Sweet Home Theater--For Any Budget

You don't have to break the bank to have a great home theater experience.

Bluesman Willie Dixon once sang, "I did not say I was a millionaire, but I said I have spent more money than a millionaire." That's how I feel about home theater gear: I'm always spending money on it, and there's always more to buy.

But you don't have to be rich to spiff up your home theater. Whether you can spend $200 or $2000, you can tweak your speakers, pump up your picture, unclutter your setup, and get a better experience in the bargain.

Retire your wires: Better audio and video cables can enhance your experience for very little cash. For a start, your speaker cables should be at least 16-gauge thick and use solid gold connectors instead of braided wires. You can find these at any electronics shop for prices starting at 50 cents a foot.

Component cables serve better images than composite, coaxial, or S-Video connections do, but you don't have to blow big bucks on boutique brands (see "The Cable Game," September 2005). A good component cable like Monster Cable's Monster Video 3 series runs $70 to $150, depending on length. HDTV owners--especially those who hope to watch HD DVD or Blu-ray movies in high-def glory--should buy an HDMI cable to connect the cable or satellite box to the set (assuming their HDTV and source both have HDMI ports). You can purchase a decent one from CableWholesale.com or Startech.com for $30 to $60.

Make sound investments: If you don't already own a 5.1-channel surround-sound system, buy one, says Danny Briere, author of Home Theater For Dummies. Even cheapo home-theater-in-a-box systems aren't half bad, though Briere advises consumers to stick to brand names and expect to pay at least $400 for a system with an integrated A/V receiver.

Dollar for dollar your best investment is to buy better speakers, says Joe Hart, a design specialist for Hifi House located in Broomall, Pennsylvania. But he adds that a higher price doesn't necessarily ensure higher quality, and vice versa. For example, surround systems like Paradigm's Cinema 70 CT ($499) or Definitive Technologies' Pro Cinema 60 ($699) can deliver "scary good" 5.1 sound for a reasonable amount of money, Hart says. Make sure to audition the speakers before you take them home to get the best sound for your buck.

Expand your horizons: Have $1000 or more to spend? Time to start thinking about a bigger screen. You can pay as little as $1800 for a 42-inch rear-projection HDTV like Sony's Wega KDF-E42A10, or even for a low-end 42-inch plasma like the AOC Envision Series A42HD84. Both units can display a 720p high-definition signal.

The cheapest route to a big picture is an all-in-one system such as Epson's MovieMate 25, which combines a projector in front with a DVD player and two JVC speakers, plus an external subwoofer ($1199). Setting the unit up is as easy as making popcorn--just uncrate the thing, plug it in, and pop in a DVD. You'll have to make several sacrifices, though. The MovieMate displays at only DVD quality (480p), so it's not suitable for HDTV, and its high sensitivity to ambient light makes it hard to use in a sunny room. In comparison, a true 1080p HDTV front projector like Sony's VPL-VW100 lists for nearly $10,000. And if you're going to spend that much, why not go whole hog?

Kris Peterson, VP of sales for Best Buy's Magnolia Home Theater subsidiary, says if money were no object he would construct an invisible home theater--complete with a 100-inch screen, speakers, subwoofers, and a massive DVD/digital music server built into acoustically paneled walls. Toss in integrated lighting controls, IP-based security cameras, stadium seating, and other cosmetics, and we're talking about a price tag "north of $100,000," he says.

Want that setup? You'd better save your money--or use it to play the lottery.

Dan Tynan

Contributing Editor Dan Tynan is the author of Computer Privacy Annoyances (O'Reilly Media, 2005). You can send him e-mail at gadgetfreak@pcworld.com.

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