Tag: dvds

Wireless Speakers In Home Theaters

Wireless speakers are not the height of technology that they were not so long ago, but they are still pretty new. The good news is though that the price of good quality wireless speakers has come down to an affordable level for most people. However, the constant march of technology continues and it is almost unfeasible to be on the forefront of it for more than six months before something new comes out.

So, I have come to a conscious decision not to be on the forefront of technology any more. Twelve months behind is good enough for me these days. It can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars to take that decision. I am sure that you are already aware how much items like computers, especially laptops, and plasma TV screens have come down in recent years.

So, now is the time to get into wireless speakers. They are a good idea in any circumstances, because you can move speakers around without needing extension leads, but they are particularly useful in a home theater because people will not be able to trip over the wires in the dark.

Wireless speakers have come down in price because there are more manufacturers making them, which is the normal reason why this happens. Many of the newer manufacturers are in the Far East, which is also nothing new, but the quality is just as good. They are just cheaper.

Wireless speakers are one of the first up-grades you should think about if your system is a couple of years old. Wireless speakers allow so much more freedom to move your speakers around to get the best sound out of your home theater set-up.

One tip if you want to try to save a bit on your acquisition of wireless speakers is to buy online. But, do not rush into it. First of all do the round of the shopping malls and find out which wireless speaker systems you like. Take a note of three brands or models. Then go online and check the prices for these models.

You should note down the models, the online prices and the URL of the store where you saw them online. Then, go back to the stores where you first saw those models and ask if they are willing to equal, or better, the price. If they are willing to price match, all well and good. You have won because, if there is a problem you can return them locally. If they will not, you must weigh up the value of a local purchase to you.

You can easily end up with a top quality home theater system with wireless speakers by going about buying your up-grades in this way. You really ought to go the way of wireless speakers and if you do not believe me, just walk around the shopping mall one Saturday afternoon, you will soon be convinced.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with wireless home theater systems. If you are interested in a Home Movie Theatre, please click through to our site now.

Home Theater Speaker Basics

The second most essential part of a good home theater set-up is its loudspeakers. You simply cannot achieve that authentic theater atmosphere, if you do not have good speakers. It goes without saying too, that the amplifier and player must be equally as good, because any system is only as good as its weakest part.

However, if you do it right, you can easily recreate the sound quality achieved in a full size movie theater. Regrettably though, many people seem to get confused about which speakers they should have, when they go to buy for their home theater in order to create proper surround sound.

The minimum requirements for a good set of surround sound speakers are a left and right channel speaker, a centre channel speaker and a sub-woofer. The following are the basic speakers that are required to make up a good home theater: front left and right speakers, a centre channel speaker, surround sound speakers. Often people try to do without the centre channel speaker, but this speaker provides a good proportion of the soundtrack in many movies as well as adding depth to the dialogue.

The surround sound makes the film seem more realistic. It is what makes the difference between watching TV at home and going to the movie theater. The choice of having this at home has only recently become reasonably priced. The most frequent systems are: 5.1 channel, 6.1 channel, or 7.1 channel surround sound. The first digit refers to the number of normal loud speakers and the second one to the number of sub-woofers. The number of speakers that is the best for you, depends on the size and shape of the room you are sitting in. The more is not always the merrier.

The sub-woofer is the cause of the deep bass sound that underlies so many movie soundtracks and these are the sounds that are responsible for heightening the drama in a film. A good sub-woofer is an vital part of your home theater speaker package, if you do not have one, you will miss out on this.

There are many makes on the market and some are cheaper than others, but it is essential that you pick speakers that will work well together. They have to be compatible. If you do not know how to make sure that they are, the best option for this is to buy all your speakers together in one kit by one maker. It may be tempting to save money by mixing and trying to match speakers, but if you get it wrong, you will not generate the true quality of sound you are hoping to achieve in your home theater.

Some speakers are made to place on the floor and others are made to hang on the wall. Floor standing speakers are the best for home theater, but they also take up the most space and can have wires running everywhere. If this is not a problem to you, then fine, but if it is, you can solve it by purchasing wireless speakers.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with home theater speaker placement. If you are interested in a Home Movie Theatre, please click through to our site now.

Home Theater Luxury Seating

Many people like to relax after a hard day at work by going to the movie theater. However, if you go straight from work, you are likely to get trapped in a traffic jam and you will not have had the chance to freshen up. However, if you go home first to have a shower and get changed, sometimes you can not be bothered to go out again. That is how it works with me in any case.

So, would it not be nice to be able to reproduce that authentic movie going experience in your own home? Not only can getting to the cinema be a nuisance, you can be hassled once you are there too. People talking throughout the film or giggling right behind you, someone with his feet up on the back of the chair next to you, cell phones ringing, babies crying… It is enough to put you off. And it is not even as if it is a cheap experience anymore.

If you fall into this category, home theater was made for you. It is not necessary to have a spare room in which to set up your home theater, you could just as easily use the living room. The size of the screen is important, but that is a function of the size of your room or, more accurately put, a function of how far away from the screen you will sit.

If you need a very large screen, you could go for a projector, although for most people a 36 – 60 inch screen should be adequate. Then speakers. You must have surround sound or you will miss out on a lot of the authenticity of a true movie theater experience. Again, the number of speakers depends on the size of the room. A 5.1 configuration will do for most rooms. That means quadraphonic sound, plus one extra speaker under the screen and a sub-woofer.

If you like to play games, then you could replace the standard DVD player with an Xbox for a truly awesome experience. Those are the basics of a medium to excellent home theater with possible games capability, but there are other things you can do as well.

A set of heavy curtains is a good idea. They will not only stop light coming in, but the will muffle sound getting out Seating is a requirement and I would add a few occasional tables too for drinks and snacks. If the room is not near the kitchen, a small fridge would be handy as well.

The seating provisions are important too. Some people just put a few couches in the room and that works well enough. Others prefer a few armchairs. If it is to be used primarily by kids, half a dozen bean bags is all they need to have fun. However, if you or you and your spouse want to make the experience really something else, why not get a couple of recliners or even better still electric massage chairs? You could be sitting there enjoying a film with a drink and some snacks on a near-by table while having all your problems and stress from work being gently massaged away.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with the Home Theater Chair. If you are interested in a Home Movie Theatre, please click through to our site now.

Home Theater Packages: Any Good Or Not?

If you want to get a home theater system, there are a few essential principles that you should keep in mind. However, no matter how much advice you are given, if your level of know-how is insufficient to understand it, it is useless. Therefore, you have to be honest with yourself and admit to yourself how much you know.

Luckily for most of us, the Baby Boomers are the most electronically savvy older generation ever, because many of today’s older generation grew up in the 70’s when everyone had a TV and a stereo.

Music and sound quality is important to Baby Boomers. However, if you were one of those who was not interested in electronics, a home theater kit is probably for you. On the other hand, if you feel competent to take on the task, you will be better served by a system that you compile yourself.

This is not to say that packages are not any good, it is just that there are certain variables that must be taken into account before buying a home theater system.

Sound or acoustics depends on the dimensions of the room where the home theater system is installed, most of us understand that, but because we are unlikely to want to remodel the room to suit the theater, we have to choose a speaker system to suit the room.

Likewise with the screen. Bigger is not always better. There is a ratio that can be used to help you work out the size of the screen you should be thinking about, but even this proportion depends on individual predilection.

The formula says that you should sit 9-15 feet away from a 36 inch screen, but you might have poor eyesight and prefer to have a 48 inch screen. This is where kit fall down.

In general, home theater packages suit regular shaped, smallish rooms. By that, I mean 12 – 20 feet in length and combinations thereof. Then, depending on the room again, you will have to consider the sound system. Stereo is not up to the job, if you want to replicate the sound of a full size movie theater. In order to do that, you will need surround sound with at least three speakers and probably five or more.

All in all, you will get the best system for your home movie theater if you buy the components separately, especially if you have an odd or oblong shaped room or certain personal preferences. However, a standard kit delivers a quick and easy, reasonable solution for many modern, ‘standard’ sized rooms.

One last piece of advice though, if you do buy a kit, make sure it is one that you can upgrade, particularly in the sound department. A TV screen is just a matter of a connection and they are all the same, but if your home theater package comes with three or five speakers, maybe you will want to add some more one day. You may also want to think about adding games functionality to your system too.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with Home Theater Screens. If you are interested in a Home Movie Theatre, please click through to our site.

Common Home Theater Blunders

A home theater requires a sizable investment of money, thought and installation, particularly if you have a high quality home theater. Therefore, it is a shame that so may people just connect all the pieces in a room without giving any thought to what other things they should be doing to improve it. Unless you hire a professional adviser, you might not achieve the full potential of your home cinema system. However, it is not necessary to hire an adviser, if you just pay attention to a few common blunders made by a lot of home theater owners

The lighting in any cinema is very important, as I am sure you already know. Why is it then that many people do not treat it as important in their own home cinema? You never see external light – sun light – in a professional movie theater and you should not want any in yours either. Hang heavy curtains over every window in the room and let them overlap the window by a good border.

Heavy curtains will not only keep external light out, but they will also dampen street sounds, something else you never hear in a real movie theater. If you have neighbours close by, it will also help to preclude them from being bothered by your loud films or music.

Do not try to save money by purchasing poor quality speakers. Do not mix and try to match speakers either, unless you are sure you know what you are doing. If you need five speakers and a sub-woofer, but can only afford three and the sub-woofer, buy speakers from a well-known brand that you know you can get hold of again.

Do not buy end of line speakers, as you will find upgrading hard. The best approach for the novice is to get a 5.1 surround sound set of speakers. Then, if at some point in the future you want to upgrade, you can quite easily, either by buying more or exchanging the lot in one go. One thing is for certain, a lot of the magic of going to the theater these days lies in the surround sound and you need to reproduce it at home.

It is not rocket science to put a home theater together whether it comes in kit form or not. However, if you do not feel comfortable setting it up, you would be better off having it done for you. Clearly, it is up to you how you go about this, but you could ask a relative or friend or neighbour or hire someone from the shop where you bought it. My guess is though that any reasonably experienced eighteen year old has already seen one set up before and can do it for you.

Your movie theater, if it came in a kit, will or should have thorough instructions for you to follow. Please read the handbook before you start plugging things into each other. Read the manual and inspect the parts until you are well acquainted with the installation procedure and the recommended positioning of the equipment.

Make sure that the voltage is adjusted appropriately before you plug it into the mains. Most equipment is made abroad for sale to many countries, so they usually have some sort of selector for the voltage. Get it wrong and you could blow a part of the equipment, probably the amplifier, the DVD player or the screen. that could mean replacement of the module or poor reproduction of sound or picture.

It is not hard to get the installation of your home theater right, but you do have to pay some attention to detail, if you want to get the best out of it.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with home theater speaker placement. If you are interested in a Home Movie Theatre, please click through to our site now.

Movie Theater Quality Sound At Home

Do you love going to the movie theater and get lost in the realism that their superior sound systems create? If you do, then I bet you are also one of those people who dislikes going there, only to have a potentially fantastic evening ruined by irresponsible people talking through the film or letting their cell phones ring.

I used to love the movie theater, but that was in the time when people respected the rights of others to listen to a movie in silence. There were no crying babies, ringing mobile phones or noisy youths in cinemas and if they got in they were soon kicked out if there was any noise.

Nowadays, cinema managers seem to take the easy route of letting these people spoil it for others. As a result, more and more quiet people are staying at home and the cinemas are becoming even noisier. If you are one of the stay-at-homes, but miss the cinema, why not recreate one in your home?

Build yourself a home movie theater with surround sound. You will never regret installing surround sound in your home, because you will be able to play your favourite films, the TV and your music through it. The difference between surround sound and stereo or even quadraphonics is breath-taking.

Different people have different requirements, aspirations, finances and even hearing ability, so it is tricky to recommend a system to a mass audience, but there are strategies for going about the purchase of your own home theater system. A lot of people buy a kit home theater. This is fine, if funds are limited, but you will want to upgrade the screen and the speakers before very long. If you just want to put a home theater in a small spare bedroom and do it quickly and easily, then this approach is for you.

If, however, you want a bit more, then you might prefer to get a bigger screen and make do with the speakers that came with the kit. These can easily be renewed later. If you want to get everything part by part, you will need a screen, speakers and DVD player. If you want to play games too, replace the DVD player with an Xbox.

But back to the speakers, whether you are renewing or putting your own system together, the strategy I suggest hold true. Write down the dimensions of your room or better still make a little plan of it to scale. Take this around the shops and malls and try to listen to a few set-ups in a room similar to your own. This could be difficult, but you might be fortunate.

Work out whether you need a 3.1; 4.1; 5.1; 6.1 or even 7.1 set of compatible surround sound speakers. Basically, it all depends on the size of your room, but the shop assistant will be able to demonstrate and advise you. As a rule, a 5.1 surround sound set will be adequate for most rooms. The figures stand for normal speakers and sub-woofers: ie 5.1 means five normal speakers and one sub-woofer.

The arrangement of the speakers depends on the size and shape of the room and on your personal preference, but the standard layout would be: one speaker the far left and far right of the screen and one beneath it with two more speakers slightly apart from each other at the back of the audience. The sub-woofer can go at the front or the back.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with wireless home theater systems. If you are interested in a Home Movie Theatre, please click through to our site now.