Cinema in a box with HDMI IN Sub £500

[admin_exported]

Anyone know of a cinema in a box type system which has HDMI in. These systems are generally much cheaper than dedicated amps+speakers and amplified speaker sets £200-300 seems reasonable for these but I need HDMI in to run from my DMA2200 to the TV via the box for 5.1 sound (Am I right in thinking if I use HDMI for the video I can't use digital optical separately for the audio, that part of the copy protection is that everything has to go through HDMI).

Thanks!

 

[Anonymous]

I looked into this option before deciding to go for separates due to the connectivity and quality issues of the home cinema in a box.

They are more than adequate for smaller rooms and I have one in my bedroom but I found that because I needed 2 HDMI inputs (for sky HD and for a blu ray player) the price of such a device was getting into separates range and obviously separates would give a better sound for the price.

If you don only need one HDMI then the only unit I found at reasonable money was an LG unit which retails in argos online at £293, it has one HDMI IN and one OUT.

I'll find the model number and post it up for you, the other option was to get a blu ray cinema in a box with an HDMI IN for the sky HD but the only realistic option for that was a Samaung unit at over £600 hence being into separates money so made little sense to me.

Hope this helps.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks, googled it at Argos. That might just do the job. I don't plan on getting blu-ray any time soon (about 900 movies on DVD ripped to hard drive, hardly going to replace them!) nor Sky HD.

I was just reading another forum and it looks like I was wrong about HDMI. Is it possible to use HDMI and digital optical connections simultaneously? In which case all I need is amp/speaker system which can accept 2 digital optical inputs (one from TV and one from MCE which is a lot more systems.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi again, the model is an LG HT903TA

This is a link to it: www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5230064/c_1/1|category_root|Home+entertainment+and+sat+nav|12108813/c_2/2|cat_12108813|DVD%2C+Blu-ray+and+video|12108930/c_3/3|cat_12108930|Home+cinema+kits|12108945.htm

The other thing you may wish to consider though is that you are unlikely to get a cinema in a box that will decode and reproduce HD quality sound or the many formats of cinema audio that is used on movies and blu rays and as the sound is what makes it feel cinema like this was a deal breaker for me as I'm a firm believer that if you're going to spend £300 on something that doesn't go the whole way you're far better off spending a bit extra and not having to upgrade in the near future because it doesn't do all you really want it to.

My advice if you have around £500 is to search out some separates that are at bargain prices and take advantage of the fact that hi-fi specialist retailers will chop their noses off to compete with each other wear as most cinema in a box stuff like the above seems to be the same price where ever you look as it's usually your Dixons and Argos's that sell them rather than specialists.

For example you could get something like a;

Sony DG820 AV receiver/amp that decodes all movie audio formats you're likely to need so you'll get HD movie sound and has 4 HDMI IN and 1 OUT, it is a 5 star rated amp and is on offer at Richer Sounds at the moment at £229.

You could then get a "Style Speaker Package" such as the KEF KHT1005.2 which retails at £400 and is 4 star rated and these are currently available in silver at £229 again at Richer Sounds.

This only leaves £60 quid from your £500 budget to get a Blu ray player or DVD player and although you can easily get a reasonable DVD player for that I would spend the extra and get a Sony BDP S350 which is a fine 5 star player and with the downloadable firmware update decodes all the audio you will need and is a quality item. They retail at £230 but again Richer Sounds are selling them now at £139.

At £580 I doubt you could get a better system that is pretty much future proof and totally upgradable should you decide to go for more HD type sources such as games machines or decide to upgrade the speakers to traditional book shelf speakers for even better sound quality.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm sure the Sony 820 will have several optical inputs not sure about the LG in-a-box though you'd have to check.

I know some units only pass video via HDMI and you need optical for the sound (you can't pass video signals via optical as far as I know). Sky HD doesn't pass audio via the HDMI if I remember right and so you need to send the sound via optical, this was originally a problem with the Sony amp I have mentioned as it didn't recognise that the signals were coming form separate sources but Sony took all the units back and sorted it out so the new 820's shouldn't have this problem.

Like I say can't speak for the other unit you'd have to read up or contact LG tech guys at their HQ and ask before you buy, if you can send audio via HDMI from your source as well as video then you ain't got a problem any how.

Seeing as you're not bothered about a DVD or Blu ray at the moment I'd seriously consider going for the separates I suggested as it will give a far better sound than the LG and is so much more flexible for improvements as you go on.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks!

 

[Anonymous]

There are other options that may be a bit cheaper as far as speakers are concerned but the quality won't be quite so good, if on the other hand you want to go for top quality for something like your budget bearing in mind you don't need to buy a player then the follow "proper" speaker package is now available for as little as £340.

www.hifix.co.uk/sku2.lasso?item=e4dd1ae688b47798c6606d9a5e90638db9c11dcf2965e44b

These are as I see based on the Wharfdale Diamond 9.0 bookshelf speakers which were again a 5 star rated item and will sound even better than the KEF's as as good as the KEFF Egg speakers are meant to be no style speak will sound as good as proper speakers pound for pound.

I don't know anything about this retailer so please beware before ordering anything and there will be others on the net selling such an item.

It goes to show though that you could get a proper quality system for around £570 if you're not going to buy a player at this time.