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The $1000 Bare Bones System

Looking for an entry level home theater system? This is what we recommend for $1000. It will keep you from getting ripped off by the big box stores and deliver more than the average home theater in a box.

This new A/V receiver from Yamaha comes armed with all of the latest in HDMI connectivity, and HD decoding at bargain basement pricing. Just about all the features of the higher end models at almost half the price makes this receiver one of the hottest tickets of the year. If you are on the market for a new A/V receiver, take a close look at the RX-V663.

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Tech Article: What Size Screen or Television Do I Need?
by Clint DeBoer — last modified February 21, 2008 03:43

We get asked this question alot and we have, in fact, addressed it during the course of various projector and flat panel reviews. It is an important topic, however, and we feel that it is truly worthy of some personal attention - especially given these times of rapidly dropping flat panel display prices. While many believe that "bigger is always better," getting the right screen size means that you can truly optimize your home theater budget and allocate your money in teh best way possible to make sure you get the best visuals and sound possible. We'll take you through several ways to effectively determine the best screen size for your room, and give you some general guidelines for figuring out your own needs.

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Tech Article: How to Shop for an AV Receiver
by Gene DellaSala — last modified February 15, 2008 14:16

With such a wide selection of A/V receivers on the market these days, it's difficult to know which model is right for you. Before getting into all of the tech specs and features, its important to first define how you will use this product. This article is a 7 step guide to choosing the right A/V receiver. As you will see in this guide, the decision making process weighs heavily on the type of HDMI connectivity and support you require.

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Tech Article: How to Shop for Televisions & Displays
by Clint DeBoer — last modified August 16, 2007 20:00

We’ve received numerous emails, and indeed they come in almost daily, inquiring about the best televisions, which format is better and how to determine if Set A is better than Set B. These seem to be videophyte questions, however almost anyone shopping for a new display or television will run into many of the same issues.

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News: How To Shop Loudspeakers
by Gene DellaSala — last modified August 15, 2007 17:56

Shopping for a new speaker system is a lot like buying a new car. One must always find the right balance between performance, aesthetics and practicality while keeping within their budgetary constraints. Unfortunately looks can often tell very little about loudspeaker performance. In fact, some of the best looking, highest priced designs often look much better than they sound. The purpose of this article is to help the average home theater enthusiast pick and chose the right system based on their needs and budget.

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Tech Article: AV Processor Receiver Checklists
by Clint DeBoer — last modified March 20, 2007 16:12

We provide an ongoing series of documents outlining the feature sets on the products we review. This enables consumers the ability to ensure the products they are interested in have the functions they want and need.

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Tech Article: Budgeting Your Home Theater
by Clint DeBoer — last modified February 07, 2007 07:58

Is there some kind of accepted price/performance ratio between components? For example, if I am buying a $3000 set of home theater speakers is it pure heresy to hook them up to a $900 receiver? What price point amplifier would be appropriate? I know most of this is subjective, but would you buy a $900 DVD player to connect to a TV that cost only $1000?

Tech Article: Top Ten Loudspeaker Gimmicks to Avoid
by Gene DellaSala — last modified November 25, 2006 04:47

We decided to visit some of our local dealers to observe and listen to their latest offerings of electronics and speakers. It seems lately that more and more gimmicks are surfacing in the audio world and the consumers are letting the industry get away with it. It is sad to see so many companies are simply implementing what we call "cookie cutter" designs. What we mean by this is that they are actually not designing loudspeakers. Instead, they are implementing design guidelines set forth by driver manufacturers that specify types of crossovers and enclosure dimensions to use with their drivers. Many of these so called loudspeaker "designers" don't have the proper test equipment and engineering technical staff and necessary tools to accurately design and measure their loudspeakers performance.

Tech Article: DVD Player Checklist
by Clint DeBoer — last modified May 30, 2007 21:27

This document will allow consumers to look through the features and functions of the many DVD players we have reviewed and see which models have the options and specs they are looking for. Use this as a helpful aid in your shopping.

Tech Article: Audio Terms and Definitions
by Clint DeBoer — last modified May 30, 2007 21:26

Audio terminology can be very confusing and ambiguous. Below is a basic list of most common words related to audio specifications and terminology.

Tech Article: Top 10 "Must Haves" in a Media Center
by Steven Cheung — last modified October 08, 2006 20:00

In a world with dozens of media center manufacturers and hundreds of choices, picking out a media center can be confusing. What features should I look for? Which ones do I really need, and which ones are just "icing on the cake?" Here are the top 10 Premium Features that we think media centers must have...

Tech Article: Common HTPC / Media Center Myths – NOT Just a PC — by Steven Cheung — last modified September 24, 2006 20:00

Tech Article: Ten Biggest Mistakes of Speaker and Home Theater Shopping — by Alan Lofft — last modified July 11, 2006 20:00

Tech Article: Playstation 3 vs. Xbox 360 — by Clint DeBoer — last modified May 17, 2005 20:00

Tech Article: DVD/CD Players Buying Guide — by Gene DellaSala — last modified August 25, 2004 20:00

Tech Article: AV Receivers Buying Guide — by Gene DellaSala — last modified August 25, 2004 20:00

Tech Article: Home Theater Furniture 101 — by Dave Adams — last modified May 24, 2007 22:07

Tech Article: Cable Budget Guidelines — by Gene DellaSala — last modified November 16, 2007 05:52

Tech Article: Loudspeakers Buying Guide — by Gene DellaSala — last modified October 19, 2002 20:00

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The $1000 Bare Bones System

Yamaha RX-V663 A/V Receiver Overview

Additional Reference Systems

How to Shop