Singer dvd player home thetre?

Question

I dont know much about home thetres and i just want to know if anyone can tell the differance between thease 2

http://www.oo.com.au/Singer_5_1_Channel_DVD_Player__P8161C13.cfm

http://www.oo.com.au/Singer_Home_Theatre_System_wit_P8163C13.cfm

i think is is just the power of the speakers

and also can i only play dvds through it or could i connect a austar pay tv box to the speakesr to get surround sound

Thankyou

Answer 1

I don't like these "all-in-one" or "home theater in a box" sets.  Sure, they're cheap, but they have some very big disadvantages.

The DVD player has the surround sound decoder built into - which is fine if you're watching DVDs.  However, these units often times lack any sort of auxillary INPUTS.  This means if you wanted to use your speakers with your TV box, or a game console, etc. - YOU CAN'T.  Furthermore, if the DVD player that comes with the set ever breaks down, you also lose the speakers.

Since you are interested in using other devices with the speakers, you really want to get a generic A/V Receiver, then buy your speakers and DVD player separately.  This gives you a lot more flexibility, and allows you to upgrade or change components without having to throw out the whole system.

Most receivers nowadays support 5.1 surround sound, which is all you really need.  After that, it's just a matter of what other features you want.  At the very least, get something that has 4 or 5 different inputs - including at least a couple optical audio inputs (most common for surround sound)  They shouldn't be too expensive.  I saw an Onkyo model (very good brand) for US$150 at a local store.  Kenwood is also another good brand, but realistically, just about any receiver is going to be just fine.

Next, buy your speakers.  The usual advice is to buy in pieces - the front pair, the subwoofer, the rear pair, and the center channel.  If you don't have enough money to buy everything at once, buy the speakers in that order - the receiver will figure out how to make the best of your setup.

The front pair is the most important, so spend a bit more on them.  The other 3 speakers don't need to be anything special per-se.  You also don't need to splurge on a subwoofer either - it's not a very complex device after all.  A good set of speakers should last you 20 years or more.  You'll probably change the receiver more often than that - but the speakers will still work, so don't be afraid to spend a little more coin on them.

You'll still need a separate DVD player too, but again, these aren't too expensive nowadays.

Answer 2

Personally, I would not buy a home theater system from a company whose primary line of products are sewing machines.