7 Comments

1. 

   the one you can afford

   Comment by Sonnie — January 21, 2008 @ 11:09 pm

2. 

   A component based system provides better sound and better future proofing, so is a better long term investment. They are built to last longer. The DVD system is more compact but will have less connections available and is not built to last. Disc players don’t last as long as receivers do, as they have moving parts, so in a combined system if your disc player fails, your entire system is down. Not to mention, formats change, so building in a player gives your system a couple years before it is outdated by the next format. A component based system allows any device to be connected, so your system will not be outdated so quickly.

   Comment by Max Power — January 22, 2008 @ 10:36 am

3. 

   This completely depends on what you mean by an entertainment room and how much you want to spend.

   If the focus of your entertainment room is geared more towards social events and such, a simple “theater in a box” may be sufficient and is typically more cost effective.

   If, however, you want a truly dedicated home theater you will definitely want a component system. There is no comparison between a well tailored component system and the “theater in a box” solutions. Unfortunately, this will also cost you more money.

   If you do go the component route, it is advisable to spend some time researching the various options in your price range for the components you desire. I would suggest you start with something like the following…

   Yamaha RX-V1800BL Receiver (1k)
   Klipsch XL-23 speaker system (3k)

   Start with that as a base… figure it into your budget. Then look at the room size you want to fill and post questions on A/V specific forums. You will find your list of options growing quickly and turned down different roads depending on how much you are willing to spend, the room size, and your overall goal.

   Comment by Gary — January 25, 2008 @ 5:14 pm

4. 

   Generally speaking, an all-in one DVD player/AV receiver/satellite speakers/subwoofer is a cheaper alternative to putting together your own home theater setup from scratch. Sure, with an all-in-one, you can get it all done in one go, pay less, and probably have it be simple to set up.

   What you sacrifice with this option is that you usually get a average-quality DVD-player, average-quality audio/video receiver, few if any additional inputs, and almost always well-below-average speakers. Often, in my opinion, these are the weakest link in a home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB). If you’re looking to start a real home-theater, a decent starter A/V receiver from brands like Sony, Pioneer, and possibly Onkyo could be had for around $200. A decent pair of front speakers could be had between $100-200 or even a whole 5-channel setup from a company like Fluance for $300. You probably already have a DVD player, but a decent HDMI-upconverting player can be had for $50 or so. That brings me to my next point; If you have $500 or more to spend, or are patient and can buy parts one at a time, go the component route. The above listed component ranges would put you well ahead of almost all HTIBs you could buy.

   That said, if all you want is an easy way to a decent home theater starter system, they can be a good way to go. If it were me, having a decent 2-channel stereo would be more important than having an average quality home theater, but to each their own. As the above poster noted, do what your budget allows.

   If you have questions about going the component route, try a local A/V store, Crutchfield, or here rather than a big-box store like Best Buy or Circuit City.

   Comment by lordxale — January 27, 2008 @ 12:37 am

5. 

   Go component everytime. This way YOU decide the quality level of each piece in your system. Also, STAY AWAY from Bose. They are overpriced for what you get.

   A nice Onkyo, Denon or Yamaha head unit, Pinnacle speakers and an upconverting DVD player should start you off pretty well.

   Comment by K.D. — January 28, 2008 @ 2:23 pm

6. 

   WOW! What great answers. Kudos to the previous responders.

   Part of the fun of this hobby is studying and researching. Get some magazines (Dec and Jan) from the library and find out what the reviewers choose as “Best of the Year”.

   Components are usually better. No 1 company makes really, really good everything.

   A short list of my favorites:

   TV’s: Sony, Samsung, Pioneer
   Receivers: Yamaha, Denon, Onkyo
   DVD players; Sony (PS3)
   Subwoofers: SVS or HSU Research
   Speakers: (too many to list, but NOT by sony, phillips, samsung)

   Comment by He who must hold the remote — January 30, 2008 @ 1:41 am

7. 

   Depends on yourself more than anything. A lot of people don’t feel comfortable or want to put any effort into putting together a component home theater, thus they lean more into buying a complete home theater or HTIB.
   So if you feel secure in buying separate components I would go this route, but if you wouldn’t , then by all means buy the complete home theater system.

   Comment by coco2591 — January 30, 2008 @ 6:21 am

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