Community poll forum: What kind of home-theater setup do you have?

I started with an RCA MM36100 36" CRT HDTV, RCA DTC-100 HD receiver for broadcast, cable and DirecTV, JVC VCR, Toshiba DVD player, Kenwood 5.1 Dolby surround sound and 6 Radio Shack speakers. The HDTV has always been my computer's only monitor, too. I use long-range radio wireless keyboard and mouse.
Then my VCR died. I never replaced or fixed it.
In moving, I upgraded to 6 wired Bose speakers and dropped DirecTV. My antenna picks up more Los Angeles HDTV broadcasts.
Adelphia gave me an HD DVR free for a year. I rent or lease it now.
Then my DVD player died. I put a DVD burner in my Dell computer and play my DVDs that way, now.
I am an electronics engineer working avionics and worked to make LCDs viable for cockpit applications since 1988. I learned all their shortcomings, so I don't want to watch one for entertainment.

...we decided to go with the Denon S101 virtual surround. It sounds great! The system comes with a subwoofer and 2 front speakers as well as a DVD player (including an IPOD connection). I'm sure the 5.1 systems would sound better because you get real sound from behind.

But, I don't like to see wires or the actual speaker boxes. I prefer the speakers which are set into the walls and I wasn't ready to shell out that much cash...so, until we get our dream home, the Denon sounds awesome! We also got the Sony 50" Grand Wega Projection LCD and man is it nice to watch HD on this thing...it's like you're looking through a window.

I have a tube tv with VCR/DVD combo. I have the stereo sound patched into a 15 year old McIntosh Receiver and a big old pair of 30 year old Radio Shack tower speakers with genuine walnut veneer!!! The sound is awesome!!!

Here's what's in my small den:
Syntax 26" LCD HD tv hooked up to HD cable with DVR
Zenith digital combo unit: 5.1 surround sound, progressive scan dvd, vcr, am/fm tuner. The 5 small speakers + subwoofer give me all the home theatre I want and need. The Syntax tv cost $700 from amazon (still waiting on a $200 rebate), and the Zenith unit was under $250. The most expensive part is the cable bill, but the DVR and on demand are worth it.

Everything I read about HD and and Blu-ray and DRM schemes that will make it so nothing works makes buying any of this ridiculous to me at this point.

I run my video on an Athlon XP 1700+ home-built system--1.5 GB, with Logitech Z-680s (bought new on clearance--still rated the best 5.1 system ever), 17'' LCD monitor, DVD RW.

The LCD reproduces DVD as well as I need for now, wish I could have afforded a bigger one.

The rear speakers are de rigeur but the center channel may be even more helpful as dialogue is impossible to hear in the mixes these days.

We have no cable and virtually no TV reception. Anything I would want to watch on ''the tube'' is eventually on DVD, and I can watch it anytime w/o ads.

Got a 9-inch portable TV/VCR for times we're stuck with VHS. May get an adapter that will allow me to use my Hi-fi VCR/DVD through the computer.

A few years after the fights are over and DRM is outlawed, I may buy some dedicated equipment, but I can't see messing with it for a while.

BTW, I got rid of my stereo as all my music plays better and easier on my PC using lossless WMA. Got a really nice tiny boom box instead of a ton of stereo components for radio and cassettes.

Hope WMP 11 isn't the disaster 10 is. 9 is still the best, 10 is just an advertising platform with a media player in it!

From the moment I powered up my little Memorex surround box and two little Radio Shack rear speakers to get surround sound from my VCR instead of just stereo some 15 years or so ago, I realized that sound made all the difference in movie viewing. It added believability to the experience. Over the years I've kept adding to my system and upgrading components on a gradual and somewhat sporadic basis until I have a Denon 3803 driving a Mitsubishi 52" DLP HD TV(1080i, not p) through an eclectic 5.1 speaker set. The brands represented in just the speakers are BIC, Athena, Yamaha, and Wharfdale. I have two DVD players: a Cambridge and a Phillips, a Panasonic VCR, a Dish standard def DVR, a Polk XM tuner, a Goldring turntable, and a Nakamichi cassette deck dating from 1987. (That's my main legacy piece of gear.) While the picture is superb, especially when watching over-the-air HD programming, I still think that the sound adds more to the experience. Plus, when I don't feel like sitting around, I can listen to music through most of the house from the sound components. The sound system is used much more for music than it is to provide sound for video. My only problem is that the house we moved into a little over a year ago has a two-story great room, and I've had to put the rear speakers on stands out in the middle of the floor, because there's no way to wall mount them. I still won't give them up, though.

When I came into a bit of money several years ago I got a huge (back then) 35" JVC tv and vcr, and added a dvd player after they became reasonably affordable. I have digital cable from Comcast, and have managed to string a pair of rear speakers to sit on the back of my couch. I love them, my boyfriend finds them annoying because he likes to sit in the corner of the couch and gets one in his ear. The next time I redo my system I will opt for wall mounted IR rear speakers and perhaps add a subwoofer, which I don't currently have, and get a larger tv. I'll take a really close look at what kind of TV at that point and decide if I want HD or LCD or whatever else they come up with by then. I'll need a new tuner too, all I have is a basic 5 channel right now.

Hello

My home theater consists of the following:

Epson PowerLite XGA projector filling a 180" dalite screen
Apple Mac Mini Intel Core Duo
Sony DVD Player
Sony VCR
Sony 5.1 Channel DTS Dolby 5.1 etc. 575watt sound system
100 (200?) Watt subwoofer
Nice couch
Dark Room

Samsung DLP HDTV, HD-DVR, Samsung HD-DVD Player, Onkyo 5.1 system, Monster HTS-3500 MK-II power conditioner.

Integra HDMI Receiver, 55" rear projection HD TV, two right & left front wall speakers, one center speaker, one woofer, and two right & left ceiling speakers.

Although I have a 50% hearing loss (US Navy Submarine Service (11 years). I still can discern the sound effects, which make the movie as if you were there...

32 inch Sony XBR 1993 model retailed for 1800 clams, still puts most sets to shame dual comb filters...
Pioneer (blech) 5.1 channel receiver driving JBL 3 way towers and center channel with Bose 151 outdoor speakers doing duty as rear channel, (matching Jbls in another room. 12inch 100w powerered JBL sub also...

The Bose have an articulated array so they throw sound across a wide field and made excellent rear channel speakers..

Needless to say with over 600w sound power and good speakers, movies often sound better then the theater, and no damn kids on cell phones either...

I decided if I was going to do something that was truely enjoyable I would do the whole thing. I took our family room which is 20 x 15 ft. and painted it a very dark blue and then added wall sconces that were all controlled by dimmers so I could get the atmosphere of a big theatre. Since funds are always an issue I decided on an InFocus ScreenPlay 4805 projector with DLP technology that displays on a 92" manual pull-down screen (laziness hasn't settled in yet). I use a Sony STR-DE935 Dolby ProLogic surround receiver that pushes sound thru an 8" front channel speaker and two Pioneer 3 way speakers with 12" woofers for the front left and right channels. The rear left and right channels go thru two Kenwood 3 way speakers with 15" woofers. My sub is a powered JBL with a 10" woofer.
And to play the DVD's I decided on the Sony DVPNS775V progressive scan player.
I've had people come over to watch movies who have plasma's and LCD sets and they can't believe the picture I get with my InFocus projector. When they leave the majority of them have just one word to say... WOW !!!!!
I even have bought some "concert" DVD's of various groups and it's like you're sitting there at the actual concert only in the front row.
The whole project ended up to be around $3400 and my sweat labor, but I already had the 2 pairs of 3 way speakers and repaired the Sony receiver.
We hardly go to the theatre anymore unless it's something specail as we just wait for it to come out on DVD.

Promises of high clarity,Ok,it's here--but--how much. These companies and the FCC, have been throwing expensive HDTV equiptment with the FCC promising that all media will switch over. OK, here it is-When is that date? Don't know? Only those that be empowered know. I will stay with the CRT, or the cute SDTV monikor, until HDTV is out and established. Sound is another thing.I have an older 5.1 that I will be updating to 6 or 7.1. You can really get engrossed in a movie (even if the picture is not Hidef) if the sound if coming from all around you as it should be heard normally. This sound is not just heard but felt to add two other aspects to the movie experience. My money is on sound equiptment and hold of until the real HDTV shows up.........gil

The key to getting a good HDTV is not only finding the best set for your budget, but not buying retail. Sometimes it is best not to get a TV with build in everything (speakers, decoders, etc). You are better off buying individual units that are way better.

As for pricing, don't go to the technology superstore. Look around and see if you can find local distributers. 5 years ago, I bought a Panasonic Tau 50-inch plasma for $5000 when the retail was about $12000. How did I get it cheap? I found a local distributer who ordered the set for me at wholesale price and sold it to me with minimal mark-up.

My home-theater has a 50" Toshiba Cinema Series HDTV with Klipsch surround sound and the amazing Klipsch 12" subwoofer. I also have Dish and a 5-Disc DVD player.