Personal home theater equipment has advanced in recent years to be much higher quality and much more affordable than ever before. As many men and women look to enjoy their time at home more, home theater equipment is proving to be a great investment. A lot of people are always concerned about the price, but there are actually some nice, low cost systems available out there if you spend the time to research.
Whether transforming your home into a theater or just taking advantage of the amazing equipment available, the purchase of one can help you maximize your enjoyment of movies, television, sporting events and music.
Advances in technology have resulted in less space needed for this equipment, while also improving the performance of the equipment and the pricing. Many consumers are shocked to learn that high quality equipment is very similar in price to more traditional audiovisual equipment.
Projectors have advanced in technology to the point where they are replacing televisions in some homes as the quality and efficiency have improved to the point where they are now great pieces of personal home theater equipment.
High quality speakers are small enough to be embedded in walls or easily hidden behind furniture or home decor. The latest models have been designed with performance in mind and the ability to easily integrate the equipment into your home.
Many consumers are enjoying staying home more and taking advantage of great home theater equipment. DVD programs making it possible to have DVDs sent to and from your home has led to an explosion in the use of home theater equipment.
Most of the components are easy to install and maintain but you want to make sure you are buying the right equipment for your needs. It is also a good idea to factor in the size of the space before investing in equipment that is not appropriate for your room size.
Gone are the days of home theaters being only for the wealthiest among us. Everyone can enjoy great home theater equipment as a result of better and less expensive equipment hitting the market.
The right equipment, a good movie, some popcorn and a drink will have you well on your way to a great theatre-like experience. Forget going out to the crowded movies and spending tons of money on their snacks and beverages, you have a theater of your own!
It's the combination of sound and design that makes for the Ultimate Home Theater System you can be proud of. A meteorite hits the earth and the walls around you seem to vibrate on impact. An explosion lights up your room like you were there. From the left you hear helicopters as if they were landing on your roof, and from the right the sound of a tidal wave engulfs you.
Wow! Is it the end of the world? No, it's just your new Home Theater System properly calibrated or set up for maximum cinema experience.
KNOW YOUR TECHNOLOGY!
New technology and falling prices make it easier than ever to have your own home cinema in your favorite part of the house. But whether your budget includes several thousand dollars for a custom design home theater installation or just enough to get started with a home system, you would be wise to buy a system which is easily upgradeable. READ ON.
Televisions
Most experts agree that typically your TV needs to be at least 27" diagonal to be considered home theater compatible, depending on the size of your room. Personally, I prefer 42" to 50" High Definition Flat Screen and wall mounted. There are three basic types of TVs, they being direct view, rear projection, and front projection. Technology - PLASMA versus LCD Plasma TVs create a complete picture using thousands of tiny pixels. They generate light by introducing electricity to an inert gas enclosed in individual pixels. Plasma screens generate incredible brightness, but brightness can deteriorate over time.
Pros: - Very large sizes possible - Great color saturation - No response time, so action video is sharp and vivid - Very thin and light - Easily wall-mountable to save space - Constantly improving in lifespan.
Cons: - Picture burn-in can occur - Slightly heavier than LCD TVs - Not readily available in sizes smaller than 40".
LCD TVs - Are lighter and more durable - Low burn-in risk - Lower power consumption - Excellent as a TV and PC display.
WHAT IS DIGITAL TV!
Digital TV (or DTV) is a recent advancement in television broadcasting and its popularity is increasing every year. DTV uses a compressed digital signal that is interpreted by a receiver in any digital TV (or by a set-top box for analog TVs) and is usually free of all interference and the types of defects that can affect the picture and sound of analog signals. Digital TV is usually received through satellite or digital cable packages, but some networks are beginning to broadcast digital signals over the air. Digital TV is not the same as High Definition Television (HDTV). HDTV is a subset of Digital TV, and is the highest quality digital broadcast currently available in the United States.
ANALOG versus DIGITAL!
Digital TV transmissions are typically more clear and precise than analog transmissions because the picture is broadcast in a higher resolution, which can give you a more detailed picture. The audio in digital transmission is similarly enhanced when compared to analog. A good comparison is to imagine the difference between a DVD and a VHS cassette. The DVD digital content is typically clearer and better. This even holds true with terrestrial broadcasts (also known as over-the-air broadcasts, which are delivered via antenna into a digital tuner). Digital signals are typically stronger and more robust, so they reach your TV with better consistency than analog broadcasts. Also many DVD broadcasts are presented in 16:9 (widescreen) aspect ratio.
WHAT IS HDTV!
HDTV is the highest quality digital TV format available today. The color and resolution are better than with any other type of digital or analog television transmission currently available. The sound can be transmitted in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and the picture is presented in widescreen. Most primetime programming and many sporting events are broadcast in High Definition today, and the prevalence of HDTV is increasing dramatically.
In order to enjoy HDTV, however, you must have a television that can receive an HDTV signal. A television that can support HDTV needs to have a resolution that is high enough to support the HD signal (1024 X 768 or higher). There are several types of High Definition televisions available on the market today.
HD Ready - These TVs have a resolution that can support HDTV, but do not include a digital tuner to view HDTV over-the-air. HDTV content must be received via cable or satellite, and the digital tuner is included in the set-top box provided by the cable/satellite company.
HDTV - These TVs have a resolution that can support HDTV and they include a digital (ATSC) tuner. HDTV content can be received by these TVs terrestrially (contingent upon over-the-air content availability). Terrestrial television (also known as over-the-air) is a term given to the receipt of TV signals via an aerial from a land based transmitter (e.g. antenna). Terrestrial TV broadcasts is the traditional method of television broadcast signal delivery, by radio waves transmitted through open space, usually carrying unencrypted signals.
HDTV RESOLUTION!
HD programming is broadcast in a higher resolution than SDTV or Standard Definition TV (which can still be digital). Additionally, HDTV's usually have significantly higher native resolution than other TVs, so overall, HDTV can provide a significant improvement in resolution over SDTV. Terms like 480p, 720p, and 1080i refer to the resolutions of TV broadcasts, and more lines of resolution mean a higher quality image. Standard Definition programming is generally broadcast in 480i or 480p, which means that the picture has 480 vertical lines of resolution that are either "progressive" (p) or "interlaced" (i). HDTV is generally broadcast in either 720p or 1080i. Interlaced scan indicates that every second line of resolution is shown for a fraction of a second, alternating back and forth with every other line. Typically this cannot be seen by the human eye, but occasionally, on fast action videos like sports, you can detect minor picture defects or flickers.
Progressive scanning allows every line to be shown at once, so the picture is sharp and clear as possible. Because of this, some people claim that 720p is preferable to 1080i. On the other hand, however, 1080i has more lines of resolution, so at close distances the picture quality may be perceived to be better than that of 720p broadcasts.
HDTV PROGRAMMING!
There are three modes of HDTV transmissions: terrestrial, satellite, and cable. Terrestrial HDTV is available "over-the-air" and can be received through an antenna in or on your home, if you have a TV with a digital tuner. There is a limited amount of terrestrial HDTV content available in the U.S. today. The majorityof HDTV users watch HDTV via satellite or cable. Satellite HDTV is broadcast by bouncing a signal off a satellite in space. The signal is then received by a satellite dish connected to your home. Cable HDTV is transmitted through a digital set-top box and optimally connected to your television via a component, DVI-D or HDMI cable. In all these cases, you need an HD - capable television with an internal or external HD tuner, to receive and view the HD signal.
CURRENT HD BROADCASTS
High Definition Programming is becoming more common all the time. Almost all major network primetime TV is now broadcast in HD, including CSI, Law and Order, as well as many sports events like NFL football, US Open Tennis, and the Masters Golf Tournament. There is more HD content available through cable and satellite than through terrestrial broadcasts, but this is changing as more networks and specialty channels take up HD as their primary format. Almost every television channel in the United States and Canada broadcasts digital content as well as analog, with much of that digital content coming in High Definition. Its only a matter of time before we're all watching it on HD capable TVs.
DIGITAL AUDIO
HDTV offers more than just an enhanced picture. It also provides for a much better audio experience than analog TV. HD content is usually broadcast with Dolby Digital sound, which can allow you to listen in a variety of modes, from simple mono or stereo to 5.1 channel surround sound, depending on the broadcast. To get Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound you will need a home theater package with an A/V receiver and 5 speakers. This set-up can give you an incredibly immense television experience that can feel almost like being in a movie theater.
Home Theater Systems are in my opinion, the ultimate family home entertainment solution.
Both Byran Kempa & Jon 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.
Jon has sinced written about articles on various topics from The Beach Resort, Credit Counseling and Employment. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Do your homework on including home theater audio and speaker. Jon's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.