A nice home theater PC companion
356496
I have a home theater PC that I use as a media center on my main TV.  I had been using a full sized wireless keyboard with a built in touchpad to control the PC from my couch.  I had been looking for a smaller option that doesn't take up as much space as the full sized keyboard.  I got this wireless mini keyboard with touchpad to use with my home theater PC.

This wireless keyboard with touchpad is pretty compact in size.  It is about the size of Hershey's bar so it doesn't take up much room at all.  The keyboard comes with a small dongle that you plug into your PC.  The range on the wireless signal is pretty good.  I'm able to control my home theater PC from my couch which is about 8 feet away with no issues.  The keys on this are rubberized and are a little hard to press.  You won't be doing any speed typing on this, but for simple URL inputs, it's fine.  The touchpad is a tad small but is functional and is good enough for home theater use.  Other features that comes with this are a back light on the keyboard and a laser pointer.  The backlight is almost useless.  It just lights up four very small LEDs and the keys aren't transparent, so all you really get is four points of light that doesn't really light up anything.  The laser works, but I don't have much of a use for it in a home theater set up.  I guess if you have cats, it could be fun.

Overall, I like this mini keyboard with touchpad.  It is serviceable for my needs to control my home theater PC.  It's not perfect, but for my needs, it works.  It's not good for constant inputs, but for home theater use, it's fine.  The compact size is much better than a full size keyboard at fitting in a living room setup.

Disclaimer: I received this product at a discount in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. The opinions above are one hundred percent my own and have not been influenced by anyone. I only leave feedback on a product after I have had a chance to use the product in order to provide an honest assessment of it.
4958077
A great board for a home theater PC, or just a general browsing PC hooked to a TV.  One note: the system HAS to be directly connected to the TV, you can't pass it through an HDMI switch or Receiver.  It's a bug in the bios.  But that aside, this is a great little system, no fans, simple to build, Windows 8/8.1 is what Gigabyte supports but you should be able to put Ubuntu on it.  I put it in an Antec ISK 310-150 case, 1tb Harddrive, and 8gigs of ram (the max) for less that three hundred.  I added a Plugable Bluetooth 4 LE USB adapter and a Dell Bluetooth Keyboard/mouse and it runs great on a 60" tv.  I can read my Kindle books and listen to my Amazon cloud drive tunes from across the room.
1895132
This is a great little start-up home theater for a smaller space if you don't expect high-end performance.  I bought this for my mom who wanted a smaller unit where everything was built into one component and this fit the bill very nicely.  The HDMI connection is great, having the FM built in a huge plus and considering she'll never even rent a Blu-Ray disc, it's just right. Hard to find this systems in the box stores anymore and this one was the right price.
74433
This has been a great addition to my home entertainment system. I use it to control the Mac Mini I have connected to my TV. It came with a little USB extender that I can plug the RF receiver into and avoid any interference that might be cause by having it plugged in at the back of the entertainment center. The extender also has an extra mini USB plug to charge the keyboards battery.

The keyboard is comfortable for thumb typing, but I do wish the trackpad was a little bigger. It's especially difficult if I have my Mac Mini set to display at 1080p, it takes several extra swipes to get the pointer to traverse the screen.

The keyboard works great and I recommend it highly if you're looking for something to control a media center PC
705191
I am not an audiophile. I bought this unit for a small apartment living room. This is the second home theater I've owned. I had a Panasonic HT-P38, but was unhappy with it and returned it within 30 days. I've had this JVC now for about two months and am very happy with it.

What I like about it:

-Easy control of speaker output settings from the remote.

-Good bass (as low as 30 Hz) from subwoofer.

-Clear sound from center and satellite speakers.

-"Play and exchange" disc changer which allows you to continue playing a disc without interruption while at the same time exchange discs in one of the five separate disc trays.

Some issues I've had:

-Rear satellite speakers are awkward to mount due to poor design. There is a keyhole mount hole toward the top of the speaker, but there are small peg-like protrusions which will not allow the mount to attach. I ended up using the alternate screw-hole mount toward the bottom of the speaker, which looks awkward and puts more torque on the mount.

-VERY short front speaker wires. Since the wires on all the speakers are hard-wired into the cases, I could not replace the wires, but had to buy extra wire to make a splice so that it would reach the speaker hook-ups at the rear of the sub-woofer.

-Relatively few inputs.

-Poor FM reception.

So while there are a few issues I have to work around, over all I'm happy with this unit.
1947279
I picked this up on a Gold Box deal for a price so low I bought it before I was even ready to use it. Since then I have gathered up all of my components and I am pleased with my purchase. I do have one complaint and that is that the unit must be on not "standby" to switch HDMI sources so I ended up using only the Optical in from my TV so I do not have to use the speakers late at night. Otherwise this unit has all of the features I need for my Home theatre system. I have this connected to a Sony TV, Sony Network Blu-ray player and a TiVo for cable decoder services. Eventually I will use one HDMI input for my Apple TV. I have this connected to a pair of Polk TSi-300 tower speakers, a Polk TSi-CS10 center channel and a Polk PSW-10 subwoofer.
2929040
Excellent Value for a HTPC.  Included heat sink is a quality piece as well
3990562
If you already have a DVD player, or you don't want to get locked into a DVD player that doesn't have all the features you want, this is a good home theater system for you.
Since it doesn't include a DVD player, it's a lot less expensive than one that does have one, and you can get a DVD player with features like Progressive Scan to add to this great system to really make your home theater watching experience look and sound terrific.
Overall, quality from Sony has always been high, and this unit is no exception.  The 100 watts of power is ample for a home theater unit in all but the largest rooms.  The integrated Dolby sound processing makes sure that your audio experience will be as pure as digital sound can make it.  It's fairly easy for even an amateur to set up and use.  And the SubWoofer will blow your socks off.  The stereo AM/FM tuner that's included has enough presets for the whole family.  And it has more than enough inputs and outputs for all but the most demanding audio/video connoisseur.
5.1 Surround Sound can only be appreciated in person, in a room set up correctly. One of the things you will really enjoy is how the sounds seem to come from in back of you and then zoom around to the front. But its fairly small size makes it easy to set up, even in an apartment. You won't believe your ears when you hear it, and you won't believe the price when you see it. It's the only complete system in a box for this price.
I don't think I could recommend this system any higher for those who already have a DVD player and want to add the home theater experience, or for those who want to get a DVD player with different features than a whole package deal. I'm now recommending this unit, which is still available, over my original choice of the Sony HT-DDW740 which is no longer available.
4072351
Pros: Excellent small form factor, slightly larger than an Apple TV. You can literally put it in your pocket and carry it with you if you had to. Very quiet, very easy to install the components. Makes a perfect home theater PC when you add an external HDD to it.

Cons: For some reason the "without powercord" option is more expensive than the "with powercord" option? I chose the "with powercord" option but it only included the AC adapter, not the C5 connector (mickey mouse plug, clover plug, etc). Luckily I have a few spare around, but it was still unexpected.

Overall a great machine that sits quietly under my TV now.
4061251
I purchased this motherboard as a cheap upgrade to my existing livingroom HTPC which was AMD based and not capable of bitstreaming DTS-MA HD and Dolby True-HD over HDMI.  I was attracted by the price, support for Sandy Bridge processors, HDMI and no frills like USB3.0 and SATA III which I did not want to pay extra for and not use.

It was easy to setup, even more so since I also own the very good mini-ITX version and I am familiar with the driver CD. The motherboard is very well laid-out and almost spacious.  I've always liked the ASUS blue color scheme (yes, even though it's hidden away in a case, I liked it).  All the video options are covered: VGA, DVI and HDMI.  This would make a very good inexpensive desktop board.  The included driver disk is necessary and it tries to install some bloatware but if the InstallAll option is selected, on the next screen it's possible to opt-out of things like Norton. There are only 2 USB headers so I have front USB ports that I cannot hook up now -- something I should have research better. Also, like the mini-ITX, there is no way to keep the power LED from blinking when in S3 sleep. That's not so great for an HTPC.

The biggest problem I've had with this board is that with using the HDMI port, necessary in my home theater setup (only HDMI supports the HD audio bitstreams), I cannot upgrade the Intel HD video driver past the version downloaded from the ASUS website.  Except for the most recent version from the Intel website, which sticks at 1024x768 no matter what, the Intel driver install BSODs and so do subsequent reboots.  I am able to recover by booting into safe mode and reinstalling the driver from the ASUS website.  Users of other brand boards I've talked to (usually Intel) are not having this issue and some searching via Google shows this to be a common complaint when using HDMI.  My desire to update the video driver is driven by poor deinterlacing performance watching Live TV, especially NFL Football.  My ultimate solution has been to put my HIS HD5670 card back in.  If you don't need HDMI support then this will likely not be an issue for you.  It's something to be aware of for HTPC builders.  I am going to keep taking BIOS updates and trying the Intel HD driver updates hoping at some point this will get fixed.  Maybe ASUS will release an updated video driver.

Pros:
No issues with install.
UEFI bios is nice.
Board is simple and well laid out.
Excellent price.
No frills.

Cons:
Intel video HD driver issues using HDMI
Only two USB headers.
No way to disable blinking power LED in sleep
ASUS driver CD wants to install Norton and some other bloatware (just use InstallAll and then it'll let you unselect them)

Setup:
ASUS H61 mobo
i3-2100 CPU
MicroCenter 64GB SSD
WD 40GB SATA drive (Recorded TV buffer)
1 x 2GB DDR3 1333 RAM
Lite-On Bluray ODD
Antec EA380D PSU
nMediaPC 1000b case w/ LCD
Hauppauge Win-TV 1250 tuner card
3182431
Amazingly good sound, and that comment from an aged audiophile.  No, it's not true hi-fi, but it's darn decent.  Hookup is a breeze, and Bluetooth works perfectly once you get the PC set up.  Audio adjustment is simple, though there is no visual representation, and bass is more than sufficient.  The remote is a really nice touch, as it means one less cable cluttering up your desktop.  In fact, you can pretty much hide both the power cord and the subwoofer connection, and that leaves the desktop just about totally clear if you have a wireless mouse and keyboard.

Another reviewer suggested that bass is woefully lacking, which simply isn't true.  Perhaps that view comes from someone whose notion of adequate bass is akin to earthquakes and such.  In summary, the sound is very good for something this small that sits only a few feet from your ears -- clean, well-modulated, and easy to listen to.  Highly recommended.
2723643
I bought this as a first step into Home Theater, as well as a budget audiophile set up. I paired this with some Monoprice 8250 6.5" bookshelf speakers and some 16 gauge speaker wire. I wanted some better sound quality and clarity out of my 32" TV when watching movies and playing video games, but I didn't like the lack of versatility a soundbar would have provided. The amp has a little less power that I anticipated but they still drive extremely well for my living room. "Loud enough" is usually around 12 o'clock on the volume knob.

I have it set up with RCA cables coming out of the Audio Out on the TV, straight in the SA50 Audio In. For the speaker wire, I just wrapped it around the posts and screwed it tight. This is the only real problem I have with the amp, because a slight breeze has the potential to make the wires lose contact, resulting in stuttered and weak sound. This will certainly be remedied with some banana plugs.

Also, I like the anodized gold a lot. Makes it look classy. I'm going to rip it apart and see if it's possible to change the LED color though. I'd like it be white or red. The blue doesn't mesh well with the gold.
4287010
This unit check all the boxes for most people who are looking for a receiver that gives you the features and functions for a full fledged home setup. Speaking of setup the YPAO is a breeze place the mic and run the program it optimizes the unit based on room size speaker location etc. no manual setting it up unless your an audiophile and like to tweak for the best possible sound. This does an adequate job for the average joe and you won't notice unless you know what to listen for.
Yamaha is known for great sounding receivers and this model hits the target in the sweet spot clean and beautiful. A unit that has enough in- and outputs and settings in order to be adapted to any individual needs music, movies, zone 2, wireless connection, 4K UHD up conversion, Lossless, 2.0 HDMI support and more. The unit has enough functions DSP, Pure direct etc to make your head spin but, means you will find the sound signature that is pleasing to your taste. The 100W per channel will drive the average person speaker set up but, if you need more juice this has all the connections to add in an external amp.

The RX-A840 from Yamaha's Aventage series offers everything needed in an AV receiver for demanding movie and music fans: good looks, excellent build quality, extremely easy setup, comprehensive features and superb sound. This receiver hits above its class in terms of performance, connectivity, flexibility and sound quality that is usually reserved for much higher-priced AV devices.

The only reason for 4 stars vs 5 is isn't doesn't support the new 2.2 HDCP next generation UHD 4k copy protection feature which means once more 4k material is available you may suffer the "Handshake" issue with devices that use it and connecting to the A840. But, since this isn't defined there may be a work around (external add on component)
3326111
This went into my own Dell C521 which is serving as my home theater PC.  The HDMI connection carries video and audio just fine into my Marantz SR7005 AV receiver.  The drivers and software on the included disk allowed an available resolution that perfectly matched the 110" fixed theater screen.

**Some things of which to be aware - this card has an oversize, well engineered heat sink which allows it to operate without a fan.  There is NOT ROOM to install it into the Dell C521 without removing a few fins from the video card.  I used a Dremel with a cutting wheel.  I had to remove a whole row from the back to accommodate the Dell's CPU cooler and a couple of singles from the bottom middle to accommodate the Dell's north-bridge heat sink.

Also in my Dell, the extra PCI slot is on the OTHER side of the PCI-E slot.  This meant that I had to carefully stretch the short cable that connects the card to the separate VGA connecter but I got it to reach.

I recommend looking at different images of this card and visualizing how it will fit into the intended computer.  I took a huge  chance removing heat sink fins and voiding my warranty, but it is a good AV card and it works with a low wattage power supply for video rendering.
1519554
An elegant, simple, high-functioning, connected device
3316136
I admit I am a bit of a gadget lover, but that aside,  I thoroughly enjoy my DVD-50 Player, and use it all of the time.
ONE: The screen. Although the screen is small, it is bright enough to view comfortably in just about  any indoor setting, and the swivel is such that it is easy to adjust to  just about any viewing angle. The pixel quality is equal that of many  high-end laptop computers, and it offers an acceptable viewing size for an  average 2 hour film.
TWO: The controls. The mini-remote control is  functionally complete, but a bit difficult to use in poor light. Perhaps  back-lighting or glow-in-the-dark buttons would have been a good addition.  However, the size of the remote is perfect as I can slip it in my travel  bag with the player, and it takes up minimum room. It is not much larger  then a credit card. While in hotels, I use it quite a bit and feel that the  size and functionality is exceptional.
THREE: Is a laptop better? Often,  a comparison is made between this unit and a laptop computer with DVD.  However, if you already have a laptop which has sub-standard DVD support  and you do not wish to go out and get a new one, this unit is your best  choice. If you have $3000 to burn, then perhaps a high end laptop with DVD  support is the way to go, but then you have a large laptop to deal with  instead of the nicely compact DVD-50.
FOUR: A secondary DVD player. One  of the greatest uses I have found for this marvel is to simply grab it, run  over to a friend's or relative's house, and plug it in! It is always a hit  to hook it up to another's TV and offer DVD to the  "un-enlightened". Also, I can move the unit around the house and  connect it easily and quickly to TVs that don't have DVD drives hooked up  to them.
FIVE: Sound. This is probably the weakest area of the unit, but  you really can't blame the unit too much because the sound problem is  really due to the small size of the unit. Essentially there is no BASS. The  speakers tend to sound like just the tweeters from a home audio system so  the sound is very high and "tin-ey" sounding. With headphones  though, the sound is quite acceptable.
SUMMARY: I enjoy this unit and use  it almost daily. It is the smallest unit I found and offers the greatest  bang-for-the-buck, especially since the recent price drop.
3671093
It's hard to imagine that anyone could have a collection of old and new hi-fi peripherals that couldn't be hooked up to this beast.  Check out the back panel view above.  The only problem is you will need to carefully plan your hookups, because once a set of jacks is surrounded, you'll never get something plugged in or out of it (at least with just fingers).  Mine handles a phonograph, 2 VCRs, an LD player, a DVD player, and a CD player.  There are jacks available for a tape deck or other audio recorder.  All video hookups are your choice of composite, s-video, component, or HDMI.  The DG-1000 will do any conversion you need from one to another automatically.

Flexibility is great.  You can reassign digital audio inputs (optical and coax) as needed.  The rear surround channels (useless, IMHO) can be setup to provide secondary entertainment in another room, or can be used to bi-amp your front speakers.

Automatic setup is terrific.  I found that half my speakers were out of phase.  It measures the relative power, distance, and phase of all your speakers, then automatically stores adjustments.  So you should easily get extremely well-balanced sound. Thank goodness for the on-screen setup, because it is complicated.  But it just takes some manual reading to get it.

Another reviewer said he upgraded from a 1998 STR-DE925, which I did also.  I really liked it, but this STR-DG1000 just has so much more.  I'll be growing into it for a while.  A very worthwhile investment, and I see the price has already dropped $11 in 2 weeks.