MR. WOOD HOME
JMU Economics
College of Business

Macro: 200
Course outline
Readings
Study Problems
Mankiw site
Grades

Micro: 201
Course outline
Readings
Study Problems
Mankiw site
Grades

Econometrics: 385
Sample files
Others' quizzes
SAS support
Statistical tables
Statistical Abstract
Dandy data source

Ind Org: 345
Course outline
Readings
Assignments
Checklist
Grades

Online resources
Econ at JMU
Carrier Library
Statistical tables
Statistical Abstract
Data and links
Huge econ web index

About Mr. Wood
Vita
Written stuff
Econ Ed Center
How to get rich
Fairness in grading
Frequently asked
Should be asked
Just for fun
 

____________________
PUBLISHER:
William C. Wood
MSC 0204,
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
PHONE: (540) 568-3243

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
William C. Wood

Privacy Statement
Last Modified: 03/17/2009
____________________
Hit Counter

 

Home theater on a budget

It's possible to spend thousands on home theater, and to get amazingly good picture and sound quality. To me, the more remarkable fact is that on a relatively modest budget, you can get quality so good that only a videophile can tell the difference. For example, here is my home theater system:
TV Sony KV-30HS420 (This is a 30" widescreen display -- not huge, but with my viewing distance of 6 feet to the sofa it has an impressive angle.)
 
DVD Player Zenith DVB 318 (This is a so-called upconverting DVD player; it has clever embedded software that converts regular DVD's to near high-definition quality.)
 
Sound System Onkyo HTS-760 (Probably the best "home theater in a box" value at the time it was purchased, it includes a Dolby Digital receiver, powered subwoofer and six additional speakers placed around the room.)
 
HDTV Receiver Samsung SIR-T451 (I started out with a Zenith, but it failed with one day (!) left on the warranty and Circuit City exchanged it for this in-stock Samsung model. I get HDTV over the air from Harrisonburg, Charlottesville and Richmond. The 2005 Super Bowl was stunning in high definition from FOX 35 in Richmond!)

The total cost of this system was about $1700. But in economics, we understand that marginal cost is important: That is, if your home will probably have a television, DVD player and stereo, how much more does it cost to upgrade to home theater quality? My estimate is about $600. That is, you can get a mid-range TV plus stereo and DVD player for about $1100 -- and for $600 more you can make that a widescreen TV and add an HDTV receiver. And with technological advances, the cost of upgrading to home theater goes down all the time.

Want to spend less? Just hook up an existing DVD player to an existing stereo and TV. Want to spend more? You can spend tens of thousands. But if you're like me, you'll be impressed with what can be done with a relatively modest amount of money.