SUGGESTED HOME THEATER SYSTEMS

It's impossible to accurately cover every piece of gear from every manufacturer, so this will force some generalities.

But first let's see what money can buy. Then we'll show you how to get as close as possible to that level of high performance for a lot less!

SPEND $1,000,000+

SPEND Under $1000

C'mon - that's low. Well, I'd forego the surround sound, the DVD player, and the receiver. I'd shop for a discounted 16x9 HDTV CRT rear projector from a major manufacturer, and use the built in speakers.

(as in all these price points) You will need a way to receive the high def programming - an antenna, cable or satellite.

If that is just out of your reach, I'd try to find a direct view CRT display.

SPEND $1000-$1500

Again, the screen is the big thrill. Go CRT HDTV rear projector. Skip everything else. Add a DVD player if you don't have one. They might even throw a cheap one in to get the sale.

SPEND $1500-$2000

This is probably the hardest one to peg because there are many options to seduce you.

Focus on the display device - the screen first. I'd rather have a $1999 screen than a $1200 one and crappy receiver and speakers that stink. And that's what you RISK. I fear that even given all the advice I am heaping into the site, some folks are simply too trusting and will led down the wrong path by Johnny-Salesman. REMEMBER remember remember - Do your research! Always try for a money back trial period with no return "fees." Especially in bundled cheap receivers and speakers, the specs won't tell you ANYTHING worthwhile - it all comes down to what you hear (and you can't tell in a store.)

So many people walk into a store and ask "is this one any good?" And the guy says, "Yup." And they BUY. I grind my teeth over this! To get true high fidelty sound I think you'll have to spend at least $1000 on your receiver and speakers and that's a stretch. If you can, look at the Epos system below. You probably can't hear it anywhere but it can be ordered online with a 30 day trial from The Audio Advisor.

People don't know any better when it comes to speakers and amplifiers because most haven't heard any better. You KNOW when a picture looks like reality. You aren't as likely to know what sounds like really good sound over speakers.

Cheap receivers and speakers will be harsh, not as smooth, won't play as loud.

SPEND $2000-$3000

I might just go with a CRT rear screen projector again and spend the rest on a good sound system.

SPEND $3000-5000

This is getting interesting. Shop carefully. You might find last year's model display at a great reduction and it'll still wow you if your TV is 10 years old.

Depending on SIZE requirements, you could find a nice DLP or LCD rear projector. Then go for sound. Skip accessories for now. get used to what you bring home before you tweak it with power conditioners or expensive cables.

SPEND $5000-7500

For now, here's a nice - and what I'd call - medium priced - home entertainment theater system.

Suggested system:

EPOS 5.1 SURROUND SOUND SYSTEM ($1500 list price)

A real value. One word: SWEET. 5 speakers plus powered (internally amplified) subwoofer. Pictures and specs coming. You can buy for less. This is a leap beyond the 'all in one' stuff. Note - I find the Cherry colored veneer too orange. If you can, buy the black. They spent on sound, not the cabinets. In black you don't notice.

Power Handling: 25 - 100 Watts Max

Frequency Response: 65Hz - 20kHz

Impedance: 4 ohms Nominal

Sensitivity: 87dB/1 watt/1 meter

Driver Bass: 130mm polymer cone with a 25mm voice coil

Tweeter: 25mm aluminum dome

Crossover: Bass driver: 2nd order filter Tweeter: 3rd order filter at 3kHz crossover

Cabinet: 12mm HD chipboard with 25mm front baffle

Positioning: 20 - 50cm (8" - 20") from a rear wall

Connection: Gold plated screw terminals

Finish: Light Cherry, Dark Cherry or Black veneer.

Dimensions: 270mm(H) 174mm(W) 195mm(D)

Weight: 4.5kg / 10lb

DENON AVR 2805 Receiver (amplifiers built in) ($899 list)

Self calibrating. More than enough power. Another zone for playing music in another room. All the bells and whistles. Denon keeps releasing new product. This might be hard to find but also might be found at a substantial discount. Be sure you use a Denon Authorized Dealer

7.1 A/V Receiver with Dolby Digital Surround EX, Dolby Pro Logic IIx & DTS ES Discrete 6.1

Dolby Digital Surround EX, Pro Logic IIx decoding with Cinema, Music and Game Modes

dts ES Discrete 6.1 and Matrix 6.1 decoding

dts Neo:6 Stereo to Surround decoding

dts ES 96/24 5.1 decoding for DVD Video

Analog Devices HammerHead SHARC 32 bit floating point DSP processor

New 7.1 channel Auto-Setup and Room EQ function with included DENON microphone DM-S305

7 Channels equal power amplifier section . 100 watts per channel (8 ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, less than .05%THD)

135 watts per channel (6 ohms, 1 kHz, less than .7%THD)

16 Analog Devices, 24 bit, 192 kHz high resolution DACs on all eight channels, in differential configuration

Real 24 bit, 96 kHz Digital Interface Receiver

24 bit, 96 kHz A/D conversion on all Stereo analog inputs (Not EXT. Inputs)

Pure Direct mode defeats Video, Front Panel Display circuitry and with Analog sources the Digital circuitry

ALPHA 24 Processing on Front Channels

Adjustable High and Low Pass Crossover (40/60/80/100/120/150/200/250Hz)

3 Assignable Component Video inputs (100MHz Bandwidth), with On-Screen Display

Video Conversion of Composite to S-Video and/or to Component, with on-screen display

7 sets composite and "S" video inputs

7.1 external wide bandwidth (100 kHz) inputs for multi-channel formats, such as DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD

5/6/7 Channel Stereo

Digitally regulated volume control with .5dB increment adjustments and step range of -80 to +15

Audio Delay adjustment to match audio signals with video signals(0-200ms)

Personal Memory Plus

7 assignable digital inputs (5 Optical, 2 Coaxial)

2 Optical digital outputs

11 analog inputs including built-in AM/FM tuner

True 2 Source, 2 Zone functionality with Discrete Power, Source Select and Volume control for each zone

(1)Multi-Zone stereo pre-amp level audio outputs, fixed or variable level

(1) Multi-Zone Composite Video output

Power Amplifier Assign function, lets you assign 2 of the 7 amp channels to drive Zone 2 speakers directly

Direct Access Tuner presets by remote

Glo-Key pre-programmed remote control with learning function

RS-232C Port for Third Party Control Systems

Remote I/O ports

Assignable +12v triggers (2)

Detachable Power cord

Dimensions: 17.1"w x 6.7"h x 16.4"d

Denon DVD-2910 Universal DVD/CD/SACD/DVD-Audio player with HDMI and DVI output Black

DENON 2910 DVD player ($739 list)

Progressive Scan/Scaling DVD Player

Powered by the latest DCDi by Faroudja FLI-2310 Decoding Engine - Finest available processing for film, video, graphics or mixed-mode content

Adjustable Chroma Delay and Level, White/Black Levels, CCS On/Off controls

New ESS Vibrato "Chroma Bug Free" MPEG/DVD-Audio Decoder

Sony CXD-2753 Second Generation DSD Decoder

Dual, discrete, Analog Devices ADV-7310 - 216 MHz, 4:4:4, 12 bit Video D/A Conversion system featuring Noise Shaped Video processing (1 chip each Progressive and Interlace)

8x Oversampling Progressive and 16x Interlace output

Wideband relay switched component video outputs

Variable Black Level (Setup): 0 and 7.5 IRE

Passes below-black (PLUGE) on progressive and interlace outputs

(1) DVI-D (HDCP) and (1) HDMI Multi-Channel Audio (SiL9300) Compatible, outputs with selectable 480p/720p/1080i output

(1) each - Component Video, Composite and "S" outputs

2X DVD read speed; 4X CD/CD-R/CD-RW read speed; with 8MB drive buffer memory

Built-in Dolby Digital, dts, DVD-Audio and SACD decoders with 5.1 analog outputs

Burr-Brown 24-bit, 192-kHz DSD-1791 Audio DACs that decode PCM and DSD signals discretely with no cross-conversion of DSD

Full Digital Bass Management for DVD-Audio, featuring Analog Devices Melody 32-bit processor; 80Hz crossover with 12dB high and 24dB low pass slopes; Adjustable delay time(0-15ms)and Channel Levels

Full Digital Bass Management for SACD; 80Hz crossover with 6/12dB slopes on all channels; Adjustable channel levels

Bass Management available for all formats on the HDMI output

MP3 and Windows Media Audio (WMA 9) Playback

Plays Audio/Video CDs; DVD-Audio/Video; Super Audio CD; DVD +/-R/RW(conditional); Audio CD-R; Audio CD-RW; Decoders for MP3 (128kbps or greater recommended) and WMA-8 (64 ~ 160kbps) CD-R/RW & DVD +/-R/RW discs

JPEG photo file viewer, Kodak Picture and Fujicolor CD compatible

HDCD decoding

24/96 compatible digital outputs - optical and coaxial

Anamorphic Scaling for 4:3/16:9 Sets

4:3 Squeeze and Zoom Controls, including DVI/HDMI outputs

Pure Direct Modes to defeat unneeded portions of player for the ultimate in audio performance

SRS TruSurround

Remote in/out ports

GloKey remote control

Dimensions: 17.1"w x 4.0"h x 12.5"d

Toshiba 52HM84 52" HDTV-Ready Projection DLP TV

Toshiba 52HM84 52-in widescreen DLP HDTV Monitor
(List $3299)

PixelPure Digital Video Processing Suite

Progressive Scan w/3:2 pull-down

First Surface Mirror

TheaterFine DFP (Digital Fine Pitch) Screen w/Anti-Glare Coating

Radiance High Output DC Lamp technology w/Instant Re-Start

CableClear DNR+ (by input)

3D-Y/C (4MB 10-Bit) Digital Comb Filter w/Vertical Contour Correction

Double-Speed 9-Bit System w/Enhanced Algorithms for Video Noise Elimination

40-watt audio featuring SRS WOW Audio with

Separate Woofers & Tweeters

TouchPanel Front Control

2 RF inputs

1 HDMI w/HDCP input

2 Component HD inputs

2 A/V/S-Video rear inputs

1 A/V/S-Video front panel input

2 Audio and 1 composite Video output

1 Center Channel Audio input (RCA-type)

35-1/16" high x 58-3/8" wide x 15-1/4" deep 83 lbs

Reviews generally very good, some concern about bulb replacement and availability, scheduled for replacement, shop for last of stock at discount

Sony KDF-55XS955 55" HD-Ready LCD Projection Television

Alternate Display: Sony KDF-55XS955 55" HD-Ready LCD (List $3699)

3 chip LCD

Color: Silver

Screen size: 55 inches

TV type: Projection LCD

HDTV capable: Yes

Aspect ratio: 16:9

3:2 pulldown detection: Yes (CineMotion Reverse 3:2 Pulldown)

Speaker wattage per channel: 5 watts x 2 (left/right), 20 watts x 1 (subwoofer)

Number of speakers: 3 (two 2-way stereo speakers, 1 powered subwoofer)

Flash-memory port: Yes (Memory Stick, with MP3/MPEG-1 video compatibility)

Tuner: ATSC Integrated Tuner

CableCARD slot: Yes (digital cable-ready)

LCD panels: Wide XGA LCD Panels (WXGA Panel = 0.87 inches); 3 Wide XGA LCD Panels: 3.28 Million Dots Resolution (1386 x 788 x 3)

First-surface mirror: Yes

Comb filter: 3D digital

Signal type: NTSC, ATSC (480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i)

Picture enhancements: WEGA Engine system, Live Color, Gamma Corrector, detail enhancer, black corrector, clear-white circuit, BN smoother

Picture modes: Program Palette presets (Vivid, Standard, Movie, Sports); Wide Modes (Normal, Full, Zoom, Wide Zoom)

Favorite channel: Yes (with preview)

Surfing: Speed Surf channel selection

Advanced Video Menu Functions : Yes

Auto channel setup: Yes

Channel labeling: Yes

Channel fix: Yes

Input labeling: Yes

Closed captioning: Yes

Multilingual menu: English, Spanish, French

Parental control: Yes (V-Chip)

Picture-in-picture (PIP): 2-tuner with Twin View (side-by-side viewing)

Remote control: Yes (RM-Y915)

Sleep timer: Yes

Audio tone controls: BBE Sound enhancement Surround sound: TruSurround SRS Audio Sound Processing, Dolby Virtual Surround

Audio outputs: 1 monaural RCA subwoofer output

Audio inputs: 7 stereo analog (left/right)

Video inputs: 11

Headphone jack: No

Digital video input: 2 (HDMI)

Component video: 2 (1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i)

Composite video: 4

S-video: 4 Control ports: Control S (1 in/1 out)

NTSC and ATSC tuners

Pixels: 1,366 x 788 (x 3)

Contrast ratio: Information not available

Brightness: Information not available

Dot pitch: Information not available

Lamp: UHP Lamp (132W)

Lamp life: Information not available

Front AV jacks: Yes

Side AV jacks: No

Sound leveler system: Yes (Steady Sound)

Wall mountable: No

Power supply: AC 120V 60Hz

Power consumption: Information not available

Optional accessories: Spare lamp (XL-2200), A/V Stand (SU-GW12)

Energy Star compliant: Yes

Item width: 62 inches

Item height: 37.5 inches

Item depth: 19 inches

Item weight: 105.69 pounds

In the box: TV, remote control, remote batteries, a user's manual, and warranty/registration information

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