Home Theater System Packages for Under $500

A living room/family room isn't complete without a home theater system. New home owners are at crossroads when it comes to things like this. What is the best brand? Who has the best price? Which is the loudest? Which is the most stylish? Can I play my music on it? These questions can lead to problems if you don't know what you are doing. The most important thing is you have to know what you want. This short little guide will touch on some of these points and touch on whole Home Theater Systems for $500 and under. I advise picking a store that specializes in products like home theater systems. My choice is between Best Buy© and Circuit City©. These stores are tech savvy and have websites that gives detailed descriptions of their products and is easy to navigate through. Also, avoid anything analog friendly because in February 2009 analog will be obsolete. Make sure you have an HDTV from 2004 of greater. To get the best out of a system you must have the latest technology and that includes televisions. Also, have some sort of shelf or cabinet ready. It you have a wall mount television then things could be easier, depending on your lay out. But it just wouldn't make sense to put all that stuff all over the floor. Do not get any old kind of DVD player. HD DVD or Blue Ray is the only thing that you should have in your systems. Blue Ray discs are the next thing in home movie format. DVDs are soon to join the pile of VHS tapes you probably have in your garage in a mater of years. Get a home theater in a box (or HTIB). It is easier to navigate and the cheapest way to get more for your money. Dolby Digital 5.1 is good! It has a great sound, not too loud but loud enough to shake something. There are some with more (6.1-7.1) but that is when it starts to get expensive. These are just the basics rules you have to know before purchasing a home theater system. Let's move on to some major brand name equipment.

Sony - 998W 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System w/ 5-Disc Upconvert DVD Player (also called Sony Bravia DAV-HDX275 5.1 Channel Home Theater System)

This is a fantastic for starter Home theater enthusiasts. It has a 5-disc CD/DVD player with upconversion, 2 full-range bass reflex front speakers, full-range bass reflex center-channel speaker, 2 full-range bass reflex surround speakers, subwoofer, and an iPod Dock. This can get loud at 998W. It comes with Dolby Digital and Pro Logic II (which is an alternative to Dolby Digital), it plays DVD, CD, DVD-R/RW, CD-R/RW, and MP3 formats. The only thing wrong with this is that it lacks HDMI input. If your want more Definition then you might have to purchase extra components but that is another story. There are a total of six speakers so sound customization is partially manual. This comes at an average of price of $301.25.

Samsung - 1200W 5.1-Ch. XM-Ready Home Theater System with Upconvert DVD Player (also called Samsung HT-TZ512 5.1 Home Theater System)

This is a grander system than the one stated previously. It has a 5.1-channel amplifier with built-in surround sound decoders, 5-disc 1080p upconvert DVD/CD/MP3/DivX player, FM tuner, XM Satellite Radio connectivity, 4 satellite speakers, center speaker, subwoofer, and iPod Dock. The rear surround sound speakers are a special feature because of their look. They are tower speakers, perfect for corners. Another special feature this system has is XM satellite radio. This is great because you have more stations at your listening disposal. This system will run you about $429.99.

LG - 1000W 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System with Upconvert DVD/CD Player (also called LG LHT854 DVD Home Theater System with 1080p Upconversion)

This is a cheaper more stylish home theater system. This on comes with 5.1-channel amplifier, progressive-scan upconvert DVD/CD player, 2 front speakers, 2 satellite speakers, center-channel speaker and subwoofer. This one doesn't exactly have an iPod Dock but you can connect it to the system to play music from it. For a cheaper system it can really dish out some sound (1000W). With Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS, XTS Pro and VSM capability the sounds will never stop! The video resolution of standard DVDs to HDTV-compliant 720p, 1080i or 1080p formats (HDMI output only) is incredible. This, too, is a nice starter system but you can't expect any less from LG and with a $259.99 price tag, this system can be tough to beat.

Philips - 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System/DVD/CD/MP3/DivX Player (could also be referred to as Refurbished Philips HTS3151D 5.1 Home Theater System)

This system is much similar to the Sony - 998W 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System. It has a 5.1-channel Class D digital amplifier with built-in surround sound decoders, progressive-scan DVD/CD/MP3/DivX player, FM tuner, 4 satellite speakers, 1 center-channel speaker, subwoofer, and iPod Dock. The thing is that it is much quieter (300W). This isn't bad but to watch the Transformers movie you have to have no less than 500W. It has CD, CD-R/RW, VCD, SVCD, DVD, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R DL, DivX, MP3, WMA and JPEG format playback capability. This can run at an average price of $194.99.

Insignia® - 200W 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System with DVD/CD/MP3 Player

This system could be perfect for the movie watchers/music listeners who live in apartment building whose neighbors are intolerant of loud neighbors, ONLY! I say that because this could be one of the worse systems you can purchase. However, it does have DVD/CD/MP3 player, AM/FM tuner; five satellite speakers for front, center and surround channels, and subwoofer. It is the quietest of this selection of systems but it still dishes out the fun. This ranges at prices around $100.

I hope this little guide helps you when purchasing your next theater system. Once you do setup should be self explanatory. Most of the directions come with pictures so it is easy to follow. The satellite speakers means that it is wireless so you can hook them up all over the room. The best arrangement is two surround sound speakers behind the seats in opposite corners, the subwoofer bellow or above the television, the center speaker near the player, and the rest in any spot of your desire. The best way is symmetrically.