Hey all, my sister wants to get a home theater system to complement the 47" Panny Widescreen she got. Only problem is that the walls are thin in her apartment, and her neighbors tend to complain... So, I figure getting a "home theater in a box" for under $200 would be a best bet. But just FYI, I know nothing about creating home theater systems (she already has a DVD player). As a result, here are some of her options... I'd love some feedback:

Sony 420W 5.1

or

Panasonic 600W 5.1

or

Magnavox 450W

C'mon folks, help me out!!!
[email protected]

Without going into great detail on each and every option this is my initial impression. I would not get the Sony because it only has 2 digital inputs while the other two models have 3. This allows room to grow in the future.

Of the other two I would probably pick the panasonic. It has a litte more power, a little better warranty, and panasonic has a good reputation.

Keep in mind in this price range they will all be about the same as far as sound quality. Besides she really can't crank it up anyway because of her thin walls. Anything you get will probably sound better than the TV speakers....at least that was the case for me! The speakers on my big screen were terrible.

Enjoy!!

A good set of Dolby Digital headphones might be a good way to go in an apartment type setting. I've heard lots of good things about the Pioneer SE DIR800C Dolby Headphones. I believe they can be hooked up right to the DVD player using an optical cable.

we went with the panasonic. took a little under 2 hours to hook (i found it to be a complicated process).