Home Theater System Questions

[Revalos]

OK...so I've got about $500 to work with to create a home theater and I've got some questions.

First, I pretty much have to buy the major components at Circuit City. I've got $125 in credit there that is going to expire pretty soon. I've looked at a lot of their boxed systems and looked at consumer reports to see which are better. I could buy a receiver there to use up the credit...but then I'd have to buy the speakers elsewhere and probably blow my $500 budget. I might be able to go about $700, but that's about it.

Second, wireless rear speakers. I like this concept, but is this really a good idea? I don't want to run a bunch of wires to them if I don't have to, but even if they are wireless for sound, they still have to be plugged in right, still requiring a power cord? Or are there ones that work on batteries?

Third, DVD player. I've been debating the whole PS3 thing for a while now, and I thought I had finally resolved myself to getting one for the Blu-Ray player plus the games...but then god damn Battlestar Gallactica had to release on HD-DVD, so I'm at a crossroads again and I figure I'll wait until the war is closer to being over. Should I just get one of the 1080p DVD upconverters? (I've got a 40" 1080p Bravia) A lot of the boxed setups include them these days.

Fourth, 5.1 or 7.1. Is a home theater an investment or something I'll just end up replacing in two years? I figure if I'm just going to buy this now and leave it with the house when I sell it in a couple years, I could probably just get a 5.1 system. But if I get a nice 7.1 system now, I'll probably move it with me and keep it around.

Last, is this even a good thing to be wasting my $125 credit on. I could just blow it on tax software and other such bullshit if getting a home theater setup isn't really worth it. I like watching DVDs and sports and right now I'm just using the TV internal speakers, so I figure I need something, but is that really a good idea?

[Crazy Bard]

What you don't want to do in my opinion is buy things separate. Your best bet is getting a set that comes with a 1080i DVD player, and two wireless rear speakers, 1 base, 2 front speakers, and 1 center. The thing about wireless speakers is that they're not really wireless. You have to connect the two speakers to a reciever - (which is going to be plugged into a outlet). So you cant place the rear speakers in opposite sides of the room unless your ok with seeing exposed wires, or your planning on doing some electrical work.
I would personally wait on buying a Blu-Ray player since in a year, or so prices should drop. I paid 300$ for a panasonic set, and it sounds decent. If you want high end go for Bose.

[RichardCranium]

How the fuck do you get away with selling "wireless speakers" that aren't wireless?

[Numbers]

Understand that with $500, and with all you want to get with that, you're going to be forced to buy some of the more low-end systems. Your fourth question should have been the first. If you're a video/audiophile, a home theater is an investment, and generally something you won't need to replace anytime soon (unless a new format comes out, but then you just have to buy one new device.) But in terms of surround sound home theaters, if you invest in a really good set, it'll last you years. I made the mistake of buying one of those home theaters in a box when I moved into my new apartment, and now regret it.

In any case... wireless rear speakers aren't worth it, unless you plan on having an oddly positioned setup or are placing it in an oddly shaped room. Not only do they cost more, but they're pretty unreliable. Run the wire along the base board, it's really not that difficult.

Buying a good HD/BluRay player is going to eat your whole budget. Buying a decent player that's on sale would eat up around 1/2 to 3/4 of your budget. Don't waste the money on one right now (unless you were planning on buying a PS3 anyway... but don't buy the PS3 just for the player). More and more companies are releasing hybrid players that play both formats, mostly because consumers really couldn't give two shits about the whole format war right now, and sales are in the crapper. It's not like VHS or beta, which was novel and new at the time. It's just DVD's, with nicer pictures for those that have expensive HD's, which most people don't. Buy a plain old DVD player with an upconverter. They're all the same.

In terms of your surround system, you might want to take a look at some home theaters in a box. They're pretty much self-contained systems that come with the receiver, all the speakers you need (either 5.1 or 7.1, but with these systems the speakers aren't really powerful enough to make any worthwhile difference).

[Sean of the Thread]

I've had my Yamaha system for years it still roxxors.

I do plan on putting together another setup for the living room soon however and retiring the Yamaha to my sports "office".

[Crazy Bard]

They're wireless in the sense that you don't have to connect them to the main receiver, or DVD system. I'm pretty sure Bose speakers run you about 900$, but that just comes with two speakers, and a receiver. They're reliable, though.

[Sean of the Thread]

Do they come with 1080p wires or do they still not exist?

[Crazy Bard]

Home theaters don't come those wires. You buy those separate.

[Doughboy]

Save your money for a while longer. 500 bucks doesn't get much in the way of good quality.

[Sean of the Thread]

I thought Revalos said he was rich anyways?

[Revalos]

I guess that's another question. What else besides what comes in these boxed sets will I need to buy? I've got an extra HDMI cable, but that's about it. Do I need to get wires for other stuff? Mounting brackets for rear speakers?

I wasn't planning on getting a really high end setup, just something good enough to watch Battlestar DVDs and such. The biggest issue I see with a lot of the boxed setups is that most of them don't take HDMI inputs. The Onkyo system does, but it doesn't have wireless speakers...although that's sounding a lot less appealing now that I know that they really aren't truly wireless.

And I'm not rich until tax time comes around. But my stupid credit ends sooner than that. What should I be ready to spend if I want to get a nice system?

[The Ponzzz]

I like my home theater in a box set up I got. Panasonic.

http://images.bestbuy.com/BestBuy_US/images/products/8254/8254382_rb.jpg

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8254382&st=panasonic+theater&lp=3&type=product&cp=1&id=1169512522471

$499.99. They are nothing like my friend's set, but he spent more like 3 grand on everything.

[Crazy Bard]

You going to spend some money then if you want wall mounted speakers. Also those speakers are cheaper in store I think

[Revalos]

Yeah...I was looking at that Panasonic set, but they don't have HDMI. Is that a big deal or should I really not care for $500?

[The Ponzzz]

Yeah...I was looking at that Panasonic set, but they don't have HDMI. Is that a big deal or should I really not care for $500?

They are HDMI.


Movie night is even better when you equip your living room with this home theater system that features 1200 watts of audio power. 1080p upconversion through the HDMI connector enhances the visual beauty of your multimedia.

[Doughboy]

Digital optical cables work just fine :)

[Revalos]

I was getting the "no-HDMI" vibe from the reviews on Circuit City's website:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/Search.do?c=1&searchType=user&keyword=SC-PT950&searchSection=All&go.x=0&go.y=0#prodspecs

Decent system but I'm returning it
Reviewer: kernels from syracuse new york on Nov 21, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Someone on here already suggested if you're interested in this system buy the 1050 and not the 950.
This system lacks imputs for digital audio and hdmi. Sound is good but I was very disappointed with the wireless rear speakers. You still have wires coming out the rear speakers they just go to a box that makes a wireless connection to the main unit. If this system had more imputs it would be great for the money but it doesn't.

Do NOT buy This
Review posted on Nov 18, 2007
26 out of 29 found this review helpful

You will never get surround sound for regular TV, including cable boxes or satellite boxes because it only has stereo inputs. No surround sound football. No surround sound HBO. No nothing. Only surround sound is DVD. Who needs HDMI outputs for DVD anyway. This is a rip off. Save you money and find the cheapest system out there with HDMI inputs. DO NOT BUY THIS!

[The Ponzzz]

Hmm, maybe I got the 1050... I have surround for regular TV... I'll agree they aren't the best (rear speakers) but I watched football and HBO with them.

Granted, my plasma is still dead.

[radamanthys]

Many receivers will upmix a stereo input into discrete channels for 5.1. It's called Dolby ProLogic II.

Take a minute and think of the activities you'll be doing. How often, percentage-wise, do you:

Listen to Music?
Watch DVD's?
Watch TV?

Do you Download and watch movies from the tubes? Consider hooking up an old computer, maybe over wireless, to the tv, so you can toss downloaded movies onto the tv. MythBox is a technology, if you're at all saavy with stuff of that nature. Or Windows Media Center, but that only has, like, 1% of the features a MythBox has.

(Of course, I'm spoiled... I vpn into my old house. The MythBox there downloads any show I wanna watch- or any of us for that matter, and also has a shitton of movies on it. I think there's something like 2TB of HD space in it, or something ridiculous like that. And their upstream isn't too bad, either.)