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I am finishing my basement and putting together a media center…I have a 52″ Sony Bravia TV and a Panasonic “Blue Ray player”. I need a decent reciever (Onkyo?) and do they have AM/FM? Can I get a Computer remote to control everything?(display on remote).Speakers?(Bose?)
Receivers: Depends on what your definition of ‘Best’ is. You can spend well over $5000 for a Yamaha RX-Z11 or similar Onkyo and Denon receivers. But these flagship receivers are for running several entertainment areas each with thousands of dollars equipment. I would reccomend looking at the Onkyo, Marantz, Pioneer Elite, Denon, and Yamaha receivers costing between $800 and $1700. Stay away from Sony unless they have features which I am about to list. Look for features like HDMI upconversion NOT passthrough, microphone devices for automatic tuning (Called the YPAO on the Yamaha receivers for example), and the HD decoders (Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus, and DTS-HD) since these are the decoders that deal with the audio on blu-ray players. The higher the wattage doesn’t always mean louder, but the higher the wattage the better the sound quality will be as the volume increases.
Speakers: Look for higher end Polk and Klipsch, Cerwin Vega, Martin Logan, Definitive technology, and Bower & Wilkins (B&W). Subwoofers: Bigger isn’t always better. You dont want boomy bass. I recommend Definitive Technology Supercude Series, Sunfire, JL audio. Remember that subwoofers like to be placed in corners of a room. I would also reccomend getting some nice big towers for the front to start. They are not cheap (expect to pay $1200 – $2000 for a good pair) but they make up the biggest part of what you will hear since music is generally in stereo, and most of the action (non-verbal) sound from movies comes from the front right and left. (Most of the spoken audio comes from the center channel speaker). For the surround speakers, if you are still in the planning stages of this room think about in wall or ceiling speakers are really cool since they look hidden and doesnt make the room look cluttered.
Remote: A computerized remote should work with just about every brand of receiver that I listed.
Radio: All of the receivers listed have AM/FM.
Bose?: I am not going to preach, but stay away from Bose. Just trust me on this one. Period.
Bottom Line: Do some research, then go to a high end audio store. They usually are not a chain although you might be able to find some knowledgeable people in Tweeter or Magnolia centers. Tell them what you are looking to do. See what they reccomend. Dont let them push you into something more expensive than you are willing to spend. Go home and do research on the equipment that was reccomended. Make sure you go to several different stores. Almost all stores will only tell you about the brands of equipment that they sell. So it is important to not make a decision untill you go home and research.
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InFocus LP425z Home Theater, Computer DLP LCD TV Projector Used $0.99 |
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PANASONIC PT-LB30U 16:9 LCD HOME THEATER / COMPUTER MULTIMEDIA PROJECTOR $22.50 |
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InFocus Work Big IN24 DLP Projector HD Ready Theater / Computer LOW TOTAL HOURS $189.00 |
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Sharp XG-MB50X 16:9 HD Home Theater/Computer Projector OEM AN-XR10LP Bulb $150.00 |
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ASK PROXIMA C110 16:9 HD DLP HOME THEATER / COMPUTER PROJECTOR $299.00 |
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Panasonic PT-L735U LCD HD Home Theater / Computer Projector 16:9 Only 123 hrs! $99.99 |
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BenQ PB6100 DLP HD WIDE SCREEN HOME THEATER / COMPUTER Projector Great Reviews $155.50 |
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Eiki LC-XB23 HD Wide 16:9 HOME THEATER / Hi Res COMPUTER PROJECTOR 2000 Lumens $66.00 |
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PANASONIC PT-LB60U 16:9 HD HOME THEATER / COMPUTER PROJECTOR $34.00 |
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Sanyo HPS-SG3 200-Square-Inch Electric Indoor Barbeque Grill, Black $38.99 Adjustable temperature control provides a wide range of grilling options up to 425 Non-stick grill allows fat to drain away for healthy cookingRemovable water-filled drip pan catches excess fat and ensures virtually smoke-free cookingSears foods like a traditional barbequeDouble-coated and easy-to-clean non-stick cooking surfacesDishwasher safe drip pan cool touch handles and baseStacking design f… |
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Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 5-1/2-Cup (Uncooked) Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker and Warmer, Premium White $157.99 The Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker & Warmer features advanced Neuro Fuzzy logic technology, which allows the rice cooker to ‘think’ for itself and make fine adjustments to temperature and heating time to cook perfect rice every time. The spherical inner cooking pan and heating system allows the heat to distribute evenly and cook rice perfectly. It also features different settings for cooking white rice, … |
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Presto 04821 Orville Redenbacher Hot Air Corn Popper $39.99 Plug in the Orville Redenbacher Hot Air Corn Popper and the party begins. In less than 2-1/2 minutes you’ll have up to 18 cups–two large bowlfuls–of fluffy popcorn with virtually no unpopped kernels. And because the machine uses hot air instead of oil, the resulting snack is healthier and lower in calories. That’s not to say you can’t add butter; in fact, the 1/2-cup measuring cup on top of the … |
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Chicago/Earth Wind & Fire – Live at the Greek Theatre $6.79 The ’70s and ’80s rule as two of the most popular bands from that era join forces on Chicago/Earth Wind & Fire – Live at the Greek Theatre, a two-disc, nearly three-hour concert recorded in Los Angeles in 2004. These groups scored dozens of hits in their heydays, and if neither has come up with much of anything that’s new in the past two decades, the sold-out audience at the Greek Theatre could ha… |
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Fosse $9.79 The 1999 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, Fosse celebrates the work of director-choreographer Bob Fosse, one of Broadway’s and film’s truly innovative and distinctive talents. While Fosse’s protégé Ann Reinking (also the co-choreographer) and frequent collaborator Ben Vereen are the headliners, the dance revue was conceived as an ensemble piece, so the 32-member cast gets plenty of chances to… |
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Puccini – La Boheme / Pavarotti, Scotto, Niska, Wixell, Plishka, Levine, Metropolitan Opera $10.81 LEVINE JAMES / METROPOLITAN OPERA O. PUCCINI: LA BOHEME (DVD)… |
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Gen RCA Audio Cable Adapter for XBOX 360 + Slim $0.33 This RCA adapter cable allows HDMI video to be routed to the HDTV with the audio routed separately to the home theater system. This is a generic / aftermarket product…. |
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Optical Audio Adapter for Xbox 360 HDMI AV Cable $0.40 Package Include: 1 X Optical Audio Adapter For HDMI AV Cable… |
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Home Theater PC $103.56 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles A Home Theater PC (HTPe or media PC is a convergence device that combines the functions of a personal computer and a media center software application which feature video and music playback, and usually but not always it also has digital video recorder functionality. It normally has a 10foot user interface and is typically connected to a television or other largescreen computer display, and is often used as a digital photo, music, video player, TV receiver and digital video recorder, and normally controlled with a remote control. The general goal of an HTPC is usually to combine many or all components of a home theater setup into a single machine that will be located where the home entertainment system is desired. An HTPC system is typically controlled with a remote control for controlling the main interface, and the GUI normally has a 10foot user interface design so that it can be comfortably viewed and navigated/controlled from a such distance. Author: Miller, Frederic P./ Vandome, Agnes F./ McBrewster, John Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 138 Publication Date: 2009/12/21 Language: English Dimensions: 5.98 x 9.01 x 0.32 inches |
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Home Theater Audio Processor $737.18 The Gefen 4×1 DVI Switcher offers unparalleled flexibility in the setup of high definition theater and electronics systems. A plug and play solution, the 4×1 DVI Switcher connects four DVI source devices, such as DVI-based computer systems, and links them to one DVI display. You simply select what source will be viewed on the display using the IR remote control or the optional wired remote control. It can also be controlled using any universal programmable remote device, offering an alternative to multiple remote control confusion. An effective and reliable solution that eliminates the need to purchase several DVI displays, the 4×1 DVI Switcher requires no additional power supply to operate. Yet it is equipped with a 5-volt DC input in the event that the unit requires additional power, as in the case of a DVI source not outputting the proper amount of voltage. |
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Colon Theater $6 Colon Theater |
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Optoma HD66 Home Theater Projector – White $699.99 Breathtaking and bold, the Optoma HD66 Home Theater Projector provides stunningly beautiful widescreen viewing. With 2,500 ANSI lumens and 4000:1 contrast, the HD66 delivers subtle details and striking clarity for pure viewing delight. View 3D content with active LCD shutter glasses when the projector is connected to a computer with a compatible 3D graphics card (graphics card and glasses not included). |