Holiday Gift Guide 2008: Budget home theater setups
![sean-portnoy.jpg](https://www.zdnet.com/a/img/resize/2f71aa742918273faa7c2d9209a88054fd36e252/2014/07/22/339a65ab-1175-11e4-9732-00505685119a/sean-portnoy.jpg?auto=webp&fit=crop&frame=1&height=192&width=192)
This is the first of a series of buying guides for those looking forward to this holiday season as a time to assemble a home theater system.
First up: budget setups.
Whether you need to create a home theater on the cheap, or you live in a small space that can't handle a big system, you can assemble a solid set of components for less than ever. Even if you hold off on Blu-ray and don't spring for a dedicated A/V receiver, you can create a perfectly adequate HD setup while sparing you wallet too much pain.
Budget HDTVs
Vizio VO32L For those on a very tight budget, or who don't need a big set, the 32-inch 720p VO32L delivers fine performance for an entry-level price. In particular, the VO32L handles black levels well, which is almost always the Achilles' heel of cheaper LCD sets. You also get a couple of HDMI ports so you can hook up set-top boxes and DVD players with a pure digital connection.
List Price: $649.99
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![Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80U Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80U](https://www.zdnet.com/a/hub/i/2015/06/11/09afef88-1010-11e5-9a74-d4ae52e95e57/32887130-2-440-angl-2.jpg)
Direct Price: $999.95
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Street Price: $999.99
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Sony HT-CT100 The soundbar-speaker option—where you have a lengthy primary speaker that offers virtual surround sound (and can be mounted under your HDTV) along with a dedicated subwoofer—is a chic choice that usually requires a few tradeoffs in audio quality. But that's not the case with the HT-CT100, especially considering its bargain price. In addition to its stellar performance with movies and music, it handles surround-sound processing of Dolby and DTS source material, so you don't even need a dedicated A/V receiver if you're on a tight budget.
Direct Price: $239.99
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![Panasonic SC-PT660 Panasonic SC-PT660](https://www.zdnet.com/a/hub/i/2015/06/11/572a4437-1018-11e5-9a74-d4ae52e95e57/32815239-2-440-ovr-1.gif)
Direct Price: $299.95
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Sony DVP-NS700H/B
Street Price: Around $75
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Philips Prestigo SRU8010 The finishing touch for a home theater setup is a universal remote that lets you place all of your other remotes in the closet. The Prestigo SRU8010 offers a lot to like for the price, handling up to 10 different devices, sporting large buttons a bright screen, and making it easy to set up and program.
Street Price: Around $75