I recently posted about a great audio system for your home theater from Onkyo that was under $500. If you didn’t take advantage of the great price then, you may want to give the Onkyo HT-SR600S another look.
Through June 30, 2007, you can now own this extremely well-reviewed 5.1-channel receiver/speaker package for $279.
I’ve always loved remote controls. When I was a child, my step-father used to have me record baseball games and things when he was out. To save tape space, he’d have me pause recording during the commercials. To do so, I’d have to get up and push pause, and then make sure I was back in a couple of minutes to unpause it.
I was ecstatic the day he bought a clicker that plugged into the VCR and allowed the user to sit a few feet away and pause the VCR from wherever they were sitting. It was a dream come true…for the early 80’s.
Fast forward a couple decades and we have remote controls for everything with every type of connection. I posted on a massive universal remote a month or so ago that controlled basically everything in your whole house, but for today’s post, I thought I’d focus on something a bit smaller.
The Logitech Harmony 880 is a great universal remote for those who have most of their multimedia hardware in one room. It’s also a well-reviewed mid-range universal remote that is focused on ease of use.
The best prices I could find or this well-designed and feature-packed remote were here and here.
logitech, universal remote, harmony 880, home theater, 2 geb
I’ve never seen so many bonuses thrown into the sale of a speaker system package. Often, when a model is past its prime or wasn’t very good in the first place, you will have some extras thrown at you as incentive to take it off their hands.
Aperion apparently takes a different approach to selling home speaker systems.
Not only is the Intimus 532 Concert system a superior sound system with all the features you’d expect for a first-class home theater audio system, the company itself goes above and beyond what I’ve seen from any of its competitors.
Beautiful in both black and wood finish, this satellite and subwoofer set is already well-priced at $1,399, but then Aperion throws in the triple whammy for good measure. Standing behind their products, one can expect the 30-day in-home trial, but when you get to the part about free shipping AND no sales tax, you almost have to ask yourself why you’d buy from anyone else.
For offering world-class sound with a deal that would make any aspiring entrepreneur proud, the Intimus 532 system earns three green envy buttons.
While this post may not be worth much a few weeks from now, I thought I’d send along this great deal to and Talking Home Theater readers that may be looking for a first time home theater system solution. For those interested, Circuit City has quite a deal for you.
The Nexxtech Home Theater System comes complete with 5.1-channel digital surround sound speakers, a progressive scan DVD player with multi-format playback, AM/FM tuner with antenna and even free shipping.
Similar to high-end systems, the Nexxtech package includes one center, two front and two surround speakers, plus a subwoofer. The DVD player offers sharp, incredibly clear video that will take your movie viewing to a whole new level when coupled with your high-def television, and can play DVDs, CDs, CD-R/RWs, MP3s, and more.
Most surprisingly is the system’s compatibility, which can handle component video, composite video, S-video and coaxial digital audio output connections, similar to systems costing ten times as much. The package also includes a full-function remote control and a composite A/V cable, making it pretty much ready to use right out of the box.
For all this, Circuit City is charging a whopping $69.99 and throwing in free delivery to sweeten the deal even further.
If ever you were looking for an excuse to test drive a new home theater system, this is it. For including all the perks of high-end models and making it affordable enough for even the tightest miser to check out, this system gets one green envy button.
Onkyo, the Japanese word for ‘audio’, has just released two high-value 5.1-channel home theater systems that deliver premium surround sound performance in value-priced packages. While easy to set up and operate, these all-in-one systems combine high-quality, two-way satellite speakers, a powerful subwoofer and a multi-channel A/V receiver with surround sound processing that the most seasoned home theater professional can be proud of.
The HT-SR600 package can handle a plethora of connectivity options for just about any use. For starters, the A/V receiver features three component video inputs and one output that are capable of up to 1080i/720p high definition with no degradation of picture quality. In addition, there are also three A/V inputs and two outputs that can handle component and S-Video connections, as well as three optical and one coaxial digital audio input which are compatible with the latest HD-DVD and Blu-Ray sources.
The package comes with five well designed satellite speakers, complimented by the deep bass-reducing subwoofer. The front and horizontal center channel speakers all include a pair of 3-1/4 inch cone woofers and a high-quality 3/4 inch ceramic tweeter, providing exceptionally balanced sound. The pair of surround speakers are identical, but only utilize a single woofer.
For optimal use, a full-function interactive remote control is also included, and is loaded with 8 preset crossover settings and 30 available tuner presets. The system is also iPod (and other mp3 player) compatible in both audio and video.
The system is available from Onkyo and other home theater outlets and comes in your choice of black or silver finishing. Best of all, this great package weighs in at a measly $349, with a slightly upgraded package available for $499.
For its versatility with component integration combined with sound quality at a fantastic price, this home theater system raises my envy meter to one.
If you are looking for a smaller surround sound package in the $1000 range, yet have been unsatisfied with most of the offerings in this category, check out the Wharfedale Moviestar 70 Surround Sound Speaker System. 
Wharfedale has done an incredible job packing the sound into these compact cinema speakers, made possible by a 80 Hz, 150w subwoofer. For around $600, you get all the speakers you will ever need for your home theater, and save a lot of space in the process. Four front-ported, single-way satellites pump out superior sound, not only for the price, but any price range, and are equally adept for music and movies.
Made of high-density MDF construction with molded baffles and gold-plated metal binding posts, durability is a key component of Wharfedale speakers. Each of the compact speakers delivers up to 100w per channel, with domed tweeters that provide an exceptional level of frequency response.
The system also comes with a tuned center channel speaker with extended frequency response to cover even more range. Designed for new users, the system is easily tuned for optimum sound in any room, and thanks to their size, the speakers are all capable of wall or ceiling mounting. Matching stands are also available, though sold separately.
For this price, you’d expect to pay more for extras, but speaker cable and mounting brackets are also included in this package. All in all, this system offers exceptional quality and design at an amazing price. Add in the fact they match my furniture and television, and they earn two green envy buttons.
One thing you gotta love about radio is NOT hearing the same song over and over and over…
Thanks to companies like Sirius and XM, that became a reality for the first time several years ago. Radio had finally taken that giant leap towards *gasp* diversity, and having satellite radio installed in the car became mandatory for the talk radio and alternative/underground types. Not only does it free you from paying $18 for a CD you were less and less likely to enjoy, it opens your eyes to a ton of new music you’d never heard before. And there was no end to it.
Until you got out of the car.
In the living room, the best solution has always been that channel in the 900’s somewhere with the humorous trivia. That’s fun sometimes, but if thrilling friends and family with crystal clear, commercial-free streaming radio of your favorite news, sports, talk radio and musical boat-floaters is your passion, this product is for you.
The Polk Audio XRt12 XM Component Tuner is not only the best looking of the home components I’ve seen, it also sounds the best. You don’t even have to take my word on this one (as if you ever did), Polk actually guarantees it. I got a chance to listen to it in the A/V store downtown during a recent Farmer’s Market, and granted, their speakers are set up for a rock concert, but that’s exactly what it sounded like.
After a moment of rocking to Skynyrd’s Freebird, I got a taste of the other channels. 
The Giants were there, up 4-3 on the cross-state rival Padres. Bloomberg and Disney Radio were there, too (some bubble dance song my daughters love; luckily they weren’t there). Comedy, check. News, check. Very impressive. Only thing missing is the steering wheel.
While looking for some reviews, I had the brilliant insight to check the Polk website and came across the guarantee and the best price I had seen anywhere which even included free shipping. I’m not a salesman, but that’s a pretty good offer. If you’ve listened to satellite radio, you know it’s a pretty good product, as well.
For bringing outdoors, indoors, and doing it with style, my envy reared its ugly head to a level of two green buttons.
If you’ve got a home theater junky in your family and the majority of their coffee table is littered with remote controls, I’ve found the perfect gift. Not only will they love you for life for buying them such a fantastic present, they’ll probably name it after you.
This beauty is so incredible, just recommending it to them may get you your own personalized seat in their favorite room of the house. So what is this thing, you ask? It’s the TX-1000 Medius. Sure that may mean absolutely nothing to you, but check this badboy out. 
This is the Titanic of remote controls. Not just in size, but in features, as well. Not only does this thing take two hands to hold, it requires a computer to program, can be updated to work with new products for life, can control every room in the house from one location and has color changing screens. It’s the kind of remote your wife will NEVER be able to figure out and there’s a good chance no one will be playing with your media center ever again (especially if you have the foresight to destroy the instruction manual).
In addition to being able to control all your electronic IV’s in up to 15 rooms while lounging in your La-Z-Boy, it has nearly 5000 screen color combinations and you can actually store guest settings on your computer just in case you do want someone else to be able to use it. A USB cable is included with your purchase and like many remotes, it requires four AA batteries that reportedly will last an astounding 10-12 months.
On the negative side, this baby runs around $500 (not to mention an extra $50 per base station to control separate rooms) and requires a Cliffs Notes just to turn the volume down, but it’s definitely an eye grabbing, ice breaker your friends are sure to be envious of. The device also weighs two pounds, though that isn’t all bad. There’s very little chance this remote will ever get lost in your couch cushions.
For sheer audacity alone, this device gets three green envy buttons.
The impossible occurred during a recent trip to the neighborhood Apple Store. Having given up on television programming some years ago, I figured there was no turning back. As a work from home father of three, tuning in to my favorite shows when they air is difficult at best. Tivo and DVR gave a brief respite and are nice products for serious television watchers, but neither wielded the complete power over media and programming I needed and I don’t watch enough to justify the recurring fees. Enter the Houdini of home entertainment, Apple TV.
Within moments of the clerk’s demo, I was in awe much like the first time using a remote control. What the iPod did for music, Apple TV is going to do for your television set. Combining futuristic form and flawless function, Apple TV allows the user to download ANY movie, television show, song or podcast available on iTunes and watch it on their wide screen television when they want.
With the click of a button, you can change from the latest episode of Prison Break to The Great Easter Egg Hunt, then seemlessly change over to your collection of Tony Bennett duets. You can even show friends and family a slide show of your collection of the most embarrassing photos of your kids. In fact, the only restrictions are your imagination and the need to watch on a high-definition wide screen television (which, sadly for now, will keep me from being able to enjoy Apple TV in my own home).
Watching television will never be the same. The ability to choose what you watch, when you watch and how many times you can watch it in addition to having your personal music and photo libraries is the Holy Grail for home entertainment enthusiasts. While there are a few products on the market with similar capabilities, I have yet to see one match Apple TV in style, combined features and price. Having your computer’s media library available on your television is a dream come true for a media miser like myself, and just may be enough to push me into the high-definition wide screen television market. Head to your local Apple retail store for further investigation. I’m sure you will be impressed.
For being cool enough to make me want to buy a new big screen television, but not cool enough to actually do so, Apple TV gets one green envy button.
Apple TV, Apple, television, PC, video, multimedia
With the new and intermediate home theatrician in mind, Talking Home Theaters takes you on a tour of what's hot, what's affordable and what's not. If you've ever been envious of the endless home entertainment options available or are looking to build your first home theater without eliminating your children's education funds, you've come to the right place. We focus on scouring the internet for excellent entry-level ideas, incredible deals for newbies and home theater tips and tricks, so you don't have to.
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» marc-klink
