Home Theater in a Box

A "home theater in a box" (HTIB) is a common name for a relatively inexpensive integrated home entertainment package, usually including a DVD player, surround sound capability, and a radio tuner in one box. more...

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While they lack the features of a custom-assembled home theater system, HTIBs are an inexpensive (and generally space-efficient) way to take advantage of the surround sound capabilities of the DVD format. They are manufactured by most makers of consumer electronics; Bose in particular markets their integrated home theater systems especially aggressively, though other traditional manufacturers such as Sony, Philips, and Panasonic market systems that tend to be considerably cheaper. They are marketed as an all-in-one solution to consumers who do not want to hassle with picking out components individually or those who are intimidated by the thought of setting up their own entertainment systems.

An HTIB generally consists of a central receiver unit which usually contains a DVD player (some systems separate the DVD player into a separate unit) and a radio tuner and a series of speakers for surround sound use, generally including a subwoofer. The speaker cabinets are generally fairly small compared to typical stereo speakers, and are meant for wall or shelf mounting in tight spaces.

Some HTIBs use proprietary connectors between components, sometimes even combining several different wires into one connector, to reduce cable clutter and increase the ease of installation. However, this can impede interoperability between different audio/visual devices and makes upgrading certain parts impossible. This may also be used by manufacturers to limit what a consumer can do with a low-end model and encourage them to upgrade should they want more autonomy.

HTIB systems typically do not include a television set or monitor to display the visual material with.

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