$250 - $350 Stereo & Home Theater Systems

The Bottom Line: Samsung's HT-BD1250 home theater system has built-in Blu-ray, streaming media from Netflix and Pandora, and excellent audio and video quality, making it our top budget Blu-ray all-in-one system.

Specs: Home theater system, Speaker system, Blu-Ray disc player / AV receiver, CD, DVD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW, Surround Sound, 1000 Watt, Universal remote control

The Bottom Line: While it lacks some of the features found in more expensive home theater systems, the Onkyo HT-S3200 delivers great sound and solid performance at a bargain price.

Specs: Home theater system, AV receiver, Speaker system, Black, Surround Sound, 660 Watt, Universal remote control (Infrared)

The Bottom Line: If Blu-ray compatibility isn't a consideration, Sony's HAV-HDX589W home theater system offers a good balance of features and quality.

Specs: Home theater system, Speaker system, Receiver with speakers, DVD changer / AV receiver, DVD changer, CD, DVD, CD-R, SACD, CD-RW, DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW, DVD+R DL, Video CD, Surround Sound, 1000 Watt, Universal remote control (Infrared)

The Bottom Line: The Samsung HT-AS730's unimpressive sound quality, finicky HDMI ports, unreadable display, and tedious input system will have you looking elsewhere for a Blu-ray-ready home theater package.

Specs: Home theater system, AV receiver, Speaker system, DVD player, Piano black, Surround Sound, 150 Watt, 100 Watt, 650 Watt, Universal remote control (Infrared)

The Bottom Line: The VSB210WS, Vizio's very first sound bar system, delivers reasonably full-bodied sound for a very affordable price.

Specs: Remote control (Infrared)

The Bottom Line: While we've heard better virtual surround sound, the Samsung HT-X810T's easy setup and dearth of wires will appeal to those searching for simplicity and a minimalist aesthetic.

Specs: Home theater system, DVD player, CD, DVD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW, Stereo, Universal remote control (Infrared)

The Bottom Line: The exceedingly stylish Philips HTS8100 SoundBar packs the home theater experience--including a DVD player--into one slim package plus a sub.

Specs: DVD surround system, DVD player, CD ( PAL ), DVD ( NTSC ), CD-R, SVCD, CD-RW, DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW, Video CD, Surround Sound, Remote control (Infrared)

The Bottom Line: Despite less than ideal HDMI features, the Onkyo HT-SR800 delivers an amazing combination of performance and features for the price.

Specs: Home theater system, AV receiver, Speaker system, None, Black, Surround Sound, 230 Watt, 130 Watt, Universal remote control (Infrared)

The Bottom Line: While it's short on inputs, Panasonic's affordable SC-PT750 delivers DVD upscaling, wireless surround speakers, an iPod dock, and some surprisingly decent sound quality for a great price.

Specs: Home theater system, Speaker system, DVD changer / AV receiver, DVD changer, CD, DVD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RAM, Video CD, DVD-Audio, Surround Sound, 1000 Watt, Universal remote control (Infrared)

The Bottom Line: The LG LFD790 wins points for its cool looks, low price, and decent feature set, but a variety of design and interface miscues make it tough to recommend.

Specs: Home theater system, Main unit, Right/left channel speaker, Subwoofer, DVD player, CD, DVD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW, Video CD, Glossy black, Stereo, 75 Watt, 150 Watt, 300 Watt, Remote control (Infrared)