[Wattie]

Hi ,
This is my first post so you may have to be patient with myself.Fellow members I am in a dither about what I require to buy in relation to my plasma tv.I would like a sound system to fit my Panasonic TH 42 PX 600B Plasma which is connected to my Panasonic DMR-ES30VEB Dvd Recorder ,is it just speakers I require and where do I connect to,or if anyone can supply or help with a system or any help I would be most grateful.

[fat controller]

Welcome to DS, hopefully you'll get some good advice, and maybe join in some of the banter on the General Discussion boards (it can get a bit addictive, but it can be fun)

You need some kind of amplifier, to which you would connect your TV / DVD-R (and Sky / Cable box if you have one). Speakers would then connect to the amplifier.

Now, as to recommendations, that is a bit of a tough one - it depends on your budget, whether space is a consideration, and ultimately the performance you are looking to achieve. I would always recommend separates where they can be afforded and accomodated as they tend to give the best performance, whilst being the easiest to upgrade and add to in the future - they also tend to last longer too.

Maybe something like THIS AMPLIFIER which has won a number of awards for its sound and build quality, and is nicely in the middle ground in terms of price.

Connected to something like THESE SPEAKERS which, being B&W will not only be supremely well constructed, but will provide an incredible quality of sound both for cinema use and music (I've always found Sony amps and B&W speakers get on really well - and I would admit to being a huge fan of B&W products)

I would strongly advise that you listen to your choices before you buy, as hi-fi is very subjective, especially as you get into separates - what I love, you might hate.

Hope this helps

[JBlink]

Hi Wattie

I assume you are looking for some kind of home cinema set up. That would be multi-channel amplifier with speakers to match.

Have a look at Richer Sounds http://http://www.richersounds.com/p...oup=HOMECINEMA
as a start point. The minimum you need would be a 5.1 system. That is five main channels (centre - for speech- front left and right, rear left and right) plus the point one, the sub woofer. The next two variables are budget and speakers. Do you have room for full sized speakers? You may not need a sub woofer if you do.

Personally, I can recommend the Denon range of amps, together with the KEF KHT 1005 speakers. Budget around £600 but it is a great entry level set up.

[Wattie]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the information,to be honest I was looking at purchasing 4 small corner speakers,with one central speaker was unsure if this was possible,clearly I would need an amplifer?.Being honest thought about spending£100 max,may-be this is not possible.Is it easy to connect? and where would I connect too.

[fat controller]

Can you stretch the budget a bit? If you can, you would be able to get a 'Home Cinema in a box' type system, which comprises of DVD player, amplifier, subwoofer and speakers all in one package. Places like RGB Direct have these from around £140 (Panasonic or Sony).

You would simply connect the audio output from your TV (usually a pair of sockets, one red, one white, on the rear of the TV) to the audio input sockets on the rear of the unit you choose.

In your case, there would be one benefit of going down this path - when watching a DVD, you would still be able to record something off air at the same time.

[Wattie]

If I purchase new home theatre unit ,do I use my exsisting dvd recorder and connect up speaker system to it,or do I use both home theatre and dvd recorder and if so how do I connect,sorry for being so dump.

[fat controller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wattie

If I purchase new home theatre unit ,do I use my exsisting dvd recorder and connect up speaker system to it,or do I use both home theatre and dvd recorder and if so how do I connect,sorry for being so dump.

Don't apologise, better to ask questions and get what you require than to waste your time and money

If you went down the path of a home theatre system, then I'd be inclined to suggest that you would use its inbuilt DVD player when watching DVD's - your DVD recorder would be used for recording purposes, and could also be uesd where Dolby Digital sound wasn't available (on stuff that you have recorded for example). Assuming your TV and DVD-R are already connected, then adding a home theatre unit would be fairly easy.

All five speakers and subwoofer would connect directly to the main DVD/amplifier unit as supplied in the home theatre kit - these will invariably be either bare wire connections (where a bare wire end is put into a clip-type socket on the rear), or they will have dedicated plugs - either way, the instruction manual that comes with the unit will explain how.

The main DVD/amplifier unit would then be connected to your television via a SCART lead (or HDMI depending on the unit you choose) - this allows the picture to be carried from the units inbuilt DVD to your TV. Essentially, thats it - any DVD you play in the player would now have its sound played through the home theatre's speakers - regardless of whether it was a film or simply something you recorded earlier.

Some home theatres allow a further connection, which would allow you to have the sound from your TV (on FreeView broadcasts for example) played through the home theatre's speakers. It is simply a case of connecting a stereo phono lead to the AUDIO OUT sockets on the back or side of the TV, to the AUDIO IN (sometimes marked AUX IN) sockets on the DVD/amplifier unit. You would then need to remember to select the AUDIO/AUX input on the home theatre, and turn the volume down on the TV.

Hope this helps - come back if you need any more help.

[Wattie]

You have helped me immensly.Just one more question is it possible to just buy a speaker and amplifer set and connect,and if so do I connect to tv or dvd.Thanks again for your help.