Home Cinema Systems Buying Guide

Home Cinema Systems Buying Guide

We're here to help you buy a new home cinema system. We've got advice and information about all the latest home cinema systems. We discuss the different parts of the perfect set up that you need to look for, and explain the different technical specifications you need to think about.

Imagine yourself looking behind the sofa for aliens or checking outside the window to find out what's just crashed to the ground. Get yourself one of the latest home cinema systems and you could find yourself doing just that, as you fill your living room with high quality surround sound to match the dramatic images on your TV screen.

Buy the wrong home cinema system, though, and you may find yourself fiddling with cables and controls, trying to sort out the sound and get the system to deliver what you expected. To make it easier to find the right one, we answer the questions you should ask yourself before you buy:

  • What's my budget?
  • How am I going to use my new home cinema system?
  • What equipment have I already got?
  • What quality audio do I want?
  • What else do I want to do with it?
  • What else should I care about?

Click on any of these links to get some valuable advice, and tips on how you can use PriceRunner to find the perfect home cinema system.

Alternatively, go straight to any of these to read more:

  • what is a home cinema system?
  • linking to a television
  • connectors
  • DVD player features
  • speaker setups
  • amplifier
  • surround sound formats
  • DVD standards
  • Radio features

This guide is for people who want to buy a complete home cinema solution to go with their television. If you want to put together your own system from individual components, this may help you, but you should also check these Buyers' guides:

  • Audio systems
  • Receivers
  • DVD players
  • Speakers

And you can find a very wide choice of components to buy by looking at the main Home cinema page.

What's my budget?

Home cinema systems cost from around £50 to several thousand pounds. Clearly you would expect to get something quite different at either end of that range! What it shows, though, is that whatever your budget, there will be something to match it.

So you should set your budget first. Bear in mind that you may need to buy extra cables to link the system to your television, as you are unlikely get the full range of options included with your new cinema system and ideally you should use the best ones possible (read more about Connectors below and find cable prices in the Cables section on PriceRunner). You might also want to consider budgeting for regular purchases of new DVDs, as once you have your fantastic new setup, you will probably be tempted far more often to add to your movie collection.

What is a home cinema system?

Home cinema systems should provide you with what you need to turn your television into a mini cinema in your living room. This means that, at the very least, you should get a set of speakers and an amplifier to decode and process the signals. These speaker systems are specifically chosen to produce the surround sound that you get on film soundtracks and the like, and to work in your home rather than a public venue.

Some systems include a radio tuner with the amplifier, so it's referred to as a receiver instead. And almost all of them will include a DVD player, so that you can convert a standalone TV into a fully-functioning home cinema system in one go. Beyond this you might find any of the following included (usually within the DVD player unit):

  • Freeview tuner
  • DVD recorder
  • video cassette player/recorder
  • multi-disk (jukebox) player

You might even find systems that include a projector or television.To find out more about projectors, read our Projectors buyers' guide.

What equipment have I already got?

Any home cinema system you buy should take into account the kit you already have. The most important aspect is your television, but other units should also be considered.

Linking to a television

Your television is the centrepiece of your new home cinema setup, so its size and technology will affect your enjoyment of anything you choose to watch. If you have an old analogue, standard format television (that's one where the ratio of the top to the sides is 4:3), then you may be able to get great sound from an expensive new DVD player and speaker setup, but the image is unlikely to match that quality. So it's probably not worth spending a fortune on a fantastic audio system to go with it. Either upgrade your television at the same time, or buy a cheaper cinema system now and upgrade the whole lot in one go later on.

You can read more about televisions in our Televisions Buyers' guide.

Whatever television you have, go and look at the connectors on the back and note down what you have. Connectors affect the quality of image and sound transmitted through the system, and it's worth trying to match the best ones you have on your TV to what's available on any home cinema system you are considering.

Connectors

Here's what to look for:

Socket Use How to spot one
Component video (RCA, YPbPr) Very high quality video input as it has three sockets for different colour and brightness signals. Can be progressive or interlaced, so this needs matching with the TV. Component Video input
Scart High quality and most common connection option. If possible look for Scarts that support RGB signals (splitting the video signal into red, green and blue) for better pictures. Consider using a gold-plated Scart lead for better connections. SCART input
S-video Good quality video connection but not as good as Scart RGB. Has separate connectors for colour and detail information. S-video input
Composite video Common, low-quality video connection. Useful if you don't have enough Scart sockets. Composite video input
HDMI High definition digital video and audio input. One of two socket types required on "HD-ready" TVs. HDMI input
DVI Digital video input for HD video only, not audio. The second one required as part of the HD-ready specification. DVI Input
RCA Can be used to connect to older TVs that don't have one of the other, better connection options. RCA socket

You can read more about different types of televisions and how to choose one in our Televisions Buyers' guide.

DVD player

If you already have a DVD player, now is the time to assess whether it has all the functions that you need. That's because any unit included in a home cinema system is likely to cost less than buying the same thing on its own. Also, in most cases the units in an all-in-one home cinema system will be chosen to work together and should be easy to cable up and use. Some include onscreen setup options.

To help you decide whether you need a new DVD player, think about whether your current one offers:

  • progressive scan output and not just interlaced
  • High definition television (HDTV) support
  • upscaling the resolution to get a better image
  • widescreen playback
  • regional DVD playback options
  • recording functions
  • playback and recording at a variety of DVD standards.

If your DVD player is quite basic, consider getting a home cinema system with a new one included, but make sure it really is a significant improvement on what you already have.

How am I going to use my new home cinema system?

In the vast majority of cases, home cinema systems are used for watching pre-recorded films on DVD. So you need a DVD player capable of playing these and a set of speakers that can offer the best quality sound that you can afford. If you also want to use the DVD unit to record television programmes or your own home videos from a camcorder, then you need to look for extra features.

DVD player features

Progressive scan
Standard analogue television signals in the UK have a resolution of 625 horizontal lines. The lines are ‘interlaced', which means that the odd numbered rows are created first and then the even numbered rows – it's just done so fast that you can't really see it happening from directly in front of a TV, though you may notice flickering if you stand to one side.
Some DVD players can create all the lines at once using what is known as progressive scanning. This gives a very smooth image and is good for fast-moving footage. The quality may not be quite as high as High Definition TV (see HDTV below), but if you have a digital television, then it's worth considering a DVD player that offers progressive scan output.
High definition TV (HDTV)
Standard DVD player resolutions are 720 pixels across and 480 vertically (720x480). But HDTV creates images using either 720 or 1080 vertical lines of information. The 720-line format uses progressive scan technology with an overall resolution of 1280x720 and is written as 720p. The 1080 version has an overall resolution of 1920x1080 and is usually interlaced (1080i), although there is a progressive scan 1080 specification (1080p) but it's very rare.
If you don't already have a television capable of displaying HD images and aren't planning to buy one in the near future, then there is no point in looking for a DVD player that uses one of the two competing high definition DVD technologies: Blu-Ray or HD-DVD. Blu-Ray discs have five times the storage capacity of standard DVDs; with HD-DVDs offering less of a boost but carrying less of a price premium. The problem is that, just like the competition between VCR technologies many years ago, there is no way of knowing which technology will ultimately win out, so you could be left with a unit that won't play high resolution films by the time you get round to buying your HD-ready TV.
If you do have an HD-ready TV, then Blu-Ray or HD-DVD discs on a compatible player will let you see fantastic images, if the films have been formatted correctly. But there aren't many films currently available in either format and unless you get a dual standard model (if you can find one), then you still need to consider whether you want to take the risk of ending up with a redundant player.
Upscaling
Instead you could consider a DVD player that offers upscaling. This means it converts standard definition video signals to HD resolutions, to offer you more detailed images. If the upscaling is done well it can offer an improvement on standard DVD output.
Recording
If you want to record anything you will need either a DVD recorder or a DVD player with a hard drive built in. The former lets you record onto DVDs, while the latter lets you record onto a hard drive within the player. Some mid-range and high-end players offer both features. A built-in Freeview unit will let you record free-to-air channels directly on to DVDs.
Widescreen playback
Some DVD players offer the option to alter the aspect ratio of what's being shown on the screen. This can be useful if what's on your DVD doesn't match your TV format, especially if you have a ‘standard' 4:3 TV but intend to watch a lot of films that are usually recorded in widescreen (16:9 or even wider). However, some TVs have this function built in anyway.
You can read more about DVD players in our DVD players Buyers' guide.

Speakers

Home cinema systems should include a minimum of five speakers, plus a sub-woofer which outputs low frequency sound (such as deep bass notes and rumbling noises). This combination is usually referred to as 5.1. The speakers can be floor-standing, wall-mounted or "bookshelf" units, or some combination of the three. So as well as making sure they match the look of your room and are aesthetically pleasing, you should consider where you will (or can) put them and then look for the right type(s).

As a guide, if you have a five-speaker system you will put one front speaker either side of the TV, the centre speaker as close to the TV as possible and then two rear speakers either side (and slightly behind) where you will be sitting. The sub-woofer then goes either between the front speakers or off to one side. So look at your room and think about what's possible, then match this to the systems that meet your other requirements. Sub-woofers have to be quite large to produce low frequency sounds, so make sure you will have somewhere suitable to put this too.

Don't forget to check you have enough power sockets and consider where the cables will run. You can find wireless speaker systems, where all or some of the speakers (usually the rear ones) don't need to be cabled up to the amplifier, but you'll still need to connect them to a power supply.

What quality audio do I want?

If you are considering a home cinema system, then you are probably already thinking beyond hi-fi stereo quality sound. As mentioned, home cinema systems have a minimum of five speakers and a sub-woofer, with some offering six or more speakers.

Speaker setups

The reason for the extra speakers is that the more speakers you have around you, the more closely you can experience "real-life" sound coming from all directions. Generally the speaker setup is referred to by the number of full frequency speakers, followed by the number of sub-woofers (which is always one):

  • 5.1 is left, centre and right front speakers, right and left rear speakers, plus a sub-woofer
  • 6.1 adds an extra speaker at centre back
  • 7.1 has left, centre and right front speakers, plus right and left side and right and left rear speakers, and a sub-woofer

Amplifier

To get the most out of all these speakers, there are different standards for coding sound signals. Home cinema systems with more speakers should include an amplifier or receiver that can handle the relevant standards. Conversely, amplifiers should be able to emulate surround sound when they receive a simple stereo signal and cope with the different formats that may be found on various DVDs.

Your amplifier needs to have enough power output to drive all the speakers you are using, but this shouldn't be a problem as home cinema systems are designed to include properly matching components.

Formats

These are the most common formats you should look for:

Dolby Pro Logic
Produces surround sound from any analogue stereo system, with right, centre and left speakers, plus one rear speaker.
Dolby Pro Logic II
Produces 5.1 surround sound from any analogue system
Dolby Pro Logic IIx
Produces 6.1 or 7.1 surround sound from any analogue or 5.1 stereo system
Dolby Digital
5.1 digital surround sound
Dolby Digital EX
6.1 digital surround sound
Dolby Digital Surround EX
7.1 digital surround sound
Dolby TrueHD
High definition 7.1 channel digital sound
DTS Digital Surround
5.1 digital surround sound. Less compressed than Dolby Digital and often said to be better.
DTS-ES Matrix
5.1 digital surround sound with matrixed (specially encoded) centre-surround channel, so will be played differently on 6.1 and 7.1 speaker systems. Backwards compatible with DTS systems.
DTS-ES Discrete 6.1
6.1 digital surround sound with discrete sixth channel. Backwards compatible with DTS systems.
DTS Neo:6
Converts stereo sound into 5.1 or 6.1 channel format.
DTS 96/24
Delivers 5.1 channels of 24-bit, 96kHz audio and high quality video on DVD-Video format.

The most common sound format on DVDs is Dolby Digital, but even then they may only offer real 5.1 channel surround sound if marked as Dolby Digital 5.1. Other formats are usually optional and what you get varies from disc to disc.

For more information on Dolby technologies and the ideal layout of speakers in your room to make the most of Dolby formats, see the Dolby website (www.dolby.com). For more information on DTS standards and technologies, see the DTS website (www.dts.com).

Power

Speakers are rated by their power output, which is measured in watts (W). Underpowered speakers can leave you with a very disappointing experience, and you won't get an ideal sound (and may damage your speakers) if you have to crank your system up to its maximum power output.

In general, the larger your room, the high the power output you will need from each speaker. It goes without saying that very cheap systems are unlikely to offer high-powered speakers, but spending more doesn't guarantee the opposite. Look at the channel output power and the total output in the individual product listings on PriceRunner to assess what you are getting. Up to 50W per channel is probably about right for a room of up to 15 square metres, whereas you may need up to 80W or 100W per channel for a larger room.

What else do I want to do with it?

Music formats

As well as using your new system to watch and listen to films, you can use it to listen to CDs. DVD players can usually play audio CDs, but make sure that the player is compatible with any format tracks you want to play, including DVD-Audio, SA-CD and MP3 files.

Multiple-disc players

Some DVD players offer the option to load more than one disc at a time. This may be attractive if you want to use it as a jukebox or just don't like getting up off your sofa.

What else should I care about?

DVD standards

There are several different DVD recording formats and not all players will play every type, although the range they can cope with is improving. All players should play pre-recorded DVDs, but if you want to view DVDs recorded by friends or family, check what format they have been recorded in. Most DVD recorders can record more than one format of DVD.

  • DVD+R and DVD-R are single-session recording formats – you can only record to such a disk once. The disks are cheap and good for archiving but can't be reused.
  • DVD+RW and DVD-RW let you record multiple times on the same disk.
  • DVD-Ram is very flexible, but fewer players will play back DVD-Ram discs than the other types. If you only plan to watch your recordings yourself, though, it is attractive as you can start watching the beginning of a programme while the machine is still recording the end of it. Also, when you delete something from the disc, the rest of the content is reordered so there are no gaps left on it.
DivX and XviD
DivX and XviD are competing compression standards for video. If a video is compressed using one of these it takes up much less room on a disc but with no degradation in quality.
THX
THX is a quality standard. THX-certified products offer a minimum standard of video and audio, so that what you watch and hear is of a high standard and not affected by poor reproduction (provided that the DVD is THX too or otherwise good quality). There are three categories for home theatre products:
  • THX Integrated Home Theatre Systems which covers complete systems
  • THX Select and Select2 for individual products for small to medium-sized rooms
  • THX Ultra and Ultra2 for high-end and large home theatre products
You can read more about THX, how it certifies products and why on the THT website (www.thx.com).

Multi-region playback

DVD prices in other countries can be markedly lower than in the UK. It's also common for DVDs of the same film to be released on different dates globally. To stop buyers taking advantage of this, the film industry encodes DVDs so that, assuming most people buy their DVD players locally, they can only play DVDs bought locally too.

Regional encoding splits the world into six regions:

  • Region 1 is US and Canada
  • Region 2 is Europe, Japan, South Africa, Middle East, Greenland
  • Region 3 is South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, parts of South-East Asia
  • Region 4 is Australia, New Zealand, Latin America
  • Region 5 is Africa, India, rest of Asia
  • Region 6 is China

The region should be marked on every DVD. If you see Region 0, then the DVD should work in any player.

So-called multi-region players should play any DVD. You should always check that these carry a manufacturer's guarantee, though, as if a player has been "upgraded" from single-region to multi-region by a vendor and not the manufacturer, then it can invalidate the warranty. To counteract this issue, manufacturers have added another level of encoding to DVDs called Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE) but some vendors claim their players can play all these discs too.

Radio features

If you are buying a system that includes a radio, you could consider looking for:

  • DAB digital radio – offers better sound and text information on song, artist and news
  • RDS (Radio data system) – lets you see which radio station you are listening to
  • Preset channels
  • AM – lets you listen to AM stations as well as the standard FM, but check if it includes LW (Long Wave) stations too

Equaliser modes

Equaliser modes allow you to change the sound tone, to add or reduce emphasis on different parts of the frequency range (such as bass or treble). Sometimes you can get preset options, while other amplifiers let you adjust this manually.

Shielding

If you need to place your front speakers very close to your television then they should be magnetically shielded so that they don't interfere with the image. Most home cinema systems will include shielded speakers as manufacturers recognise this problem, but always check.