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Help with new home-theater setup...

Z

Zombie

Platinum Member
I am thinking of adding a decent home-theater system to my living room but would like to know more about them before I open my wallet. Are there any good neutral websites that tell you what you should be looking for and how to set it up ? I don't have huge TV so don't really care for the progressive scan DVD and stuff. I am in an apartment but it's huge and it's not easy to disturb the others. My budget is around $400 so let me know if you guys have any suggestions.

thanks.
 
So basically you need/want to buy:
- DVD Player
- Receiver
- Speakers

But you don't need to buy a TV.

That correct?
 
Well, 400 isn't alot to work with, but for you, i would think an all in one 5.1 system from sony or yamaha. They come with reciever, speakers, sub, dvd built in, cd player, that sort of thing.

Otherwise, save some money and get something that has some power that you will enjoy.

-steve
 
Well, I already have a TV(akai 27" 🙁). It's not a big TV but I would rather wait to buy a bigger TV till I get a house or something. I was thinking of using my PS2 for DVD player but if the DVD player comes packaged won't mind using it.
 
Originally posted by: Zombie
Well, I already have a TV(akai 27" 🙁). It's not a big TV but I would rather wait to buy a bigger TV till I get a house or something. I was thinking of using my PS2 for DVD player but if the DVD player comes packaged won't mind using it.
Click to expand...
$400 will get you something but are you sure you can't go higher? If you managed to get a little more cash together using your PS2 as a DVD you could buy a standalone receiver and then a seperate speaker package. That would give you more power and allow for upgrades in the future if you wanted as well...
 
Originally posted by: murphy55d
A little above your budget... but ever since I bought it myself, I can't stop recommending it. 🙂

Onkyo HTS650
Click to expand...

"drooll"....that looks sweet. $400 is not exactly a set budget 🙂 and $549 does not sound bad at all. If it was couple grand then I would have to think about it. How did your set-up go? The website does not mention a DVD player so did your come with one or is this just a speaker set-up ?

thanks.
 
Originally posted by: Zombie
Originally posted by: murphy55d
A little above your budget... but ever since I bought it myself, I can't stop recommending it. 🙂

Onkyo HTS650
Click to expand...

"drooll"....that looks sweet. $400 is not exactly a set budget 🙂 and $549 does not sound bad at all. If it was couple grand then I would have to think about it. How did your set-up go? The website does not mention a DVD player so did your come with one or is this just a speaker set-up ?

thanks.
Click to expand...

It's just the receiver and 5.1 speakers. I use my Xbox as my DVD player(with Advanced AV pack- using s-Video and digital optical cable audio to take advantage of DTS and Dolby). I am a complete idiot when it comes to hooking up all this stuff but it was pretty easy.

Pretty much you hook everything into the receiver, and then hook up the appropriate cables into the back of your TV and use the receiver remote to switch between the video lines. Very easy.

What kind of inputs does your TV have? Hopefully an s-video input.
 
Good you have s-video. I have a pretty decent surround setup using my xbox as the DVD player with the high AV pack as mentioned below. I have component video but S-video is still great. My TV is only 27" also. The PS2 is a very adequate CD player though as long as you spring the small bit of cash for the optical cable for the digital sound 😀
 
Well I don't know how the PS2 DVD player hookup works(or the quality for that matter), but get whatever you need to use s-video and digital audio, hook that into your receiver, send the s-video from the receiver to the TV, and youre set.

Or pick up a cheap component DVD player somewhere.
 
PS2 is s-video capable (I am not sure about component I can't remember) and has optical outs for full DTS or dolby surround 5.1.
 
The PS2 has an S-Video cable you can buy. I have it and it works quite nicely.

Also, the PS2 already has Digital Optical built-in, so all you would need is the receiver to be able to take that and a cable. Here is the listing of ones from Amazon. Don't buy the expensive Monster Cable ones, the cheap ones work just fine. Just figure out what length of cable you need.
 
ok, I am not sure if the wire I bought has optical digital ouput or not but it does have s-video out. The wire does no come packaged with PS2 so I had to buy it separete. It has S-video out and 2 audio wires. I am guessing if it was digital audio wire then it won't be split in to left&right wires.

Anyway, I can just take it back to CC and have them give me the optical audio + s-video wires instead.

thanks, this is looking good 😀
 
I know you'll like that Onkyo system if thats what you go with.... once you hear Gladiator in DTS you are spoiled. 😀
 
Originally posted by: Zombie
ok, I am not sure if the wire I bought has optical digital ouput or not but it does have s-video out. The wire does no come packaged with PS2 so I had to buy it separete. It has S-video out and 2 audio wires. I am guessing if it was digital audio wire then it won't be split in to left&right wires.

Anyway, I can just take it back to CC and have them give me the optical audio + s-video wires instead.

thanks, this is looking good 😀
Click to expand...

You are a bit confused here.

There is no Optical + S-Video wire for sale. You buy the S-Video cable and it comes with the analoge L/R audio setup. But you can use an Optical Cable instead of the L/R cable. It will just be a completely seperate cable from the Video one.

So you would end up with the S-Video plus unused L/R audio and an Optical Cable.
 
Originally posted by: Mutilator
You can also buy S-video cables that don't have any RCA audio cables attached. 😉
Click to expand...

Why bother when you can get the cable for $10?

And note, this is for the Playstation 2, not just some ordinary S-Video cable.
 
Originally posted by: Zombie
Originally posted by: murphy55d
A little above your budget... but ever since I bought it myself, I can't stop recommending it. 🙂

Onkyo HTS650
Click to expand...

"drooll"....that looks sweet. $400 is not exactly a set budget 🙂 and $549 does not sound bad at all. If it was couple grand then I would have to think about it. How did your set-up go? The website does not mention a DVD player so did your come with one or is this just a speaker set-up ?

thanks.
Click to expand...
You can get that package shipped free to you from bestpriceaudiovideo.com for about $475. I can't stop recommending it either (similar setup, just a slightly better Onkyo receiver). 😉 Worth every penny.

 
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