Using Your DVD Home Theater System
Do you remember the Betamax-VHS war? If you do, youve been around long enough to see how vastly home entertainment has changed. Betamax died a short, agonizing death and the VCR became the undisputed ruler of home theater. Its reign was long and popular, but the VCR format definitely had its drawbacks. Bulky video cartridges that took up more space than your entire bookshelf, and broken, frayed tapes that were eaten by the player are just two of these routine annoyances.
The times have turned again with the advent of the DVD home theater system. Digital video disks (DVDs) made their debut in 1995-1996. To make the transition even more palatable, some of the electronic kings Philips, Sony and Toshiba along with movie studios came to an agreement on DVD standards that brought uniformity to the technology. By the time DVD home theater systems moved into your living room, these DVDs looked just like music compact disks (CDs) and computer CD-ROMs. One important difference is that your DVD home theater systems are able to store at least seven times the amount of data that a music CD can hold. For you, this means that you can watch Gone With the Wind all three hours of it- without changing disks.
How Do I Use It?
Using your DVD home theater system isnt difficult. In fact, more than ten million American homes use this technology. Your system is further enhanced by the use of AC-3, a digital version of Dolby Surround Sound. Youll find that AC-3 uses digital compression to provide CD-quality sound in as many as five surround channels; left, center, right, and separate right and left rear channels. Theres even a sixth channel for a low-frequency subwoofer. Your DVD home theater system will deliver extraordinary sound quality as well as cinema-quality video reproduction.
Fortunately, you dont have to be an electronic genius to operate and enjoy your DVD home theater system. All the technological work has been done for you; you dont have to understand it to use and enjoy it. But you should know the industrys buzz words like AC-3 and Dolby Surround Sound when you purchase your system. This lets the electronics salesman know that youre not a techno-idiot and you want your moneys worth without a lot of sales talk. You may not know how it works, but you do know what you need.
Yes, youre going to have to read the manual. However, even these how-to guides have become more user friendly. You do need to have patience in setting up your equipment; your DVD home theater system isnt a toaster. But it is an investment for you and your family unless all you need are re-runs of inane reality shows.
Home Theatre Setup Guide
Remember that you should always consult a professional when it comes to installing a home theater.
Now that you have your home theater speaker system, youll more than likely want to show it off. Whichever you choose, you can be rest assured that when your walls start to rumble from the quality sound erupting from your speaker system, youll definitely be the talk of the town. With the innovations in projectors within the past few years, many can now afford a home theater video projector. After you have decided on your screen, you will need to either have the projector and get it set up, or you will need to have the correct cable and various plug ins for your television. If youre married with children, there are some special considerations to note.
Not to mention all that sticky gunk on the floor.
You should set up your speakers in a surround sound type of atmosphere, so you should be sure to get all of the correct types of speakers that you will need. There are different prices and with each progression, you get more for your money. For you, this means that you can watch Gone With the Wind all three hours of it- without changing disks. With sound that will blow your hair back and sharp video quality thats just like being at the theater, the only thing youre missing is the popcorn and drink. You will need plenty of great home theater furniture in order to create this welcoming place for your family and friends to gather.
These home theaters dont have pesky wires to be tripped over and are much more aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
Limited space need not be a constraint to having a well decorated room that has maximization of space and plenty of style. Also, use of light paints in the room will soften the contours of the room and at the same time, visually enhance the ambience. It too should be located near a center line of the room. Some home theater entertainment centers can be made that do not need reconfiguring when one changes ones TV or even shifts residence. This is very important, because you want to have every available place able to have people sitting in it to enjoy the movie. There is no sense in making a piece meal home theater package and so a complete package is most desirable. |
