Question : What is the difference between a Hi-Fi System & a Home Theatre System? Can we play DVDs on Hi-Fi Systems? I am?
What is the difference between a Hi-Fi System & a Home Theatre System? Can we play DVDs on Hi-Fi Systems? I am unable to choose from a Hi-Fi System & a Home Theatre System?
@ agb90spruce But Home Theatres here doesn’t include TVs or projectors or something.
home theatre systems

Best answer:

Answer by agb90spruce
What you call it doesn’t really matter.

In general, a Hi-fi system (an older term, which is short for “High Fidelity”) is usually associated with an audio system, while a Home Theater system (a newer term) denotes a system with a video display (TV or projector) and an audio system (usually a surround sound setup). Home Theater systems can be considered Hi-fi systems, but Hi-Fi systems are not Home Theater systems. HI-fi systems can be as simple as two speakers, a stereo amplifier and a CD player, while Home theater systems can range from a smallish TV and a basic surround audio system (whether all-in-one or separates) to an elaborate dedicated room with theater seating and furnishings with a built-in, high end multi-channel audio system, Blu-ray player, HD projector and big screen.

If you have a DVD that you want to listen to you can use any audio system with a DVD player in it (whether or not it has a TV). On the other hand if you want to watch and listen you need an audio system with a display device as well as a DVD player.

Hope that helps

EDIT: Sorry, but a “Home Theater” DOES include a display of some type. See the definition at the link. You may be confusing the “home theater” component sold at A/V stores that handles the source/amplification portion of a true “Home Theater”. In essence these products are everything but the display. In terms of your question, all true Home Theater setups can handle a DVD, but a Hi-Fi system may or may not, depending on whether the audio player portion is a DVD player or a CD player or a record player.