Help! Blu-Ray Home Cinema System..

But that's what we're saying, you'd only need to add a Blu-ray player to the Yamaha and you're all set, many of them these days will do MKV, streaming etc. Yes, it means one extra device under your TV but I don't think it can be overstated how much better that set-up would be in comparison to any of these all-in-one things.
 
I already have a simple Toshiba bluray player for my room I can borrow that, how would it connect? HDMI from the tosh to the yamaha? then from the yamaha to my tv.
 
Yep, everything goes into the AV receiver then it outputs to your TV. If you use Freeview on your TV's built-in tuner you can use ARC (Audio Return Channel) via the HDMI connection to send the audio back from the TV to the AV receiver so you never need to use the TV speakers.

As I said, I was in a similar position a few years ago and needed a bit of convincing that a proper AV receiver was the way to go. None of the information in my thread will be relevant now but you can at least see my thought process and what I thought of the system after I bought it:
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18168920
 
DiNZi said:
If the Yamaha that Jano posted played MKVs and had a USB port I'd get it today, Richer Sounds isn't far.
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It's the blu-ray player that does that, no different to the systems you've been looking at.

listen to the guy's and don't get an all in one they're crap, go for the yam the difference is night and day!
 
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I have a little bit of time now to put things a little better. For what its worth, do a little search on here, you'll see many similar threads as the all in ones do seem appealing - nice small footprint and decent looks, with on paper decent specs. Normally what happens is they start falling apart after a few months and sound vastly inferior to a well thought out separates system. I totally understand that a big AV Amp (even though the Yamaha I linked isn't exactly big in my eyes) doesn't really tick any boxes in the looks department, but there is a reason they need to be so big and there is also a reason that most people eventually end up with one.

Now I've had separates systems for the best part of 20 years, my grandad was a sound engineer and he bought me my first system, a Denon amp, cd player and radio, with some Mission speakers. This was in a period of Kenwood mini hifi's (the ones with the silly record players on top) and in some ways it is the best way I can describe the difference between that all in one from pioneer, and the Yamaha will be similar to those horrible little mini systems and a proper separates system way back then. There wasn't much difference in cost back then either.

Over the years I've upgraded bit by bit to the point now where I am almost happy having spent a silly amount of money, but it has been worth every penny, it's so nice being able to watch a film or even just telly with a sound system that is far superior to the deafening sound you get in the Cinema these days. While these entry level systems may not be quite up to that standard, it won't be far off.
 
Jano said:
I have a little bit of time now to put things a little better. For what its worth, do a little search on here, you'll see many similar threads as the all in ones do seem appealing - nice small footprint and decent looks, with on paper decent specs. Normally what happens is they start falling apart after a few months and sound vastly inferior to a well thought out separates system. I totally understand that a big AV Amp (even though the Yamaha I linked isn't exactly big in my eyes) doesn't really tick any boxes in the looks department, but there is a reason they need to be so big and there is also a reason that most people eventually end up with one.

Now I've had separates systems for the best part of 20 years, my grandad was a sound engineer and he bought me my first system, a Denon amp, cd player and radio, with some Mission speakers. This was in a period of Kenwood mini hifi's (the ones with the silly record players on top) and in some ways it is the best way I can describe the difference between that all in one from pioneer, and the Yamaha will be similar to those horrible little mini systems and a proper separates system way back then. There wasn't much difference in cost back then either.

Over the years I've upgraded bit by bit to the point now where I am almost happy having spent a silly amount of money, but it has been worth every penny, it's so nice being able to watch a film or even just telly with a sound system that is far superior to the deafening sound you get in the Cinema these days. While these entry level systems may not be quite up to that standard, it won't be far off.
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Make a good point. I bought this £900 TV and I just want sound supreme sound when I listen to music or watch a bluray film. I'm going to look further into it.

And like you said, go for second hand, look on GumTree and eBay I'm sure I can get good kit.
 
AVForums for second hand kit ;) As an example I picked up my current amp, a Yamaha RXV-3900 which was £1900 new for £350 a couple of years back, my speakers, PMC DB1i's are all ex-demo which saved me around £1000 off list price, and my sub is a BK Electronics offering.

You've also made a good point there and one of my personal bug bears, I will never understand why someone will pay all that money for a TV, and then quibble about spending even half of the cost of the TV to get decent sound. Sound for me adds so much more to the experience, that it really is worth spending a bit more and getting something you'll be happy with, especially when you consider a decent pair of speakers are more than capable of lasting 20+ years.
 
Be careful with 2nd hand kit if I were you , you may be asking for more trouble than its worth

If you already have a budget BR player - I would be tempted to initially go for a budget AV reciever and a couple of reasonable stereo speakers for the front pair and build from there with a centre channel and surround pair when you have a little more money saved up.

Believe me when you start down this road.....most get the bug to continuously upgrade :)

Dont throw even more money down the all in one route as you will be sorely disappointed.
 
Do you know what 1000W of sound energy in your living room sounds like? Because if you do you are now deaf.

It's pure marketing BS and now you know as you did the right thing coming on here.

Also look at Onkyo 5.1 sets on clearance or otherwise. I had one for £200 (was being replaced by new model) and it was pretty decent for the money.
 
Onkyo are a great brand, but suffer with failing HDMI ports on certain models so be weary.

Excellent choice on TV btw, I have the same coupled to a Sony STRDH820 and Boston Acoustics Soundware XS, it's perfect! :D
 
SC0TTRS said:
Onkyo are a great brand, but suffer with failing HDMI ports on certain models so be weary.

Excellent choice on TV btw, I have the same coupled to a Sony STRDH820 and Boston Acoustics Soundware XS, it's perfect! :D
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I did my research on the TV before getting it, a lot of it. It's just Home Cinema/Audio I didn't really read up about before, so whilst I was at Curry's they knocked off £100 if I had bought the TV and Sony BDV-E3100 together and I took it :(
 
Have a look at this package, can include a BD player and below £350.

http://www.petertyson.co.uk/ebuttonz/ebz_product_pages/yamaha_yht-398_upgraded.shtml

This includes
Yamaha BD-S473 Blu-Ray Player.
Yamaha HTR-3065 AV Receiver. (Same Spec As RX-V373).
Yamaha NS-P40 Home Cinema Speakers.

Not heard either the YHT-199 linked on richer sounds or this YHT-398 so can't compare them, but look for some reviews on the individual components.
 
That offer looks like the same amp as the YHT-199 with better speakers and a £100 Blu-Ray player.
I would go for the YHT-199 for £199 the RXV-375 and NS-P40's for £290 and use your existing Blu-Ray.
I'm looking at the same, but will be using PS3 and SkyHD.
 
It's a slightly upgraded version of the 199 as Dsteviedee has pointed out, yet costs a fair bit more. If your willing to up your budget then I'd be inclined to get an RX-V375 and then a speaker set of some sort, depends how much you want to spend really - you don't really need to limit yourself to Yamaha amps either, Onkyo, Denon, Sony and Pioneer do all have decent entry level offerings, it's just that the Yamaha 199 one is particularly good value. Peter Tyson seems to be recommended quite often and they do have some good deals there, but you may be better off going into somewhere local and having a listen, as they may be able to put together a package for you at your budget that's not shown on the website.
 
The biggest issue with those 1 box systems you've been looking at is the AMP is pitiful. They claim all these big numbers yet the receiver box which also houses the disc player simply isn't big enough to have anything other then 20 watt poor quality components inside. All the money you pay on those systems generally goes into the disc player and then the design so it appeals to mums and family's who trust the word of Currys sales staff, a minimum amount of effort goes into making the sound good if any at all!

Please stop listening to the specifications they are extremely misleading and tell you absolutely nothing about the system.

I agree with the other recommendations on the Yamaha and if your willing to go to 400-500 then you will get even more improvement.
 
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