I need some advice on my home entertainment set up?

Question

I am thinking of going with the Mitsubishi WD-73733, 73 inch LCD TV but I am not sure what a good home theatre system to go with it would be that is not too pricey. Also what cables will I need? Anyone know a good stand for that monster TV? What gaming system would work best with it.? Any suggestions on set up or advice is much appreciated.

Answer 1

The sound system will sort of depend on the room you're putting the TV into.  Is it a dedicated home theater, or just your casual family room?  Do you want 5.1, 7.1 or...?

I'd personally steer clear of those "home theater in a box" kits.  The biggest problem with them is that they don't include a receiver.  Instead, they cram the digital decoder into this cheap DVD player.  This means the speakers connect directly to the DVD player, and the DVD player usually doesn't have additional audio inputs - meaning if you wanted to get a different DVD player down the road, you'll have to discard the DVD player/decoder combo and buy a real receiver.

Instead, I'd recommend getting a receiver and then buying your speakers individually.  Splurge a little on the front pair, as they are the main speakers for your system, and will also be used when you listen to just a music CD.  You can then add the other speakers - subwoofer, center channel, and rear speakers - as your budget allows.

As for game consoles, I'd recommend the Xbox 360.  Get the Premium or Elite model, as they come with HD cables, instead of making you buy them separately.  Both also include a hard drive, which you'll need if you want to play games online against other people.

For cabling, you'll generally want to use the best connection your devices will support.  For HD, you will need to use either component, or HDMI.  I would recommend HDMI, though.  It's easier to deal with, and in the case of blu-ray/HD-DVD, will be required in the near future.  DO NOT spend more than $20 on a HDMI cable.  Honestly.  That $250 monstrosity from Monster isn't any better than the $10-20 cables you can get online or from a no-name brand electronics store.

For a stand...well, we just had an entertainment unit built, and put our 60" TV into that.  While we didn't plan it that way, the TV just fit...  Just get one of those low cabinet type deals.  They can hold the TV's weight, while providing storage for your equipment underneath.

Answer 2

May not totally answer your question, but don't ever get a ""Home theater in a box"" set up. Buying each item separate lets you do what you really want to do. Onkyo and Sony  are awesome. DCM speakers and top quality wires and fiber optics. ( fiber optics sometimes just make the set up look cooler. But may do absolutely nothing for your audio or video quality Vs top of the line wires