Let Engadget trick out your home theater contest: winner picked!

At long, long last, we've finally picked a winner for our biggest (and most time consuming) HD contest ever. It took us a while, but after poring over almost 3,000 entries we believe we've finally unearthed our favorite sad setup around. The honor (or dishonor?) goes to reader Samuel Goldstein -- congrats! We know it's hard to imagine that our + $5,000 worth of gear will match up to his 19-inch Zenith Space Command TV, RCA VCR from 1995, recycled car speakers, or the "picture-in-picture" that is a Citizen portable television, but we think he'll manage. Watch the video "tour" of the winner's "system" after the break, and be sure to check out all the other painful entrants in the gallery below.

Let Engadget trick out your home theater contest gallery

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2008 1:04PM]

Congrats to the winner. I am infinitely jealous!

[kyouteki Posted Apr 10th 2008 1:33PM]

Oh come on. Where is my system with my Sega Genesis Tower o' Power? It's not even in the gallery!

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2008 1:43PM]

I never new putting a old clock on a crappy TV was so popular. LOL.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2008 1:54PM]

Did he pick the LCD or the Plasma?

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2008 2:12PM]

Wow, all these set-ups remind me of my grandmothers set-up.

[superklye Posted Apr 10th 2008 2:26PM]

You "guys" should "use" "more" quotations "in" this article.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2008 2:17PM]

Whoa im sad i dint win , but im happy they announced a winner

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2008 2:23PM]

Congrats Samuel. I gotta say, you definitely deserve to win after seeing how you rock picture in picture on your old TV. Welcome to the modern age.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2008 2:23PM]

Congrats Samuel. I gotta say, you definitely deserve to win after seeing how you rock picture in picture on your old TV. Welcome to the modern age.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2008 3:01PM]

Congrats Samuel!

You know, using some street smarts and basic tech smarts you can build a home theater very inexpensively.

For Example: The Pioneer Kuro 60" plasma is dropping in price because new lines are coming out. I found it for under $4,400. Then ass in a decent receiver like the Denon 4308 you can grab for like $1,800. That's the end of the expensive stuff.

Fluance speakers are very inexpensive and sound GREAT. The key is to get all matched speakers. I bought 6 single surrounds that were supposed to be extras to a package (they sell 5.1's and offer the singles to make it 7.1). Plus a nice center speaker and I spent a total of $400.

Monoprice wires, a min of 12AWG for the speaker and 24AWG for the HDMI and you can get a bunch for under $50. Literally.

Then you can get a Definitive SuperCude III for under $500.

For $7,000 you have a home theater set-up (minus the blu-ray and cable box, etc...) But $7,000 for something that will sound like you spent $25,000.

Hell, you can spend $7,000 on NHT speakers alone. If you get all the big ticket items at a decent store, you can even get it on 12month 0% interest layaway and make 12 $600 payments or 24 $300 payments.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2008 5:31PM]

I think its funny that mad mike thinks that $7,000 isnt very much money. It might be the cheapest way to get what you are suggesting, but I think to most of these people, rounding up $7000 is a huge hurdle to jump over.

Good suggestions for those that do have the money though.

Congrats to the winner! I wish my entry was at least in the gallery :-P

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2008 8:18PM]

I think the guy who lost his nice setup (and house) in a fire should have won.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 14th 2008 11:37AM]

Thanks, I was the guy who lost the stuff (and house) in the fire. I was contacted and asked if the insurance was going to replace the items. I explained that I did have insurance, but was not getting the full amount for my items. For example, my B&W speakers were to be replaced by a HTIB from best buy. And my subwoofer replacement was listed at $0.00 since "a subwoofer is included in the HTIB listed above".

After 10 months we just moved back into the house 2 weeks ago after it being rebuilt, so I'm in a good mood. I surely wish I would have won (if only for the Kuro), but I'm happy for the winner and I thank engadget for putting on the contest in the first place.

Marc

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2008 9:20PM]

I had a Tower of Power entry as well.

I am bummed my entry was not shown as well.

My turn people.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2008 9:21PM]

I had a Tower of Power entry as well.

I am bummed my entry was not shown as well.

My turn people.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2008 9:21PM]

I had a Tower of Power entry as well.

I am bummed my entry was not shown as well.

My turn people.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2008 9:22PM]

I had a Tower of Power entry as well.

I am bummed my entry was not shown as well.

My turn people.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2008 9:23PM]

I had a Tower of Power entry as well.

I am bummed my entry was not shown as well.

My turn people.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2008 11:14PM]

I submitted basically the same thing as the winner. At least I can take solace in knowing that though my Zenith "Space Command" setup didn't win, someone else's did!

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2008 11:35PM]

Way to go SAM!!!!!! Congratulations!

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 10th 2008 11:49PM]

Anyone else think it's funny that one of the prizes doesn't exist anymore? The XBox HD DVD player is extinct along with HD-DVD.

The winner now has a head start on the next big contest for obsolete technology. He can put it next to my old Beta vcr and we can split the prize.