The Insignia NS-H2002 home theater system is a very inexpensive option for adding surround sound to a smaller or secondary TV. How inexpensive? It's priced so low that if it goes on sale, they actually write a check to you to pick it up. It would be a good choice for a kids play room or office where you would like sound just a little better than the stock TV speakers and an extra bit of flare from the surrounds. Insignia is a Best Buy name brand, and this unit can be found alongside other HTIBs at their stores.

The main DVD and amplifier unit is very basic, with only a few input and output options. Of course, there are speaker output spring clip connectors along with composite, s-video, and component video outputs. There is an optional composite video pass through with a stereo input for other devices such as a game console or VCR. Unfortunately, there is no digital input for newer game consoles that output in Dolby Digital. We would recommend that this unit be used with a small standard TV as opposed to a newer HD or flat panel screen, even though it can output 480p with the component video connection. The upscaling potential is very limited and will look better on a standard definition screen.

The main speakers included with the NS-H2002 are small and include mounting holes for vertical or horizontal placement. We like how the sound is clear for the vocal range, and these speakers are an improvement over most TV speakers. However, as the volume increases, the clarity decreases. The subwoofer module adds a bit of bass that your TV will not have, but it does not play very low sound and also suffers when the volume is turned up too loud. You can, however, add a powered subwoofer at a later time with the optional sub output jack. For what is arguably the least expensive home theater system on the market today, the sound quality is more than acceptable.

Other features include MP3, WMA, and JPG file playback from burned CDs or the USB port on the front. The setup and menu system are pretty easy to use and configure. There are some basic distance settings for the speakers and a few audio modes to help the sound fill your space appropriately. The manual is brief, but straightforward. The included remote control has an odd button layout, but it is still adequate for running this rather simple system. Overall, it's hard to fault the Insignia NS-H2002 as a budget system and it provides better-than-TV sound with a little surround sound thrown in to make movies more entertaining.

Pros: Extremely low cost, simple setup, powered subwoofer compatible
Cons: No DTS decoding, no digital sound input, very small subwoofer

Warranty
1 year, limited