Review of Home Theater Packages.

The systems that you should consider must include at least one of either Dolby Digital or DTS capabilities. Both is better, since DVD movies will be encoded in either one or the other, sometimes both. These are the current multi-channel sound encoding standards. Either will ensure quality sound performance and accommodate current home theater standards.

Don't get tricked into buying a package touting only Dolby Pro Logic functionality. This is "old" technology with sub-optimal performance. It is used for older movies (5-10 years or older) and is needed when watching them.

Throughout this page there are links to the reviews of complete home theater packages in several different categories, and also by brand.

Many manufacturers offer deals on several bundled components which would cost less buying as a "package" then they would if you bought each component individually. Although the quality of the components isn't exactly what you could obtain by shopping for each component separately, a package saves you time and money and makes shopping for home theater an easier experience. If you want to review the separate components of home theater systems and their functions and features, you can browse through the other sections of the site.

A complete home theater package is a buyer beware situation. Some attention is needed.
Unfortunately, some choices in the complete home theater package field are not very good. You should be careful to research the manufacturer of the home theater package you are looking to buy. Of course, that's why this website exists! We are here to help you weed out the bad and make an excellent educated choice to meet your needs.

In North America, Sony, Panasonic, Kenwood, Pioneer, and Yamaha are the sales leaders in the complete home theater packages field. They are all fairly safe bets. Most leading retailers offer these complete home theater packages for sale online. Free shipping is usually available. It doesn't get much easier that that!

Some common manufacturers supplying complete home theater packages are
1. Audiovox
2. Samsung
3. Onkyo
4. Yamaha
5. Kenwood
6. JBL
7. Denon
8. Sony
9. Panasonic
10. Bose

Let's step back a minute. The phrase "Complete Home Theater Packages" may be a tad misleading. These specials usually only include the speaker systems (with or without subwoofer), receiver and DVD player (sometimes not). The TV must be purchased separately. You may also see it advertised as "Home Theater in a Box". It is 3/4 of everything you will need for home theater. However, the TV is usually the biggest ticket item in any home theater setup. Budget accordingly!

Expect to pay about $300 for a basic system, $500-$750 for a fully digital-capable system with a subwoofer included. Hard-core home theater audiophiles will probably accept nothing less than systems reaching up to $2000! Again, budget accordingly! The basic system may or may not include a DVD player which will have to be purchased separately. In the Home Theater System Rating section I provide my picks for good complete systems (with receiver and DVD player) that will please most budgets and tastes.

Click if you would like to see reviews of what I consider the better options for cheap home theater systems . That is, systems that you can purchase in the $300 range.

What to expect.
The receivers in packages tend to be more basic than that which you would normally buy. Expect the package to include a remote control for both the receiver and DVD player (if included). The receiver should include at least S-video inputs (connection from DVD player) and outputs (connection to your TV). Your TV will need to have an S-video input for it to be able to play this digital signal. Better still are component video outputs which split the video image into three digital color streams. It's good if the system has this capability but it's not a necessity. Only higher end TVs will have the connections and capability for component video.

As with the receiver, a DVD player included in a package will likely be more limited in functions and features than a stand alone player purchased separately. The DVD player, if included, may or may not have Dolby Digital or DTS audio output capability. Realize, at the minimum, your receiver must have the capability for either of these formats. Regardless of whether the DVD player is not able to output Dolby Digital or DTS, if the receiver does not have Dolby Digital or DTS decoding capabilities, you don't have Dolby Digital or DTS sound. Your digital audio connection between DVD player and receiver will be by either coaxial cable, or optical cable. Either is an acceptable choice.

The speaker package will most likely be 5.1, meaning that you will have 5 speakers to place, plus a subwoofer. The subwoofer will either be powered, or non powered. A powered subwoofer contains its own amplifier and thus has a plug to plug into a wall outlet. It receives a mono cable connection from the receiver. A non-powered subwoofer does not have an internal amplifier and must be powered through cable by the receiver. This is the less attractive option. I recommend a powered subwoofer.

The surround speakers offered in packages are perhaps the weakest component of the complete home theater package. There are definitely better alternatives out there. That being said, the speakers included should be adequate for most peoples tastes. I guarantee the experience of watching your first DVD movie with your new home theater system will quickly make you forget about lower quality speakers. In time you may choose to upgrade your speakers. Check out the reviews in the HT Speaker Section of the site.

Important Tip: All necessary cables (a complicated matter you will soon learn) should be included in a complete home theater package.

PLEASE - If there are reviews of specific complete home theater packages you don't see and would like me to investigate and include here, please email us through our Contact Us page with your request.