Need Home Theater Advice...

[bjornolf]

Hey all. Our old Pioneer DVD changer/Home Theater in a Box is finally giving out. We'd like to upgrade to a Blu-Ray HTIB, however, many of the systems don't seem to be up to snuff yet (many features are optional or not included, many seem to be the old DVD system w/ a BR tacked on, etc.). Does anyone have one they really like, or are we better off going with a HTIB w/ or w/o DVD and using my PS3 for a Blu-Ray player and upgrading later when they start to catch up? If so, does anybody have a HTIB w/ or w/o DVD that they really like?

Thanks.

[Miles]

What kind of television do you have? I'd start with HTIB from the same manufacturer. We have all Samsung components that integrate really nicely using Anynet+.

[captmojo]

I keep it simple and it works well for me.

A technician friend of mine tells me to avoid any and all combination devices. I trust his knowledge, not that you wouldn't have success with another choice. I've been lucky (for once in my life) using separates.


Also, for the audio, a high quality 2 channel stereo, with good speakers at the proper separation and intensity balanced with the speakers from the television itself, to give centering direction toward the source, has served me well.
As I said before, simple. The more elaborate the set-up, and the more components used, the more chance for problems.


But, that's just the way I roll.

[bjornolf]

What kind of television do you have? I'd start with HTIB from the same manufacturer. We have all Samsung components that integrate really nicely using Anynet+.

I have an old 1080i Toshiba 61". It's pre-HDMI, and it's NOT a flat screen. It's a big heavy thing on wheels, circa 2002.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

What kind of television do you have? I'd start with HTIB from the same manufacturer. We have all Samsung components that integrate really nicely using Anynet+.

I have an old 1080i Toshiba 61". It's pre-HDMI, and it's NOT a flat screen. It's a big heavy thing on wheels, circa 2002.

Did you buy it at Sam's Club and do you have the receipt?

[devildeac]

What kind of television do you have? I'd start with HTIB from the same manufacturer. We have all Samsung components that integrate really nicely using Anynet+.

I have an old 1080i Toshiba 61". It's pre-HDMI, and it's NOT a flat screen. It's a big heavy thing on wheels, circa 2002.

Did you buy it at Sam's Club and do you have the receipt?

[bjornolf]

What kind of television do you have? I'd start with HTIB from the same manufacturer. We have all Samsung components that integrate really nicely using Anynet+.

I have an old 1080i Toshiba 61". It's pre-HDMI, and it's NOT a flat screen. It's a big heavy thing on wheels, circa 2002.

Did you buy it at Sam's Club and do you have the receipt?

Regrettably, no. We bought it at Belmont TV as a floor model, so we got it for $500 off. It's still running fine, though, so I couldn't see how I could justify turning it in to my wife.

[Miles]

Ok so integration is probably not an option. I tend to lean towards the advice given by the Cap'n, but in this case I think home theaters are the best options for integrated systems, as opposed to component stereo systems. It used to be that rack models of record players + tape player + cd changer + AM/FM Tuner + equalizer were pretty limited in quality, but now that home entertainment is primarily digital, I think it's safe to look for an all-in-one.

I'm loyal to Samsung, and they have a pretty sweet deal at Best Buy I've been eyeing. It offers 1000w, 5.1 channels, Blu-ray and 3D, Wi-Fi (Blockbuster, Netflix, Pandora, You Tube, and more streaming). You should be able to find similar deals for major manufacturers like Sony and Panasonic.

This should all come down to what features you want and how much you want to pay. I think most home consumers would be happy with anything in the $500 or less range. Once you get outside of that price point, you're spending a lot of money on features that you may not use or be able to appreciate every day. For example, if you're not wired for it, 7.1 is a complete waste of time. On the other hand, if you've never seen the opening the Star Wars: Episode IV in complete surround, you're missing out. It's pretty freaking sweet.