Home theatre in a box? - Blu-ray Forum

Tru2theBlu · 11-01-2008, 07:56 PM

I have a unique situation. I am limited on space, and my wife is being close minded. Well not unusual I guess. Anyways, is there a home theatre in a box with 2 HDMI inputs and 1 output, and for a reasonable price? I am paying for law school right now, and on a tight budget, but I love movies and need a decent home theatre to accompany my blus. Please give any suggestions!

PanasonicPlasmaMan · 11-01-2008, 08:02 PM

how much do you want to spend?

Moefiz · 11-01-2008, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tru2theBlu

I have a unique situation. I am limited on space, and my wife is being close minded. Well not unusual I guess. Anyways, is there a home theatre in a box with 2 HDMI inputs and 1 output, and for a reasonable price? I am paying for law school right now, and on a tight budget, but I love movies and need a decent home theatre to accompany my blus. Please give any suggestions!

You won't get a lot of recommendation for a HTIB on here you can do much better for the same amount of money by buying everything loose.
http://www.accessories4less.com/make...r-BLACK/1.html http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Cha.../dp/B0002WTK52

Less than 500.00 and you have yourself a system that would put any HTIB to shame.

metsfan1545d · 11-01-2008, 08:08 PM

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1206141458600

this is a cheap alternative that does hd audio and has gotten great reviews on cnet

quirkmanly · 11-01-2008, 08:09 PM

I'm going to direct you to a post by Driver King from another thread. Very good bang for the buck and it is a similar cost to a lot of the "better" HTIB.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...03&postcount=8

Cheers!

zweet77 · 11-01-2008, 08:10 PM

Sounds like you need satellites to satisfy the WAF check out the set up in circuit city's signature.

lojack1976 · 11-01-2008, 09:40 PM

THIS is probably the best HTIB for the money. One drawback is that the speakers are large which may be a problem if you lack space, and the wifey may not like them either. In that scenario the separate receiver and Polk speakers would be a good choice since they are much smaller. The one downside with those will be the sub which is not that great, but for the low price the package is still a good deal. What sort of budget is the wife allowing? There may be some other options to offer if we know what you're planning to spend.

PanasonicPlasmaMan · 11-01-2008, 10:51 PM

onkyo 605 $300
Polk rm6750 $200

$500

If you wanted to buy a decent HTIB it would cost you $400 or more
and for only $100 more you are getting a 7.1 channel onkyo receiver (that does all Dolby true HD and DTS HD) and a polk 5.1 system. And no HTIB comes close to this setup. Later you can also upgrade the speakers and add speakers also.

Turnda643 · 11-01-2008, 11:17 PM

I have the Sony Bravia HT-SS2000. Decodes all codecs, has 3 HDMI ins/1 out. This receiver is strictly set-up to use HDMI connection, but you have options w/an optical cable if you are not going to run HDMI. Sony has recently updated to a newer model with new center channel and sub designs. It really is a good system. I'd atleast check it out.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1200703057943

Driver_King · 11-01-2008, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Circuit City

onkyo 605 $300
Polk rm6750 $200

$500

If you wanted to buy a decent HTIB it would cost you $400 or more
and for only $100 more you are getting a 7.1 channel onkyo receiver (that does all Dolby true HD and DTS HD) and a polk 5.1 system. And no HTIB comes close to this setup. Later you can also upgrade the speakers and add speakers also.

I agree. You need to forget about an HTIB unit. Buy the RM6750 package for speakers, the Onkyo 605(or 606), and purchase all of the cables from Monoprice.

95pgtproject · 11-01-2008, 11:37 PM

http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/it...e=23-1421704-2

Driver_King · 11-01-2008, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 95pgtproject

http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/it...e=23-1421704-2

Tru2theBlu · 11-01-2008, 11:42 PM

Thanks for all of the great info. What about this, I found a Pioneer Elite Model VSX-84TXSi, 4 HDMI Inputs, 1 HDMI Output, 1080p receiver, which is THX certified and has been used for 7 months. Retailed new at $1,400. The guy will sell it to me for $300. He is legit. He upgrades his receiver yearly. (too much money to know what to do with) I went to look at it today, and it looked great, and he had speakers hooked up to it for me, also sounded great. Any bones to pick with Pioneer? Should I buy this used pioneer elite (which did get great reviews), or go with an Onkyo 606 for $300? And as you guys asked my budget is $600.

95pgtproject · 11-01-2008, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Driver_King

lol

Driver_King · 11-01-2008, 11:45 PM

Go for the Pioneer!

4Dblu · 11-01-2008, 11:49 PM

i saw an RCA 5.1 w/receiver for $149. has HDMI in/out. it says 1000w. i brought a 5.1 small system for my son room only $49. and let my tell u he kinda cranked it up one day and i thought it was the system in my bedroom. but, its very good for his room. as peeps go around my house starting upstairs first and work there way down systems get bigger to just plain STUPID...like " is it legal to have these speakers in ur house!!!

PoLskA · 11-02-2008, 01:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metsfan1545d

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1206141458600

this is a cheap alternative that does hd audio and has gotten great reviews on cnet

that system is also at Walmart for like $260

i will be picking one up tomorrow... dont have too much room for something crazy...

probably be the only thing i ever buy from a Wal-Mart...

Driver_King · 11-02-2008, 01:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PolskAltima

that system is also at Walmart for like $260

i will be picking one up tomorrow... dont have too much room for something crazy...

probably be the only thing i ever buy from a Wal-Mart...

No!

PanasonicPlasmaMan · 11-02-2008, 01:54 AM

The Pioneer sounds like a great deal I would get it in a heart beat.
and that leaves you $300 for speakers, What I would do is buy the polk rm6750 ($220) and what I did was buy a new center because I thought the polk one was to weak. I got the Polk cs1 for $70 on amazon and you notice a big difference. That would put you at $600 for a good setup.

lojack1976 · 11-02-2008, 01:59 AM

The Onkyo HT-S6100 HTIB I suggested is $569 with free shipping. It has the Onkyo 606 receiver in the package and it's a 7.1 setup with a much better sub than the Polk setup. The Polk speakers are good, but nearly every user who buys them replaces them eventually. Why? Because they are very limited at higher volumes. They are suitable for smaller rooms. Will they have the edge over the Onkyo speakers in sound quality? Maybe, but I'm skeptical that the difference will be very noticeable if at all. These are Polk's budget speakers so the performance will not be some revolutionary achievement for $200. Sorry, but its not going to happen. They would make great surrounds, but you will probably want some beefier fronts. The Onkyo setup includes speakers that should be on par with the budget Polks. They may be better overall since they are much bigger and can be played at much higher volumes. Take it from someone who has owned an Onkyo HTIB in the past. The speakers are solid for what they are...nothing special, but good budget speakers, and I'm sure Onkyo has improved upon their older speaker designs. They even offer a THX certified HTIB which means the speakers have to meet some strict requirements. There are some threads over at avsforum regarding their new HTIB's and there is a lot of good feedback on them. Oh, and I would skip the Onkyo 7100 since you get very little extra to make it worth the extra $100. Go with the 6100 I suggested if you decide on the Onkyo HTIB. Like I said before, it would be my preferred choice between the options presented since I believe it to be the best overall value for less than $600. If your budget is larger then there are many options that would be better than either of these. It's too bad the HSU setup is no longer on sale. They had their entry level speaker setup for $299 recently, but its back to $500 and that would've probably been your best choice.

11-01-2008, 07:56 PM	#1
Tru2theBlu Senior Member Member since:Oct 2008 Location:Portland, OR Blu-ray collection:54 Trading Score:10	Home theatre in a box? I have a unique situation. I am limited on space, and my wife is being close minded. Well not unusual I guess. Anyways, is there a home theatre in a box with 2 HDMI inputs and 1 output, and for a reasonable price? I am paying for law school right now, and on a tight budget, but I love movies and need a decent home theatre to accompany my blus. Please give any suggestions!

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11-01-2008, 08:02 PM	#2
PanasonicPlasmaMan Special Member Member since:Jul 2008 Location:California Home Theater Gallery:14 Blu-ray collection:25 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:18	how much do you want to spend?

11-01-2008, 08:08 PM	#4
metsfan1545d Special Member Member since:Sep 2008 4K collection:1 Blu-ray collection:134 Blu-ray reviews:2 Trading Score:14	http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1206141458600 this is a cheap alternative that does hd audio and has gotten great reviews on cnet

11-01-2008, 08:09 PM	#5
quirkmanly Moderator Top contributor Member since:Feb 2008 4K collection:129 Blu-ray collection:278 Trading Score:78	I'm going to direct you to a post by Driver King from another thread. Very good bang for the buck and it is a similar cost to a lot of the "better" HTIB. https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...03&postcount=8 Cheers!

11-01-2008, 08:10 PM	#6
zweet77 Senior Member Member since:Apr 2008 Location:San Francisco Home Theater Gallery:12 Blu-ray collection:129 Blu-ray reviews:7	Sounds like you need satellites to satisfy the WAF check out the set up in circuit city's signature.

11-01-2008, 09:40 PM	#7
lojack1976 Blu-ray Guru Top ranked HT gallery Member since:Aug 2008 Location:7 Cities, VA Home Theater Gallery:62 Blu-ray collection:203	THIS is probably the best HTIB for the money. One drawback is that the speakers are large which may be a problem if you lack space, and the wifey may not like them either. In that scenario the separate receiver and Polk speakers would be a good choice since they are much smaller. The one downside with those will be the sub which is not that great, but for the low price the package is still a good deal. What sort of budget is the wife allowing? There may be some other options to offer if we know what you're planning to spend.

11-01-2008, 10:51 PM	#8
PanasonicPlasmaMan Special Member Member since:Jul 2008 Location:California Home Theater Gallery:14 Blu-ray collection:25 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:18	onkyo 605 $300 Polk rm6750 $200 $500 If you wanted to buy a decent HTIB it would cost you $400 or more and for only $100 more you are getting a 7.1 channel onkyo receiver (that does all Dolby true HD and DTS HD) and a polk 5.1 system. And no HTIB comes close to this setup. Later you can also upgrade the speakers and add speakers also.

11-01-2008, 11:17 PM	#9
Turnda643 Special Member Member since:Mar 2008 Location:Victorville, CA Home Theater Gallery:50 4K collection:23 Blu-ray collection:773 Blu-ray reviews:2	I have the Sony Bravia HT-SS2000. Decodes all codecs, has 3 HDMI ins/1 out. This receiver is strictly set-up to use HDMI connection, but you have options w/an optical cable if you are not going to run HDMI. Sony has recently updated to a newer model with new center channel and sub designs. It really is a good system. I'd atleast check it out. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1200703057943

11-01-2008, 11:37 PM	#11
95pgtproject Expert Member Member since:Aug 2007 Blu-ray collection:210 Blu-ray reviews:2 Trading Score:21	http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/it...e=23-1421704-2

11-01-2008, 11:42 PM	#13
Tru2theBlu Senior Member Member since:Oct 2008 Location:Portland, OR Blu-ray collection:54 Trading Score:10	Thanks for all of the great info. What about this, I found a Pioneer Elite Model VSX-84TXSi, 4 HDMI Inputs, 1 HDMI Output, 1080p receiver, which is THX certified and has been used for 7 months. Retailed new at $1,400. The guy will sell it to me for $300. He is legit. He upgrades his receiver yearly. (too much money to know what to do with) I went to look at it today, and it looked great, and he had speakers hooked up to it for me, also sounded great. Any bones to pick with Pioneer? Should I buy this used pioneer elite (which did get great reviews), or go with an Onkyo 606 for $300? And as you guys asked my budget is $600.

11-01-2008, 11:45 PM	#15
Driver_King Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Tampa Bay, Florida Home Theater Gallery:96 Blu-ray collection:28 Trading Score:10	Go for the Pioneer!

11-01-2008, 11:49 PM	#16
4Dblu Power Member Member since:Aug 2008 Location:Big Small State Home Theater Gallery:15 4K collection:267 Blu-ray collection:1573 DVD collection:113 Blu-ray reviews:3 Trading Score:31	i saw an RCA 5.1 w/receiver for $149. has HDMI in/out. it says 1000w. i brought a 5.1 small system for my son room only $49. and let my tell u he kinda cranked it up one day and i thought it was the system in my bedroom. but, its very good for his room. as peeps go around my house starting upstairs first and work there way down systems get bigger to just plain STUPID...like " is it legal to have these speakers in ur house!!!

11-02-2008, 01:54 AM	#19
PanasonicPlasmaMan Special Member Member since:Jul 2008 Location:California Home Theater Gallery:14 Blu-ray collection:25 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:18	The Pioneer sounds like a great deal I would get it in a heart beat. and that leaves you $300 for speakers, What I would do is buy the polk rm6750 ($220) and what I did was buy a new center because I thought the polk one was to weak. I got the Polk cs1 for $70 on amazon and you notice a big difference. That would put you at $600 for a good setup.

11-02-2008, 01:59 AM	#20
lojack1976 Blu-ray Guru Top ranked HT gallery Member since:Aug 2008 Location:7 Cities, VA Home Theater Gallery:62 Blu-ray collection:203	The Onkyo HT-S6100 HTIB I suggested is $569 with free shipping. It has the Onkyo 606 receiver in the package and it's a 7.1 setup with a much better sub than the Polk setup. The Polk speakers are good, but nearly every user who buys them replaces them eventually. Why? Because they are very limited at higher volumes. They are suitable for smaller rooms. Will they have the edge over the Onkyo speakers in sound quality? Maybe, but I'm skeptical that the difference will be very noticeable if at all. These are Polk's budget speakers so the performance will not be some revolutionary achievement for $200. Sorry, but its not going to happen. They would make great surrounds, but you will probably want some beefier fronts. The Onkyo setup includes speakers that should be on par with the budget Polks. They may be better overall since they are much bigger and can be played at much higher volumes. Take it from someone who has owned an Onkyo HTIB in the past. The speakers are solid for what they are...nothing special, but good budget speakers, and I'm sure Onkyo has improved upon their older speaker designs. They even offer a THX certified HTIB which means the speakers have to meet some strict requirements. There are some threads over at avsforum regarding their new HTIB's and there is a lot of good feedback on them. Oh, and I would skip the Onkyo 7100 since you get very little extra to make it worth the extra $100. Go with the 6100 I suggested if you decide on the Onkyo HTIB. Like I said before, it would be my preferred choice between the options presented since I believe it to be the best overall value for less than $600. If your budget is larger then there are many options that would be better than either of these. It's too bad the HSU setup is no longer on sale. They had their entry level speaker setup for $299 recently, but its back to $500 and that would've probably been your best choice.

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