Home Theaters - Finding the Best One

The Basic Features of a Home Theater System

There are many different features that your new home theatre system could have, but here are the basic ones that you definitely need to make sure are included in your new system:
5.1 Sound: if surround sound is your thing, then you’re going to need 5.1. This means you get five full frequency audio channels plus one low frequency channel for the bass.
DVD/CD Player: naturally, you want to be able to play your favourite movies and songs, so you definitely need a DVD/CD player.
Television: are you planning to use your new system for more than just music? If so, then it is obvious that a good television is essential. In spite of this, unfortunately many home theaters don't come with their own television set, so it is assumed that you either already have one or you will be buying one separately.

Additional Features of a Home Theater

The above features describe the minimum you need to get a high quality sound and video experience. Still, in addition there are some extra features you may want to look out for:
3D Video Capabilities: with 3D all the rage these days, and with lots of 3D televisions being released, you might want to check whether your new system will be able to support 3D.
Bass Enhancement: if you’re going to be watching lots of action films or playing lots of loud music on your new system, then you want to make sure it’s able to produce really good bass sounds.
Internet Compatible: nowadays there is a lot of entertainment you can get from the internet, it’s worth looking to see whether your new system will enable you to play videos and music from the internet.
Connectivity with Other Devices: check what kinds of connections your new system will have. Go for maximum connectivity, because then you will be able to link your new system up to your computer or even other devices like MP3 players for example.

The Most Important Home Theater Brands

Sony: $50-$1,000. Very wide collection of products to fit all requirements and budgets.
Samsung: $99-$798. A good collection of products across a considerably large price range.
Yamaha: $121-$1297. A broad collection of excellent products.
Onkyo: $99-$1,000. A good collection of products across a broad spectrum of prices.
Panasonic: $75-$550. Another decent variety of products.
LG: $225-$1,000. Only a few products in this range, but they are fine quality.
Coby: $44-$141. Only a small range, and all of the lower price end.