information, and has taught me a lot. I have a love-hate relationship with AVS because i am now an addict and spend way too much time here.

How do I count the ways? In a nut shell it has allowed me to build ten times the theater at half the cost. I've met tons of vitual friends who are real friends now. It has allowed me to make a love of mine and a dream of mine to come true while making it into a hobby at the same time.

Art

How do I count the ways? In a nut shell it has allowed me to build ten times the theater at half the cost. I've met tons of vitual friends who are real friends now. It has allowed me to make a love of mine and a dream of mine to come true while making it into a hobby at the same time.

Art
agreed... avs has saved me quite a bit of money (on one hand) and cost me quite a bit on the other.

still people are amazed at my setup for the price i paid.

AVS gave me the advice I needed to buy my TV, Speakers, Receiver, PS3, Wiring, and best room setup. I also enjoy the discussions.

It taught me that money DOES indeed buy you happiness. I drool over all the expensive toys I can't own.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc41/Toddler117/gifs/1137019907346.gif

I came here reading reviews of a TV I already bought :o and now I am on my 6th main display in 12 months :eek: and have bought a few smaller ones :D

I love/hate this place :D

I came here for flat panel HDTV research, then registered after I got an A2 on Wal-Mart on "that day", which probably broke some visit records at AVS.

The format war has sucked me in to the point I check this site out daily.

Well I have spent ALOT of money since learning about this site.

I have the home theater I always wanted, but it will never stop. Upgrades will always be taking place. :eek:

I can now divide by zero. I have gained a psuedo insider status that sees my word trusted more than some people with actual insider status.

I have been a member since 2004, found the site by googling the tv I wanted to buy (Panasonic 47x54) great tv by the way and still have it. Well the information I received that day and the recommendations I got to get the tv were great and I have been hooked since. I am a PC/Network tech so I am familiar with the pc end of things. I was also convinced that Bose, Monster brands were the best because it cost more until this forum enlightened me. I did not know anything about Digital Coax or Optical, DVI, HDMI, speaker wire etc. I have come a long way from those composite is best days. I now educate my co-workers and they also seek my advice on things like HDMI etc.
Thanks AVS for the education.

i have gained knowledge on just about every field in this forum now it has become
somewhat of an addiction, thanks to all.

AVS has made me appreciate my audio video hobby to the fullest, as never before, with the wealth of knowledge I have acquired from others via this forum. Apart from this, I actually find reading the posts very enjoyable indeed!

I've always been good at doing research for purchases, but for A/V stuff coming here has helped me get the most quality for my dollar. It's also a good spot to talk to mature members about next-gen gaming or movies unlike a lot of other sites. It's an awesome place.

I had a sh!t theater set up before I found this place.... Now I have a reference theater.... Thanks AVS!!

-I know what an HTPC is (and I have built and use several of them).
-I learned you can connect a computer to a big-screen TV and why you would want to.
-I have learned 61" is NOT a "big-screen" TV. ;)
-I have found many, many bargains in home theater equipment and programming.
-I have met a bunch of really nice people who are just as geeky as me...

Thank you, AVS Forum!

Before I joined AVS it used to be a science forum but now it's become a routine discussion forum. So partly blame me for that. I really appreciate few of the members out here for posting about those great deals, PQ issues, screencaps etc. Remember if it wasn't Denner and Xylon who alerted us on the POTC framing issue it would have mostly remained unnoticed.

My personal thanks to Xylon, benes, Kram, FrancescoP, House, Rob, AustinSTI, Icemage, Superslow and many others unsung heroes of this forum who have educated me a lot about film and video artefacts and how to hunt for flaws.

well i've spent money i probably wouldn't have otherwise spent (but worth every penny)
and i've learned that people will threaten people with physical harm because they like one HD brand over another. my GAWD some of you people are a wee bit too devoted to technology.. but it makes for very entertaining reading...oh and i can now carry on tech conversations with people and sound like i know what i'm saying while confusing the heck out of them...oh! and i saved allot with my car insurance. thx geico!

look at all you new timers talking about the old times LOL

I came here to learn how to setup a antenna so i could get some HD stations from 72 miles away from the world trade center. I also got help with my Hipix card and learned how to record from my cables STB firewire port.

before i joined i was recording HD from a PBS station in Conn. that was doing the old loop playing with a Dish HD OTA module for my new very expensive 6000.

My HD "set" was a 21 inch iiyama 4:3 CRT that just barely did 1080p

AVS is the best. It is really the only thing that keeps my mind sharp by linking me to articles for analysis, insightful posts by some very smart people, rubbing elbows with insiders.

If they gave college degrees for AV knowledge, you could earn one right here.

Life would be a much duller place wthout AVS.

I learned just how far certain employees of a certain company will go in pushing their agenda.

My credit card bills are a lot higher now.:eek:

Although I know just a fraction of what most on these forums know, I have learned a lot. Over on the HDTV Programming section there are some really heavy-hitters information-wise on HDTV broadcasting technology and such, lots of people in the broadcast industry. Marc Cuban even posts over there once in a while. HTPC section is invaluable to anyone building one. There is simply no greater resource available.

Naturally I came here when I wanted to learn about HDM, the format war, etc. There are some heavy hitters here as well, industry insiders. Even with the fanboy emotionalism, this place is certainly *the* reservoir of knowledge about HDM.

I've become the 'HD guidance counselor' for my friends and family is the upshot of it all.

Well it cost me money...

AVS has seriously harmed my pocketbook. :)

Before I came to AVS Forum, it would never have ocurred to me to try to calibrate my own projector. I'd done simple mechanical adjustments like tweaking CRT focus and convergence on old front and rear projectors, but stayed away from more complicated adjustments like grayscale, gamma, etc. Avia and Video Essentials was as far as I'd go. Even after I bought my first digital projector five years ago, I was still too intimidated to even consider it. And ISF certified techs are pretty hard to come by in Japan.

Now, thanks to the valuable advice and encouraging reports by others who did it themselves, I can say that I'm getting more and more confident and my results are getting better each time I try it. On this forum, I learned about the free HCFR software and how to use it with an inexpensive sensor to get a much better picture than I had before. I have to say that sometimes I get almost as much satisfaction from tinkering with my display settings as I do watching movies.

AVS got me my job!

I was consulting back in the summer of 2005, when my extremely pregnant wife and previously-born kids went away for summer camp for a few days. I had high hopes of making good progress on the (still delayed) second edition of my book, but wound up checking AVS as a procrastination technique. Someone or other made some assertions about what HD optical could or couldn't do which I thought was ridiculous, and so worked obsessively for a few days and made an actual HD DVD disc image of HD content I had rights to and stuck it on ********** for everyone to see (there were several thousand downloads before that old Mac's power supply failed).

A few months later, I was working on the VC-1 encoder on the HD DVD team at Microsoft, something I suspect Amir had something to do with :).

Ironically, the disc I made was done on a Mac in MPEG-2 with Standard Content...

I may well have been happy with an HTiB if it wasn't for this place. Now I have a some pretty good gear and considering even better.

Forcing self not to upgrade for $1000 fronts when I know they'll make me want even more expensive satellites and then to repeat the whole cycle again...

AVS is the best. It is really the only thing that keeps my mind sharp by linking me to articles for analysis, insightful posts by some very smart people, rubbing elbows with insiders.

If they gave college degrees for AV knowledge, you could earn one right here.

Life would be a much duller place wthout AVS.

Your post reminded me of how AVS forums are like the 'Penny Universities' of the 18th century

From the wiki entry >>
Penny University is a term originating from the eighteenth century coffeehouses in London, England. Instead of paying for drinks, people were charged a penny to enter a coffee house. Once inside, the patron had access to coffee, the company of others, various discussions, pamphlets, bulletins, newspapers, and the latest news and gossip. Reporters called "runners" went around to the coffee houses announcing the latest news, perhaps not too unlike what we might hear on the TV or the radio today.[1]

This environment attracted an eclectic group of people that met and mingled with each other at these coffee houses. In a society that placed such a high importance on class and economic status, the coffee houses were unique because the patrons were people from all levels of society.[2] Anyone who had a penny could come inside. Students from the universities also frequented the coffee houses, sometimes even spending more time at the shops than at school.[3]

Since that time, various coffee shops all over the world have used the name "Penny University".

The original sense, of a coffee house, probably grew out of a common experience: that you came out of a coffeehouse feeling ten times as smart as you were when you went in (as Montesquieu observed in The Persian Letters). As, indeed, wide-ranging conversations ensued therein, from the commercial (leading to the founding of, in London, Lloyd's of London, and in New York, the New York Stock Exchange) to the political, and the purely intellectual; the idea that one could acquire an education for the price of a cup of coffee, that is, a penny, took hold of the poetic imagination. <<

Kinda sounds like a spot on match for the AVS forums doesn't it? :D

It all started when I was entrusted with the projection duties at my local church. I used projectorcentral among other sites and ended up choosing the NEC LT260. The PJ and laptop used for mass services stays at my place... so I got curious one night and put in Disney's Hercules and projected the image onto my garage wall... I knew right then that I wanted a projector for movie watching (the old 68cm TV didn't cut it). While researching for a projector for home theater duties I also did some reading up on screens and came across screen Goo. I emailed the Goo Systems folks and they told me about AVSforums... the rest is history.

Since I've been coming here people tell me I'm smarter and better looking.:D

My fiancé stopped talking to me :) (as much)

Cost me a !@#$stack of money.:rolleyes:

If I never knew some of these things existed, I wouldn't have to go buy them.:D

confirmed my thoughts that Monster cable is way overpriced lol.
and more time spent on the net than i used to, and another forum to post on

I have spent a HELL of a lot more money than I thought I would fixing up my basement, but I ended up getting better equipment because of AVS. I also found out that because of AVS I have developed an incurable disease, upgraditis. What is scary though is that it is starting to spread to my wife ;)

Seriously I have become a much more knowledgeable person as far as A/V goes thanks to AVS.

Since I've joined this forum I've replaced my whole HT aside from my Xbox 360. :) Peer pressure!

I signed on to AVS when I started editing for HDNet. The discussions started by educated HD and home theater enthusiasts seemed to prove the best form of feedback from our target audience. I became a daily reader when HD DVD's impending launch was right around the corner and I've enjoyed reading and contributing to threads about both HD DVD and Blu-ray. Though there has been a lot of inter-format bickering, AVS has proven the single best resource for breaking information on the format war developments as well as software releases and impressions on the titles and the hardware. Has it changed my life? Well, I do feel like I have access to a deep resource for information in HD home theater now that includes contributions from respected and reliable industry professionals. Maybe home theater is not the most critical topic in our troubled world today, but it is my hobby and my livelyhood, and I'm grateful for AVS's role in keeping me connected to a community of similarly-minded people. Thanks to everyone who contributes! I love reading and corresponding with you guys and girls!

Since discovering AVS I learned saying "I have a dedicated home theater" sounds a lot better than saying "I live in my Mom's basement with no windows".

LOL-quote of the week. Very funny!

several years ago i found avsforum while fantasizing about buying a 46" rear projection tv. avsforum showed me that owning a true home theater was not just a pipe dream, so i put off the purchase.

within a couple of years avsforum and a new (non-virtual) friend convinced me that, not only could i have a theater in my home, i could build it myself (and he even helped!).

now every night i go down into my converted basement and smile to myself...from a material possessions point of view, if it actually can get any better than this, i certainly wouldn't have the time to enjoy it!

thanks to everyone here for making a childhood dream a reality!

avs has made me sleep at 3am every friggen night. and the format war made me visit here everyday.

Ironically, I watch less movies as I sometimes am distracted reading through the forums.

It has helped me hold back on certain purchases as I have see others working through technical issues on newly released products. So now I monitor the threads until I find most of the bugs worked out.

And then it has brought some amusement to my life reading through so many flame threads over nothing more then a piece of electronic equipment, at times it seems far worst then having a major religious or political difference.

The AVS Forum has been a great source of information & entertainment during the past (4) years. Thank you.

I stumbled on AVS by typing A/V questions and reviews into Google. I mostly lurked for a year, but after reading some of the great information, as well as some of the misinformation, I felt compelled to register. This website has been invaluable for me. There are some unbelievably knowledgeable people here, all with the same hobby! Thanks to everyone here, for the advice and the spirited debate. On another note, I'm broke....thanks to you. My wife hates you too, AVS:)

Good thread. I am a short-timer here no doubt, but AVS has been very influential over the past year or so. I found avs when I was looking for basement home theater pictures. I actually stumbled on the gallery first, then the forums. I was pulled into the DIY Screen forum first, then the dedicated and general theater construction forums accompanied by the "PJ's under 3K" forum. AVS introduced me to projector people, Monoprice, and taught me to avoid Brooklyn Camera shops. I learned a ton and stole some ideas along the way for my basement. Now that that's all finished, I've moved on to reading about the HD/BD war, new technology, the latest and greatest PJ's... I've spent way too much time on here (mostly at work!) but I haven't spent a lot of money. Thanks to AVS, I now have fillet tastes but still on my cheeseburger budget. When is that $1500 rebate check coming?!?!? :)

Prevented me from making some really bad purchases when building my home theater. Gave me lots of ideas on everything from furniture to cables. I ended up building a home theater that has unbelievable video and sound and looks really cool. It has had a definite impact on my relationship with my wife who now thinks that I am insane and can often be heard saying things like: "Turn that subwoofer down! It sounds like the whole house is going to fall down." Finally as most people have said, it led me to spend a lot more money to get the good stuff that I now learned was better then the stuff those salesmen were trying to sell me as "audiophile" gear.

Directly..it helped me decide on components and helped me with design, colors, and some fun room items...

Then there was one post where someone mentioned seeing an R2D2 made from sonotube. That got my obsession started..I found the R2buiders...started my own R2D2..which lead to another 1:1 character, then another, then another. I now have 11 full sized Star Wars characters around my theater!

My wife now thinks I am a geek with nothing but nerds for friends.

(but she appreciates the diversion from politics and global warming).

Oh, and I actually think I know how to use my equipment now.

I wouldn't know what a KURO was, and how it may make my 2009 upgrade cycle.

I wouldn't have known about certain coupons which FORCED me to buy my new receiver.

I wouldn't have known just how crappy my center channel and subwoofer were.

I wouldn't have been crazy enough to buy the Samsung 5000.

I wouldn't have so much time on UPS' FedEx's, and DHL's web sites tracking new gear.

and Kevin12586, if I can only get my wife to get upgraditis.. wow..

and Kevin12586, if I can only get my wife to get upgraditis.. wow..

What can I say, I have a GREAT woman. She watches movies and sports in the basement theater with me all the time.

Earlier in the week she even asked me "What new equipment are you going to buy for the basement?" I said that I am thinking of replacing the projector (Panny 700u only 3 years old) with a new one (Panny 2000u). Her response was, WOW, I can't wait. :cool:

Not too shabby ;)

Like many, I have spent lots of $$ because of this Forum. I stumbled across it when I was looking for my first high definition television. I soon became immersed in everything high definition. I bought my set through a Forum Power Buy. I first learned of HD DVD/Blu Ray through these forums and that the HD DVD player I had been wanting was going to be on sale at Wal-Mart for $98. I would very likely still be firmly on the HDM fence otherwise. I have learned about all kinds of movies and concerts on DVD that I might not have otherwise known about. Now it is helping me select a new receiver. In short I have learned more than I could ever imagine by spending coutless hours and hours reading these forums. AVS has become a place I visit multiple times a day and can't imagine living without. Yes, I have no life, and the AVS Forum has made that possible! :D

Since discovering AVS I learned saying "I have a dedicated home theater" sounds a lot better than saying "I live in my Mom's basement with no windows".



LOL-quote of the week. Very funny!

AVS has consumed much time with little benefit.

I first visited AVS when I was researching what HDTV I should buy. I was hoping to find quantitative evaluations, after all the S in AVS stands for science, and I found some good info, but I also found a lot of opinion from brand-snobs and armchair-experts. People who have never even calibrated their displays are recommending their displays! I'm an engineer who works with camera sensors (I've written image-processing software used in millions of camera-phones), and I've used calibrated professional monitors at work, so I think I know a little bit about picture quality and what a calibrated display should look like. However armchair experts with no qualifications beyond watching a movie in their living rooms were spreading misinformation and telling me I was an idiot for getting a brand X display over their favorite brand.

I came back to AVS Forum to learn more about Blu-Ray verses HD DVD. Unfortunately, I got caught up in the fanboyism, and started spreading my own opinion outside my area of expertise, the very thing I previously disliked. And I apologize for that. Fortunately I've since come to my senses, but not until after wasting my time and frustrations. Why should I waste my energy for some large corporation? Who wins doesn't affect me outside of the money I've spent on a player and a few discs. I should be enjoying high-definition media instead of arguing about it!

So, now I just visit once a week or less to read a little news and find out what discs I should be looking forward to.

I have found that I waste more time now, trying to look for problems and messing with settings than I did before. I used to just buy something and then enjoy it. Now, I second guess decisions because of crap I read here. Plus spend more money.

It's good in the end. I just have to remind myself not to get caught up in a lot of this stuff. Once you realize that a lot of people can find fault with anything because they have nothing else to do, you learn not to worry about most of it.

AVS is a little diversion from daily activities (or work) about what is ultimately totally & meaningless disposable things.

so much fanboy ranting (from adults too!) about movies not even worth a repeat watch. nitpicking about stuff where you can't even enjoy a movie/presentation.

there are alot helpful people but they're talked right over and the threads ignored.

ymmv.

:) AVS has provided our household with unbiased opinions and reviews of the latest in home entertainment equipment. Daily reading for months helped us understand the latest technology as well as feel very informed when shopping. Now the site has become quite an addiction! :D Love AVS and enjoy every minute. Thanks!

After getting the Sammy 5K, a friend of mine gave me the URL.

I've found lots of good things :), like a thread for my TV and a good reason to buy the players that I have.

I've found lots of bad things too :mad:. People who bitch at you because you toss back a non working player and go elsewhere, children who deface hardware and then suggest that you have Bose speakers.

I tend not to spend quite so much time in here anymore. I have better things to do in life, like watch my kit and work out when I can replace the receiver, the tv, the bd player.......

Seggers

it has taught me to read other AV websites for current information!

I visit daily and have learned a ton over the years. It makes me feel good to know that there are still some very decent people who will generally help out others. After all, this is a "people helping people" web site. Some of the advice is off the wall, but most of it is immensely helpfull to most. I have had an addiction to all things a/v since I was young, and avs has helped me along the way. To this day, if a friend/family member is considering a new purchase of a/v gear, they call me and I help with their decision thanks to some of the knowledge gained here. Let's keep it up, folks

This forum has helped me a lot. I learned so much by asking questions and reading other posts. I bought a projector, made myself a 115' screen and got ideas of how to decorate my home theater room , and i learned all of that here. One big thank you for all the people who make this forum a perfect place for learning audio video stuff.

AVS tells me there is alot more out there as far as products go compared to what I would just see in this area.

Then opinions do vary widely, fan boys of products do exist and are evident.

People can hear things that are not there.
Same for seeing.

Incremental improvements that really don't mean much at all unless your a addict cost great amounts of money to get. Its hyped overly so, so you would believe its a great benefit.

I've learned how to save money by learning how believing alot of this stuff wasted good monies. I now know how to read between the lines and get info from here then google search it for a NON OPINIONATED answer that doesn;t push favoritism. Basically the facts are there if you can take the time to sort through the bull.

I've also learned when I post the truth in such matter you'll get attacked.

I've been personally involved in a number of public business/technology battles in a totally different field, and the HDM battle is strikingly similar. The experts on both sides empahsize their own strengths and play down the opponents. It's as if we're all reading from the same script. What bothers me is when people (me included) who aren't so knowledgable join in, in a partisan way, and since they have no technical base, they often get personal. This raises the noise floor to a point where the expert opinions aren't heard and don't count, then leave.

It looks like the battle is winding down, so I would hope the BD fans would stop trying to deliver the coup de grace and just let this play out, so we can get the experts back.

Back OT, I've spent an enormous amount of time here watching this HDM story unfold, and like most real life stories there have been high and low points, and there could be a "death" or two. I don't know of any other kind of topic on the web that could be so engrossing, and when it ends it will be missed.

I went from a 27" inch tv with rabit ears and a non-progressive scan dvd player to a 92" projection screen, 720p projector, HD cable, HD-DVD and surround sound and I am loving every minute of it. Fortuneately, I am not one who feels the need to upgrade much.

I have also become the AV expert in my circle of friends :)

I no longer have time to read the newspaper :(