what's a good HTIB, one with a DVD or one without.?

This system will be used in the basement as I'm in the process of finishing the space. It's an open floor plan, but the non-enclosed room dimensions is about 15 X 12. I will be using the HTIB with an existing 36" Flat Sony Wega (yes, the heavy ones). I have at most three C-notes to work with. I will be using this "TV" area for watching movies and TV and maybe play some video games. Since I have young children in the house, the system doesn't need to blow the roof off my house. Any help would be great.

Just adding to what everyone else already knows! Onkyo is definitely the way to go. They have a few systems that would work great in your basement size. I have the HT-S780 in my living room which is a little bigger than your basement and it fill it quite nicely! I got the system without the dvd player because I already had a good one but the step up from that has a dvd player included that hooks up to the system (this is a separate dvd player that hooks up to it and is not built into it). I paid $350 at circuit city a year ago. It retailed on their site for $350 and was marked at $420 at the store location but they checked it out on their site and got it marked down for me so check online before you buy. I have my dvd player, vcr, ps2 and mp3 player all hooked up to it working rather nicely. My friend installs high end home theater systems for a living and is the one that recommended Onkyo to me so I am just passing on the favor! This system will be just what you are looking for to add a great sound to your Sony while watching movies or playing games. Just remember to throw some pictures on the walls and throw a few fluffy pillows on the couch to help keep reverberation to a minimum. Good Luck! Take a look at the Onkyo 790. It comes in silver or black and it is generally regarded as the best of the HTiB options.

The receiver that comes with this set is very capable and can grow with your system if you decide to upgrade the speakers later down the road.

It does not come with a DVD player. However, it is generally considered a negative to have a integrated DVD player/receiver combo unit. The quality of the receiver tends to drop drastically along with the power and amount of inputs.

Stick with a HTiB that leaves out the DVD player and pay for a quality player. You cannot go wrong with Onkyo, and if you dig around a bit you should be able to find one in your price range.

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