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Mmmm, hi-fi. Early last year I set up an outrageous home theater for myself (I'm outraged I tell you) for not too much money and it's a deal at twice the price. I consider myself a bit of a geek (Ph.D. in Physics, currently working as a signal processing engineer for a major university) so I like to think that I have some clue. I took a little time to describe my decision making process carefully to help you on your journey. I apologize in advance for the long message but hopefully it is both instructive and interesting. Even with my nerd pedigree, I certainly could not have figured this all out by myself (mad props to my man Dr. Blount). As other have pointed out, there are many good resources on the net and many good audiophile books and magazines. Just ignore the hype and remember that it doesn't have to cost a fortune - if you can't HEAR the difference, you shouldn't SPEND the difference.

'Nuff said, here's what I've got ...

2 NHT SuperOnes for the front stereo channels
2 NHT SuperOne XUs for the rear surround channels
1 NHT VS-1.4 for the center channel
1 NHT SuperSub for the subwoofer

Onkyo Integra DTR-6 Home Theater Receiver
Pioneer DV-333 DVD player
Sega Dreamcast
Sharp SVHS VCR
Philips Magnavox TS3260 32" Television

Total Cost: Speakers ~$1600, Receiver ~$700, DVD ~$250, TV ~$600 (if I remember correctly ;-)

As numerous others have already pointed out, plan to spend the bulk of your money on speakers as they have the greatest single impact on sound quality. Although some people mix and match speaker brands in a 5.1 system, I think it is best to go with a single brand because the speakers will often be better matched sonically. Nothing is more distracting than a single speaker, your center channel for example, sticking out like a sore thumb. I chose the NHTs for a variety of reasons. Foremost, I like the sound. NHT is very well respected even at the highest end of the audiophile spectrum and they have a good reputation for building solid products that last. NHT prides itself on very low phase noise in their speakers which produces more accurate imaging - especially important in a 5.1 system. Another reason for choosing the NHTs is that they have a very nice selection of speakers at several price points with similar characteristics thereby providing a simple upgrade path. I personally plan on replacing the front stereo channels in the near future with the next tier VT-1.4s and moving the SuperOnes to my bedroom system (more on that later). I chose the SuperOnes over the less expensive SuperZeroes because of their better bass extension - I didn't want to be overly reliant on my subwoofer for bass and, because of low frequency room modes, more spatially distributed bass sounds better to me. I chose the SuperOne XUs for the rear channel because their stiffer resin enclosures sound cleaner when mounted directly on the rear wall (the front channels are mounted on stands about 18" away from the front wall). I chose the slightly better VS-1.4 for the center channel, over the SuperCenter, because I find that I need extra clarity in the center channel to understand speech - this was the only speaker I chose to go the the higher tier 1.4 series at this time. I went with the entry-level SuperSub because, in my apartment, I don't need any more bass power and the dual 6" drivers produce bass extension (almost) below what I can hear. In retrospect, this is the only purchase I am not ecstatic with because the amplifier in the subwoofer burned out in the first 6 months I had the system. Although it was replaced free of charge under the standard 5 year warranty, it was a hassle. Aside from that, everything has performed magnificently and I couldn't be happier.

I chose to go with an integrated receiver, rather than components, mainly because of cost. Ultimately, I'd like to have each function in its own box because of the upgrade flexibility it provides but it just wasn't possible at the time. However, the DTR-6's I/O allows a very flexible upgrade path to get me to my ultimate goal (more later). Integra is Onkyo's audiophile line and is essentially the same in design as the top of their consumer line but with hand-matched components - and it really does sound better. It provides 85W/channel (5.1) into 8 ohms which is more than enough in my space (although the SuperOnes can take up to 150W and the subwoofer has its own integrated amplifier). It provides inputs for all the usual devices - CD, DVD, tape, phono (w/ ext. pre-amp) as well as 4 general purpose AV inputs which I use for my cable tuner (pass through my TV), VCR and Dreamcast (sounds great through the stereo - Soul Calibur rocks!). I am setting up an MP3 jukebox for the fourth channel. I use the Toslink connector (optical digital) for the audio from my DVD (which I also use for CDs) but rely of the receiver to do the digital decoding (DTS, Dolby Digital & 24bit/96kHz PCM). I think it sounds better but I can't be sure if its due to better DACs or to a cleaner signal path between the decoder and the pre-amp/amp - let your ears be your guide! A nice feature of the receiver is that you can set the phase (in units of distance) and gain (in dB) for each channel independently which make balancing a breeze (most good receivers will support this). I try to use the S-video connectors whenever possible - only the Dreamcast doesn't support it. The DVD player supports component (not to be confused with composite) video, which is nice, but my TV doesn't support it. The receiver also has a couple of nice features that facilitate my upgrade plans down the line. First, there is a second set of outputs (B channel) so that when I upgrade my front channels, I can move my current fronts down to my bedroom and drive them with the same receiver (there's even a remote control extender for the receiver). Second, there is a full set of pre-amp outputs so I can add a separate amplifier (like a sweet 5 channel Bryston or maybe 5 McIntosh monoblocks). The next step up in Integra home theater receivers, the DTR-7, also has an amplifier input which I would have liked because then I can run the pre-amp out to my subwoofer and run the line level signal just past the subwoofers crossover filter back to the amp input on the receiver. This gives you better control over the system's bass response. Unfortunately, the DTR-7 is THX certified which makes it significantly more expensive. I don't have anything against THX, in fact it's awesome, but the certification process is quite expensive and drives up the price of the component. Oftentimes, manufacturers will sell 2 receivers which are essentially the same except one is THX certified and, therefore, significantly more expensive - the DTR-6 & 7 are perfect examples of this.

The rest of the system is pretty mundane. I didn't sweat the DVD player too much because I knew I was going to use it only as a transport so all I needed to do was make sure it has sufficiently low jitter on its digital output (it does). The VCR was a gift so it is pretty vanilla - which is okay because I can't get too excited about VHS (even SVHS). The Dreamcast is cool and it admirably filled the void while the world waited (waits) for the PS2 vaporware to condense. The TV is nice but nothing special. I just wanted something that had multiple S-video inputs, dark blacks & a good color decoder (most consumer grade TVs have a lot of red "push"). I would have liked to get a flat screen CRT like the Sony Vega but I couldn't justify the price while I wait (impatiently) for HDTV to get its act together. So, in a sense, the TV is kind of a stopgap measure. As I mentioned earlier, I am putting together an MP3 jukebox for the system. I am assembling the PC myself in a rackmount chassis that I will mount in a small black laminate rack (8 or 12 U) along with an AC line conditioner for the whole system and a UPS for the PC. I am currently having a hard time finding the right sound card though. I only want to use a card with a low jitter optical (Toslink) digital out so I can use my receiver for decoding but I'd like it to also support wavetable synthesis so I can hear MIDI from games without needing another soundcard as well. The consumer grade cards like those from Turtle Beach support DTS & MIDI on separate digital outputs while the pro grade cards like those from Digital Audio Labs don't support MIDI at all. I am open to suggestions. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

On a final note, setup and accessories are not to be overlooked. Buy nice 12 gauge speaker wire which can run you on the order of $100 to wire a medium size room (damn, those rear channels are far away). I don't feel the need for anything fancier than that. You'll also need a special cable for the powered subwoofer (another ~$30). I recommend getting wire yokes (like dual bananas) for the end of the speaker wire as they speed disassembly & reassembly of the system if, for example, you move. Some purists may argue that this degrades the sound but I can't hear it (not to say that it isn't there). I also find a test DVD and a sound meter very helpful for calibration. I have the AVIA calibration disk (~$20) which is nice as it includes a full suite of audio test tones and video patterns. Watch out for the Plughe (sp?) disks as they use blacker-than-black in some of their video tests which not all DVD players support. The sound meter is an el cheapo model from Radio Shack (~$35) but gets the job done (and the AVIA disk explains how to use it properly). It would be nice to use an oscilloscope and an arbitrary waveform generator for calibration (prohibitively expensive unless you can borrow them from work) but it's just too much of a burden considering you'll need to recalibrate several times in the first year as your speakers break in and it really doesn't pay off unless you have a multichannel equalizer in your system. On the issue of speaker "break-in", plan on playing music constantly on the system for at least the first 24-72 hours (no I'm serious, it really does help). Last, but not least, plan to work on your setting up your system for at least one whole day (it took me two) and make sure that you have at least a case of beer on hand (it took me two). With a little care, your system will sound as good, if not considerably better, than your local movie theater - and without the bad projectionists, whiney brats and sticky floors (YMMV). In fact, I NEVER go to the cinema any more because it is always such a disappointment (and I like near one of those space-age gigaplexes). For pure chewing satisfaction, I recommend using Netflix for online DVD rental - fixed fee, rent all you want, no late fees (check it out).

Good luck! Soon you too can have the rowdiest home theater in the universe!

With an affordable DVD burner, you don't even need DeCSS.

You can do a track by track clone of a DVD and get a perfect copy if you have a DVD player and burner in the same system.

Netflix + new Pioneer Superdrive = big DVD library. Wait until you are buying DVD blanks on spindles like we do with CDRs.

I predict the first lawsuit will be filed within a month.
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For a better version of the Divx-type standard, see Netflix. They send you a DVD (a real DVD, compatible with any player or computer) and a pre-paid mailer to return it. You watch it for as long as you like, and return it when you're done. You get charged for the time you've borrowed it, which works out to roughly $20/month.

Of course, if you're going to rent a movie enough times, you might as well buy it anyway.

No accounting for taste!

I had a 45-year old friend of mine express a similar sentiment to yours, in about 1995: "I really don't see the point of shopping on the web, I've never bought anything that way." Of course, in '95, options were more limited and perhaps he couldn't anticipate how things were going to change. (I noticed he still invested in tech stocks and made some money on the ride up, though.)

But it's 2000 now, and he buys all sorts of stuff online. When I reminded him of what he had said, he laughed. The web and e-commerce is a fait accompli. In 2000, a Slashdot post saying "I hate shopping online" and "I've only bought two things online" is a troll, almost by definition.

We all know you can't feel stuff online (well, not without a Vivid Video bodysuit, anyway.) You're not telling anybody anything new. Perhaps you don't buy things like software, CDs, CD-R disks, books, videos, electronics, and perhaps you don't book flights, hotels, or rental cars, and perhaps you don't purchase information in any form online. I, and millions of others, including many here on Slashdot, do. (Lately I've been renting DVDs online at netflix.com: it rocks! No late fees or time limits; beats Blockbuster senseless.)

So if you have something to say about why this all isn't good, or doesn't make sense, by all means, say it. But "I'm sick of this stupid "e-commerce"" isn't particularly constructive or interesting, and might just as easily be posted by a clever troll as by someone who really feels that way.

I really like the neural network that netflix.com uses. Basically, you go through and rate some minimum number of movies on a scale of 1 to 5 or "not interested". Their neural net then uses these ratings with criteria about movies to make recommendations. At first, it gets the recommendations wrong. However, eventually it can get really accurate (like 95%). The problem is that it can never get "bang on" accurate due to the limitations of first tear neural nets. The other problem is, of course, the fact that netflix now has a thorough database about me. Not only do they know what movies I watch, but also how well I liked them. I don't really see any way around this if I want the service of getting recommendations.

I would say that Netflix is already better than its physical counterpart (Blockbuster). At least for me.

But Das Boot is already subtitled on DVD, by default. You can't get it any other way. So if you buy any copy of it, it will be subtitled.

And why would you be strolling down to the local store to pick it up, anyway? You can get much better bargains and selection online at places like Express.com, not to mention Netflix's $20-a-month-unlimited-rentals by mail program (which I'd hop onto in a heartbeat if only I could afford right now).

Better yet, check out the Bomis Krista Allen web ring. And if you really want to see her in action, you'll soon be able to rent Emmanuell e: First Contact on DVD.

I saw the headline and thought "That's weird" I just rented Dr. Strangelove from Netflix.com yesterday on DVD. It'll be here probably tomorrow so that I can watch it for the first time. Of course, I'm only posting this now that I've confimed mine has shipped, as I don't want the whole of Slashdot attempting to rent the DVD I want *grin* For those who haven't checked it out before, Netflix is pretty cool, they rent DVDs through the mail. No I don't own any part of them, or get any money from them, it's just a handy service, since my local video store has a rather small (but still growing) collection of DVDs.
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