Home theater in a box or a receiver and seperate dvd player? Which is the better move?
I have an old 2.1 stereo system hooked up to my tv. I am creating a home theater with a projection screen and all.
I want to upgrade to a 5.1 system. I see alot of theater in a box solutions but they don’t seem to offer the versatility of a dedicated receiver. I like the idea of an all in one system with an integrated dvd, but they don’t seem to have that many inputs for other devices.
I also worry about if the DVD drive wears out, I will have to replace the whole unit or go out and add another box. Plus what if I decide to upgrade to hd dvds down the road. I also have a htpc and a Wii.
So, is a dedicated receiver is the better choice in the long run. It seems that I would want to ensure that it has hdmi as this seems to be where everything is going within the next 4 years.
(I have a nice progressive scan dvd player that I am happy with now that also plays Divx which I have many of.)
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You definitely want to go with the separate receiver. Not only will it sound a lot better, but you can get one with multiple inputs so you can easily change your sources (DVD, Cable box, Gaming) with the touch of a remote.
weeder
It sounds like you already have reasoned out the
answer that’s best for you -the separate receiver
and DVD player components. Now, choices of
receivers (since you already have the DVD player)…
Either an Onkyo or Pioneer Elite model that offers
the best balance of features and price (I’m not a big
fan of Denon or NAD due to my experiences with
their lack of reliability). Yamaha and even Sony ES
are good (but fall a little short overall), or consider
Arcam if you get some high-end speakers for your
home theater system to match your video system.
Speakers, Hsu Research for powered sub, with a
choice of Hsu or Athena for good affordable speak-
ers, or Silverline Audio will give you pristine perfor-
mance if you’re inclined to tap into the high end.
I think you just answered your own question. Forget the 5.1 HTIB. The HTIB dvd quality is not that good. Power is only enough to power the speakers that came with it. Sound quality was not that good compared to what I have. I was in the same situation. I have a Harmon Kardin 300W receiver with a pair of 70W per channel tower speakers. The subwoofer is 150W. Panasonic DVD player.
I went out and got myself an Epson Accolade wireless audio set for my rear channels. This wireless set works great. I went out and bought two inexpensive rear power speakers 10W Klispch. Got myself a center channel speaker too.
I have tried the 5.1 HTIB route and was not happy with the outcome. I bought a Sony and a KLH HTIB. Both did not stand up to my expectation and had to return them.
Now I also have XBox 360 hooked up via optical cable. I also have Wii hooked up too.
You have a good system, why mess with 5.1 HTIB out of a box.
Good luck
Sounds like you are the right track as far as want you want for your home theater.
The receiver has more versatility over the HTIB, and usually you can upgrade without serious cash output later on.
The receiver is the more smart move for now and later on.