HARDWARE
A refined taste in bombastic cinema demands at least Dolby Digital sound with its surround speakers and DVD video with its crystal-clear picture and multiple widescreen modes. But I live in a small apartment and have neither the space nor the cash to get the high-end components. Feel my anguish.
Since I got Sony's aptly dubbed DVD Dream System, I've been feeling much better. Although home-theater-in-a-box isn't a new concept, most packages cost more than $800 and still come without a DVD player. Sony combines a DVD/CD player with a Dolby Digital and DTS decoding amplifier and AM/FM tuner. The sleek 3-inch-high gray box has all the basic inputs and outputs, including an optical input for a DSS receiver, which means I can use the system to decode the rapidly growing amount of digital TV programming that has surround sound.
Add five identical satellite speakers and a matching subwoofer to the package and I'm in a state of ecstatic bliss. The price tag was close to what I'd have spent on a good AV receiver alone, so I even had some money to buy a few DVDs for the inaugural movie festival - the must-have THX-mastered Aliens and my belovedApocalypse Now. As if by fate, my roommate had just bought a Sony Wega TV, which connected to the unit through the S-Video output for a superior picture. Our AV family was complete.
In a plug-and-play frenzy I had everything set up, including the speakers positioned around the room, in under half an hour. I'd recommend the optional floor stands for the front and rear speakers, since there's no easy way to wall-mount them. The onscreen speaker setup guide helps you optimize the sound in many different room sizes, including my space-impaired existence.
The Dream System satellites handled the sounds of exploding exoskeletons and throbbing helicopter rotors with startling clarity. The bass from the passive subwoofer wasn't deep or tight enough for me, but there's a separate analog output so I can connect a powered sub down the road. The video quality was excellent, with rich, vibrant colors and crisp details.
My AV snob pal dropped by and nearly spoiled the party by pointing out the Sony's measly 30-watt power output per channel and somewhat noisy DVD drive mechanism, which makes a faint whirring sound you can hear when the volume is low. Picky, picky. I don't notice anything other than the sweet sounds of onscreen mayhem.
DAV-S300: $600. Sony: (800) 222 7669,www.sel.sony.com.
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