Top 5 home-theater-in-a-box

Having stunning picture is not good enough when it comes to getting the best out of your DVD collection. Being bathed in enveloping multichannel sound is equally important for realizing the highly desired "in-movie" experience. After all, there is a reason many part with their money for the cinematic effects in cineplexes and theaters.

To accomplish your sensurround mission, you could either opt for a bulky but performance-oriented separate component-level system or settle with any of these sleek and compact home-theater-in-a-box 5.1 audio systems. These beauties also rank high in WAF (wife acceptance factor), in case you have problems convincing your financial controller.


Click here for a feature comparison table.

	1.	Samsung HT-TXQ120 home theater system      CNET Asia rating: 8.3 out of 10 The good: Rock solid stereo and surround reproduction; deep and tight bass; sleek and stylish design; SACD and DVD-audio playback; comprehensive connectivity; wireless upgradeable. The bad: Above-average video playback; inconvenient USB port placement; pricey. The bottom line: The Samsung HT-TXQ120 is a rock solid audio system that rivals component-level kits in sound quality. This, however, is not the case for the video department with its above-average visuals. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	2.	Sony DAV-DZ720 home theater system   CNET Asia rating: 8.1 out of 10 The good: HDMI output; very loud; reasonable price. The bad: Poor bass response; automatic calibration isn't always optimal; too much cable. The bottom line: A powerful 5.1 home theater package that follows Sony's trademark of style with performance but also includes handy features like a HDMI output and automatic calibration. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	3.	Pioneer HTZ656DVD home theater system   CNET Asia rating: 7 out of 10 The good: Clean sounds with excellent imaging; sleek DVD receiver unit; onboard video scalar; MPEG4-AAC playback; HDMI and USB terminals. The bad: Boomy bass; no digital audio input; cumbersome audio setup and adjustment. The bottom line: The full-featured Pioneer HTZ656DVD complements flat panels well. However, its automated audio calibration can be over-enthusiastic when it comes to bass reproduction. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	4.	Philips MCD759 home theater system   First take While other home-theater-in-a-box manufacturers are beefing up their lineup with value-added features such as USB connectivity, Philips is bringing the competition to a whole new level in design and quality. Its MCD759 micro theater is the company's latest salvo in these renewed directions, a sleek and sexy 5.1 surround sound system that we are sure could squeeze into the tightest living quarter. That's unless you are holed up in a tiny storeroom for your usual dose of movie and music therapy. First take | See full specs | Rate this
	5.	Panasonic SC-PT550 home theater system A Swiss Army Knife-equivalent in the home-theater-in-a-box scene, the Panasonic SC-PT550 is a promising 5.1 audio system with a rich feature set, connectivity and extensive multimedia compatibility. Most notable is an HDMI terminal which not only does 1080p DVD upscaling but also powers up your Viera flat panel at the click of a button via Viera-Link. That is besides USB for personal media player hookup and digital optical audio input. The latter enables Dolby Digital surround sound playback for optimized gaming experience with your PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. See full specs | Rate this