HTIBs offer an all-in-one solution for those who want to get the feel of a home theater. Some may argue that the audio quality of a HTIB system is on par with that of purchasing a receiver and speakers separately.

Want to know more about making a decision on whether to go for an all-in-one solution or tackle things separately?

Some HTIBs come with proprietary components that only work with the ones in the package. If this is the case, you will be hard pressed to find an exact replacement of the equipment upon failure. This is especially true with the ones that come with DVD players which you can attach the speakers to. I would call this type the “Integrated DVD Player/Amplifier HTIB.”

If you are decided in purchasing an HTIB system and desire to have flexibility for upgrades, look for an HTIB which comes in a receiver plus speakers package (A separate receiver gives power to the speakers, not the DVD player). This will allow you to upgrade your speakers in the future should you choose to. Both types of HTIBs come with either 5 speakers and a subwoofer (5.1) or 7 speakers and a subwoofer (7.1).

Those who are more adventurous may opt to go the receiver plus speakers route. This combination allows almost endless possibilities given that there are numerous receiver brands and several models per brand. This also holds true for speakers, there are numerous speaker brands and several model line-ups per brand.

When going with the receiver plus speakers route, you have the option to stagger building up your system. For example, you may opt to get a 2.0 or 2.1 setup first, then just add more along the way as you get to save up some money for the other speakers.