In this DVD age that we live in, having a decent Home theatre System that doesnt bust the budget is what everyone is looking for.
Joes Approach: Do you assemble/configue your home theatre or buy out of the box.
Recommendation:
If you are the kind of person that I am- one who likes to revel in hooking up wires and tinkering with stuff then it is obvious that you put together your system according to your audio tastes.
If you are like Joe's brother Tom,who is lazy to do that and would like to have it all done and doesn't mind paying a little more then you need to -GET A LIFE. Kidding. o.k you need an out of the Box System.
Joes Choices: Do I have to list?
Different components in a HT setup- DVD Player(CD changer), Receiver, Front Speakers (Mains), Rear Speakers (Rears), Centre channel(dialogue speaker) and a subwoofer- these are the essentials apart from the TV.
If you have a HD or HD ready TV then you need to get a Progressive scan DVD player, else any DVD player should do.( Refer Electronics- DVD Players for your choices)
Receiver: All right next is the reciever or the heart of your system Types of receivers, Begining from the days of Dolby prologic(back in the day home theatre) to the latest THX EX there are a ton of options, AC_3(5.1) Dolby Digital, 6.1, 7.1 etc..
5.1 means 5 speakers + 1 subwoofer
6.1 means 6 speakers + 1 subwoofer
7.1 means 7 speakers + 1 subwoofer
all these speakers get their individual tracks and can be positioned around the audience to get wide ranging effects. I recommend a 6.1 system for a very good audio experience and a 5.1 for those who can live with a reasonable audio quality (this experience will still beat the crap out of your regular movie experience) I have gone hometheatre(5.1) about 4 years ago and am still willing to go another year or two before upgrading- i might catch up at 10.1)
THX EX
"THX Surround EX is the home version of this latest advance in hyper-realistic sound technology. Available exclusively in THX-licensed Ultra and Select Series products, THX Surround EX decodes a back surround signal from the left and right surround channels on specially encoded DVD movie releases. Unlike products offering "6.1" channel decoding schemes, only select THX Certified components adhere to superior performance specifications through the following features. * Redirects bass energy in the Surround back channels to the subwoofer, ensuring optimum bass performance. * Requires Re-Equalization™ of the Surround back channels to match characteristics of the front and left/right surround channels. * Synchronizes the Surround Back Left and Surround Back Right speakers in time and position relative to the listener, providing a seamless surround sound experience. * Preserves the original sound perspective in soundtracks from older films with mono surround channels by automatically re-directing the surround signal to both Surround Left and Surround Right rather than to the Surround back speakers only. * Maintains the same technical standards for Surround back channels as for Left and Right channel surround, eliminating compromise in channel separation, noise, headroom, bandwidth and decoding accuracy" ( source: www. thx.com)
Onkyo receivers are among the best of the best receivers out there, a good way to tell is when you walk into a demo theatre of say best buy, circuit city or a bose showroom check out what they use for a receiver-- see easy huh. however there are a ton of onkyo models varying from Onkyo TX-SR 701 6.1 ($570.00) to Onkyo TX-8211($162.00)
For the audiophile i recommend an Onkyo TX-SR800 -approx $1000.00,
for the enthusuaist either a Harmon Kardon AVR 225 or a Onkyo TX-SR501(both approx 250.00)
For the beginner get a refurbished receiver from onkyo, harmon kardon, pioneer or dennon that fits your budget. often times you can pick up one for less than 100.00 at the local stores like circuit city, best buy or go online stores to crutchfield, etronics etc..
Things to look out for :
try to get a receiver with more optical outputs- the quality of sound is much better than through traditional RCA plugs, if using RCA plugs use gold plated ones.
