Surround Sound

[Montana_1240]

Bill,

That set up is a whole different kettle of fish! It’s a good thing you have room under the TV.

Believe it or not, that little piece of matching “oak” was in Home Depot. It’s just a piece of very light, (seems like maybe Balsa Wood and plastic,) molding with an oak plastic veneer. It only cost $7 for a piece about 8’ long. It was exactly ¼” wider than the holes the Quest speakers were mounted in.

I went with it because I’ve always had lousy luck matching finishes on real wood. Oh, and I’m also lazy, and hated to have to try to dig out my “00” steel wool that I believe is packed in one of maybe four containers in our overcrowded basement to give it a decent finish.

The left & right front Sony speakers use one screw to mount. The center speaker uses two. I also used some Velcro strips on each speaker to keep them from flopping around at all while in motion. The two screws that hold the center speaker are the main way the molding stays in place. That, plus the fact that I cut the ends so as to meet the curved sides of the left & right speakers, holding each end against the cabinet.

If I’m plugged into cable, it still uses the original wiring in the Monty. However, at the main TV, I have an A/B Switch that will allow me to feed the TV & VCR either from my TiVO output, or the cable/antenna feed. Theoretically, I can TiVO two shows off satellite, and one show off cable/antenna, while watching a TiVO’d show, or a cable/antenna show on the TV. (I did say I was a TV addict…Suffering “withdrawal, now that we’re mid-TV-season.)

I hear ya when you say it’s a major chore to get at the TV’s inputs. I’m quite a pro at taking my TV out. When I installed the Sony, I was able to get it done in half an hour, totally! But if you can do it, at all, it’s worth it. Even if you only do it once, by adding cables to and from all the connections for later use. Because I have had trouble using AV-1, (both RCA and S-Video inputs,) on my Toshiba TV with the Quest, and again with the Sony, I finally gave up and plugged into the “Component Video” inputs. Unless it craps out like the AV-1 did, the picture quality is great! But since I use a wireless headphone transmitter, I needed the TV’s “Audio Out” signal, too. Plus there was the VCR, presently using AV-1, leaving AV-2 free for future use, if need be.

And, yeah. I was happy to know they had satellite-grade cable in this thing, even though we didn’t but a dish until months after owning it. Plus, it would be great if the builders on my Monty were addicted to satellite TV. While I don’t get into sports, sports fans often have two leads from their dishes to get all the games. And there are more sports addicts than plain TV addicts. It can’t be all that long in coming when Monties will have to be HDTV-Ready. And since LCD TVs are getting popular, and prices are plummeting, I’m guessing Keystone will offer them in some special package for people who don’t want to have to buy a Class-A rig that even has a slide-out plasma TV on the outside, and flip-down plasma TVs inside. And, there would be wiring pre-installed in the ceilings in case an owner wanted to install a roof-mounted dish. Some of the installations I’ve heard of send chills up my spine with the way wiring was slapped together for TVs in slides! I’d also like it if they had radio and Wi-Fi antennas on the outside, so I would get even more distant stations on the home theater system, and wouldn’t have to move my PC’s antenna around in my window to try for a better signal.

Steve

Edited to add: With that slide being that close, this sort of speaker installation might not work like it has for me. If that's what you're planning. These speakers stick out about 4" from the surface!

[Lije Baley]

Steve,

I'm using some older Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble IV cubes (after they arrive from their e-bay seller). They're about 3 1/2 inches deep. The slide may have less clearance (or so my wife thinks and she's the remodeler in the family). They're light enough that I can remove them from the mounting screws when we close up the trailer. I've got to remove the one from the window valance anyway.

I've read that the TV has screws into its plastic top. Are they exposed when you remove the board holding the speakers?

You and I have similar expectations for the future of RV TV when HD is no longer cutting edge. I'll bet the retrofit will be difficult. The compartment for the present TV limits the possible size of a 16x9 display. I've seen some flat panels mounted outside the cabinet. With the proper mounting hardware most of the AV equipment would fit behind a flat panel that could flip up.

[Montana_1240]

Bill,

If you’re going to have to remove one speaker, I’m guessing that having to remove the others will be no real big deal. (Good idea for speaker separation!) Looking at the floorplan on the Keystone site, it does make it seem like you have at least four or five inches between the front of the entertainment center and the side of the slide. But I know those may not be totally accurate “as-built” renditions. But that piece of molding will add approximately half an inch, once it covers the holes.

In my TV configuration, just above the speakers, where I have that stack of A/V equipment, there was a plastic cover over a screw head that held my center speaker in its hole. I had to remove that to get to the screw that went down into the top center of the TV. (You should be able to see if there’s a screw by using a flashlight in the small space between your cabinet and the TV’s top.)

I had to remove the fireplace, (you won’t have that hassle,) to get at the two lower screws into each side of the TV’s bottom. You should be able to get at yours from inside the lower cabinet doors.

I’m not sure if your speakers can be easily removed. That photo in the link doesn’t show much above the speakers.

As for the panel that holds the speakers. Mine had slots routed, horizontally, at either end, for screws that are holding the ends into the entertainment center’s vertical side panels. Unless yours is different than mine, you will have to remove the TV to get at those screws. Since it was so fashioned, I decided to simply cover the holes, rather than replace the panel. (My wife wants me to add a narrow shelf, right above the TV, so she can put a couple picture frames on it while we’re stationary.)

If you can take the TV out, you’ll be able to get at the speakers, and see if your panel is removable or not.

And, yeah. We seem to be on the same frequency about TV. I can’t see getting a flat panel to go in this entertainment center, simply for the reason that it’d be hardly any wider than the screen I have, now. If it weren’t for those left & right speakers I now have, I was thinking about getting a wider screen that’d simply overhang the existing hole. I measured a lot, and find that some slightly bigger screened TVs can fit in there, if I cut out the sides and top a bit…But still those speakers would hamper it. I’m thinking I’ll eventually have to move the speakers. I can put them farther out by brackets on the sides of the TV enclosure.

All I can say is that if it has to do with TV, whatever model Monty we end up with over time, I will be considering my own preferences when it comes to the A/V situation. Especially if Keystone hasn’t caught up to my standards, yet.

I’ve seen some neat arrangements in some high-class RV magazines and web sites. Most was installed in RVs that cost more than our hillside Alaskan home, though…But prices drop and availability increases.

Steve

[Lije Baley]

Man oh man! The job is done. I spent the better part of Saturday afternoon in the Monty. We brought it home from the service department after the CCC was installed, replacing the remote thermostat (that's another post)! We parked it in front of the house at the end of our cul-de-sac and went to work. The temps reached 105 inside before the afternoon was done.

We've done everything but place the small shelf for the right speaker. It will protrude into the stairway up to the bedroom, but we shouldn't hit it. The center speaker will go in the cabinet above the TV, since we need to leave that cabinet open for the subwoofer anyway. I don't think it's too high for the center channel; my ear will still locate the sound to the TV screen. I was able to use the existing brackets to mount the rear surrounds (time will tell if they're too heavy for those light brackets).

I've now got an older Panasonic DVD player in the space the Quest receiver occupied. I put the Direct Tivo and a Harman Kardon AVR in the cabinet under the DVD player. I was able to use component cabling to connect the DVD player directly to the TV (the Colorstream input). For simplicity, I also connected the DVD player and the Tivo with S-video cables to the AVR and connected the AVR with S-video to the TV. I can now switch both the audio and video through the AVR for those two units. For greater simplicity (for DW), I also used RF connections from the Tivo to both TVs. Mono audio with RF video, but it's simple if one doesn't want to use the AVR.

I added an AB switch to allow me to put the Tivo in standby mode and route campground cable to both TVs. I'm not sure if that is properly wired, but will test it at the next opportunity. Realistically, I don't expect to use cable too often, so if I need to reconnect the loop it's not a big deal. Antenna signal was good.

I'm pleased that it all worked, but it sure took some time. That Toshiba is one heavy TV. It's great to have all the components properly connected instead of relying on the RF signal.

I would not have been as ready to pull that TV out without the help of others in this thread. Thanks again.

[Montana_1240]

Bill,

You have the big work accomplished. Way to go!

I hope it all functions as planned for you. That will be the test.

I should have mentioned, (sorry for omitting it,) that you could have tilted that TV onto one of the chairs, if you placed it right in front of the thing after getting its screws out of the way. I've done that before. As well as learning to turn the TV within the compartment for just enough space to access the cables.

Enjoy!
Steve

[Lije Baley]

Steve,

No worries mate (as my Aussie cousins say). The chair was an intermediate waystation on the way to the floor for the TV. I had all the components on chairs and the floor as I figured out the proper cabling and wiring for each. It was much easier that way. Once configured, each went to its space with cabling accessible for final assembly.