Quick update:

Screen works great, and the smell is totally acceptable.

The Diamond USB 7.1 out dongle is functional, but not satisfactory.

In particular, the manual discloses that the optical-out is not supported under Mac OS X, which means that I have run 1/4 inch-to-RCA connections to the multi-channel in on the receiver. Unfortunately, the receiver only has six analog ins for that style of input and the result is that in a 6.1 config, the center rear channel is silent. Additionally, as the receiver is both basic and pretty old for an A/V unit, activating the multi channel-in disables the onboard surround circuitry, turning the unit into a pass-through device.

Therefore, if the audio from the Mac is not high-definition, I can’t have the receiver doctor it up. So that’s no good.

Additionally, two of the channels seem to have a bit of crackle in them when driven by the analog input. It could be the speakers, or the cables, or the speaker wire, or the 1/4 inch jacks. So with the analog multichannel in, the number of possible points of failure becomes prohibitive to isolate.

What else?

Oh yeah, the projector seems to perform best if inverted, but I don’t have a true VESA-style ceiling mount, so the device is resting on its back on an articulating keyboard shelf I dumpstered years ago.

Cables dressed, speakers hung. Nearly there.

Heard about “Zombies, Run!” on the radio.

https://www.zombiesrungame.com/

Sounds AWESOME. I mean if my ankle ever gets better.

The dumpster home theater in the basement is getting closer. The ancient, s
projector – some might be tempted to call it “holocene” but I, of course, shall refrain – will work fine as a ceiling mount, give or take, although it makes more noise than a vintage 1993 1gb hard drive.

Speakers are roughly placed and proved functional. I still need to dress the wiring and work out an actual mount methodology.

The el cheapo USB 7.1 dongle seems to be working, but the audio-source paths are so convoluted that it is difficult to determine what might be driving to apparent optical-in on the amp. I suppose a DVD might be the best option for testing.

So far the single most expensive out of pocket expense was $100 for a DaLite model B 96″ square (over a fancier 16:9 model on Craigslist for about the same). Reviewers online warned of a new-shower-curtain stench, and that is correct. Happily it seems less awful than I was afraid it might.

So tomorrow, I will concentrate on dressing the wiring and then troubleshoot the audio. I am actually somewhat concerned about the audio settings – if I have to jimmy the settings in three places dependent on a given media source, a distinctly possible outcome, the Mini is no longer a viable playback option and any middling DNLA + DVD device looks like a good idea instead.

Viv has already asked about moving the Wii to the basement. That could easily lead to a PS3 or Xbox upstairs, and moving the BD390 down too. Which would enable true, or nearly true, 1080p on the way-pre HD projector, which supports 1024×768 – so close, and yet so far.

Maciej is up to something. His Polanksi piece and his scurvy piece, both from 2010, refreshed in my RSS today, and I see there is a piece up dated 2-17 which has not yet surfaced in my feeds.

Old pal Jeanne posted a drawing I gave her in 1991 on Facebook:

Along with a pic of her, me, and Matt Uhlman in the photo booth at the Rainbo Room in Chitown, ’91.

An update on the media mini:

Antiquated digital cable for antiquated dumpstered projector, check! And well under ten bucks from Monoprice.

Multichannel digital output via AirPlay, NO WAY!

Repurposing articulated (and dumpstered) keyboard shelf as projector ceiling mount, possible check!

Craigslist-sourced Sony surround set, flaky as advertised, check! Still looking into what might be causing low volume audio, but in general, the amp looks to be toast.

So, basically, I need to solve the audio problem. The video input to the projector is semi-solved (the mini will certainly not play nice with many HD video sources, and of course it won’t support blu-ray). Another year and networked 1080p playback devices will be craigslisted at under $100, so no rush.

Looking at CL for audio stuff was kind of amazing. It looks at if there is approximately a $50 floor for amps, no matter the quality, age, or features. Crappy 1980s Aiwa or 7.1 no HDMI whatever, it’s going for $50.

A rare day spent out and about.

I did an informal usability review for an iOS app oriented toward consumer-sourced aggregation of review and product info. No, I can’t tell you who.

It was fun and I was glad to contribute, being a fan of the service.

Thinking about it a few minutes ago I started poking around the profile-based suggestions embedded into my Amazon user account and as expected they are fucking terrible, as they always have been. Amazon should figure out how to buy my search history from, well, actually from me, not Google.

I suppose I would totally let Amazon snoop on my user-ID tied search results for a blanket, all-merchants discount of something like 20%. The problem (for them) is that I have multiple Google IDs, but honestly, how many of us can there be?

Being an Amazon merchant, I would expect they would pass the 20% on to third party merchants, and as a merchant that would be something I would very much NOT appreciate. Unless they could show specific, attributable revenue growth that exceeded the discounted charges. That sort of transparency seems unlikely.

Randomly showing a friend Justin.tv on my phone, explaining how I used it to watch baseball in Japan last season, I notice a game in progress.

It’s the February 14 practice game on Okinawa between the Hanshin Tigers and the Hiroshima Carp!

Currently, it’s the bottom of the 8th, Carp on and trailing 4-2.

Judging simply by the sun angle, it looks to be about noon in Okinawa right about now, 9:30p Seattle time. Boy, I wish there were regular season NBP games in Okinawa.

I reminded Viv that the Grammys were on in an ill advised fit of Valentine’s Day spirit.

Viv tells me she gwine download the roses. I became concerned that they might digitally vanish, so I have documented them.