Beginner Home Theater System (1 Viewer)

[DanOpi]

Hey guys! I'm brand new to the forums and have been looking through and reading some of the posts. You all seem like a good bunch of people and seem very helpful!
I recently just purchased a new TV for my small bedroom. The TV was a steal, Samsung 32 In 720P LED for 147 dollars. The only downside is that it has no audio outputs so I can't use external speakers through the TV. However I was thinking that I would be able to run them through my Xbox with the Red and White audio outputs. This would allow me to use the external speakers whenever using my Xbox which is all i really was hoping for.
I've been looking around with Black Friday deals and have found a possibility. I'm still a student and so my budget is limited and seeing as this system will be in a small bed room and then soon moved to a college dorm I don't need a high quality or huge system.
Samsung - 500W 5.1-Ch. Blu-ray Home Theater System from Best Buy. It's on sale for $177.99.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+-+500W+5.1-Ch.+Blu-ray+Home+Theater+System/4755837.p?id=1218523224356&skuId=4755837&st=Thanksgiving_Day_Sale_2012_Home_Theater_70411&cp=1&lp=15
I'm just curious if I would be able to configure this to hook up with my Xbox and if this is at least some quality and will get the job done for me?
Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
~DanOpi

 

[schan1269]

Well, pretty mich anything is better than the built in speakers.
For $178 bucks, if you get a year out of it you are ahead. That is the "problem" with all-in-one HTiB. You can't do anything with it once something breaks...
Unless you can raise your budget to $300...not much you can do beyond all-in-one...
A4L has the Onkyo RC160(I think that is the model number) for $110. There are speaker "sets" by Yamaha, Harman Kardon etc. that you can pick up for $200.
A real AVR with a basic speaker set is better for the long term.

 

[DanOpi]

So this wouldn't be necessarily a bad buy for my needs? And if i could put $300 up would that be a big improvement or not really?
Would this HTiB be able to connect to my Xbox? (Red and White Audio composites?)
Thanks very much for the quick reply!
~DanOpi

 

[schan1269]

I have no idea, I assumed you already researched it to see if it had inputs...
But here is the Samsung page...
http://www.samsung.com/us/video/home-theater/HT-E3500/ZA-features
It looks like it has a toslink input and analog.

 

[DanOpi]

It says it has an Audio Input. I believe this is what i'm looking for.. correct?

 

[Steve Schaffer]

yes

 

[DanOpi]

Any other input?
Also would this option be any better or worse? Only thing i don't see is if it has a Audio Input that would work for me? I would be able to get it for $128.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Philips-HTS3541-F7-5.1-CH-Home-Theater-System-w-Blu-ray-Disc-Player-and-WiFi/20593806#Product+Reviews

 

[schan1269]

It says right in the product info that it has an analog(that would be the red/white) and a toslink(which have no idea why you want to use analog instead of toslink).

 

[DanOpi]

Sorry if i'm being a hassle! Just want to make sure on things. And i'm using analog because that's the only audio connectivity I have.
Is one of the HTiB better or worse?
Thanks again guys!

 

[schan1269]

Not heard of this thing?
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10830&cs_id=1083005&p_id=7526&seq=1&format=4

 

[DanOpi]

No i haven't! Would that just be better quality or what? And what would i run my video through for my xbox then? HDMI? Cause i've tried having the component cord plugged in and the hdmi but they don't both fit in at the same time.

 

[schan1269]

I assumed you were using HDMI.
Yes, 5.1 Dolby Digital is better than 2.0 analog.
If you bought a "real avr" and speakers...
http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-NS-SP1800BL-5-1-Channel-Theater-Speaker/dp/B001AVRD62/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1353627451&sr=1-1&keywords=5.1+speakers
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/ONKHTRC330/Onkyo-HT-RC330-5.1-CHANNEL-HOME-THEATER-RECEIVER/1.html
You would have a simple HDMI connection from your Xbox. And if your games have anything else over Dolby Digital(like DTS)...then you'll have those sound modes as well.

 

[DanOpi]

So if i'd drop an extra few dollars to get those two things I would be able to notice quite a difference? And so my xbox situation is such...
I would run an HDMI to the TV. Run that converter to a TOSLINK to the AVR. It's just a matter of if i'll be able to plug both the HDMI and Component into the Xbox because i'm not able to do that now. However the converter plug in looks smaller then the full component plug in.

 

[schan1269]

If you bought the Onkyo RC330...
You would connect your Xbox to the AVR via the HDMI. AVR to the TV...assuming your Xbox is HDMI capable...(you know which Xbox you have...but you haven't mentioned it...)
If your Xbox isn't HDMI capable, you still connect the component video(the red/blue/green) and use that monoprice adapter to get 5.1...again, depending on which Xbox you have (which you haven't mentioned).
On the HTiB vs. AVR front...
With the HTiB(either one) you are limited to being able to use the toslink and getting Dolby Digital.
With the AVR you aren't limited to just Dolby Digital. IF there are games that you have DTS on, you can listen to DTS(games for the Xbox with DTS started arriving this year).
Or, you could(if you only want to spend

 

[DanOpi]

I have the newer Xbox. The Xbox Slim. So it is HDMI compatible. My only problem is I have no Audio Outputs on my TV. None at all. So I don't think i'd be able to connect the AVR to the TV.

 

[schan1269]

You are confused.
Your TV is getting the signal AFTER the AVR with the RC330. So the fact you bought a TV w/o an audio output is IRRELEVENT.

 

[DanOpi]

You're right. I am confused. Sorry for not understanding.
Xbox to AVR w/ HDMI
AVR to TV w/ (?)

 

[schan1269]

So, you can spend $230 and have....
1. XBox -> AVR -> TV with two HDMI.
Or you can spend under $200 and
2a. XBox -> TV via HDMI
2b. XBox -> adapter for toslink -> HTiB
Option 1 gets you DTS. Option 2 gets you DD only.

 

[DanOpi]

Oh okay I see.
Well I'm not able to plug in the component and HDMI into my xbox. The component plug is too large.
And if my xbox has an HDMI for sound and Component for Video this will work?
Thank you very much for all the help!

 

[schan1269]

I'm done.
I've explained this even simpler than the XBox forums. HDMI is your audio and video in ONE CABLE.
So, with option 1. There is no HDMI + component. Period, end of discussion.