Pixa unveils budget 7.1
home-theater system
Pixa DVW-200
The product: Pixa's DVW-200 Easy Theater 7.1 joins a crowd of budget home theaters in a box storming the marketplace. The system houses a progressive-scan DVD player, together with a stereo receiver, and offers 5.1-channel sound through four wired satellites, a subwoofer, and two wireless rear speakers (combined in one cabinet, with each placed at a 45-degree angle). With a $39 add-on wireless transmitter, the wireless speakers also play audio files or Internet radio from your PC.

• Combined progressive-scan DVD player/stereo receiver
• S-Video, component-video, and composite-video and coaxial and optical digital audio outputs
• Dolby Digital/DTS decoding supported

The price: The Pixa DCW-200 is available now for $299.

The prospects: The combo DVD player/receiver means one fewer component you need to house, and the ability of the wireless rear speakers to broadcast streaming audio from your PC is a plus for a budget system. On the other hand, the low price means you don't get a very powerful subwoofer (35 watts), and the DVW-200 lacks Dolby Pro Logic II support.

By Sean Portnoy, senior associate editor, CNET Reviews