Recomendation for home theatre and TV (1 Viewer)

Hey guys,
first of all I'm net at the forum, so if this post is on the wrong category I'll ask a mod to move it please.

oki.. I'd like to ask for your expert recommendation...
I've just moved to a new city and I'm starting buying stuff for my apartment.

So. I want to buy a receiver, speakers and of course a tv.
Basically I do not care to much about the tv. I mean I'd like to watch sports, but for the movies, tv series, etc I've download everything on HD quality and use a computer or my pop corn to watch it. So I really don't care about blu-ray... may be I could buy a PS3 to get both games and movies.

I really enjoy quality, so I'm looking here to get a pretty good equipment.
I don't care to have a huge tv... I really prefer quality instead of size... so a 46-50 should be ok for I think.

Going back to the system my new space is interesting, since is rectangle, so would easier to configuration the system:
13x11x9.5 feet

I'm really not sure what do you think it's better a 5.1 or a 7.1 configuration so please feel free to suggest me.
Ok going to numbers... my inicial budget is $2000, 1k for the tv and the rest for the audio...
Do you thnk that this budget is enough? should I spend more?

after doing some research I come with an ONYKO system, the HT-S9100THX - a THX certified 7.1 sound system.
http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=HT-S9100THX&class=Systems&p=i

it's supposed to have crystal clear audio quality as reviewed by CNET http://reviews.cnet.com/home-theat [...] 32676.html
to be honest I don't like to much this brand... and also may be I should wait a couple of months to wait for the new products with HDMI 1.4 and 3D Sound: http://www.intl.onkyo.com/whats_new/2010_01/index.html

about the TV, I think I would go with a panasonic plasma... it has better blacks and much better refresh rates..
was thinking on TC-P50G15, who is THX certified too.

well, enought from me... what's your expert opinion?

thx in advance,

Ari

 

[CB750]

Take what you read in any review of HT products with a grain of salt. Read enough of them and you will see that they are not very critical of any product they review. This is especially true in the evaluation of speaker systems. I read reviews of many highly rated 5.1 systems last year and when I listened to them in person a came away with very different opinions as to which ones I liked best. It is possible that you would rank the same speakers different than I would as we all have differences in what kind of sound we like best.

Take things like THX certified with a grain of salt. I have a Logitech Z5300 5.1 PC speaker system which I paid about $150 which is THX certified.

Also manufactures changes many products on a regular if not yearly basis. Their will always be changes some major others minor to get you to upgrade. It's part of the planned obsolescence they create to sell you something new. How long you choose to wait for something new is up to you.

 

[DaveF]

That package looks like it has the Onkyo 606 receiver. That's a decent receiver and many people bought and enjoyed them in 2008. Personally, from the reviews I'd read, I passed on upgrading to both the 605 and 606, as they both had some minor HDMI quirks. This year it seems all the HDMI issues are gone. But comparing the 607 to 707, the consensus was the 707 was the best dollar-value, so I bought a 707 on sale. The HDMI 1.4 spec sounds nice, but presumably you need a 1.4-compatible TV too.

So, that box set is going to be better than nothing, and probably better than many other box sets out there. But it wouldn't be my personal choice.

If you're specifically buying a TV that has the HDMI 1.4 spec and will work for the new 3D systems coming out, you should wait for a compatible receiver. My guess was Onkyo would release new models late Spring or early Summer.

If you're buying right now, and the TV won't have the 1.4 spec or won't be 3D capable, you could look for a $500 Onkyo 707 and have $500 remaining for a speaker kit.

You could also go cheaper on the receiver and spend more on the speakers. Life's full of choices

 

[Jason Charlton]

Just clarification wrt the HDMI 1.4 spec: since it is a hardware spec, not software, every piece of equipment in the chain would need to be 1.4 compliant for you to reap its benefits - that would mean the Blu-Ray, Receiver, and TV (technically, the cables, too).