Page 1 of 5.1 surround - what do I need?

Here`s a dumb question - To get 5.1 surround what do I need to buy?

If the DVD player has 5.1 outputs are these speaker level already or would each channel need to be amplified?

If i can just plug loudspeakers into the back then isn`t that Medion DVD from Aldi the cheapest 5.1 decoder on the market?

Or am I better sticking with my Scan and buying a Yamaha or Sherwood reciever (to replace my current Hi-Fi amp as well)

Can anyone tell me if these (or a cheap rival) have phono stages. I like my vinyl doncha know.

You will need to buy an amp that is dolby digital/dts compatible.
if you want to use it for music as well invest in a DENON they
about as good as it gets for home cinema and music there are a
lot of amps out there but the vast majority are only good at one
or the other.I would also recomend some decent speakers and a good sub

Buy a Yamaha or a Sony - Denon`s are for girls and deaf people.

Don`t forget you will need 5 speakers (optionally add a sub), some lengths of cable, some interconnects (optical or digital), and two ears.

If you don`t want to spend much and have a small/medium sized room then you could buy a speaker package with a built in amplifier.

Here are a few suggestions:
Creative`s cambridge sound works DTT2200 (no decoder - you won`t need one if your player has one) - about 90 pounds for 6 speakers

DTT2500 with a decoder and more powerful speakers - about 150 pounds

Videologic digitheatre LC (no decoder - 130 pounds)

Digitheatre (with decoder - 200 pounds)

Digitheatre DTS (DTS sound for about 350pounds)

My DTT2500 is coming this week and I will check out the sound quality. If you need any links/reviews on these speakers then email me.

nb. I write pounds because my keyboard is the US version... no pound sign...

Aint vinyl great ? - at risk of turning this into a "analogue is best" forum, I`d advise you get yourself down to "the Hi-fi trading co." in Peterborough, and buy a s/h Musical Fidelity X-LP + outboard PSU, and run this into whatever you decide to use as 5.1

BTW, the easy way is to buy a DTS / Dolby Digital reciever from Richer Sounds (or other) - £200~£250 ish. Then purchase s single interconnect and connect up the "Dolby Digital out" from your DVD right in to the beating heart of your new reciever.

Then add 5 speakers (or 3 if you have a decent front pair (`scuse the pun)

Then add DVD of choice

Bake until a golden crisp

DONE !

Thanks for the list "penyeKz"

I`d be interested in those reviews as I have LG3350 with 5.1 out- which I am currently sending through a set of active computer speakers- not the best but you get the rear/sub effcts OK! I`d quite like a simple 5.1 active speaker set up- smallish if poss.

Cheers

Bernie

I think the Creative active speaker packages are quite small. Try and get a demo at your local PC World.

I have the cheaper creative package on my computer (same speakers, but only 4 + subwoofer, so no good for 5.1) and while they do sound quite good, they are nowhere near as good as the Celestion hi-fi speakers on my stereo.

>Aint vinyl great ? - at risk of turning this into a "analogue is best" forum, I`d advise you get yourself down to "the Hi-fi trading co." in Peterborough, and buy a s/h Musical Fidelity X-LP + outboard PSU, and run this into whatever you decide to use as 5.1

Is that a thing that just brings phono level up to line level for plugging into another input? I`ll do that if I need to, but if I can avoid it (too many things in the stage can cause feedback problems with some decks) then I will.

>BTW, the easy way is to buy a DTS / Dolby Digital reciever from Richer Sounds (or other) - £200~£250 ish. Then purchase s single interconnect and connect up the "Dolby Digital out" from your DVD right in to the beating heart of your new reciever.

That`s probably what i`ll do, if I can find one with enough inputs for my av gear - nothing ever seems to have enough these days.

yet another daft question who sells these powered speaker sets


bugman