Giving the gift of Home Theater - How to select the perfect Home Theater System
March 04, 2010 Computers & Electronics 0 comments
By: Vincent M.
The digital revolution of home electronics is upon us, and with the country's television over-the-air broadcasts going digital early next year, it has never been a better time to put in place the perfect Home Theater; a home theater system that can take advantage of Digital's rich and vivid combination of digital audio and video.
Which Home Theater system is right for you and your needs? Only you can answer that question, but we can help you make a more informed buying decision. Get ready to get smart on home theater products!
What Is a Home Theater?
Generally speaking, a home theater system is a combination of A/V electronics components designed to recreate the visual and sound experience of watching a movie in a theater. When you watch a movie or television program on a digital home theater system you are more involved in the experience than when you watch programming on an ordinary television.
On a fundamental level, a digital home theater system consists of a wide-screen digital standard definition (SD) or HD television, HD receiver, multi-speaker surround-sound system, and 1080p HD (Blu-ray) DVD player. The right combination of components can turn your ordinary analog experience into a digital A/V feast for the eyes and ears.
Things to consider when shopping for a home theater system:
Selecting a Television for a Home Theater
The largest and most visible variable in any home theater system is the television, be it a large-screen, direct-view (cathode ray tube) television, a front or rear projection television, or a wide screen HDTV, all of which have different price-points depending on size and screen resolution. With the coming move to an all digital broadcasting format next year, direct-view televisions will fast become obsolete and in truth they are well on their way. Yes, you will be able to purchase a decoder that will allow you to view digital content on a direct-view television, but you will not be able to take full advantage of digital content offered by cable and satellite providers; nor will you be able to fully appreciate digital DVDs. The largest direct-view television screen you can purchase today measures 40" diagonally, though you might be more content with a 27" model like the Sansui 27" CRT w/Digital Tuner.
- Front & Rear Panel Televisions: Front and rear projection televisions were all the rage, and indeed they were the only option for the last decade or so, if you wanted a large screen size. Gone is the cathode ray tube in the projection screen. There are a number of different types of rear-projection televisions; they include: Digital Light Processing (DLP), which uses one or three digital micro-mirror devices (DMDs) to create all of the pixels that make up the image. Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), which directs light through liquid crystals and magnifies it for projection. Liquid Crystal on Silicon, which is like a cross between DLP and LCD.
If you're in the market for a rear-projection television, factors to consider are screen size, resolution and quality. Even a top-of-the-line picture can look unclean on a bad projection screen, so be sure to pay attention to screen material. Better light-and-dark contrast can be had from darker screens, which makes them a better choice, and screens made with anti-glare material should be considered if your new purchase is going to be in a room where natural light is a factor. Screen sizes up to 53" are common in rear-projection televisions.
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