Home theater systems have long been the ultimate media-fan’s dream, with large widescreen televisions, high fidelity speaker systems and a series of boxes that will play whatever you want. While expensive, this is something no true film fanatic should be without, but for as long as they’ve been around, one of the biggest issues has been the abundance of wires between each device. Running wires under the carpet to your surround sound, dozens of wires all interconnecting the speakers to the machines, it’s the bane of any minimalist and just looks plain ugly. However, as technology has advanced, wires are becoming redundant for information transfer, we live in an age where wireless systems can transmit all the necessary data over distances that make wires impractical. This is where wireless home theater systems come in.
Pros
The first and most obvious bonus is the lack of wires. The information is transmitted via infrared or radio waves from a transmitter on a media player and are sent to the receiver inbuilt into the speakers. The sound quality is of average standard, but considering most wireless systems come as inexpensive bundles, it’s balanced out somewhat. Furthermore, with the wires no longer going between the speaker and media player, there is less chance of damage being done to them, which may be somewhat of an issue if there are children or animals present.
The Bad Stuff
However, there is a catch; if you enjoy your crystal clear sound on a hard wired system, then there are several aspects of the wireless sound that you may not enjoy. Between wireless and wired, it is the wired option that provides the best form of data transmission, losing no sound fidelity whatsoever. Wireless on the other hand, is not so perfect; it comes in radio waves and infrared. Due to interference, radio waves can often be a trouble to setup and result in the worst quality. While interference is not a problem for infrared, it has trouble working when the transmitter and receiver cannot see each other. Before committing to a wireless system, it is worth testing them out to see if you can accept the lower sound quality or if it will ultimately ruin your enjoyment.
Alternatives
Infrared and radio waves are not the only option anymore. Wireless home theater systems now come with bluetooth available. Using connection ports, receivers utilize a bluetooth connection to send and receive information and can even be used to play media from other bluetooth-capable devices. Another possibility for wireless usage is the Homeplug, a device you can inset into an power socket in your home, as it will receive information around the house, then send it to your theater components by transmitting the data on the back of the electricity.
Final Thoughts
Sound fidelity might not be your biggest concern, in which case wireless is an advisable turn to make, as it will provide a simpler setup and be more aesthetically pleasing. However, those wishing for the perfect experience; high definition video and audio, then a wired system will come out on top every time. At least until wireless technologies make lossless information transfer possible, in which case a wired system will no longer be a valid option as it will confer no advantages over its wireless competitor.
Learn more about wireless home theater. Stop by James Morgan’s site where you can find out all about connecting a home cinema and what it can do for you.
categories: home theater,home cinema,cinema,speakers,technology,entertainment