Choosing the best home theatre system for you.

Choosing a home theatre system doesn’t have to be hard if you have a clear idea of what result you want. Some factors might include

o    Do you want to invest time in research and putting together components yourself, or do you prefer a ‘one box’ solution which you simply assemble and plug in?

o    What is your budget?

o    What are the constraints of the room you will be using? For example, how big is it? Some systems require a certain size room in order to give best results

o    The last factor is one you need to at least do a little research on. Some screens require a certain viewing distance and the audio requires a certain special displacement for best results. If your room isn’t big enough, you won’t get optimal results. Choose a system that is compatible with the space you have available

Home Theatre Systems in a Box have several things going for them;

o    They are usually affordably priced, being anywhere from about $300 to $2000

o    They are easy to assemble and use

o    They look good

o    Some are even colour coded so hook up is fool proof

On the other side of the coin, they have limitations which include

o    Far from optimal sound. A pre packaged home theatre system doesn’t have the flexibility to change speakers around according to requirement, and generally the quality isn’t as good as stand alone speakers

o    Limitations for add ons. You may find some systems don’t allow you to connect extra devices at a later stage because they simply do not have the sockets. In this sense they tend to be less flexible

If you are going to the bother of buying a home theatre system you at least want it to sound like one, so the argument for investing a little extra time and money becomes stronger.

So what are the best home theatre options?

Out of a box or separate components? It really depends on how far you want to take your search for the perfect home theatre. If you are certain you will not want to add on any extra devices and you are happy with fairly generic sound quality, an out of the box solution is affordable, looks good, and does the job. But if you want to keep your options open in terms of what else you may want to run through it, and sound quality is important to you, you may want to do additional research and buy separate components. At a later stage you can then modify your set up and change components as required. This is a more expensive option and will take a little more time, but you may be glad you considered it.

Nigel Price is from Australian Online retailer Big Brown Box which stocks a wide range of Home theatre systems, LCD TVs Appliances, Whitegoods, Computers, Exercise equipment and cameras.

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There also is new technology wherein such sound systems perform their own sound checks and optimize their sound capability based on the size of the room and the location of the speakers thereby eliminating the need for doing experimental sound checks and constantly relocating the speakers manually. It has also been slashing their prices to make it more affordable for people to purchase sets. Single or Double Chairs can now be bought for prices a bit over 200 dollars and there are some 4 seat sets that cost just over a thousand dollars. Most of this home theatre furniture has their own set of recliners, huge arm rests with great cup holders.

The feel of a home theatre is never complete without home theatre furniture. Big leather sets that recline along with their self contained TV trays, huge arm rests and cup holders almost makes one feel like they are on a first class section of an airplane, which for the most part can be true since the subcontractors for such seats are often the ones that do make it. Again, it is the economies of scale as making more of such seats enables the manufacturer to bring down their prices.

But even if one cant afford home theatre furniture, there is still that old reliable coach that is cozy enough for one to sit or even lie down to enjoy a great television show or better yet, a DVD movie.

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There is some debate on whether one should use home theatre projectors or TV based screens when it comes to home sound systems. Some purists argue that home theatre projectors are the closest things to a movie theatre. Others say that when it comes to HDTV, TV based screens such as plasmas, LCDS, and LEDs have better resolution. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of home theatre projectors compared to LCDs, LEDs and Plasmas:

o Projectors are light and inexpensive. Projectors are portable and they can be easily placed in any part of the room. They are significantly cheaper than LCD’s and the like. These days however, there are LCD’s that start for less than 500 dollars and if the price differences between a projector and an LCD or LED start getting lower, there may be a shift to LEDs, LCDs and Plasma Television Screens

o Projectors are adjustable. The viewing size of your screen can also be adjusted with a projector. You can have a viewing room of a whole white wall with your projector. Some projectors have their guides on how to optimally use them

o Lifespan. Projectors use lamps and bulbs that do have a lifespan between 2000 to 8000 hours. Some more inexpensive projectors have a bulb lifespan between 1000 to 3000 hours. This is a major consideration especially if one is a frequent viewer

o Visibility. Some projectors need low ambient lighting levels when viewing. This means that during the day time, perhaps the viewing quality of a projector needs some adjustment in contrast as compared to LCDs, LEDs and Plasmas

Whatever the case may be, whether one chooses projectors or plasmas, there are other considerations in your home theatre system. After choosing your viewing vehicle, the next choice would be your sounds. This again involves the size of your viewing room. Some people prefer a 2.1 set up most especially if the sound system is perhaps in their bedroom or in a small private study room. Most opt for the 5.1 set up especially if it is a multi-utility area like the living room or the den.

There are lots of resources for you to check about which technology is suited to your needs. The Internet is full of information that can help you get started in your home theatre system.

Do you want to experience fantastic movie experience at home? I found a great resource if you want to buy home theatre system’s best that was helpful for both my movie experience and my budget! Have complete access to home theatre projectors, speakers, and designs now!

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Once you have decided upon your budget, you must go about choosing each individual item of home theatre equipment that you will need. Most people start with the television. The two main contenders currently available on the market are LCD displays, which work much better in lighter environments, and plasma screens, which are the better choice if colour quality is your primary concern.

All too often, people fall under the impression that bigger is better, however the reality is, that unless the space between your TV and where you are sitting is at least four metres, you should choose a television that is under 40 inches in diameter. In fact, far more important is to ensure your television is Hi-Definition (HD) ready.

The next item on your home theatre equipment agenda is a DVD player. Although there are many cheap versions available, it pays to go for one that is better quality from a brand name with a good reputation. Make sure your DVD player is a multi-region one and that it plays your MP3s, CDs, karaoke CDs, MPEG, and AVI footage, not just restricted zone-specific DVDs.

Usually, home theatre equipment includes a number of speakers to provide surround sound, not just stereo sound. The placement of these can be at the front and back of the room in a bracketed system, or from above, in a floating system mounted within a false ceiling. That said, many large plasma screens today come with a pseudo-surround system built in, some of which are surprisingly good.

If you have several speakers, naturally, you will also need an amplifier, with wattage compliant with the size of your room, amount of speakers, and decibel level requirements. However, a word of warning: don’t bother buying one if it’s not Dolby Surround Sound as the quality will be very poor and not worthy of the price you have paid.

Should you wish to include a satellite system within your home theatre set up, then you will need to buy a satellite dish, receiver, and decoder, all of which have to be connected to your home theatre equipment using cables, ideally of a better quality such as gold or silver, rather than the traditional copper. Alternatively, a thicker copper cable would be equally as effective, and last longer than standard ones.

Finally, although not imperative, there is one item which is a nice touch to your home theatre set up and that’s a “bass shaker”. This little device attaches to the base of the chair and vibrates with the bass tones to mimic a cinema feel, very effectively. They add a nice touch and are an extremely well-priced item amongst the many on your home theatre equipment list.

About the Author

Steven Magill

In recent years, more people have been taking advantage of innovative technological developments that allows them to create a spectacular home theater system. When creating your own home theater, you have a variety of features to choose from such as the video projector. If you are designing and building a home theater, you have to consider what type of projector you should acquire.

There are three types of main home theater projectors that include LCD, DLP or LCoS. LCD projectors consist of two types: models that utilize a single LCD to produce the picture, and models that use a blend of three LCDs. The difference between the two is that the projectors that utilize three LCDs normally create higher contrast pictures and higher quality color distribution.

The benefit of using DLP projectors is that they create richer colors and higher contrast ratios. Quality DLP projectors use three DLP chips to create the picture which allows the projectors to determine greater degrees of color and shade. DLP projectors normally cost more than LCD models

LCoS utilize liquid crystals to produce the picture. LCoS projectors are well known for creating the best quality images. LCoS models are more expensive than DLP and LCD models.

If you are mainly using HDTV programming, most experts will advise that you use a 16:9 projector on a 16:9 screen. This combination will give the best picture viewing. Most people will select a 16:9 screen as it fits with many different movie formats. Many DVD movies are wider than 16:9. When you play these movies on a 16:9 screen, there will be black bars on the top and bottom of the screen. In this instance, you may want to use a 4:3 format screen.

The best benefit of having a 4:3 screen is that it will usually permit you to display the largest picture. The 4:3 screen format provides one with more square footage of the total screen area for any particular screen width. This is useful when watching older films in a large format. If you are going to create a home theater for large scale 4:3 display, experts recommend, “that you use either a 4:3 projector or a 16:9 projector with a powered zoom lens of at least 1.3x zoom range.”

Before you select a video projector, you should mark on your wall where the screen will be located. You can then position your seat to determine what size screen will be suitable. You can take such considerations as the distance you will be sitting away from the screen and the best spot where you won’t be straining your eyes or working them to view the picture. The size of the image on the screen will be chosen on the basis of how comfortable you are with viewing the picture. You do not want to have to be moving your eyes back and forth and up and down to watch a movie.

Everyone has their own preferences on viewing screens. The greatest benefit of creating your own home theater system own home theater is that you can customize the projector and screen to meet your own personal needs. It is important to consult with a salesperson and read reviews about projectors for help with choosing the most ideal projector for your home theater system.

Whether it’d be for business purposes or personal use, the need for projector rentals in Vancouver is growing. Laptop rentals are also important to assist needs such as event planning. While it offers exceptional performance, there are laptop rentals in Toronto.

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I recently finished an exhaustive month of doing intensive research on what kind of big screen TV or home theatre system to purchase. I mean, it is time. The tube TV is just not cutting it anymore, especially with a large room where TV is typically watched. I learned a lot in the process – not all from talking with sales people, but in writing down things the sales people told me, then verifying those facts. The interesting thing is that many times those “facts” were incorrect, and it made me wonder how many other people were basing a purchase decision on the “facts”.

For me, the first cut came in considering plasma versus LCD. With projection TV’s and even with the DLP technology which appears to deliver an outstanding picture, there were two things that made me eliminate these options in the first cut:

1. The size of the TV. With projection TV’s, and also with DLP TV’s (although to a slightly lesser extent), size is a consideration. Plan on the unit sticking out from the wall at least 18 to 24 inches, perhaps even more, which severely cuts down the overall size of the room you will be using to watch TV. Plasma and LCD TV’s, by contrast, are about 4 to 5 inches thick, and wall mounts can optionally be purchased to actually mount the screen on the wall.

2. The viewing angle. With projection TV, and again to a slightly lesser extent but still present in DLP technology, the clarity of the picture starts to decrease dramatically when you start moving away from viewing the screen head-on. If the room you are going to use to do your TV watching can accommodate this, it may not be as big of a negative point for you, but for me, this was huge.

So my choices are narrowed down to plasma or LCD. Looking at all the choices available in plasma and LCD however, I did not feel that my choices were all that narrow, so I needed more criteria to further narrow my choices.

First cut, let’s consider plasma versus LCD and define the technology we want to shop for. I was able to relatively quickly choose LCD over plasma for multiple reasons. With today’s technology, plasma screens will typically reach “half life” within about 5 years. That is the point where the screen brightness is about half of what it was when it was new. By contrast, LCD life expectancy is about twice that, so this was a definite factor.

Your criteria may vary for other reasons though. For example, today’s consumer LCD TV’s max out at around 46 inches. This was fine for me, since a larger TV would almost overwhelm the room I will be using, but with LCD, be aware that you are not going to get the 50 or 60 inch units that are available in the plasma lineup.

Although I live pretty much at sea level, also note that if I ever anticipate moving to a high altitude area, most plasma manufacturers will not warranty plasma units at more than about 5000 feet above sea level. Really! This has to do with the way the air movements happen to create the picture, and this cannot be done as effectively at higher altitudes. This is not a factor for LCD technology.

Next is the resolution. I recommend a resolution of at least 1366 by 768 pixels. That is even more than today’s cable companies broadcast at, but should keep you in line with the broadcast technology over the next few years. Even the movies you rent at Blockbuster are not going to show up in higher resolution than that. There are some top end units (Samsung and Sony, as well as others) that have 1920 by 1024 resolution, but the reality of it is that you will end up paying a premium for that higher resolution, and the ONLY way you will ever be able to use it is connecting your computer to your TV. That resolution will NOT be used for DVD movies or broadcast, or even HDTV broadcast, it is simply not there. So in essence, you are going to be paying for bragging rights, and those are some pretty expensive bragging rights.

Get something that is at least 1080i and 720p. The “i” indicates “interlaced” and the “p” indicates “progressive” scan. While cable TV broadcasts may do 720p, some units can interpolate that to 1080i. Again, you will pay a premium if you opt for a unit that can do 1080p, and again, that is for bragging rights only. Even a video professional with a microscope would be hard-pressed to differentiate between 1080i and 1080p with today’s movies or cable TV broadcasts.

Considering all the criteria above, this should narrow your choices to less than a half dozen units. So your last step is to search online for reviews. See what other customers think of the unit and read their online comments. While I am not necessarily a big fan of paying for a specific brand name for the sake of it being a brand name, there is also some wisdom associated with that.

Lastly, as opposed to many other things, I would recommend the store’s extended warranty. If you elect to go with just the manufacturer’s warranty, note that you will need to keep the original box that it came in, and will need to ship the unit to the manufacturer in case of a problem. That means being without the unit for a minimum of two weeks or more. The in-store warranty from Sears, Best Buy, Circuit City, etc, are usually ONSITE warranties, and typically cover almost any problem, not just something that may be termed a “manufacturing defect”. This is probably going to add about $12 to $15 per month to the price for a 3 year or 5 year warranty, but when you are spending this kind of money for a consumer electronics device, I believe it makes sense, especially when you consider that if the backlight needs replacing or the unit needs recharging, the parts and labor involved in performing that work if not under warranty are likely to exceed the cost of simply replacing the entire unit.

Jon is a computer engineer who maintains many websites to pass along his knowledge and findings. You can read more about Big Screen TV and Home Theatre Systems at his web site at http://jag-info-resources.com/home-theatre/

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There are average home theatre systems and then there are spectacular home theatre systems. What makes the best isn’t necessarily the pricing, it’s more in the sights, sounds and atmosphere that’s created when an entire system is moved into a room and is fired up.

Finding the best in home theatre systems can be a tricky prospect. There’s so much to consider, it can make a person’s head spin. To make it a little more simplistic, there really are only four basic components to consider when choosing to put together a system. Each one, however, is very important. This isn’t to say that pricing needs to be outrageous either. There are some great systems that have been built using budget products. As long as the components are well chosen and installed correctly, a $1,000 system can seem like a $10,000 system to a homeowner.

The four major areas to spend time researching buys for a home theatre system are:

* Projector or television: Home theatre systems can involve projector screens or they can involve actual larger screen televisions. Both have their perks, but they should be chosen carefully. Things to consider here are pricing, room size, screen size and even personal tastes. Some people simply love the look of a projection screen, while others prefer the sleek appeal of a giant plasma screen television hanging on the wall. What’s right and what’s best depends on who is buying the equipment.

* Sound system: Don’t discount the importance of having surround sound to make a home theatre system really stand out. One of the biggest things that sets the movie theatre experience apart from watching television is the sounds. These can be achieved at home – even on a budget. Just look for the best set up within personal means and remember there should be multiple speakers and a control system for a true surround sound experience.

* Auxiliary devices: A projector and a surround system can be very lonely without a good DVD player, VCR or other movie-playing device. Whether you intend to pipe in movie downloads from a computer or you want to play your own DVDs on your new big screen, these devices are key in making a home theatre function properly. Fortunately, these devices offer very good options in just about every price range imaginable. A $40 DVD player can work extremely well when put in the mix with a higher priced television and surround sound system.

* Furniture: This might not seem like a major component for a home theatre system, but it is. A theatre room won’t get the use it’s intended for if people aren’t comfortable sitting in it. This is especially the case for planned movie marathons. The more comfortable and functional the furniture the better. Plus, the furniture can even be designed to really add to the atmosphere, as well.

There are a lot of things to consider when putting together a home theatre system. As long as the four major components are covered and covered well, a room should function to its owner’s expectations. Bringing the movie theatre experience home doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, but it does require some planning.

http://www.hometheatrefun.com brings you the latest on the home theatre. Home theatre’s are very popular, and we want to bring you the most up to date information online! Be sure to check out our latest information page on home theatre systems.

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Finding the perfect picture for your home theater can be difficult, and it also depends what your definition of a home theatre is. For most individuals, a home theatre is having a beautifully large and modern TV with surround sound speakers in a room other than the living room: a room specifically designed for enjoying the big game or for watching the newest released DVDs.

A TV by itself is not enough, though, since an important factor is viewing distance. In that respect, it’s like going to a movie theatre. Most people do not like the very front because not only do they have to crane their necks, but there is so much to take in all at once and it can be overwhelming.

Then there are those individuals who think home theatre system, and that means having an actual screen and projector. Technology is amazing, and now many individuals can afford to own an actual home movie theatre complete with projector and screen. If this sounds exciting, by all means, look for the right projector and home theatre screen for your perfect vision of a home theatre, but make sure to do your research first.

If you are looking to purchase a home theater screen, you should know that there are specifically three types of home theater screens available. The first one is the fixed home theater screen. These are the simplest, and most common, screens. They are usually designed to be permanently mounted on the wall. The disadvantage of this screen is that once it’s set, it’s set. There are advantages, however.

One advantage is you can hide ugly wires and cables quite easily with this type of installation. The screen itself is made of a fabric that will be stretched onto a frame and then fastened into place. A wrinkle free white surface should be the end result. If it is not wrinkle free after a professional puts it in, demand the job is done right.

The second type of screen is the tripod home theatre screen. These are the types of screens that are portable because they are attached to a tripod. These are best for meetings, like a business demonstration requiring slides, or an outdoor training. It is okay for these types of purposes, but they are not designed for actual movie watching.

The third type of screen is a wall mounted retractable screen. Remember the screens teachers would use in elementary school when they had an overhead projector? That’s exactly what this is. These types of screens are usually installed on the wall, but they can be pulled down. These are more expensive than the fixed home theatre screen, and are best for homes that are smaller and therefore have less area to work with, otherwise they don’t give any advantage over the basic model.

If you want a true to life movie viewing experience at home, these are your three options. Do the research, figure out your budget, and then enjoy the unique experience of having your very own projector to see the DVDs as if you were still in a small town theatre.

http://www.hometheatrefun.com brings you the latest on the home theatre. Home theatre’s are very popular, and we want to bring you the most up to date information online! Be sure to check out our latest information page on home theatre screens.

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