Whether you call it home theater, home theatre, or home cinema, it is becoming a popular home entertainment option around the world, but what exactly is it? Home theater is a home entertainment option that provides the consumer with an exciting viewing and listening experience. Home theater refers to a setup of audio and video equipment in your home that tries to duplicate the movie theater experience. However, what do you need to know in order get that experience?
There is a lot of hype and confusion as to what you really need to enjoy home theater. Read the following useful home theater tips that will help cut through the hype and misconceptions.
Home Theater Doesn't Have to be Expensive
Home Theater has taken on a significant role in our home entertainment landscape, but when times get tough it is perceived that a home theater system is a luxury that may no longer be affordable. On the other hand, when you consider the cost of taking the family out to dinner and a night at the movies, buying a home theater system may be just the right, affordable, family entertainment solution during economic doldrums. Read more:
An LED TV Is Not a New Type of TV
There has been a lot of hype and confusion surrounding the introduction of "LED" Televisions. Even many marketing reps and sales pros that should know better are falsely explaining what an LED TV is to their customers. To set the record straight, the LED designation refers to the LCD TV's backlight system, not the chips that produce the image content. LED TVs are still LCD TVs. It is just that they use LED backlights rather than the fluorescent-type backlights of most other LCD TVs. Read more:
720p is also High Definition.
Many consumers are led to believe that 1080p is the only high definition resolution. However, although 1080p is the highest resolution currently available for consumers on wide basis, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p are all official high definition formats. So why all the confusion - and what is the deal with all the talk about 4K? It turns out that not all high definition is created equal. Read more:
Blu-ray Disc Players Also Play DVDs, CDs, and More...
Blu-ray is here to stay. However, many consumers are confused on what a Blu-ray Disc player really is and what you play on it. It turns out that Blu-ray Disc players make a great all-in-once source for home entertainment content. All Blu-ray Disc players can play DVDs and CDs, and many players can play audio/video files from USB flash drives, stream movies and TV shows from the internet, and some can even access media files from your PC. Read more:
What is Available to Play on a Blu-ray Disc Player
You Can Access TV Programs and Movies from the Internet
The internet is quickly becoming an intergal part of the home theater experience, but is also causing confusion for consumers as to how to add the internet to their home theater, what content is available for access, and if it is even worth the effort. Check out some basic tips that will get you started in enjoying the benefits of accessing content from the internet, and a home network, on your TV and home theater system. Read more:
There Is a Reason You Can't Record Your Favorite TV Show on a DVD Recorder
Have you shopped for a DVD Recorder recently (2011) and have found slim-pickins on store shelves? It is not your imagination. While DVD recorders are thriving in other parts of the World and Blu-ray Disc recorders are all the rage in Japan and being introduced in several other markets, the U.S. is being left out of the video recording equation; and it is being left out on purpose due to restrictions imposed in the U.S. on what consumers are allowed to record and on what storage medium. For the full story on this, read my article: The Case of the Disappearing DVD Recorder.3D Isn't Bad.
3D is the latest buzzword in home theater, and depending on who you talk to, it is either the greatest thing to hit home thaeater since sliced bread or the biggest consumer electronics folly ever. Obviously, the real truth is somewhere in-between, as 3D TVs and other 3D-enabled devices are selling - just not as fast as some manufacturers may have hoped.
However, before you plunge into 3D there are things that you need to know in order to get the best 3D viewing experience. Despite what you may have heard from detractors, it is possible to have a good, as well as comfortable, 3D viewing experinece with the right setup and well-produced 3D content. On the other hand, if 3D really isn't your cup of tea, that is OK too. Read more:
You Can Use an iPhone or Android Device as Your Home Theater Remote Control
The iPhone and Android phone are more that just a phone. It seems that a whole industry has popped up to enable the both types of devices to be used for a variety of tasks. One interesting way to use an iPhone or Android phone is as a remote control for home theater components and home automation systems. If you are an iPhone or Android phone user, check out some interesting remote control and related apps that you may be able to take advantage of.Wireless Speakers Aren't Really Wireless
"I would jump into home theater in a minute if it weren't for all those speakers and wires". I get an increasing number of inquiries regarding the use of Wireless Speakers. Running those long and unsightly speaker wires running all over the place can be annoying for many. As a result, consumers are attracted by increasingly promoted home theater systems that tout "wireless speakers" as way to solve this problem. However, don't get automatically sucked in by the term "wireless". Read more:
5.1 channels is Enough - Most of the Time
5.1 channels has been the standard in home theater for quite some time - In fact, most DVD and Blu-ray Disc movies contain 5.1 channel soundtracks. However, when buying a home theater receiver these days, once you get into the $500 range and up, there is an increasing emphasis by manufacturers for delivering 7.1 channel equipped receivers. Although 7.1 channel receivers are not required, they can provide additional setup options, such as in a large home theater room.
On the other hand, even if you don't need to use the full 7.1 channel capability in your home theater setup, 7.1 channel receivers can easily be used in a 5.1 channel-only system. This frees up the remaining two channels on some receivers for other uses such as Bi-amping, or to run a two-channel stereo 2nd Zone system. Of course, another option is to just leave the extra two channels turned off. Read more:
5.1 vs 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receivers - Which is Right for You?
