New LG Nano cell LED TV, completes my home theatre dream

The year began for me with a real brand new thing; I expected to buy in last few years or at least from the time of purchase of my AV receiver, an initial step in building my home theatre. After a lot research, comparison and reading on various aspects I come down to choose the television that content my hunger for some quality. I was certain I want a direct backlight LED TV, just like my previous 26” Samsung TV, bought in 2010, and I have seen the differences in clarity the led TVs that produced later couldn’t live up to it and many who watched our TV had praise on its sharpness what their own led TVs couldn’t produce. I don’t want to go more on its detail. I know there’re greater TVs in market where finance decides the content and from my budget I looked for the best and I find the year end to be right moment for discounts and the television came in fair tag price of ₹ 57,000 at 35% discount in Paytm Mall online shopping.

We bought a 49” LG Nano cell Led TV and the LG promoted the TV as most advanced Led TV and a step down to OLED TV. Somewhere I read Nano cell Led TV is called poor man’s OLED! Ha ha. The TV has IPS flat screen and Ultra HD resolution with 4K Active HDR and 4K upscaler and wide viewing angle and many more visual enhancers to make watching pleasure. While choosing the TV I was much concern about the visual/image features because I already have the best sound resource in Sony AV Receiver to expand audio up to 7.2 channels, so the TV audio would be seldom used   but still the TV has good sound quality with DTS Virtual surround. Nowadays I watch movies mostly in Prime video (and yet to join Netflix) with almost contents available in HD and 5.1Ch audio, there are some 4K videos too that I am supposed to experience sometime.

I’m someone always lookout for tiny details or observe little things, so the detail was something strongly built within me couldn’t avoid this TV that has Nano cell particle to refine dull colors to accurate colors. The HD movies/videos are a pleasure to watch in this TV than the relayed satellite channels, that are mostly in SD content and it strains the vision with irregular to bright in colors and disband pixels. The best thing about this TV was its magic motion remote. The cursor at the shake of remote is easy to browse the television, access apps and above all it has voice recognition with both built-in Google Assistant and Alexa. The apple airplay and homekit is seems to help connect smart appliances but right away this will only useful to connect mobiles since they are the smart appliance we hold.

I was working on quite a home theatre setting from the wake up of 2018, when I purchased an advanced budget 4K AV receiver at half the price of its original rate through an Amazon offer and discount.  It was a dream comes true for me to buy a proper home theatre system than the regular surround sound existed through the satellite speakers system in market. Following the receiver I waited patiently and particular about the speakers’ purchase that should nowhere loses the signal and compatible with the receiver but the budget was something restricted me to progress step after the other. First I bought two powerful bookshelf speakers from Boston Acoustics for the front right and left, and last year I purchased the centre and surround left/right speakers from Yamaha to get a 5.1 Ch sound and for the sub-woofer I hold back from the previous system. Now with the big Led TV that was installed on the New Year itself my dream of a home theatre had come true really. I’m grateful for my parents to support and understand my need for building a home theatre, although they aren’t much interested they spent quite only because I desired for.  Thank you

Fireworks @ Skywatch Friday

Deepavali – the festival of lights – just passed like a blink of light and flash of an aerial firework that treat eyes for few seconds. For my cousin sister, who got married in June, this was her Thala (first) Deepavali after the marriage so she had come home with groom, following an invite by us as per the custom. Thala Deepavali is treated special for every newly married couple that follows the tradition and I could see they had good time cheering the festival of lights in pretty new cloths and spirited while bursting crackers. I wonder how she enjoyed bursting crackers what I haven’t seen in a while, as she ever showed interesting on crackers was different on that day that I could understand it’s all the magic of newly married.

I had a great night that day watching the fireworks that made the new moon sky dazzle in display of colourful fireworks. I felt the crackers sounded a bit louder at my surrounding this year than the previous and many in the neighbourhood had lit auto bombs (and loud crackers) to disturb the ear eardrums and to the unusual my cousin too created some dreadful sound despite my unlikeliness. I’m always against loud crackers and particular about the choice of fireworks I buy that emit less sound and smoke. I enjoy watching fireworks either on the sky or ground level, the emitting of light and sound and the rush of fire creates an emotion that embark to a state of different and light-heartedness. I had fun lighting sparklers, the only firework I could handle enough but I liked capturing fireworks in video and photo modes.

Collage of aerial fireworks display in different forms, shot in firework mode in camera 

I share here some fireworks that lit my sky and the images in collages were all shot from the balcony. I planned to go out during the Deepavali eve to see things happening around but couldn’t move out a bit rather taking the backstreets in wheelchair. I usually go out a day before or on Deepavali night to watch for fireworks displayed in the neighbourhood even though I had the opportunity this time something conscious prevented me.  Glad I could watch some from the balcony and shoot as well.  

Galaxies created by fireworks

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

My Travel and Better Health

After a long time or more than a year, I’m getting an opportunity to travel and this’s a long gap I had after traveling become a passion. I should have taken a trip early this year but people had different plans which are unavoidable and needn’t be as each phase has its significances that need to be addressed. Being dependent it’s impossible to think or work beyond the limits. Dad’s post coronary issue (though it was addressed through stents and he leads normally) things turned worse in my life as he should not lift me anymore and mom as same following her uterus removal last year, I’m looked after by my brother and cousin bro for shifting my positions has become a problem to pick up a trip on own. Till the end of last year, dad could put me inside the car and we would take short-distance rides but now I had to look out for my brother to lift me inside the car and ours being an SUV only for him is possible.

Following dad’s angioplasty in December, we didn’t think of traveling for few months and in March brother started working on his Fitness Centre aka GYM which was opened on 8^th May and sister’s wedding arrangements in June pushed our travel plans further. Even now the brother is a bit busy making new clients to the gym will be taking off few days for a family vacation at my uncle’s woodhouse (Smokey Haven Woodhouse) in mountains of Kodaikanal. Last week I checked with my cardiologist and it was a surprise and happy moment for the doctors at the clinic to find my heart pumps normal or normal LV function (55% to 65%) which was 37% last year when diagnosed with an echocardiogram. A yearlong on medication had helped me achieve this stage and the doctor was content with the result has reduced the medication and my next appointment are only after 6 months.

Following a sign of abnormal in ECG, last year May, I consulted the cardiologist and he found a weak heart or less percentage of LV function.  Though the heart getting weaker is a normal condition in the progress of muscular dystrophy, it was quite an unexpected drop for me as of 2016 echocardiogram my heart function was normal, and 2018 report of different. The doctor prescribed me few tablets and hope to sustain the condition with constant medication was cheerful about the incredible improvement of the condition and happily deducted few medicines. I’m already taking regular medicines for diabetes along with calcium and vitamin tablets to support the system and this improvement with the heart has helped a bit. The family vacation we planned for next week, with near and dear ones, is the one going to happen after three years, even though I use to visit Kodaikanal yearly as a family to relax and a little bit of exploring, I hope to have some fun with my first circle families. Only my newlywed sister is missing the trip as her in-law isn’t well.  We would be staying at the woodhouse and visit the princess of hill station – Kodai.

My family vacation in 2016. My other uncle and cousin (who took the shot) is missing in the photo. (click pic for large) 

Sister’s Wedding @ Mamallapuram

My sister got married on Friday at our ancestral town Mamallapuram, about 45 km from here on ECR and I attended both the events – the reception at night and marriage in morning – by staying a night from a guesthouse there. Though the wedding turned out eventful and content packed there was something couldn’t make feel relaxed or comfort at certain level i.e. the wedding hall was in the first floor with no lift!  It was a marriage happened within kinship and my sister (cousin) is married to her maternal uncle’s son and it was their desire to go together in life and we all approved their decision after small hesitations, since we were looking for a bridegroom outside the relative circle this was unexpected and we couldn’t say no as it was her life and she has all rights to decide her companion and thus marriage was fixed and following an engagement in February.

My sister was sent off  early in the afternoon (of Thursday) to Mamallapuram to get ready for the evening reception and bride inviting and we planned to leave by 4 pm in evening so that we could relax before the event begin by 6 pm. But we left home only by 6! Though we reached there in an hour things were to be hurried up. We had booked two vans for the relatives, friends and neighbors to cover the distance also arrived late to delay the pace and my sister went directly to the nearest temple from the beauty parlor - as per the custom, the bride will be invited to the wedding hall following a procession from temple, either by car or walk about, which signifies the beginning of wedding process in Indian culture. Already the crowd perched the hall when we arrived and there wasn’t time for anyone to spare me to transfer me to the marriage hall in first floor and it was packed further to make transfer difficult, so I settled in the ground floor courtyard where couple of rows seated and a shamiana tent was spread out with popcorn and cotton candy stalls installed where people thronged despite age differences.

I happened to meet and see many people during the occasion, where many of them were long seen and as I seated in a corner some couldn’t notice me as I did but glad there was a LED screen placed in the courtyard where I watched the live happening on the reception. The dining hall was in ground floor so it wasn’t an issue to have dinner but the tables aren’t comfortable for me and I was to use my regular wheelchair tray and plate instead eating from banana leaf, which takes a special place in our festivals.  Being late to the venue and beginning of the event it extended beyond 10 pm, when we had our dinner and moved to the room, which is a walkable distance from the wedding hall   that I covered in wheelchair.  I couldn’t participate in the wedding reception but I was content attending the special occasion of my sister and I was transfer to the wedding hall in the morning to watch the ceremony with help of my brothers and his friends.  The wedding was attended by close relatives alone so it wasn’t much difficult to transfer me by shifting to a chair and then to wheelchair, I got to watch things happening on the stage from the first row.

But what really turned out difficult was the timing. The marriage ceremony that held between 6 to 7.30am is quite an inconvenient for us whose wakeup time is not less than 8 am and for the 6 am ceremony I waked up at 5 but still went half a way through the marriage rite. The brides sat on the decorated stage in traditional wears of Dhoti and Saree and I felt they looked beautiful and fresh in the morning than in the elaborated makeup for the night reception. The marriage is conducted by the bridegroom family, so we haven’t to decide anything and the wedding hall was also their choice as it located very close to their house. I feel there was something missing which I couldn’t say what but I could transparently see the happiness on my sister’s face despite the exhaustion went through wedding process. We couldn’t spend much time with the brides rather hurriedly taking photos, the couple were sent off to Tirupati temple (about 200 km from Mamallapuram) as soon the breakfast is over and we moved out of the marriage hall and check out the room and fired back to home. Both the dinner and breakfast was good enough and this was quite a wedding I attended after a cousin’s marriage in 2012. I hope my sister led a happy married life and being a known family I believe she feels the comfort of home.

Our house illuminated in colorful led lights for the wedding

Apart the celebration of marriage, the day out there was terrific and the weather was burning to ashes once out of the wedding hall! The air con in car couldn’t control the heat wave even at high speed and I couldn’t remember how we reached home so was the sultry weather blurred the senses. We checked out our guesthouse room (Sri Murugan) by 11 am and I felt it was too pricey for a night with two to three cots in a room with no blankets and air con with no control to reduce cold. Moreover they denied allowing our pet dog, which they agreed when our relative inquired and so we booked the room. I had no chance to capture any photos and what you see here were few shot by mom.

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A colorful shot from the streets of Mamallapuram 

Mamallapuram is a sculptural town as well a coastal town and popular tourist place near Chennai and its sculptures and monuments are dated back to 7th century, where the rocks carved by the Pallava dynasty. I find this snap I took from the slow moving car looking like two different shots weld together– where on the right-side of the image is seen a bakery, hang out with colourful junk food packets (resembling RGB colors) and the left side is a shop sells seashell ornaments. And this girl came into the scene, adds a sweet gesture with an amusing expression going with a wind wheel in hand. 

New Purchase: iBall Compbook Excelance OHD

Lately I was looking for a compact laptop or netbook after I come across a smart one during a visit to doctor’s clinic and it was a MacBook for sure (which I'm certain apparently doesn’t need to define, as all apple products are smarter) and the way he dealt with it impressed me and produced a desire to buy one. I know I could not go near the MacBook that totally out of my budget and while come down the options were limited but still some renowned brands priced high the netbooks with specifications same as some local and unknown brands.  I did read many a reviews and comparisons on netbooks around 11 inches, anytime I felt and once get to know the Amazon Summer Offer is ahead, I took it seriously and settled at last for the Indian brand iBall – Compbook Excelance OHD – a Full HD netbook at around ₹9000 ($130) + 10% instant discount. 

I bought a chocolate colour compbook at a weight of about 1 kg and being a prime member of Amazon, compbook was delivered within 24 hrs of booking.  I was excited to power on the compbook (after 3 hrs of charging) and the first thing that stroked me was the spectacular color/contrast of the screen that turned the viewing stunning, enriched and refreshing sight! Thanks to IPS panel to turn things magical on screen and the 32GB emmc storage is left by 20 GB of free space and the 2 GB ram is unexpectedly quick for a leisurely operator alike me.  The multi-touch touchpad is super sensitive to my worn out fingers which lost track the gestures in the long run with my former laptop – what is still good and the compbook is only an alternate that I planned to use for  browsing, social networking and MS word.  Photoshop is strictly no on compbook so my laptop (Dell Inspiron) is the only choice for photo editing and storing data.  

The letter keys on compbook is bigger than the laptop to type but the location of shift, backspace and arrow keys are placed uncomfortable or I need to practice lot to make it usable.  The most impressive of the compbook was the battery that could run 8 hrs without charging, which means the netbook could last more than 2 days for my kind of use. The compbook comes with micro SD slot to expand storage up to 128 GB and also has option of adding internal HDD/SSD up to 1TB. I decided to do anything right now or until the system face trouble with speed or storage. It looks overall a good deal and could only wait and watch how worth the purchase was.  

மகிழ்ச்சியான மாலை / Delightful Evening

மாலை பொழுதில், மகிழ்ச்சியில் 

கீச் கீச் என்று பறந்தன  பறவைகள்

தன் கூடு தேடி இதம் சேர்க்க,

இரவுக்குளிர் அதிகரிக்கும் முன்.

செக்கச்சிவந்த வானமாய் எனது

இளஞ்சிவப்பு நிறத்தில்

மெலிதாய் போர்த்திய பனி இடையே

உறைந்தது அன்றைய தினம்

இரவை நோக்கிய பயணத்தில்  

அழகு சித்திரமாய் மாலை 

இருள் ஒளியில் முழுதாய் 

மறையும் முன் மகிழ்வித்து சென்றது.

-------------------  -------------------

In the evening, cheerfully
chirping birds fly away
searching their nest to feel pleasant
before the night cold elevates.

As alpenglow my sky
in pinkish color
between the thin layers of dew
frozen that day 

On a journey towards night
evening as beautiful canvas
delighted, before fully disappear
in the darkness of light.

Ps. Inspired by the evening outside the home

Christmas Craftworks

Collage of my craftworks

Begin 2011, I decorate Christmas tree every year, except 2013 and 2015 a disaster year for me and my city (Dec flood), I put lights and star to feel and get involve myself with the festive while people celebrates around. Usually I purchase ornaments for Christmas tree either from the shop or online twice a year, as most of them are made of thermocol (polystyrene) it don’t last few years. But this year I decided to make some ornaments using Popsicle sticks to see how well I could treat myself with the activities and I got many ideas browsing the net and I decided to stick with simple craftwork like stars, wreath, tiny trees, house etc.  And I enjoyed painting them all.  Here are few photos on craftwork that I later hanged on the Christmas tree.

My gingerbread house that was turned into stone house by my sweet grandmother. The other two beside the house is santa hat haha

Birth of Christ

My christmas tree with the ornaments I made with popsicle sticks

Sunday Photos: Sparkle Fun

During Deepavali I took some fun shots, where I asked my dad to move burning sparkle fireworks in random directions to get these shapes. Every year I used to take some snaps using the firework mode on camera, lighting the sparkles to move in different directors to catch some interesting fire traces. This year it was performed on our balcony, so the moves were restricted to get some simple yet interesting ones.

This give me a perspective of first Tamil letter அ (A)

And this looks as Tamil letter ஒ (O)

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Colorful Murals

 

Two Sunday’s back, on a drive into the city I come across this colourful paintings or mural on the wall opposite to Nageshwara Rao Park in Mylapore. The painting look like was drawn in attracting kids with natural elements as sun, flowers and critters and further it has some festive scenes or market clips.

Linking this post with Monday Mural

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Has unfold some colors

(click pic for enlarge)

A roadside vendor selling small house and kitchen items, opposite to Madras High Court in Chennai. Last Sunday (Nov 25) I took a drive through the heart of the city, after long time, and took many photos sitting from the car and had a coffee at Hot Chips opp. to the court  where i took this shot while waiting for my cousin to get me a coffee. Being Sunday, the busy road was far empty with many shops closed and we easily parked beside the road. 

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Our colorful Karthigai Deepam 

Or an arrangement of Diyas! Karthikai Deepam is a South Indian festival observed by the Hindus on the full moon day of the Tamil calendar Karthikai, which happens between November and December. It is an occasion where rows of oil lamps are lit in every home and temple. Karthigai Deepam is essentially a festival of lamps and lighted lamps are considered auspicious symbols; believed to drive off evil forces and let in prosperity and joy.

Diyas light up the balcony and door front

Most of the oil lamps (Diyas) used here (at houses and temples) are made of clay, and except for adding or replacing a few, most of the lamps are reused from previous years after cleaning. Mom soaked the oil-stained Diyas in water two days before the festival, then dried them before the oil-lit Diyas illuminated the night against the much brighter full moon. Karthigai Deepam is a renowned festival for the Thiruvannamalai Deepam (a massive lamp lit up at the peak of Annamalai Hill, about 2669 feet high) dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Just a day ahead of the festival, I got the idea of coloring some of the Diyas. I got posture colors, and started to paint immediately, and continued into the festival day including coloring quite red, green, and blue Diyas. I did some simple designs on the side of Diyas, and Diyas being small in size comes in handy for me to paint with my limited arm access. It’s been a long time since I touched a brush since I find it difficult to draw things holding a pencil or brush, but I always want to do something and the Diyas ignites the thought and I plan to do some more esp. to try to create some Christmas decors using Popsicle sticks and paint colorfully.   

My colored Diyas making center of attraction hehe.. (all pics clicked with iPhone)

Skywatch Friday: Aerial Fireworks

During Deepavali I had wonderful time watching fireworks that repeatedly showed up in the sky from evening to night, from various angles it boomed the sky in dazzling light and colours which kept me active on phone as I have no idea from which direction a firework would light up, I was awake to capture some of the amazing displays. I initially used the camera in firework mode to shoot the same, but as many weren’t repeated kind I shifted to iPhone camera, which is quick at shot, helped me get some neat snaps alike here, from the balcony.

Deepavali this year wasn’t great to cherish or bad to critic, but went neutral where I couldn’t feel anything differenct; instead it was pretty bored for much part of the day as most programs on Television weren’t amusing. And I haven’t watched it as well. Though Supreme Court has set time limit of 8-10pm, which was altered by the state govt. as an hour in morning and night to light fireworks, there were crackers sound from morning to night but that particular time period, Chennai was at its high – the time where we also light some fireworks and joined the smoky eve hehe… it’s been years I have stopped buying noise crackers and also conscious purchasing less smoking fireworks last few years.

Obviously, this year the noise and smoke level was very low compared to former years. Thanks to the hard rule by Supreme Court, that forced people to either give up or control bursting crackers results in only bit rise on pollution level. But to my surprise, when I checked the weather app today, three day after Diwali, the air quality is poorer than what showed on Diwali. I wonder is it perhaps it was national holiday that day, with less vehicle and factory pollution the air quality should have shown better that what bursting crackers created. Huh!

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

Restriction and Reality on Fireworks

For Indians, the first thing that comes to mind when spelling on Deepavali or Diwali is fireworks. So was the festival caught fire with us and although we call it as festival of lights, only fireworks ignite the light and it has been a part of the festival historically. People may hold different belief regarding to the festival using fireworks, but generally people enjoy lighting fireworks and as it burst with different colors and golden hues brings lot of cheer.  As a 90s kid, fireworks has been my favourite  (and continue to be so)  and I believe it was for anyone grown that time, and now with lack of interest many would dropped firing  but the memories could not light off. The firework industry in Tamil Nadu is big enough to support the entire country and foreign export, and just for the one day celebration of Diwali the almost firework industry works throughout the year.

Now coming to the post, the Supreme Court of India has come up with restrictions to use fireworks – what is busting crackers for just 2 hours on Diwali – sounds funny! It’s quite impractical judgement by the Supreme Court (in response to a petition seeking ban on fireworks) and I really wonder what kind of analysis the judges did on the festival and its fever of bursting crackers. How could they think people would stop or bring down to the ground, a practice followed for many years, all of sudden? I don’t connect it with belief or religion, because Diwali is celebrated beyond anything by the people of India and gripping them tightly will end with disappointment and lose hope on democracy. I know this rule will be broke down for sure, and yes, bursting crackers are harm to environment but there should be some procedure to bring down the practice and making of firecrackers step by step rather pushing down to ground.

I just wondering like every other do, on how the Supreme Court is going to tackle the countless, certainly breaking down the time limitation. Already there’s a time limitation set out by the Supreme Court to light fireworks between 6am to 10pm at night on Diwali, but people begin bursting even earlier to late night will certainly ignore this rule, which is against democracy and people unfavourable. No doubt, the fireworks will lose ground in future but a slow landing is better for everyone and that’s what everyone needs to work out. Happy Diwali

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One of my nephew playing with little colorful cars.

Some of the little cars were saved from our childhood 

Front and Back

Here’s couple of candid shots on a horse ride around the Kodaikanal Lake road. It was the same horse, horseman and rider on both images that I just shot from the parked car, beside the lake, as they rode front and back. Kodaikanal Lake is one of my favourite places and just observing things happening around is a great time pass and entertainment as well. And horse riding is a part of the tourist activities take place around the lake road, apart cycling, where cycles are rented on hour’s basis.

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

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GEMS Shooting

Cadbury Gems is chocolate flavor, rich and chocolate buttons.What makes Gems different is the way the chocolate has been designed as colorful candy.

Flying Object

During my travel to Kodaikanal in March, I encountered this cloud formation and along with the sparking sunrays create an image of flying object or alien ship trying to land on the earth! The picture was captured around Dindigul, while traveling on NH45 and this was a scene following a series of hide and seeks between the sun and clouds, which was fun to watch and shoot the dazzling show of flashing sunbeams and grey clouds coming up in different shapes. It was also wonderful to see the cloud line or silver lining appearing above the clouds was magical but overall the alien disc was impossible to miss. 

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

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Man selling colourful little toys for kids in front of Sims Park, Coonoor. I guess what he’s having in had is bubble toy that used for blowing bubbles.

I have been to Coonoor twice but unable to visit the Sims Park which has unique species of trees and plants that many native to this mountains aka Nilgiris. The park is created on a natural slope of mountain; with many steps leading down the park make it an inaccessible landscape for a wheelchair bound. But it’s a nice place for nature loving people alike.

An Upgrade to Real Home Theater System

I already have a DVD home theater system bought in 2011 and it’s still continue to sound good and I watch movies connected to surround sound but lately I feel it wasn’t effective or I was in need of more effect and moreover the system isn’t reading the latest video formats and I need to convert the files or play through the television port to bring the digital out and then convert it into analog and play the sound though the home theatre. I always like listening to quality content and used to buy original audio cassettes and CDs when the albums of my favourite artist release and it continued till 2010 – Enthiran was my last purchase from the shop. I slowly converted to download songs from internet and later movies, but I still maintain my policy of not downloading or watching new movies rather than in theatre and watch movies at least 100 days after the release.

I was looking for a better opportunity to upgrade my listening and lately started to dream of buying an advanced music and home theatre system and while I was into research the Amazon.in came up with offers and 10% discount encouraged me to go ahead. I really don’t want another home theatre with a playable disk which has any other option of connecting. Technology keeps advancing and I can’t keep changing the home theatres accordingly and keeping it in mind I convince myself for an AV receiver with multiple inputs and UHD out though single HDMI. AV receivers are priced high even without speakers, and the basic system is not less than Rs.25,000 and I opted for Okayo or Sony as I got good reviews about them.

 I was in idea of using the old home theatre speakers with the AV receiver, although I was in doubt I went for a powerful system with more than 100 watts per channel, keeping in mind the future setting of big screen home theatre. After a lot of conflicts within, I was in conclude of not missing the advantages of Sony which is bit better than Okayo. Though both uses the Bluetooth technology to fully operate from smartphone, the NFC and few more technology, want me to go for Sony receiver which specifically is made for iPhone and iPods connectivity. I was really amazed at how it operates through iPhone and I could listen to any song from live stream or internet. As I planned I cannot connect the satellite speakers of old home theatre and was forced to buy new speakers.

The Sony STR-DH770 is a 7.2 channel receiver and I have connected just 2 channel bookshelf speakers and a subwoofer from previous home theatre, simply rocks.  I can’t describe the feel it produces even from just 2 Ch. Speakers; I can’t image how it would sound from 5.1 Ch., the basic setting of home theatre. The receiver has given me an opportunity to relive and enjoy listening to my favourite music/songs again through this enhanced AV receiver and I love the details it reproduces via Boston speakers, which cost me Rs.10,000 a pair and I’m in need of 3 more speakers. I really loved listening to old songs than the new ones and I can’t say how amazing it feels and each song sounds alike listening for first time.

Perhaps it’s the reason for my slow blogging as I can’t stop listening or watching movie from the time connected, I trying listening to many songs and genre. The actual price of the STR-DH770 including import fee and delivery charges is Rs.41,000 but amazon offered me at Rs.27,000  along with 10% discount. This receiver is not sold in India and amazon imports it from USA and it can’t be directly plugged into the Indian socket but need a 220 to 110 volt step-down converter to give power to the receiver which is at 120 volt. I also found the receiver to be damaged at a corner for which they refunded Rs.6, 660 after I sent mail to amazon with pictures of damaged part. And in this way we save the amount and I’m quite content with the outcome which I’m expecting to improve as I use it fully.