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Home Theatre Systems Buying Guide

Recent technological advances have made it easier than ever to create an authentic film-viewing experience in your home. Multimedia projectors and HDTVs cover the video, creating theatre-like pictures, but don't settle for a mediocre pair of TV speakers if you want top-notch sound to accompany your home cinema. Many companies offer simple "home-theatre-in-a-box"  (HTiB ) solutions, which contain AV receivers,  speakers --everything you need to quickly and simply set up your home theatre system.

The Basics of Home Theatre

Here are the most important things to consider in a home-theatre-in-a-box:

  • Budget: Systems range in price from a few hundred to upwards of a thousand dollars, depending mainly on their feature sets. Keep within your desired budget and you can find very good value.
  • Speaker Arrangement: In order to provide sound comparable to that of a theatre, you'll need a surround sound set-up. The most common arrangement is the 5.1-channel  system. The first number (5) refers to the number of speakers, while the second number (.1) refers to the number of subwoofers.  The vast majority of systems have one subwoofer, though some have two (.2) for enhanced bass performance. The more frequent variation is in the number of speakers. 5.1-channel systems have two front speakers, one centre speaker, and two rear speakers. 6.1 channel  systems have one additional rear speaker, for a total of three, while 7.1-channel  systems have a second additional rear speaker, for a total of four. Some HTiBs that only come with five speakers may have the option of purchasing additional rear speakers to create a 6.1- or 7.1-channel arrangement.
  • Space and Wires: A home theatre system will take up a lot of space. The subwoofer is often the largest component, while the AV receiver should be positioned centrally so it is accessible, although systems with on-screen displays will save you the hassle of fiddling with the receiver itself. Also think about the speakers. Not only are some speakers smaller than others, but some can be wall-mounted whereas others must be positioned on the floor or on a flat surface. If you don't want wires to show, you can either run them through the walls or opt for a system that supports wireless speakers.  Some HTiBs come with speakers and everything you need to go wireless, while others might support wireless functionality but require the purchase of additional equipment in order to use it.
  • Automatic Sound Calibration: Auto calibration is a feature available on some systems that uses an included microphone to adjust the system perfectly for your room.
  • Active Bass Unit: To provide booming bass for optimal music and film sound quality, some systems have an active bass unit, which serves to amplify bass and allows for independent bass level controls.  

Device Compatibility

To make sure you can use your system properly with your other electronic devices, you'll need to check that your home theatre system has matching inputs and outputs. Here is a quick list of the types of connections offered on different HTiBs:

  • Component : Component uses 5 connectors: three for video and two for audio. Component is compatible with high-definition sources and is the connection of choice for many DVD players, digital cable boxes, and satellite providers.
  • HDMI : The High-Definition Multimedia Interface, or HDMI, connection provides the absolute highest quality video and sound available today. Using one simple connector, it is the ideal connection type. The presence of multiple HDMI ports, however, is a higher-end feature that might only be available on more expensive electronics.
  • Digital Audio : Digital Audio is an option used in some DVD players, satellite receivers, and digital cable boxes that is featured in most home theatre receivers.
  • Optical : Also known as Toslink, optical is a format used in some audio devices that is available on some home theatre systems.
  • Coaxial : Some HTiBs offer coaxial audio connections.
  • USB : The Universal Serial Bus, commonly known as USB, is one of the most widely used connections on all sorts of electronic devices, from desktop and laptop computers to digital cameras and camcorders to MP3 players and external storage devices.  A USB connector will allow you to connect devices using the USB format to your AV receiver to play music through the speakers or photos and videos if the receiver is connected to a TV.
  • MP3: Some receivers have MP3 ports that allow music playback through the home theatre speakers.
  • iPod: Systems with an iPod dock allow you to play files from an iPod through the speakers and a TV if one is connected.
  • Memory Card Reader: Memory card readers will allow the AV receiver to play music, photos and videos.

Quick Picks

Onkyo HT-S5100 

This HTiB delivers excellent bass, auto calibration, a large number of connections, and an iPod dock. As a 7.1-channel system, it comes with two more rear speakers than a standard 5.1-channel system.

Sony HT-DDWG700 

The HT-DDWG700, a 5.1-channel home-theatre-in-a-box, has an iPod dock and good sound quality despite its low price.

Yamaha YHT-690 

The YHT-690 is a feature-rich 5.1-channel HTiB with auto calibration, on-screen controls, an iPod/bluetooth adapter, multiple connections, a separate DVD player, and its own active bass unit.

JVC TH-G40 

JVC's TH-G40 is a 5.1-channel HTiB with an integrated DVD player and on-screen display, as well as an iPod dock and an MP3 connector to go with its small price tag.

Panasonic SC-BT100 

This high-end HTiB has an integrated DVD/Blu-Ray player, on-screen controls, an iPod dock, memory card reader, and wireless rear speakers. It comes with enough speakers for a 5.1-channel set-up, but two more speakers can be added for a 7.1 arrangement.

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