LG LHB953 1000-Watt Blu-ray Disc Home Theater In a Box Do not buy!!

Short timer, My LG HB954 worked for about 9 months before it became unable to play a number of recent blue ray discs. Firmware updates are no longer being posted to the LG site for this model. The problem has become persistent enough that I've switched my Netflix account from Blue Ray back to DVD, which of course completely defeats having a Blue Ray player, but couldn't stand the aggravation. The Netflix streaming works well and is a very nice feature.
Solid Mid-Range System, (What's this?) I am not a techie-audiophile guy that gets geeked out on all the latest gadgets. For example, I still have an older Samsung cell phone that flips open, has a terrible camera and I do NOT have a data plan on it (internet). If you are looking for a review by someone like this look elsewhere (CNET, perhaps). BTW, I love CNET, I'm glad these people are out there. I am just not one of them. This review is from the perspective of a regular guy that just wanted an affordable surround sound system that had Blu-ray.

Overall, the value is outstanding. You can pay the same price and get a system without blu-ray. In case you're wondering, blu-ray players also play DVD's......so you have nothing to lose here. Some stand alone blu-ray players costs hundreds of dollars (about half the price of what I paid for this whole system). Blu-ray is outstanding! It's amazing how clear it is. Sometimes it actually looks like the people are right in front of you. It's crazy. I did not realize that level of detail was even possible. So, from a visual perspective this system gets an A+, without a doubt.

This system has numerous different sound settings (concert, news, drama (which seems to be the one I use the most), sports, etc). It also has "buypass" meaning that it just lets the sound come through the way the source is telling it to (this is what happens on DVD's/Blu-rays and is the way it SHOULD come through on those because they sound GREAT!). If I'm more focused on dialog I put it on news because it uses the center speaker almost exclusively and it's easy to hear what they are saying while I'm telling my 4 year old that she can't have 4 suckers and I'm trying to change the diaper on my toddler (ie: the dialog cuts through the commotion). If I'm watching TV, say, The Deadliest Catch, I will put it on Drama because it gives the program a complete FULL sound. It's kind of cool when your listening to a few deckhands talking and all the sudden out of your left back speaker you can hear a crab pot bang onto the deck. Having a system like this REALLY improves your TV experience.
Do not buy!!, We purchased this system about 1 year ago and have had trouble ever since. We have contacted LG on numerous occasions due to movies freezing up while playing. The issue has even happened with new disks straight from the packaging. When calling LG to get the problem corrected they tell me that the software on the blu-ray is not new enough to play these disks but they do not have any updates to offer for the system. They only offer updates every few months so unless you plan on waiting until movies are three months past the release date I would recommend not purchasing this system. We update our system constantly just to be sure we have the most current software and still have issues. I should mention that it seems to be much worse with Universal and Disney created blu-rays and only occasionally from other movie production companies. Disney never seems to work which is an issue for use since we have 2 small children. I called LG and the operator actually told me "we have trouble playing Disney movies" with no solution on how to fix. Maybe they should put that type of disclaimer on the packaging. If you want to actually watch your movies instead of getting 5-10 minutes in and have it freeze do not buy an LG.
1 yr old and it lost half speaker sound, (What's this?) I'm back to re-rate this piece of crap to warn future victims. I bought it a year ago, I'm not one to rev the sound up too loud .. but the system is down to just the base and 2 speakers. I've lost the ability to get sound from both speakers on the left side.. one went out and a few months later the next one went out.. I still have the center and the right and the base. It is NOT the speakers as I tested that by switching the speakers over.. it isn't the speakers, it's the system itself which has simply blown something on one side. This is quite aggravating considering this is only 1 yr old. .. Also the sound quality is so-so.. I put my ipod on there and the sound is no where near as good as my small system i bought that is meant for ipods, that i hooked up to an old set of monsoon speakers.. incredible sound and sadly monsoon speakers no longer exist.. they were the best.. So the sound is so-so, good enough for tv not great for music and the whole product has turned out to be a dud.
So much potential lost..., Player works fine but now that its discontinued, there are no updates made to the firmware. This means newer discs will not work. They will play for 2 seconds, then freeze. Called LG to figure out whats going on and they recommended sending it to be repaired. Will not buy LG again.
Beware of LG, LG stopped releasing new firmware updates for this player immediately after it was commercially discontinued. Now, more and more new discs are unable to be played in it. I haven't even had it for a year yet! Beware of this product and LG in general, they don't support their products on the long-term.
Avoid LG, browse around for reviews of LG blu-ray and dvd players and you'll find that many people share my disdain: they stop working.

this unit worked wonderfully for a few months before it was commercially discontinued and LG offered no new firmware updates. fewer new blu rays would play before it stopped reading dvd's outright. the same came to pass on an LG dvd home theater i had in another room.
Do Not Buy, DO NOT BUY, LG is not honest about possible updates (they are giving me the run around). The player hasn't had a new update in months and I cannot play new Blu-rays, including Toy Story 3, Iron Man 2, etc. THIS WAS A WASTE OF MONEY. I will not be buying LG in the future. stay safe, and go with Samsung or Sony.
Great System, (What's this?) Connected to an LG 26LH20-se my review of it-via a AmazonBasics Toslink Digital Audio Optical Cable (6 Feet/1.8 Meters) [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging] and Mediabridge Ultra Series - 10ft High Speed HDMI Cable - Category 2 Certified - Supports 3D & Audio Return Channel, connected to cable box by Mediabridge - Digital Audio Coaxial Cable - 6ft, all controlled by Logitech Harmony One Universal Remote with Color Touch Screen.
Great system, has good sound blaancing, and great features. Two complaints-1. Sometimes slow to respond to remote, 2. wish I oculd completely turn off SubWoofer at night, rather than just night mode.
Slow and the buttons are hard to use, This home theater was easy to set up, but there are two major problems with it. First, every time you turn the unit on it wants to update its software, so you have to wait several minutes for it to start. This is a real bummer if you just wanted to pop in your ipod into the docking station, etc. The second irritating feature is way the buttons/interface work. First, the buttons are touch sensitive (no motion, no click), and sometimes I have to push them hard several times to get the system to respond, and then it takes a long time to scroll through the features to get to the one I want. I'd rather just have buttons on the front to choose my activity (e.g., Netflix, Blu-Ray, iPod, FM, etc.); instead, invariably when the system starts up it is on the blu-ray feature, and I have to keep pushing the function key (hard, several times) to scroll through Netflix, FM, AM, OSD iPod, to get to Remote iPod. It's a silly set up.

NetCast Entertainment Access Delivers access to Netflix Instant Streaming and Pandora Internet Radio, BD-Live

Pure HD Audio Performance Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD and dts-HD Advanced Digital Audio Out technology

Blu-ray Disc Playback Pure HD audio and video performance with Full HD 1080p and uncompressed audio technology

Advanced Audio Processing Technology that fits your entertainment lifestyle with settings for movies, sports, game systems

Direct iPod Dock Connect, charge and control your iPod or iPhone

NetCast Entertainment Access Delivers access to Netflix Instant Streaming and Pandora Internet Radio, BD-Live.Pure HD Audio Performance Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD and dts-HD Advanced Digital Audio Out technology.Blu-ray Disc Playback Pure HD audio and video performance with Full HD 1080p and uncompressed audio technology.Advanced Audio Processing Technology that fits your entertainment lifestyle with settings for movies, sports, game systems.Direct iPod Dock Connect, charge and control your iPod or iPhone.The Best Capabilities Blu-ray utilizes the latest laser technology, offering up to 5 times the digital capacity of traditional DVDs. More space means more room for cool features and extra content.

NetCast Entertainment Access Now buying a Network Home Theater System from LG means access to virtually endless entertainment and services directly from the Internet. Want to watch your favorite action flick? With NetCast Entertainment Access and an Internet connection, you can choose an onscreen service and enjoy content in moments. It really is that simple.

Crystal Acoustics T2-5.1 Home Theater With THX® Certified Ultra2 towers and powerful THX Certified 10" subwoofer BLACK FRIDAY

Electronic tweeter protection for safe listening at high levels

THX® Ultra2 Certified Front Tower Speakers designed for supreme performance of music and movies

Active THX Select Certified Subwoofer table with 10'' woofer and 120W amplifier.

Response in all axes for extremely balanced reproduction. Luxurious combination of high gloss and black ash finish

THX Select Certified Speakers designed for pure performance of music and movies. Dipole surround pair for immersing effects.

Electronic tweeter protection for safe listening at high levels.THX® Ultra2 Certified Front Tower Speakers designed for supreme performance of music and movies.Active THX Select Certified Subwoofer table with 10'' woofer and 120W amplifier..Response in all axes for extremely balanced reproduction. Luxurious combination of high gloss and black ash finish.THX Select Certified Speakers designed for pure performance of music and movies. Dipole surround pair for immersing effects.. The supreme quality home entertainment TX-T2-10-BL system includes the TX-T2 THX Ultra2 Certified tower speakers, a marvellous THX center speaker whose ability with voices will astonish, THX dipole speakers for rear effects and a hefty 120W active THX subwoofer.Perhaps the most distinctive piece of engineering on the T2s is the proprietary 'free air' tweeter. Sitting in its own ultra-rigid, spherical, aluminium enclosure on top of the cabinets, the design can be rotated to face the listener, making room integration far easier. Free of unwanted distortion, due its shape, it delivers a clear, transparent sound with excellent dispersion.Lower down the frequency range, T2s employ 7'' Crystal fibre mid/bass drivers that comprise tightly woven fibreglass whose mechanical properties - light yet extremely stiff - deliver a linear and fast response. The magnetically shielded drivers are backed by heavy duty, powerful magnets, delivering very high efficiency levels.Each driver is housed in its own damped ported chamber for the optimum bass tuning that can be achieved at this volume. The small shape of the baffle also reduces diffractions giving an incredibly three-dimensional soundstage and far clearer stereo imaging.A similar design is found in the THX center speaker which uses a rotating tweeter and one 7'' Crystal fibre woofer to deliver exceptional vocals.Rear effects are assigned to the THX dipole speakers, designed to be mounted on the side walls. The use of two silk dome, reverse facing tweeters immerses the listener in the action.

Bose 3·2·1 GS Series III DVD Home Entertainment System - Silver

Turn up the bass! Wait...I can't!, I bought this unit because I wanted the Bose surround sound without the rear speaker wires. Unfortunately, I was disappointed right out of the box. I had no idea that you can't adjust the bass level of this unit. Really?! There's no adjustment for the bass on a surround sound system from Bose?! Money wasted.
DO NOT BUY IF YOU WANT TO WATCH DVD'S, We too thought this was a great system... But after a year or so it stopped playing dvds.. comes up with error unsupported dvd format...and this is on every single dvd we have tried..brand new movies, rentals etc..
We'll see, I can't believe this product is still on the market. I bought one of the first generation units, had nothing but problems, and had the WORST customer service from Bose. I will NEVER buy another product from Bose. Read the reviews and decide for yourself. Horrible service from what I thought was a quality high end brand.

I'm updating my original one star review.
Big Fan of 321 (with one major complaint), I bought my first Bose 321 system about 15 years ago. I was in a big-box store, shopping for a 5.1 system, when the Bose kicked on behind me, and I thought the store had hired a string quartet. I ended up spending about twice (or more) than I originally intended, but never regretted the purchase. I used the 321 as my music system in the living room, as well as for the DVD player. I loved the sound. The DVD player could be a little fussy, but most disks played without problems. Finally, after over a decade of great service (and probably thousands of hours of use), the disk player started to give out. I suspect the drive mechanism was getting old, but perhaps the optics were funky. In any case, I decided to get a new system, but figured I'd give Bose a call to see about their options. The customer service people, there, were very helpful, and ended up sending me a brand new system at a deeply discounted price (in exchange for my old system, which they refurbish). So far, so good. I've read reviews from people complaining about a fussy DVD drive, but I've used the new 321 for some pretty funky disks and they've all been read flawlessly. The sound of the new system is even better than the original.
Good for movies, not for music, I bought this product a year ago. Before this i had not any experience in home teather or any hi-fi product. I just bought this because my wife and i saw the demo at Best Buy and it seemed really great!. When i arrive home and setup all the components (including ps3 connection via optical audio) i tested first with music from the ps3 (mp3 and aac files at 320 kbps and normal CD's) and what a disappointment!!!!!!! music sound detailed in highs and lows but immediately i felt something was missing, like the body of the music with all songs i tested.
Then tested with movies, in this field the sound improved a lot but the thing is i wanted to use this more for listening music (70%) than watching movies (30%). So if you want to be thrilled with the sound of your music i think you must look for something else, im not saying it sounds like crap, but after six months i bought a Harman/Kardon avr1600 with HKTS20bq speakers and although it is a entry level system it sound better with both music and movies, so i moved the Bose to a secondary location and made the HK combo my main home teather system.

Pros:
- Made for people who don't want to know anything about wires, bulky speakers or specific audio setups.
- Small and attractive design
- Good for movies

Cons:
- Music does not sound rich.
- for what you pay you can buy better amplifier and speakers (even level entry)
- Does not recognize DTS Master Audio and Dolby True HD
- Limited audio input connections

After a year of experience i could say im sure that i won't buy again a Bose.
3,2,1...0, Had this system for about two months last year, as a friend moved South and left a load of stuff at my house. I was really excited to try this, as Bose has a great reputation...

However, and as I said, I did NOT purchase this unit...but like a lot of Bose products, the bang doesn't equal the buck. I hooked this system up to my TV and intially was very pleased. The more I listened, the more my ears hurt. The sound seemed to lack any real bass, just boom and really lack midrange. I found when I got to a volume that I could hear all the dialogue, I was blown away with ear-torturing low freq noise that was suppose to resemble bass, but wasn't. After about two weeks, I took the system down and put it back in the box for my friend. Ironic, when he came back for his stuff, he offered to give me this system. He had had the system for a couple months and came to the same conclusion!

Disclaimer...this might be really good in the right, smaller room. And I never really played around with levels, speaker placement, etc. Sounded terrible in my living room, however.
Great, (What's this?) I Love this system and everything about it. Great quality, Premium sound and etc.. A little bit more bass thats all it needs.
Home entertainment system, (What's this?) I have been using Bose products for almost 15 years and have been very happy with them in the past. On that experience I bought the GS series III home entertainment system. It hs been most disappointing. It is only marginally better sound that I get from my TV.
soso system, We bought this because my wife wanted less stuff on the shelf.I am disapointed with it.Have to have the system real loud to get any effects.The guy told me recently ,they don't work well for home theater.The best thing is a reciever,hook everything to it.So sorry I wasted $1,000 .
I want to return these items, (What's this?) I just bought these items tw0 days ago, and yesterday they showed a $150.00 cheaper price. I want my money back. I want to send them back or get US 150.00 per unit.

DVD/CD player with HDMI output, AM/FM tuner

Video upscaling up to 1080p,

Simplified setup: Just three wires and a power cord.

Our popular 2-speaker DVD home theater system for medium-sized rooms

DVD/CD player with HDMI output, AM/FM tuner.Video upscaling up to 1080p,.Simplified setup: Just three wires and a power cord..Our popular 2-speaker DVD home theater system for medium-sized rooms..

JVC THC6 Home Theater System with 5-Disc DVD Player

Affordable system that sounds great., I have no complaints with the quality of this system. It sounds great and the disc-changer is extremely quiet and fast compared to others.

One word of caution: The satellite speakers are a bit larger than I expected. You can't tell it from the pic on this site, but without the stand each one is approximately the same height as the subwoofer. And don't assume that the elongated design makes them any less bulky. They're still just as wide and deep as other satellites, only twice as tall.

I started out with all four speakers on the stands provided and felt that they looked ridiculous in my average size living room. The stands are silver plastic, have a large plastic base, and are not very thin. I ended up wall-mounting the two rear speakers and buying skinnier metal stands for the front satellites. I couldn't be happier with the outcome.
Won't buy JVC brand products again, It's November 22nd and the Home Theater just doesn't work. The CD trays don't open. I'm going to try to get customer service hel. I'll write down later how it went.
Fun while it lasted, When we first installed this system, I was thrilled with the outcome. But now we have had it almost 6 months and we have to turn the volume WAY up to hear the dialogue. Then something loud happens in the soundtrack and the whole bloody sound system shuts off.

When I reported this to JVC service, they suggested I take my system to an authorized repair center. Apparently the closest one is 800 miles away in Georgia. So even if I ship it to them, the shipping costs alone don't justify the expense. Not to mention the hassle of dismantling and re-installing the whole thing.

I guess I'll buy something else. Very disappointing.
Very clean looking system that sounds great.,
Picked this up for a replacement for the living room stereo. Clarity is excellent, the speakers (come with stands) look great
and the setup was easy. I've had a few other HTIB systems and this is one of the best to date. The subwoofer could be a little better (6") but thats a minor issue. Has a 5 disc changer, FM/AM tuner built-in and plays CDRW,DVDRW+/-, etc.
Great Value, I picked these up to go with a new Hitachi 51 RP HDTV and so far have been very happy with the quality. The changer works well compared to other models in this price range. The system is very good looking, and because all 4 speakers can be towers or wall mounted it offers a lot of options based on your room size. I have also been impressed by the overall sound quality, although I am not someone who is super picky about sound systems.

The only have two complaints about the system. The first is that there is only one digital optical audio input, and currently I am running both an Xbox 360 and a Cox cable box that I would like to use a digital optical cable. The other thing that I am disappointed with is the remote and so far the ability to configure other remotes to work with the system properly. The remote that comes with the system has a poor button layout and when I tried to configure my Cox receiver remote to work with the system I was only able to get limited functionality. This should not be a problem since I have just purchased a Logitech Harmony 880 Universal remote, but if you are planning on using the remote that comes with the system or a very limited universal remote it may be problematic.

Overall I am very satisfied with this system and would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for products in this price range.
best product for the price by far, We did a lot of research before purchasing the JVC THC6 HTiB. CNET has a awesome review of this product as well, which solidified my decision.

Set up was a little difficult only with the speaker set up---threading the speaker wire through the base plates (it took about an hour to assemble the 4 speakers). The rest of the set up was a breeze.

The 5 disc CD/DVD/multiple-other-format player is easy to work. We are still figuring out some of the remote control's features (but we just purchased the system yesterday).

In our opinion, the sound from this system is amazing...the Center speaker has outstanding quality. CDs sound great through the speakers. The surround sound for movies like 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Harry Potter' is excellent. Even my older DVD of 'Excalibur' sounded wonderful.

Needless to say, we plan to enjoy jour NetFlix subscription even more with this new sound system and probably go to the movie theatre (the crowds, annoying screaming kids, ringing cell phones, over-priced popcorn, commercials before the movie, etc.) even less...

Again, for what we were looking for in terms of price and quality...this is the best option by far. We are very pleased.
Good System, Good Value, I've been real happy with the sound quality and the value of this system. I took off 1 star only because of the limited connectivity, as mentioned in other reviews. I bought this system because of the strong reviews here and elsewhere, but also because of the 4 tower speakers which I see as a strongpoint. I didn't want to mount speakers on the wall, and the tower speakers are not so big that they get in the way, while still being substantial enough that they won't fall over if they are bumped. If you are looking to mount the speakers on the wall, this may not be the best system because I'm not sure the oval speaker heads will look good mounted on a flat surface.
Great for a HTiAB, (What's this?) For a home theater in a box, this system I am pretty pleased with. The look of the unit is nice and the sound was surprisingly good.

The only reason I gave it 4 stars is the connections in the back, I don't like having just one optical audio jack in the back and the rest of the inputs are lacking as I have a lot of peripherals I'd love to plug all into one box.

However for what I paid for this system it's been great.
Great Features - Great Sound - Great Price, Bought for and with my JVC 56" HD-ILA (JVC HD-56G886... see my review) rear projector big screen TV, I was looking for space saving speakers to fit into a crowded family room; and not having a large budget - ruled out buying a component system that I thought was necessary to give me the sound clarity I wanted.

The front speakers on poles fit very nicely behind my JVC HD 56" TV set. The center channel speaker sits quite nicely on top of the TV screen - giving great clarity on spoken words - often muffled on other systems. The rear speakers on poles (all speakers are detachable and can be wall mounted) with diffuser tops for room sound deflection work well with the informal decor in our family room. The speaker colors and stands are the same silver/plastic color as the TV set.
Can't connect to pc, If anyone knows how to connect a PC to this receiver, then let me know...There are only 2 inputs (one analog) and one supposedly digital, but the digital optical imput won't connect into my PC SPDIF for sound, so I can't run sound from a PC through the receiver. What's worse is that the speakers are all run off the powered subwooffer, so it only will support this receiver...Really upset with this purchase considering they never provided an upgrade patch...

4 satellites, a center speaker, and a stand-alone subwoofer; surrounds use JVC's omnidirectional dispersion for spacious surround effects

Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 processing; Dolby Pro Logic II converts stereo sources to 5.1; offers FM/AM tuner with 45 station presets

Complete home theater with integrated surround receiver/DVD player, a multichannel speaker system, and 1,002 watts total system power

5-disc changer spins DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, MP3/WMA CD, and JPEG image CD for custom slideshows from your digital photos

Express Start DVD playback goes right to your movie, bypassing complicated disc menus

4 satellites, a center speaker, and a stand-alone subwoofer; surrounds use JVC's omnidirectional dispersion for spacious surround effects.Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 processing; Dolby Pro Logic II converts stereo sources to 5.1; offers FM/AM tuner with 45 station presets.Complete home theater with integrated surround receiver/DVD player, a multichannel speaker system, and 1,002 watts total system power.5-disc changer spins DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, MP3/WMA CD, and JPEG image CD for custom slideshows from your digital photos.Express Start DVD playback goes right to your movie, bypassing complicated disc menus. Simplify your entertainment center while taking your audio and video enjoyment to new heights with JVC's 5-disc TH-C6 home theater system. The system's specially designed surround speakers use version 2.0 of JVC's custom omnidirectional design, making any room an optimal space for enjoying movies and music in ultra-realistic surround sound. The system produces first-rate progressive-scan video and world-class sound from high-resolution DVD-Audio discs, which feature your favorite albums specially mixed to take advantage of discrete, multichannel surround sound.

With a total power output of 1,002 watts--that's 167 watts x 6 (front left/center/right, rear left/right, and a subwoofer)--the system has the ability to convey the power and impact of the most action-packed Hollywood adventures.

The TH-C6 supports most popular optical disc formats, including DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, DVD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RAM, CD, CD-R, CD-RW, SVCD, VCD, MP3 CD, JPEG image CD, and WMA CD. DVD-Audio offers super high-fidelity (192 kHz/24-bit) sound, providing both multichannel and stereo sound, incredible storage capacity, and unique bonus materials not available on regular audio CDs.

The system features new, 2-way, floorstanding, detachable wall-mount speakers for the front set, plus omnidirectional floorstanding surround channels. JVC's omnidirectional surround speakers feature a driver design that directs midrange and treble frequencies upward and outward in all horizontal directions, covering a wider area than conventional, forward-firing speakers. Key to this design is a diffuser that disperses sound, which then reflects back from walls and ceilings, similar to what you'd experience in a surround-equipped movie theater. For this model, the speakers were updated to provide an even wider soundfield by raising and tilting forward the top-firing driver.

Use the slim, sleekly-styled stands to hold the speakers or hang the speakers on the wall--an attractive solution for the front speakers when using a wall-mounted flat panel television. When used with the stands, the stand and speaker are integrated in such a way that they appear to be a single unit.

Another JVC technology, Smart Surround Setup (also version 2.0), makes it easy to set the speaker levels and delay times for your primary listening position. You simply make a sound, such as a hand clap, from your desired listening position, and a built-in microcomputer automatically sets the system sound levels and delay times for optimum multichannel performance.

Samsung HW-D700/ZA AV Receiver with built-in Blu-ray Disc Player

Samsung HW-D700/ZA - Absolutely Awesome, (What's this?) Let me first say I absolutely love my new AV Receiver. It's better than what I thought it would be. The sound is awesome when you are using the recommended 6 ohm speakers and 8 ohm powered subwoofer. This is a 7.1 receiver, but I have it configured for 5.1. The expansion capabilities are mind blowing. This receiver allowed me to clean up my wiring, by allowing me to get rid of HDMI signal splitter/amplifier and a 5 in 1 out HDMI selector switch. This unit has to HDMI outputs so my Samsung 46" LCD in my theater room and my Dynex 26" LCD TV in my game room can both be used. The receiver has 4 inputs so my DirecTV, XBOX360 and my Samsung Blu-Ray are all hooked up. This receiver is 3D ready and up-converts all signal up to 1080p. The Anynet+ works great, but you must use an audio optical cable from the receiver to your Samsung TV for it work properly. Buy it from Amazon as they have the best prices. Enough of this review let me get back to enjoying my receiver.
A solid performer, sounds great, looks great!, (What's this?) Upgraded from a 10 year old Sony 5.1 receiver, this thing rocks! Had it out of the box, set up, and configured in about an hour. The receiver sounds great, and I couldn't be happier for the price. Samsung is not as well known in the surround sound receiver market but I wouldn't give a second thought to recommending this unit to a friend.

Note: I received my first unit 1/7/11 and the unit was dead on arrival with a "protection error". Amazon immediately sent a replacement and I couldn't be more impressed with amazon customer service.
Had the potential to be a good AVR but it's not, (What's this?) First of all this item should not be called Home Theater in a Box but simply a 7.1 A/V receiver since there are no speakers bundle with it, I knew that forehand so there was not surprised when I got the package.
Don't buy this thinking that you'll get a high quality AVR, it's a big metal box with very little ventilation and feels lightweight compared to other receivers, the sound quality is average, HDMI-CEC sometimes works and others won't, even when matched with a Samsung 2010 plasma 3DTV it fails to function properly, speaker calibration with included mic gives you strange settings I end up doing the calibration manually, mine was defective since it worked for 15-30 minutes then would shutoff and all the speaker/system configuration would go back to factory settings.
Big bang for little $$$ -- ***, I've only had this unit now for a few days but I am loving it! I have a Samsung TV plus a Samsung Blu-ray player so the Anynet interconnection works well especially with the Blu-ray player; its very nice to simply press "eject" on the Blu ray player and watch the Blu-ray player, the AV Receiver plus the TV all come on by themselves and place the TV in the proper mode for watching.

Listening to movies in 7.1 HD audio is fabulous! ... and the other audio affects this unit offers too makes other 7.1 sound sources come to life.

I do have a separate 10" subwoofer connected with this unit so I can not testify for its overall power but with a sub, you do not need much power to drive the other speakers.
Big Bang for the Dollar., (What's this?) I just got my Samsung HW-D700/ZA receive today, and let me say it is amazing and everything I hopped it would be and more. When I first saw it, I was a little suspicious of the receiver because nothing can be that cheap and good at the same time. But everything hooks up and work with no problems whatsoever so far. It's a really good starter receiver and a powerful one at that; so if you have thoughts about getting it, do it.
Excellent receiver (NOT "HOME THEATER IN A BOX"), (What's this?) I've found some mixed information for this product online, some key things to note: this is an updated version of the HW-C700 as far as I can tell, and they apparently took into consideration some customer feedback by including an on-screen menu (even in HDMI, although it doesn't overlay the picture, it just temporarily blacks out the video to display on your TV), and including 1080p upconversion which was previously just on the more expensive models. I'm assuming that they probably also fixed some of the common complaint areas from the previous model.

This was just installed yesterday, so I can't comment on the reliability, but it seems like a solid value so far. This was an upgrade over an older receiver, so the array of HDMI inputs and video routing is a welcome improvement. There's also a "3D" sound feature that is impressive to say the least - I can't even quite describe what it does other than to say that it significantly improves the average surround sound experience (like watching TV, etc.), with this feature any encoding sounds at least as good as only the best encoded DVD/BD that I've ever heard. The auto setup feature also seems to work well (includes a small microphone that you place in your listening position, and it runs through a set of test tones to preset all of the appropriate settings.)

My only small complaint is that my DirecTV remote doesn't seem to be able to control it.
Cant beat this!!!!, (What's this?) This is one of the best deals and purchases I have made in awhile. I currently have the a 5.1 speaker setup (orgionally a 7.1 system but due to the shape of the room decided for now I would hold off). It comes with ipod dock, mic for auto configure, and of course samsungs remote. The only downside (not really one at all) is the time it takes to switch between hdmi sources is a little slow. The on screen setup is simple and easy but allows you to do just enough to make everything sound right.

4 Composite Inputs

Crystal Amp Pro

4 HDMI Inputs

7.1 Channel

4 Composite Inputs.Crystal Amp Pro.4 HDMI Inputs.7.1 Channel..

Bose® Lifestyle® 135 home entertainment system

System sound customized to room size, shape and furnishings

Our best single-speaker system provides onscreen navigation to simplify system setup and everyday use

Dock for iPod® or iPhone®, AM/FM tuner

Wireless Acoustimass® module for low-note performance

Easily connect and control up to 6 of your HD video and music sources, with video upscaling to 1080p

System sound customized to room size, shape and furnishings.Our best single-speaker system provides onscreen navigation to simplify system setup and everyday use.Dock for iPod® or iPhone®, AM/FM tuner.Wireless Acoustimass® module for low-note performance.Easily connect and control up to 6 of your HD video and music sources, with video upscaling to 1080p..

Sony BDV-E580 Blu-Ray Disc Player Home Entertainment System (Black)

Great Sound, (What's this?) This system has the great sound and looks that I expect from a Sony product. However it does fall short on volume. Setup took me some time, but it all came together every nice and now its really easy to use. Also it should have include the HDMI cable. Overall I am enjoying the system.
Overall Great System!, I've had this unit for 2 months and have used it almost every day. Picked this up after researching for a couple weeks AND reading just about every review possible. Let me first say, I was looking at all the blu-ray surround brands and this Sony BY FAR looks the best (outwardly). All of the others are extremely glossy, weird shaped, or just plain goofy looking. And the subwoofers packaged with other brands is a complete joke, it's about the size of a shoe box! How could I explain something like that to my friends??

Hooked this up to my Sony 46" LCD, ran the setup, and whala - works great. It performed a system update right away as well. The system worked right away with my existing Sony TV remote.

The picture is AMAZING - blu-ray definitely makes the difference. Sound is great too. However, don't expect the sound to blow you away or make your bum shake...it won't. If you have a large room consider going with a component setup. Otherwise, this sounds great in our small apartment.

The system interface is very SONY looking, so if you've used a PS3 or newer Sony TV - it's about the same. Streams Netflix and Hulu Plus with no problem, and I like that it shows you real-time Mbps. I do wish that you can take out some of the apps...many are completely useless and it's a bit annoying to see them on your dashboard.

HDMI pass-through is GREAT. This was one feature that sets this unit apart from the others. I like the option to be able to run my laptop, phone (via mini-hdmi out), or XBOX 360 through the system. This makes it nice to only run 1 HDMI to the TV, and now all of my components can use the surround's sound instead of the crummy TV speakers.
Awesome System For The Price, (What's this?) I just got this thing hooked up a few days ago, and it is great. I had an RCA system with wooden speakers for about 10 years, and these plastic speakers actually come pretty close to the quality of the wooden ones. The one downside is that if you don't know anything about home theater or computers, the menu system may be a bit overwhelming at first. This is not an issue for me, but it may have been for some of the other reviewers that I see on here. It is actually the same OS that the PS3 uses, so if you can get around a PS3, you can get around this system. Here is my list of pros and cons:

PROS:
1. Great sound
2. Stylish system
3. Smallish speakers that still produce big sound
4. Tons of online functionality, including a great Netflix app, Pandora, etc.
5. Lots of customizeable options and settings
6. Uses the PS3 OS (For those of us who are familiar with it)

CONS:
1. Small, busy remote that can make some tasks tedious
2.
Buyer Beware, (What's this?) I bought this due to price and Sony brand. After installing, I had several problems:

1) DO NOT buy this device to use with a Harmony or smart remote. There is no code to select a specific input (i.e. HDMI1, Blu-Ray, etc) so the remote has to step through each input every time, and does not remember where you left off. Long story short, you'll find yourself hitting the "InputNext" button plenty of times.

2) I had several problems with this device booting up. Sometimes it would take as long as 20 minutes just to have it responding to remote commands. The only way to have it turn on properly would involve unplugging the unit. I talked with Sony the day after my unit arrived, and they wanted me to pay to send it back for repair (which I was able to get them to back away from with another phone call). I held off a few days on sending it in, and the issue appears to have resolved itself. I'm still not convinced either way, but time will tell.

If you're up in the air, do some extra research and read more of these reviews. I wish I had initially.
Great System at a Reasonable Price, (What's this?) I didn't know a lot about surround sound systems. I just knew I didn't want to pay thousands of dollars or have a system that was so loud that it drove me insane. I was also looking for WIFI so I could sream video.
The Sony was easily set up. The front display points slightly upward and is difficult to see but it has worked flawlessly. It connected via the HDMI cable with my Sony Bravia tv. The tv communicates with the system to adjust volume and to turn on and off. Because of this I can control everything including cable box with one remote. I still need another remote for watching a blue ray disk but that is all.
The Sony system has exceptional sound quality and a full sound without being obnoxious. I hear things I never would have heard with just the tv speaker. The system also has improved my High Def picture. There is know doubt that the picture quality has improved for all channels, high def or standard. This system also plays standard DVDs at a high def level so the old dvds look great.
If you're thinking about a surround sound but didn't want to pay alot, and were basicaly "on the fence" about it, this is the system that you will enjoy.
Great system!!!!, (What's this?) This is a preliminary review as I've only had the system a day. Got it all set up, it has wonderful sound and many many options.
Excellent Complete Home Theater System, I'm a component surrond sound system guy myself. However, after researching a complete system for my father for Christmas for some time, I settled on this one. I installed it on Christmas day and I must say, I was impressed. It has great sound, great picture, and a user friendly on screen interface similar to a Playstation, that I think my Dad can even figure out. Nothing else much more to say, great system for the money.
Disappointing quality, frustrating customer service, (
Very poor customer service center, (What's this?) Got the unit and found out that the IPOD adapter didn't work. I called the customer service number and talked to people based in Philippines. After three separate phone calls and a final call to customer relations department I was finally getting the IPOD adapter sent to me after I send them the defective one.
I will never never again buy a SONY product- even after I complained about the customer service the customer relations man did not care what had happened. If this is SONY corporate structure I see now why they are losing sales.
Defective by design, I purchased this unit just before Christmas 2011 at Costco. We needed better sound because flat screen TV's have horrible built-in sound. The price was great for this unit because of the fact that it doubles as a BluRay player. The trouble started shortly after setting it up. My complaints almost mirror the others found here:

1. The audio sometimes will shut off completely and the only remedy is to unplug the unit and plug it back in. Sometimes I have been able to power it off and back on again, and after the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th time the sound has come back but it seems that the fastest way is to unplug it. How often does this occur? Every single day.

2. The unit will freeze and all functions will be completely unresponsive. Again, the only way to remedy this is to unplug the unit and plug it back in. How often does this occur? At least 3 times a week.

3. Some DVD's will not play the dialog in movies, only the audio. There is no remedy for this, and may not be exclusive to this unit, but rather a problem inherent to the new draconian copy protection of BluRay. More research needed on this one.

4. The display on the front of the unit is pointing at the ceiling. I don't know about you, but I'm not 10 feet tall while sitting. Worse is the fact that none of the functions that you would normally see displayed on your TV while operating your remote like volume or surround settings show up only on the ceiling facing display. It is as if total morons designed the interface.

Enjoy amazing sound quality over a big area, thanks to uniquely designed speakers that provide a wider "sweet spot" than previous Sony Blu-ray systems

Plus get new apps delivered to you automatically, so your selection is never outdated and you are always connected to the best entertainment

Built-In Wi-Fi: Easily connect to the internet through your home's wireless broadband network

Sony Internet TV: Get instant access to must-have entertainment, including thousands of hit movies, TV shows, music choices, online videos and games.

Enjoy amazing sound quality over a big area, thanks to uniquely designed speakers that provide a wider "sweet spot" than previous Sony Blu-ray systems.Plus get new apps delivered to you automatically, so your selection is never outdated and you are always connected to the best entertainment.Built-In Wi-Fi: Easily connect to the internet through your home's wireless broadband network.Sony Internet TV: Get instant access to must-have entertainment, including thousands of hit movies, TV shows, music choices, online videos and games.. Experience Full HD 1080p Blu-ray Disc movies and powerful 5.1 channel HD surround sound with the integrated Sony BDV-E580 3D Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System. Wirelessly stream movies, TV episodes, music and live sports events from Netflix, YouTube, HuluPlus, Pandora, and more. Enjoy even more entertainment using the included iPod /iPhone dock or by connecting additional HD devices using the two HDMI inputs. You can even turn your iPhone, iPad or compatible Android phone into a versatile remote control with search functionality.