Monday, July 9, 2012

What You Need To Know About Home Theater Systems

By Bill Heath


Even in your youth, you may have always wanted to watch a movie at home as if you were watching it in a real theater, but couldn't because the technology wasn't available yet. Fast forward to the present - back then such technology wasn't available, but since it is right now, maybe home theater systems are still very much your cup of tea. With a home theater, you can enjoy the same pleasures of watching a movie outside, without having to queue up for tickets or sit next to annoying patrons who yell "whoa, dude, did you just see that?" after every fast-paced scene.

In the not too distant past, if you wanted to catch a movie, you had to get ready to go out, get in your car and drive until you arrived at the theater. Then you had to stand in line to pay an outrageous sum for a ticket. Once you got your ticket, if you wanted a soda and a snack, you had wait in yet another line and practically take out a second mortgage to cover the cost of the snacks.

And as you'd grope your way into the theater, you'd find your seat, squinting to see the seat number and hoping some bozo didn't leave some rubbish on the seats or cup holders. Just as it began, in walks a family with a little one who just couldn't keep quiet no matter how many times he was shushed.

But the fun has just started - just as the action heats up, you'd hear the crying child screaming bloody murder, or some obnoxious teens trying to explain the movie for you. And once the movie's finished, you're thankful that it's all over and done with. With a home movie theater, you bypass the whole Murphy's Law of movie-watching in public.

Surround sound is one thing a home theater system cannot do without, so make sure you look for a system whose speakers are of the highest sound quality.

Some systems on the low end of the cost scale only come with two speakers. If you can get a system with four or more speakers, you'll like that better in the long run because the receiver takes sound and divides it among the speakers. Your surround sound system can be as good as the number of speakers. For optimal performance, have six speakers.

It doesn't make much sense to save money by purchasing the cheapest screen you find on the market. Put some money into it and take the best. Never go smaller than 27 inches. The reason to invest in the best screen you can get is because you want a picture so clear you can see the pores on a character's face. That's how detailed you want the resolution to be.

At the center of your home theater system will be the surround sound receiver. It's up to you whether you wish to buy the components one by one or if you want a receiver that has several components all in one package. Expect to pay a few hundreds at least or a few thousands at the very most when buying a receiver - the cost would largely depend on the components.




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