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When Blu-ray HTIBs first hit the market, they really didn't make sense as a product type. They were slow, and the value just wasn't there, as it was easy to put together superior systems from separate components.

One year later, everything has changed; there are several excellent HTIBs with integrated Blu-ray available for prices comparable to those of standalone Blu-ray players. The LG LHB953 is one of the better systems on the market, and a lot of that is due to its unparalleled streaming content options--Netflix, Pandora, YouTube, and CinemaNow augment its disc-playing capabilities. It also handles the basics with above-average finesse, with solid sound quality and excellent image quality on Blu-ray movies.

Our complaints with the system were largely aesthetic; the speakers are a bit bigger than average and the main AV receiver/Blu-ray player lacks style, especially with its perpetually glowing volume knob. Also, the competing Samsung HT-BD1250 is a slightly better system, especially sonically, but its street price is about $70 more.

If you can't swing the extra dough the Samsung or don't need its perks, the LHB953 delivers much of the same performance and more streaming features for less.

Read the full review of the LG LHB953.

LG LHB953 photos

DVD home-theater-in-box systems seem to offer a lot of value from the spec sheet, but are often seriously disappointing in use, with lackluster audio and video being the norm.

So far, our experience with Blu-ray HTIBs has been the exact opposite; almost all of the systems we've tested this year offer a legitimate home theater experience. The Samsung HT-BD1250 (street price as low as $500) is the best budget system we've seen.

We were fully expecting lifeless sound after our review of the Samsung HT-AS730, but the HT-BD1250 proved our prejudice wrong, offering credible sound quality even with stereo music--a tough feat for HTIBs. Its built-in Blu-ray player is as good as the standalone Samsung BD-P3600 and streaming options like Netflix and Pandora will complement your physical media collection.

We had our quibbles about the usability of the design (although the system looks good) and, like all Blu-ray HTIBs at this price, it lacks HDMI inputs--you'll need to step up to the Samsung HT-BD3252 or LG LHB977 if you want HDMI connectivity. But these shortcomings are outweighed by the systems strengths.

Yes, it's a little more expensive than competing budget systems, but if you can spare the extra bucks, the Samsung HT-BD1250 is well worth it.

Read the full review of the Samsung HT-BD1250.

Samsung HT-BD1250--photos

Great-sounding home theater is becoming increasingly rare, as consumers move toward space-saving solutions like soundbars and tiny home-theater-in-a-box systems (HTIBs). If you still care about sound, have a budget around $1,000, and want the convenience of an all-in-one package, the choice largely comes down to two systems: the Onkyo HT-S9100THX ($1,100 list price) and the Yamaha YHT-791BL ($800, the subject of this review).

The two systems are very similar: you get a component-grade AV receiver with four HDMI inputs, plus a big, boxy 7.1 speaker system that delivers better sonics than the rest of the HTIBs on the market. Working against the Yamaha is that its receiver can't assign inputs and the subwoofer isn't quite as musical as we'd like. On the other hand, the Yamaha costs about $150 less and we did really appreciate the included iPod dock; Onkyo charges an extra $140 for its DS-A3.

While we can't make a definitive statement about which of the two systems is better for you, we can say the Yamaha YHT-791BL delivers almost all of the performance of the higher-priced Onkyo system and includes an iPod dock for $150 less, making it a smart choice for audiophiles on a budget.

Read the full review of the Yamaha YHT-791BL.

Yamaha YHT-791BL photos

Home-theater-in-a-box systems have been around forever, but the latest marketing angle is the "Blu-ray-ready HTIB." The new phrase simply means that the system consists of a surround-sound-speaker system and an AV receiver, so you only need to add a Blu-ray player to complete your home theater.

The Sony HT-SS360 is an entry-level Blu-ray-ready HTIB, complete with a decor-friendly (read: small) 5.1 speaker system and an AV receiver with three HDMI inputs. That's enough HDMI ports to handle most home theaters, but the HT-SS360 doesn't have any analog video ports, which is an annoyance for anyone with a Nintendo Wii, where you'll need to run its video output straight to your TV.

In terms of sound quality, we felt like the HT-SS360 was up to the task on movies--especially considering its $350 list price--but like many HTIBs, it just didn't cut it for music. The HT-SS360 is a good value if you're looking for an all-in-one solution and you already have HDMI-compatible video devices (especially a PS3 or other Blu-ray player), but more discriminating listeners will have to spend more if they want a system that sounds good with music, too.

Read the full review of the Sony HT-SS360.

Sony HT-SS360--photos

The Sony HT-SS360 component system is slimmer than previous efforts, down to its center-channel speaker.

(Credit: Sony)

When seemingly every home theater system is shrinking its number of speakers or doing away with rear speakers altogether, full component systems like the Sony HT-SS360 are getting ever more rare. But full in terms of speaker complement doesn't have to mean bulky.

With all all six speakers--slim center, left front, right front, surround right, surround left, and subwoofer--joining a central AV receiver, the HT-SS360 is aimed squarely at the mainstream, selling for $350 when it hits shelves in May. Styling is reminiscent of the company's BDP-S360 and BDP-S560 Blu-ray players, also announced at the show. The slim A/V receiver is a nice departure from the fatter units in current Sony component HTIBs like the HT-DDWG700.

The new HT-SS360, rated at 1,000 total watts, can handle the video capabilities of Blu-ray players since its three HDMI inputs are compatible with both 1080p/60 and 1080p/24 sources. Its audio is limited to LPCM for Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master soundtracks, so your BD player must decode those high-resolution formats itself if you want to hear them via the system.

Sony also throws in a calibration routine, a nice touch on an HTIB at this level, as well as a DM port, which allows you to connect one of four proprietary accessories, which range in price from $80 to $200: the TDM-NC1 (a Wi-Fi music streamer), the TDM-BT1 (a Bluetooth adapter), the TDM-NW1 (a dock for certain Sony Walkman MP3 models), and the TDM-IP50 (an iPod dock).

The BDV-E500W features wireless rear speakers.

(Credit: Sony)

As Blu-ray continues its meteoric progression toward commodity-hood, Sony is doing its part to speed the process by building BD players into increasingly affordable home-theater-in-a-box systems, or HTiBs.

The company announced two new systems with built-in Blu-ray players, the BDV-E300 ($600 street) and BDV-E500W ($800), at its 2009 Las Vegas line show. When they ship in June, these new models will replace the more expensive current lineup, consisting of the BDV-IS1000 ($1,000) and BDV-IT1000ES ($2,000).

Both of the new systems incorporate full-featured profile 2.0 Blu-ray players that can send the latest BD soundtracks, including Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio, out over the included speakers (or out an HDMI port via LPCM or bitstream). Sony's press release didn't include wattage specs for either system.

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The worlds of home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems and audiophiles are pretty much mutually exclusive, but Onkyo traditionally has come the closest to making it work. Unlike most companies, Onkyo tends to include separates-style AV receiver and full-size speakers in its HTIBs, eschewing the lifestyle-friendly tiny speakers that you see on systems from Sony and Panasonic. Onkyo has announced two new HTIB systems in this style, the HT-S6100 and the HT-S7100, and both are significantly more featured than your average HTIB setup. Let's take a look at their key features:

The Onkyo HT-S6100