Secret #1:

WHAT YOU BUY TODAY WILL BE OBSOLETE TOMORROW, IF IT ISN’T ALREADY

What you should do about it: Don’t sweat it. Just read what you can before you buy to educate yourself so you don’t make a terrible mistake. If you shop wisely, you can get a tremendous leap over what you have come to know as television.

The good news is the better stuff coming down the pipe is knocking prices down on the stuff out now. Plus, consumer surveys SCREAM to the electronics companies that people WANT these new, slim, high resolution Home Theater setups. There are billions of dollars to be made. Those surveys snapped the head of every exec in the biz. They geared up to make more. “Make more” equals “economies of scale” equals “make MORE money,” even at lower price points! The first one costs a bazillion dollars: research, tooling up, marketing. Then, with volume, the cost per unit plummets. The guys who want to have very latest get to pay the most. Why be that person?

If you’ve already purchased a particular technology – Plasma, DLP, LCD, front or rear projector, whatever, ENJOY it. It IS important to realize that wide screen aspect ratio does not equal high-definition TV, though. Some think if the picture is wide, they’re there. That might be FAR from there. I hate to say this because I’m a guy and guys hate this – you might want to read the instructions.

Secret #2:

(And this is really, really big) YOU CAN’T TELL WHAT THE PICTURE LOOKS LIKE FROM WHAT YOU SEE IN THE STORE

What you should do about it: What you are doing now, research! The hard part is cutting through the opinions of weenies who want to see a feather clearly, blowing in the wind at 50 yards. I’ll help you there. Read on.

There are three reasons why Home Theater Ugly Secret #2 is true.

1- The sets aren’t adjusted right. They are turned way up to dazzle you. The dazzle will bother you when you get home. Worse, it drives the set to what you’d call distortion. The better picture happens when the picture is turned down in brightness, sharpness, contrast, and whatever else has been goosed. Why do they let this happen? It’s like a conspiracy that everyone is in on – except you. Because when they are all lined up, 40 sets in a row, the manufacturers know you might think theirs is different and better. But they ALL do it, so it’s a wipe. And if a store is a little bit shady, with some hi-def sets to move at a higher profit margin, well, now, those might have been “optimized” to look better than the others. Yes, most of the hi-def sets CAN be adjusted correctly for you in your home. MAYBE by you. Did I mention that Bubba the shopper-doofus was there, just before you browsed in, that he found the remote control and screwed up all the settings anyway? So, you can’t trust what you see in most stores. But wait, there’s more.

2- Many of the sets are being fed video poorly. A distribution amp or humungous splitter shares the picture among the displays. That hurts the picture. A store might have 40 sets on one distribution, but the ones they really want to move on a purer source, showing a better picture. You’ll never know.

3- What you see may or may not be high definition or even good quality. Just as bad, it might be super fidelity you won’t likely ever see again. Because, what you watch at home might not be broadcast or cablecast with a good picture. So, you can see misaligned sets fed bad pictures that bear little resemblance to anything you’d see at home. Ready to drop several THOUSAND on that? Didn’t think so. But tens of thousands of people do. Probably WILL this weekend. Eager commissioned salespeople will confide that THIS unit is the superior one. No hidden agenda there, do you think, huh?!

Secret #3:

THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH EVERYTHING

What you should do about it: Relax. Don’t obsess. It’s more a matter of things being done different ways by different designers. For example, on this set, the colors are spot on, but the resolution is a little off. On that set over there, the resolution is incredible, but the red… You are still going to love the setup you buy – and remember – you just might have it for 10 years or MORE! You’ll look at it more than you look at your wife, husband or kids. I’m talking face time. Relax. We’ll get you through this.

A personal note to THE OBSESSIVES: If you haven’t already left this article, I want you to think about the fact that there are millions of screen dots to go wrong. Not that they will, but the 317th one from the left and 119th from the bottom IS a little shaky, don’t you think? Time to take a deep breath. One, two, three. Exhale. Even though there’s something wrong with everything, if you embrace that thought and LET IT GO you’ll be able to enjoy the – uh – big picture. The state of the Home Theater art – even if it IS yesterday’s art, is very, very nice. Relax.

Why a Home Theater? And what’s it MEAN anyway? Good questions. A Home Theater is simply the natural; evolution of the TV experience. Now that we can, we do. It’s how it goes. Basically, you get a shorter, wider picture (more like a movie in a… theater) and the picture is much clearer than the TV you sat too close to as a kid – remember Mom yelling? And you can have better sound too. It can be all around you, or just in the front. You choose. You can have a box that plays the deep notes – fun things like car crashes, earthquakes, whale farts, cannons. You get to experience them like never before. It’s not essential, but it’s there if you want it.

A Home Theater is just like going to the movies. Except the screen isn’t that big, but you can get a good seat. You don’t have to endure advertisements in the ‘pre-show entertainment’ if you don’t want to. You can go to the bathroom and touch the door handle on the way out. No paying $6.75 for a bag of stale popcorn. No popcorn bagging zomboid teenagers. No lines. No sticky floors (unless that’s the way you live, not that there’s anything wrong with that.)

There. Now you know the top 3 Ugly Home Theater secrets. But, it isn’t quite that simple…

At http://www.GreatHomeTheater.com/ there are 9 more secrets revealed. I promise you won’t get neurotic or get your hands dirty, and I won’t talk you out of what can be a tremendous and highly enjoyable leap forward in home entertainment.

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A good quality “home theater in a box” can be had for as little as $750 now days and will provide an obvious increase in viewing pleasure. Because of the volume and recent price drops, many people are now taking into account Home Theater Design.

“Surround Sound Wiring” is possibly the most difficult part. Did you know there are many types of speaker wire that you can use? Speaker Wire can be had in many gauges, shapes, and lengths. You can find Flat Speaker Wire, or Round Speaker Wire. The surround sound wiring you plan to do can make a big difference on what type you chose to use. If you plan to run your wire through the walls, using a less expensive round speaker wire is fine. The only downfall to running it through the walls is that if you don’t plan for it ahead of time, you will find yourself constantly running into unexpected headaches while trying to drill holes and whatnot. However, when it is all said and done a good quality Audio Video Wall Plate will really clean up your project and leave you with a professional finish. If you still perfer round speaker wire, but don’t want to drill, you can now use a special crown molding thats designed to run speaker wire through it. This will allow you to run speaker wire through your entire home theater, exposing a minimum amount of wire. Be warned, however, that this is not cheap. It does provide another benefit though. The beauty of crown molding throughout your home theater will be sure to get attention. Another option, is flat speaker wire. Invisiwire is just that. You can run it under carpeting or other floor times, or right up your wall. If you run it up the wall, simply paint over it for a camoflauged look. It’s not 100% hidden, but it’s definitely less noticeable and a big help overall. Especially if you aren’t comfortable with drilling holes in your wall.

The last thing to consider when you start your surround sound wiring is the location of the speakers. The average 5.1 surround sound setup has 6 speakers. A Center Channel, two front speakers, two rear speakers, and one sub woofer. Because bass is non direction you can locate the sub anywhere. However, there are some suggestions for the remaining 5. Locate the center where the tv is. preferrably just below it, but if your tv already sits low, than just above it is acceptable. The two fronts should be right around ear level (when you are sitting) on either side of the tv. It’s okay to move them around a bit to find out exactly how far from the tv you want them. When sounds are buzzing through your room you want to be able to distinguish a difference from dead center to far right, this will make viewing more enjoyable and cinematic. The rears should be above ear level by 12 to 36 inches. Now that is quite a variable. Most settle in around 24 inches. Again, I would suggest using this as a guide line and moving them around a bit until you find the sound that suits you the best.

“Home Theater Design” and “Surround Sound Wiring” are more of an art than anything. You can buy all the right products, and follow all the guidelines, but when it comes down to it… you need to make sure it fits your viewing habits. With a little practice and some fine tuning, you’ll get it just right and you’ll never want to change it!

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1. Most readers won’t expect this, but first of all, you do need to get your immediate family’s agreement to have a home theater right in their midst. Decide whether it’s OK to install the system in the living room, or have a separate room dedicated for a most complete TV watching experience while disturbances to other members are minimized.

2. There are 2 main types of flat, high-definition TV: plasma and LCD. Plasma is made for larger size and pricing is currently competitive with LCD, which can cost as cheaply as less than a thousand. Plasma is the main choice for a TV in a home theater context since LCD TVs have a size limitation.

3. How could you do without a video source? That’s the DVD or Blu-ray player. Unless you are a discerning aficionado, you’ll be spoiled for choice as more advanced technology and decreasing cost continue to impact the market. Almost all come with Dolby® Digital Surround sound (EX 6.1).

4. Now that TV and, in the future, some radio broadcasts are expected to ‘port’ into the digital format in the future, the broadcast material will be encoded with surround sound instructions. A receiver takes advantage by accessing and decoding these instructions to give you superb sounds. Surround sound currently comes in the multi-channel formats of Dolby® Digital EX 6.1 or THX Surround EX™ 6.1, DTS, AC-3, etc. Receivers can connect to most types of players and handle their respective media, including VCR or HiFi and the latest ones are designed to be forward-compatible with future standards and formats. Also, some DVD players have built-in receiver capabilities, and this is great for those looking to do more with less.

5. Speakers usually come in sets of 5: 3 in the front (left, right, center) and 2 at the back (left, right). Check with your dealer that the right speaker is placed for the right position because spoken dialogue and sound effects are handled differently. Note that “surround sound” means separate speakers can play different sounds at the same time. The subwoofer is a different animal as it’s in charge of processing low frequency sounds which gives you “deep boom-boom bass”. It adds an unexpected dimension to a movie which you would not have ‘heard’ otherwise.

6. Get the right cables; that means good quality ones. Having the latest equipment is pointless if lousy cables are used for connection as they naturally degrade whatever electrical signals that come through them.

7. Check how you can make your home theater lightning-proof or safe against power surges. You can safeguard your equipment once you take certain precautions. Ask for professional advice. These are just general guidelines for you to refer, but you can take it from here to build your further interest in home theater equipment or home electronics. If possible, ask for a test at your dealership to get yourself familiarized with the quality you desire. Ask your dealer to help define a proper checklist of things you are looking for to gain clarity. The more ticks you can make on paper, the clearer your mind gets.

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There are ways to get the most out of what you have without breaking the bank. There are several areas you can look at to ensure your theater is set up correctly and performing at its best.

Cables and Interconnects – It’s imperative the signals are transferred from your source components to your speakers, going through various components along the way, with the least amount of degradation. Make sure your audio, video and speaker cables are all of good quality and that none are old and corroded. You can use contact enhancer to be sure the connection is really good. If you need any quality cables, check here: http://1touchmovie.com/blockbuster/BetterCables.html Make sure to use the highest level of A/V connection your system supports. i.e. if you can use a component or DVI video connection from your DVD to your display device then do it.

Calibration – Your video display will definitely not look its best without proper calibration. Manufacturers have a dismal record when it comes to calibrating sets at the factory. Most are TVs designed to look their best on the showroom floor, not in your home theater. In fact, a CRT based rear projection TV can have its life dramatically shortened by improper calibration.

The contrast is invariably set too high to make the set stand out in the showroom environment. This sells more TVs but causes premature tube wear. (That sells more TVs too, I guess) Proper video calibration will correct the problem. I have used Joe Kane’s Digital Video Essentials for years and the Video Essentials laser disc before that. It is a great tool to help you get the best out of your home theater. Pick one up here: http://1touchmovie.com/DVDOnline/Digital_Video_Essentials.html

Acoustic Improvements – These encompass a whole host of different things, from acoustically treating the interior of the room, to quieting down your projector. Whenever you lower your noise floor, you effectively increase your dynamic range. In addition, acoustic treatments can dramatically improve dialogue intelligibility, bass response and imaging.

One of the best in the “bang for the buck” category is to put a 1” or 2” thick, acoustic panel on the two side walls of the theater to reduce the “first reflection”. The first reflection is the sound that leaves the front speaker and takes a longer path to your ears by bouncing off the side wall on the way. Since it takes a longer path, it takes more time and arrives later than the direct sound that went straight from the speakers to your ears. The net effect is a loss of dialog intelligibility.

To find the correct placement for the acoustic material, sit at the listening position, place a small mirror on the side wall and move it until you can see the front speaker. When you can, that is the spot to center the acoustic panel.

Another, even cheaper, tweak is to optimize your subwoofer placement. For years people have been told “Bass is non-directional. You can put your sub anywhere”. That is, simply, BS. While low bass is fairly non-directional, the tonal quality and amount of bass is tremendously affected by subwoofer placement. A simple trick is to place the sub at the listening position (at ear height), then move around the room (at sub height) until you find the place with the best bass quality. If possible, that’s where you put the sub.

You can build a hush box around your projector to minimize noise from it. Make sure you use adequate ventilation to maintain proper cooling. That cannot be emphasized enough. As a partial measure, without having to build a whole box, you can place acoustic absorption material on the ceiling above the projector. If your projector is close to the ceiling, this will kill the noise that normally bounces off the ceiling and into the listening room.

I hope this gets you started down the path to even more enjoyment from your home theater and saves you some money at the same time.

Steve Faber has almost 15 years in the custom installation industry. He is a CEDIA certified designer and Installer 2 with certifications from both the ISF and THX. His experience spans many facets of the industry, from the trenches as an installer and control systems programmer, and system designer, to a business unit director for a specialty importer of high end audio video equipment, a sales rep for a large, regional consumer electronics distributor, and principal of a .5M+ custom installation firm. He currently is senior sales engineer for Digital Cinema Design in Redmond, WA.

He is on the web at http://www.1touchmovie.com

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You’ve been hearing a lot about “Home Theater”, and both your neighbor and your brother-in-law have the huge, new, big screen TVs, powerful surround receivers, and gargantuan speakers to shake the entire house. The kids are begging for a similar system, but your spouse is saying “no” to remodeling the front room for a wall full of techno gadgets.

So, how do you keep everyone happy? Perhaps the answer lies in a home theater system. Whether you are considering a home theater-in-a-box for about $500, or are adding a entire room to house your $50,000 (and up) state-of-the-art equipment, there are hundreds of options and choices in the design and construction of your ultimate home cinema. Home theater design has reached record levels of stylishness and complexity.

Having a private theater used to mean you were either a wealthy celebrity, CEO of Paramount Pictures, or president of the United States. Today, however, with the advanced audio-visual technology (think DVD players, powerful new speakers, and digital high-definition projectors) nearly everyone can afford a stylish home entertainment environment that can rival your local movie theater.

The term “home theater” refers to any combination of audio and visual equipment in your home that attempts to duplicate or surpass the sights and sounds of the movie theater experience. This definition can vary widely, however. On the high end, you can have a custom designed (and built) home theater that costs thousands of dollars–complete with high end video projector, state-of-the-art DVD player(s), separate amplifiers for each channel, dozens of in-ceiling speakers and some subwoofers that can shake the paint off your neighbor’s garage.

In reality, home theater in most households does not consist of major room re-modeling, expensive custom installations, or a lot of money. It can be as simple as a 27 inch TV, a basic DVD player, inexpensive stereo receiver and a set of modest speakers. You can have a home theater in just about any room of the house, a small apartment, office or even a dorm room. The options are nearly endless and the choices are yours!

Any home theater starts with a fantastic television screen. Screen size is no longer the only choice you have to make. You now have the option of standard tube televisions, flat-screen plasma, LCD or LED displays, rear-projection televisions, in addition to the high-end front projector systems and pull-down wall screens. To add to the confusion, each of these types of screens is available in standard quality or the new high-definition format.

The second, and some would say most important piece of equipment, is the sound system. If you are truly looking to recreate the movie sound in your home, surround sound is your best bet. It is a recording technique that, when paired with a speaker system, puts the viewer in the center of the action with sounds that move front to back, and side to side. It is not about louder sound, rather, it is about sound that envelops the listener and provides directionality to off-screen sound effects.

A media player is another component to your system, and most people today choose DVD or Blu-ray as their preferred format. When connected to a receiver and speakers, or when connected to a home theater system, most DVD players can play audio CDs. If you plan to use your DVD player to play CDs on a regular basis, you may want to consider a multidisc player over a single disc model.

Other necessities and accessories range from surge protection/power conditioners, speaker choices, lighting controls, auto-retracting curtain (to conceal the screen), and certainly comfortable seating. Seating choices, like everything else, vary widely. Your biggest decision in this area is whether you want your home theater to look like a “home” or a “theater.” If you want the miniature theater look, you can get stadium type seating that closely resembles your local theater. For a more “homey” look, you may wish to go with more traditional armchairs.

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Okay, now your all set and you enter the appropriate theater room and find your seat. The movie begins and here come the distractions. You have all the people straggling in that are late, fumbling around in the dark trying to find their seat, you have the whisperers, the plastic crinklers, the cell phone talkers … I think you get the point. By the way, I didn’t even mention the price of admission. Where I am from, it costs about 15 US Dollars per person. Bring your significant other, kids or whoever else and thow in the cost of snacks ….. This is Big Bucks!

I don’t go to the theater anymore, because now I have brought the theater to me. Yes, anytime I want to enjoy the movie experience (without the above aggravations), I simply change into my most comfortable lounging outfit and take the long trip down 13 steps into my gameroom , which I have transformed into a home theater. The advantages are unbelievable. I don’t have to drive anywhere, worry about parking, or deal with annoying people anymore. If I need to stop the movie to use the restroom or fix a quick snack, I just pause the movie and go do my thing.Yes, I still need to spend money on movies, but the prices of DVD’s have dropped tremendously and you can find many good deals on used DVD’s, which are just as good as a brand new one. Even the cost of a rental is at least half that of a theater ticket.

Don’t get me wrong, your going to have to shell out some bucks, but you can put together a decent set up for much less that you think. Basically, you need a flat screen tv and a surround system and you are good to go. How fancy you want to get all depends on your budget, but trust me, it will be a great investment in the long run. Don’t forget to keep all this in mind the next time your sitting at the theater and the kid next to you starts screaming out in the middle of the movie and the two teenagers in front of you won’t shut up.

About the author:
Reggie Dunn is a long time movie buff.

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How Digital Coaxial Cable Works

Digital coaxial cables employ the same principles as other coaxial cables. The inner conducting layer is surrounded by an outer conductor as well as the rubbery insulating layer outside the cable. The digital signal is sent through the inner conductor as it travels between components. During the course of its transmission, the signal routinely comes in contact with the outer conductor. The outer conductive layer is created with materials that act as a reflector for the signal, thereby bouncing it back off of its surface. The signal will continue to reflect within the confines of inner conductor until it reaches the receiving component.

Dedicated to Digital Audio

Digital coaxial cable has only one purpose; to deliver digital audio between components. This is in complete contrast to RF coaxial cable which transmits both video and audio along the same path. As you may suspect, dedicating the entire bandwidth of the cable to sending only digital audio has excellent ramifications for your home theater’s sound quality. This practice results in greater signal fidelity between the transmitting device and the receiving component. Greater signal fidelity means that the sound you hear from your home theater speakers will be truer to the way the sound was originally recorded.

Benefits of Digital Coaxial Cables

Digital coaxial cable also has another benefit related to its dedication to digital audio. In the manner that signal transmission usually takes place, the digital signal from the source, a DVD for example, is sent to a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The signal is converted to analog and sent through the given cable where it reaches the receiving component on the other side. This component uses an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to reconstruct the digital signal as closely as possible. During this process, errors and variations can be introduced to the signal resulting in audible artifacts and distortions that diminish your home theater’s sound quality.

Unlike with other audio cables, digital coaxial cable can transmit digital signals along its length without the need to convert to analog. Digital coaxial cable is capable of by-passing this process and delivers a cleaner signal to your home theater receiver.

Applications of Digital Coaxial Cables

Connections for digital coaxial cables can be found on everything from DVD players to home theater receivers. If it uses digital audio, then chances are there is a manufacturer who has made that component with digital coaxial cables in mind.

About the Author

Jon Martin is the Webmaster of the Home Theater Accessories Resource. The Home Theater Accessories Resource is your guide to home theater accessories.

This article came from the Connecting Home Theater Components section of the site.

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Installing a home theater is a big decision and requires careful planning. Luckily there are a number of resources around to help you and you needn’t be a technical expert or a hi-fi buff to get the job done.

One of the first decisions you’ll need to make before you set about installing a home theater is whether your going to dedicate a whole room to the theater or whether it will share a space with a lounge, dining room, or office. Having a dedicated room allows you to position seating and speakers in the optimum position and you can seriously consider a projector and screen without it looking as out of place as it might in your living room.

Obviously budget is another consideration and this will dictate which equipment you buy initially and what you save for another day. As a bare minimum you’ll want a DVD player, widescreen television, and a surround sound audio amplifier and speakers. We’d recommend opting for a DVD recorder like this one from Phillips, or this from Panasonic. They’re obviously more expensive than a DVD player, but will give you much greater flexibility. And don’t forget to budget for cabling, its a very important part of installing a home theatre and one that’s often overlooked.

You’ll also want to think about the interior design of a dedicated home theater room and of course the seating is all important. You’re going to spend hours and hours watching movies and the last thing you need is uncomfortable seats.

Kenny Hemphill is the editor and publisher of The HDTV Tuner, a site which aims to cut through the confusion surrounding HDTV and provide surfers with up to date, accurate and easy to read information on HDTV.

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A home theater project isn’t just for showing movies at home. While videotapes and DVD’s can look amazing when viewed through a home theater projector, television programs, sporting events and even video games viewed through a projector are incredibly entertaining. The price of home theater projectors is very attractive when compared to the latest in big screen televisions and plasma TVs. A home theater project can provide the larger view of television programming often for thousands of dollars less than large televisions.

There are a number of different home theater projectors available to choose from to provide the exact viewing experience each individual desires in their home. It is important to keep in mind when deciding to purchase a home theater projector for the home that it will require a relatively darkened room in order for the images to be seen clearly. Many people can remember seeing the older reel-to-reel projectors that their parent’s showed home movies on for years. Today’s home theater projectors have incorporated digital technology into their design in order to be of a smaller size than traditional projectors and to be able to adjust settings for the perfect image.

Today’s home theater projectors project the light that displays images a number of different ways including the use of a liquid crystal display (LCD), mirrors or a combination of both. Home theater projectors that use a LCD is more likely to be less expensive than other models that use a combination of projection techniques. The most expensive type of home theater projector uses something called Liquid Crystal on Silicon to display images that some people believe to offer the sharpest image from a projector. Once a home theater projector has been chosen, it will require a screen on which to display images or if a person enjoys a challenge, he or she can attempt to construct their own original screen.

Most projectors seem to work best when they are mounted up high or even from the ceiling. Cables coming out of the projector tend to be unsightly and can be hidden inside the ceiling or walls. Hiring a professional to complete this task might be the only way to avoid damage and accidents when attempting to do it alone. Some people find creative ways to conceal the cords by covering them with neutral colored tape and then painting over the tape with the color that matches the ceiling or walls. Other people cover cords with furniture like paintings or bookshelves.

Once a home theater projector has become a part of a complete home theater system, most people rarely opt to use their television for their viewing entertainment. Home theater projectors truly allow for anyone to have their own movie theater right in their own living room.

About The Author

Andrew A has been researching and reporting on Home Theatre for years.

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A few of the questions listed below would be advisable to ponder before setting up a Home theater.
- Where is theater going to be located?
- How large is the area?
- How many people would normally be using the room at a time?
- How much ambient noise is there?
- How much ambient light is there?
- What will the room be used for primarily?
- What will the secondary uses be?
- What kind of budget do you have?

Since new movies are always being released, the thrill of your theater is renewed each time you sit down in the comfort of your own home with your loved ones. Why not make the most of it?

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