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[H598]Home Theater And Sound

by Tammy Crosby-editor, Dream Designs, Tam

Surround Sound

The first big breakthrough in home theater was the evolution of surround sound, which was first introduced in 1982 by Dolby Surround®. Dolby Surround works by decoding the surround channel so that it's played back like it was recorded in the movie sound studio.

Dolby Pro Logic®

The next step in home theater sound technology came in 1987 with the advancement of surround sound with Dolby Pro Logic, which is able to decode an active center channel to its own speaker. This allowed for clearer dialogue and for the left and right front speakers to be spaced farther apart to give a richer distribution of sound.

In simple terms this technology decodes and converts two channel stereo audio from your VCR, DVD or TV into four channels of audio (by going to your surround speakers) - giving your current system the quality it needs for a true home theater experience.

Dolby Digital®

The newest surround sound technology from Dolby is Dolby Digital®, which provides six discrete channels of full range sound: front center, front left, front right, rear left, rear right, and the bass or subwoofer. Dolby Digital technology also allows for more decoding options, so that program material recorded in Dolby Digital can be played as mono, stereo, Dolby Surround or Pro Logic, or to the full 6 channel capacity.

While Dolby Digital offers a better separation of channels and the addition of individual channels for both surround speakers than its predecessor Dolby Pro Logic, you still need a Dolby Pro Logic decoder because of the amount of material that still uses the traditional two channel stereo sound (and only a Dolby Prologic can break those two channels into four for a fuller surround sound). Luckily you won't need two separate decoders because Dolby Digital has a Pro Logic decoder built right in. If you're planning on buying a Digital Versatile Discs (DVD) or High Definition Television (HDTV) than you'll want to go Dolby Digital - it's as close as you'll get to the sound and feel of movie theater without having to leave your sofa.

While THX sounds like it is a brand name, it is actually a licensing technology for home theater equipment, which is used to ensure the highest standards for the best reproduction of theater-type sound. Dolby and THX often work together to create a high quality home theater experience. In short, THX has become the five star standard for acoustics and speaker placement and certifies the equipment that is most capable of playing the best sound.

Thanks to a THX patent, sound which was originally created for the movie screen is now suited for a smaller and closer environment - your home theater. Be sure that your home equipment is certified THX otherwise you're not getting the real thing.

While it comes with a high price tag, the advantages of a THX audio system over standard surround systems are clearer dialogue, easy bass reproduction (great for action movies with lots of explosions), enveloping surround sound and wide frequency and ranges.

There is nothing more frustrating than to have sound problems with your new home theater system because one of the main components of the home theater experience is sound. Most
people would probably agree that the sound quality of the home theater system is just as important as and maybe even more so than the video quality of the system. A great sound
element can bring a movie to life right in your home.

There are many problems which can arise with your sound system. Some are serious and require replacement of components. Others can be fixed with a minor adjustment. This is not a comprehensive troubleshooting guide, but a collection of tips for you if you are experiencing poor audio quality with your system.

Although your first assumption might be that your poor sound quality is a result of your speakers, before you rush out to buy a new surround sound speaker collection, check the little things first.

The problem might not be in the speakers, but in the amplifier or the connections from the amplifier.

So the first step is to ensure the speakers are properly connected on both ends.

If the connections pass inspection, the next step is to determine if the problem is with the speaker or the amplifier. Some of the lower end home theater systems come with low powered amps. They are often not powerful enough to power speakers to create the sound you want. This may show up particularly if the room is large when the sound doesn't fill up the room.

To determine if it is indeed the amplifier then hook up your speakers to a stereo; this generally will have a more powerful amp. If the speaker quality improves then the problem probably lies in your home theater amplifier. If you can't tell any difference, then it might be your speakers that are at fault.

Another potential cause for consideration is poor cabling and speaker wire. Cheap quality can reduce sound quality and home theaters are often packaged with cheap quality cables.

If you experience problems with your theater system, it is always best to assume the problem lies in the connections between components first and then suspect the components themselves. To ensure a great sound experience ensure that everything is properly connected, your amp is of sufficient power, and the cables are of high quality. If one takes these
relatively simple precautions a great deal of frustration can be avoided. If your home theater's sound isn't where you need it to be, use those hints as a blueprint as you analyze your system. If it really is time to look for new components, consider those directives as you make your next purchase.

Article written by Jason Allen.

Article Source : Pg. 142

About Author

Both Tammy Crosby-editor, Dream Designs & Bivan Dense are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Tammy Crosby-editor, Dream Designs has sinced written about articles on various topics from Bathroom Home Improvement, Home Management and Kitchen Home Improvement. . Tammy Crosby-editor, Dream Designs's top article generates over 4400 views. to your Favourites.

Bivan Dense has sinced written about articles on various topics from Gifts for loved ones, Information Technology and Gifts for loved ones. Author Bio::------------Jason Allen. Bivan Dense's top article generates over 1500000 views. to your Favourites.