A mid-priced Panasonic Home Theatre in a Box package, which consists of the DVD player, which contains an integrated multi-channel power amplifier, and a set of speakers. The consumer must buy the television and stand separately.
A home theater in a box (HTIB) is an integrated home theater package which "bundles" together a combination DVD or Blu-ray player, a multi-channel amplifier (which includes a surround sound decoder, a radio tuner, and other features), speaker wires, connection cables, a remote control, a set of five or more surround sound speakers (or more rarely, just left and right speakers, a lower-price option known as "2.1") and a low-frequency subwoofer cabinet. Manufacturers also have come out with the "Sound Bar," an all in one device to put underneath the television and that contains all the speakers in one unit.
Market positioning
HTIBs are marketed as an "all-in-one" way for consumers to enjoy the surround sound experience of home cinema, even if they do not want to-or do not have the electronics "know-how" to pick out all of the components one-by-one and connect the cables. If a consumer were to buy all of the items individually, they would have to have a basic knowledge of electronics, so they could, for example, ensure that the speakers were of compatible impedance and power-handling for the amplifier. As well, the consumer would have to ensure that they purchased all of the different connection cables, which could include HDMI cables, optical connectors, speaker wire, and RCA connectors.
On the downside, most HTIBs lack the features and "tweakability" of home theater components which are sold separately. For example, while a standalone home theater amplifier may offer extensive equalization options, a HTIB amplifier may simply provide a few factory-set EQ presets. As well, while a standalone home theatre subwoofer may contain a range of sound-shaping circuitry, such as a crossover control, a phase inversion switch, and a parametric equalizer, a HTIB subwoofer system usually has its crossover point set at the factory, which means that the user cannot change it. In some cases, the factory preset crossover point on an HTIB subwoofer may cause it to sound too "boomy" in a room.
Features
A typical HTIB generally consists of a central receiver unit which usually contains a DVD player (some systems separate the DVD player into a separate unit), a multi-channel power amplifier and a series of speakers for surround sound use, generally including a subwoofer. Some HTIB systems also have a radio tuner or an Internet-based streaming audio platform (e.g. Spotify). The least expensive systems usually have a passive subwoofer, which is amplified by the receiver unit. HTIB systems do not include a television set or monitor with which to display the visual material or a stand to place the receiver unit on. Beside auxiliary inputs, many of them are equipped today with HDMI with ARC, optical and SPDIF inputs. Some HTIB systems are also equipped with a phono input, to allow the connection of a turntable with magnetic cartridge. However such systems are not suitable for vinyl playing as they are mainly focussed on movies and rarely for high fidelity. Some home theaters are just stereo or 2.1, but even so, they are not intended as hi fi, this is just a marketing strategy.
There are systems in this class that are sold without a DVD player and are designed to integrate with existing video setups where there is already one, such as a DVD recorder or a DVD/VCR combo unit. The speaker cabinets supplied with most systems in this class are generally fairly small compared to typical stereo speakers, and are meant for wall- or shelf-mounting in tight spaces. There are some systems in this class that are supplied with slim freestanding speakers that stand on the floor. This may be typical of higher-priced systems that are equipped with more powerful amplifiers, or most of the "receiver-only" packages that do not come with a DVD player.
Some HTIBs use proprietary connectors between components, sometimes even combining several different wires into one connector, to reduce cable clutter and increase the ease of installation. However, this can impede interoperability between different audio/visual devices and makes upgrading certain parts impossible. This may also be used by manufacturers to limit what a consumer can do with a low-end model and encourage them to upgrade should they want more autonomy.
A few manufacturers, notably Sony and Panasonic, have implemented wireless connection technology for the surround speakers in this class of equipment. This technology may be available as standard with some of the high-priced models, or may be supplied as an aftermarket kit that only works with selected models in the manufacturer's range. It usually uses a line-level feed over a proprietary wireless link to a separate power amplifier used for the surround-sound channels. This link-receiver and power amplifier can be built into one of the surround speakers or housed in a black box that the surround speakers are connected to. Some higher-end HTIB models offer additional features such as 1080i or 4K (mainly versions with Blu-ray) video resolution upscaling, a 5-disc platter, HDMI inputs, USB connectivity, Bluetooth support, Wi-fi support, Internet apps, DAB and DAB+, mirroring possibility, iPod dock and a hard disk for recording TV shows.
Some older HTIBs from the 1990s had a built-in VCR, besides a DVD, along with a TV tuner, and a hard disk for recording TV shows.
Related Research Articles
High fidelity is the high-quality reproduction of sound. It is popular with audiophiles and home audio enthusiasts. Ideally, high-fidelity equipment has inaudible noise and distortion, and a flat frequency response within the human hearing range.
A subwoofer is a loudspeaker designed to reproduce low-pitched audio frequencies, known as bass and sub-bass, that are lower in frequency than those which can be (optimally) generated by a woofer. The typical frequency range that is covered by a subwoofer is about 20–200 Hz for consumer products, below 100 Hz for professional live sound, and below 80 Hz in THX-certified systems. Thus, one or more subwoofers are important for high-quality sound reproduction as they are responsible for the lowest two to three octaves of the ten octaves that are audible. This very low-frequency (VLF) range reproduces the natural fundamental tones of the bass drum, electric bass, double bass, grand piano, contrabassoon, tuba, in addition to thunder, gunshots, explosions, etc.
A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that converts an electrical audio signal into a corresponding sound. A speaker system, also often simply referred to as a speaker or loudspeaker, comprises one or more such speaker drivers, an enclosure, and electrical connections possibly including a crossover network. The speaker driver can be viewed as a linear motor attached to a diaphragm which couples that motor's movement to motion of air, that is, sound. An audio signal, typically from a microphone, recording, or radio broadcast, is amplified electronically to a power level capable of driving that motor in order to reproduce the sound corresponding to the original unamplified electronic signal. This is thus the opposite function to the microphone; indeed the dynamic speaker driver, by far the most common type, is a linear motor in the same basic configuration as the dynamic microphone which uses such a motor in reverse, as a generator.
SCART is a French-originated standard and associated 21-pin connector for connecting audio-visual (AV) equipment. The name SCART comes from Syndicat des Constructeurs d'Appareils Radiorécepteurs et Téléviseurs, "Radio and Television Receiver Manufacturers' Association", the French organisation that created the connector in the mid-1970s. The related European standard EN 50049 has then been refined and published in 1978 by CENELEC, calling it péritelevision, but it is commonly called by the abbreviation péritel in French.
The RCA connector is a type of electrical connector commonly used to carry audio and video signals. The name RCA derives from the company Radio Corporation of America, which introduced the design in the 1930s. The connector’s male plug and female jack are called RCA plug and RCA jack.
A DVD player is a device that plays DVDs produced under both the DVD-Video and DVD-Audio technical standards, two different and incompatible standards. Some DVD players will also play audio CDs. DVD players are connected to a television to watch the DVD content, which could be a movie, a recorded TV show, or other content.
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A boombox is a transistorized portable music player featuring one or two cassette tape players/recorders and AM/FM radio, generally with a carrying handle. Beginning in the mid 1980s, a CD player was often included. Sound is delivered through an amplifier and two or more integrated loudspeakers. A boombox is a device typically capable of receiving radio stations and playing recorded music. Many models are also capable of recording onto cassette tapes from radio and other sources. In the 1990s, some boomboxes were available with MiniDisc recorders and players. Designed for portability, boomboxes can be powered by batteries as well as by line current. The boombox was introduced to the American market during the late 1970s. The desire for louder and heavier bass led to bigger and heavier boxes; by the 1980s, some boomboxes had reached the size of a suitcase. Some larger boomboxes even contained vertically mounted record turntables. Most boomboxes were battery-operated, leading to extremely heavy, bulky boxes.
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A digital video recorder (DVR) is an electronic device that records video in a digital format to a disk drive, USB flash drive, SD memory card, SSD or other local or networked mass storage device. The term includes set-top boxes with direct to disk recording, portable media players and TV gateways with recording capability, and digital camcorders. Personal computers are often connected to video capture devices and used as DVRs; in such cases the application software used to record video is an integral part of the DVR. Many DVRs are classified as consumer electronic devices; such devices may alternatively be referred to as personal video recorders (PVRs), particularly in Canada. Similar small devices with built-in displays and SSD support may be used for professional film or video production, as these recorders often do not have the limitations that built-in recorders in cameras have, offering wider codec support, the removal of recording time limitations and higher bitrates.
A tuner is a subsystem that receives radio frequency (RF) transmissions, such as FM broadcasting, and converts the selected carrier frequency and its associated bandwidth into a fixed frequency that is suitable for further processing, usually because a lower frequency is used on the output. Broadcast FM/AM transmissions usually feed this intermediate frequency (IF) directly into a demodulator that converts the radio signal into audio-frequency signals that can be fed into an amplifier to drive a loudspeaker.
Harman Kardon is a division of US-based Harman International Industries, an independent subsidiary of Samsung Electronics. Harman Kardon was originally founded in Westbury, New York, in 1953 by business partners Sidney Harman and Bernard Kardon.
Denon is a Japanese electronics company dealing with audio equipment. The Denon brand came from a merger of Denki Onkyo and others in 1939, but it originally started as Nippon Chikuonki Shoukai in 1910 by Frederick Whitney Horn, an American entrepreneur.
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An audio/video receiver (AVR) is a consumer electronics component used in a home theater. Its purpose is to receive audio and video signals from a number of sources, and to process them and provide power amplifiers to drive loudspeakers and route the video to displays such as a television, monitor or video projector. Inputs may come from a satellite receiver, radio, DVD players, Blu-ray Disc players, VCRs or video game consoles, among others. The AVR source selection and settings such as volume, are typically set by a remote controller.
The Digital Sound System 80, short DSS80, was a three-piece PC audio system co-developed by Microsoft and Philips. It debuted on the 1998 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E³) and is most likely the only speaker system ever released by the Microsoft Corporation. It also remains one of the very few featuring Philips' wOOx subwoofer technology.
Dimensia was RCA's brand name for their high-end models of television systems and their components produced from 1984 to 1989, with variations continuing into the early 1990s, superseded by the ProScan model line. After RCA was acquired by General Electric in 1986, GE sold the RCA consumer electronics line to Thomson SA which continued the Dimensia line. They are significant for their wide array of advanced features and for being the first television receiver systems to feature a built in computer, somewhat of an early incarnation of a smart TV, but without internet access. In 1985, RCA released the Digital Command Component System, a fully integrated audio system that permitted the full functionality of Dimensia audio components without a Dimensia monitor. The name "Dimensia" actually dates back to the early 1970s when RCA used the term for an enhanced spatial stereo effect which they called "Dimensia IV". The tagline for the Dimensia was The Next Dimension in Sight and Sound.
Home audio systems refer to audio consumer electronics designed for home entertainment, such as integrated systems like shelf stereos and music centers, as well as individual components like loudspeakers and surround sound receivers. The evolution of home audio began with Edison's phonograph, transitioning from monaural to stereophonic sound in the 1950s and 60s. The term "hi-fi" emerged, highlighting sound accuracy and minimal distortion. Audio equipment evolved from large wooden cabinets to compact units. The 1970s introduced enhancements like quadraphonic sound and technologies like Dolby Pro Logic. The 1970s and 1980s also saw the rise of component-based stereo systems. Cassette decks became a staple in the 1970s. Integrated systems, termed "music centers" gained popularity in the 1980s. Table systems and compact radio receivers emerged as entertainment devices, with some offering features like cassette players and CD functionalities. Audiophile systems prioritize high-quality music formats and specialized equipment like premium turntables, digital-to-analog converters, and other high-end devices, with some enthusiasts preferring the unique sound characteristics of vinyl records and vacuum tubes. Modern systems often emphasize home cinema applications to enhance the audio experience beyond standard TV speakers.
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