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HD home cinema buying guide

By CNET Asia staff
October 12, 2009

Introduction

With a little patience and a reasonable budget, it's now possible to install your personal home theater system to rival the movie cineplexes. The latest advancements in full-HD video, as well as high-resolution audio such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio (DTS-HD MA), have facilitated this transition. The result: Homeowners can now have their very own theater-like cinematic experiences, recreated through the right high-definition A/V equipment and Blu-ray movie discs.

In this buying guide, we have the videos and step-by-step process on assembling an HD-enabled entertainment system in three distinct flavors: A simple sound bar combo; a stylish yet effective home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) solution; and a full-fledged mix-and-match component home cinema for the more adventurous. Pick the system that suits your budget, lifestyle needs and DIY skills best.

A simple sound bar combo
With a sound bar combo, you get a roomful of sounds, not wires, which is great for small apartments where discrete speakers and running wires are not desired throughout the room. Contained in a single bar, the sound bar simulates surround sound. We show you how to make the best use of this combination, as well as point out the pros and cons of such a setup.

The HD gear

Besides the increasingly popular sound bar, you'll also need an HDTV and optional gear such as a Blu-ray player and subwoofer.

Step-by-step

This is the easiest of the three setups, requiring very minimal physical installation, though a quick software menu tuning is still recommended to maximize the potential here.

A home-theater-in-a-box solution (coming in November)
Still the most popular among mainstream consumers, HTIBs let you get a whole kit at once without the arduous task of putting together a home cinema from separate components. And they come in so many variations, you should be able to find one to match your living decor.

Mix-and-match component home cinema (coming in December)
If you're willing to take it to the next level, this section is for those seeking the traditional separate component approach.

A simple sound bar combo: The HD gear »