Today I am going to present to you what I would purchase if I was building up a Home Theater in the $1,500.00 price range. The condition for this pseudo build up will be that currently have nothing and need to get all aspects of the Theater. This includes a Television, Receiver, Speakers, and media player. I will try to use Newegg.com for all pricing if not, I will use popular nationwide big box stores.
Television:
*Olevia 32" 720p LCD HDTV @ Newegg
*Cost - $499.99
*Reasoning - I've seen a few of the Olevia TV's in peoples homes. They seemed to offer a very good picture for the price. And if I was on the limited budget, I would look into this LCD TV. This is not to say it is the best screen out there, however with the TV already consuming 1/3 of our budget, I would like to have room for some other items
Receiver and Speakers:
*Onkyo 7.1 Home Theater System @ CircuitCity
*Cost - $499.99
*Reasoning - I am typically skeptical of CircuitCity, however they do sell the Onkyo Brand, which delivers a high quality product. At $499.99 this package delivers a lot of bang for the buck; a receiver, 7 speakers, and a powered subwoofer. From what I've read, seen, and heard . . . this package will kick the snot out of comparable home theaters in a box. Even though this is a 7.1 system, I would most likely put two of the surround speakers in the closet and use it as a 5.1 system.
Media Player:
*Playstation 3 @ Newegg or XBOX 360 @ Newegg with XBOX 360 HD DVD Add-on @ Newegg
*Cost - 499.99 or 519.98
Reasoning - I am a gamer, I am going to want a game console. I currently feel it is a coin-flip between PS3 and XBOX 360 and between Blu-ray and HD DVD. So, I included pricing that will get you one or the other. Also, both system should upscale DVDs for your currently collection.
Misc Notes:
If you go with the PS3, you will need to pick up a HDMI Cable - 8.99 @ Newegg and over all it might be a good idea to pick up some speaker wire - 17.99 @ Newegg. So, all in all, I will probably go over by about 50 - 75 bucks depending on what shipping would end up being on the TV.
Television:
*Olevia 32" 720p LCD HDTV @ Newegg
*Cost - $499.99
*Reasoning - I've seen a few of the Olevia TV's in peoples homes. They seemed to offer a very good picture for the price. And if I was on the limited budget, I would look into this LCD TV. This is not to say it is the best screen out there, however with the TV already consuming 1/3 of our budget, I would like to have room for some other items
Receiver and Speakers:
*Onkyo 7.1 Home Theater System @ CircuitCity
*Cost - $499.99
*Reasoning - I am typically skeptical of CircuitCity, however they do sell the Onkyo Brand, which delivers a high quality product. At $499.99 this package delivers a lot of bang for the buck; a receiver, 7 speakers, and a powered subwoofer. From what I've read, seen, and heard . . . this package will kick the snot out of comparable home theaters in a box. Even though this is a 7.1 system, I would most likely put two of the surround speakers in the closet and use it as a 5.1 system.
Media Player:
*Playstation 3 @ Newegg or XBOX 360 @ Newegg with XBOX 360 HD DVD Add-on @ Newegg
*Cost - 499.99 or 519.98
Reasoning - I am a gamer, I am going to want a game console. I currently feel it is a coin-flip between PS3 and XBOX 360 and between Blu-ray and HD DVD. So, I included pricing that will get you one or the other. Also, both system should upscale DVDs for your currently collection.
Misc Notes:
If you go with the PS3, you will need to pick up a HDMI Cable - 8.99 @ Newegg and over all it might be a good idea to pick up some speaker wire - 17.99 @ Newegg. So, all in all, I will probably go over by about 50 - 75 bucks depending on what shipping would end up being on the TV.