Page 1 of Hi-Fi`s & DVDS

Hi I`ve got a DVD and am thinking that I need to get the full potential by attaching it to a hifi. Before I go out and ask a spotty youth in dixons, can anyone advise what I should be looking for in a hifi? Obviuosly surround sound, but anything else or any tips?
what sort of money am i talking? Also to add to the confusion my partner won`t chuck her vinyl away so it has to be able to cope witha turntable.

What is your budget and how much space do you want it to take up?

Ideally you should opt for separate components, but if you tell me how much you have to spend I can certainly recommend something.

If the missus won`t chuck the turntable out (and I for one am totally with her - it`s on the way back, dontcha know) then you need to buy an amp that is capable of handling a `phono` input (pretty much most of them).

Presumably you already have a hi-fi or an amp, and you`re looking to upgrade (i.e. is the missus` turntable a separate, with phono plugs that can be stuck into the back of an amplifier, or is it an all in one job. If it`s an all in one job you`re stuffed - send the girl packing into the spare room and you can get on with building an ace home cinema set up !!!!)

Prices vary from dirt cheap (about £80 for a bulk standard Pro Logic amp, which won`t decode Dolby Digital or DTS on DVDs but still give you decent surround sound), to slightly more expensive (£120 for a Kenwood Dolby Digital, but not DTS, amp, which will also include Pro-Logic), to mid-range budget stuff (eg Yamaha DSPA5 £250 ish, Denon AVR1601 £300) to better than budget (eg Denon 3801, Sony 940 £500) to top drawer (Yamaha DSPAX1, £1000 etc, etc).

Stick a price down and let us know what you want to pay.

And AVOID DIXONS LIKE THE PLAGUE.

If you`re going to buy a decent home cinema amp, get yourself along to your nearest Superfi, Sevenoaks or Richer Sounds (try http://www.richersounds.com for a starter and checkout the home cinema section).

Once hooked, you`re stuck for life mate !!!

Just pointing out that you can buy a phono preamp stage for an amp without a phono stage. Richer Sounds do a cambridge audio one - no idea if its any good though.

I`ve not mega bucks but am prepared to spend about 300 pound or so..
space isn`t a problem..
any suggestions?
thanks for the original reply

go to www.richersounds.com, they have the following offers:
Eltax Symphony 6.2+Gale Gold Monitors+Eltax Symphony Centre £220
couple this up with a Kenwood Dolby Digital Receiver KRFV5030 £120 and you will have a pretty good sounding system with lots of room for expansion and you can plug your record deck straight into it. Connect your dvd player up with a optical/coaxial digital cable and there you have it. However I would pay a little bit more and get a amp with DTS onboard, eg Sherwood RD6106 £199.

These prices seem to be exclusive to the web site.

Hope this helps.