Posts Tagged ‘home theater’

Home Theater Screens

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

When it comes to deciding on a screen, the first thing to think about is the kind of screen you want or even may need. If the room where you are setting up your home theater is large, then you will have to have a home theater projection screen or maybe you just want one anyway.

I, personally, like the idea of having a drop-down screen, but sometimes you have to have one even in a modest home theater. It converts your living room into a home theater: you recline in your chair; click a button and a screen drops down; click a button and the lights dim; click another one and the movie begins!

However, if you prefer a television screen, then you might consider buying a new one. They say that a 27 inch screen is adequate, but I do not think it is. I really think you need 48-60 inches, but then I am a baby-boomer and my eyes are definitely not what they used to be.

If you are buying a new TV for your home theater, I think you should aim high. HDTV is upon us and since February 2009 the USA is committed to High Definition. So, I would make sure that your new TV is capable of receiving it. Then I suggest that the new home theater screen be a flat one to reduce the annoying glare that could ruin the experience. (This could be another reason for opting for a projection screen).

Finally, you should make sure that your new television has enough input and output sockets for the peripheral equipment you plan to use and you’re ready. Therefore, to summarize, I recommend you choose:

At minimum a 27 inch screen

A flat screen

HDTV enabled

Plenty of input and output plugs

Satellite compatibility

I recommend satellite compatibility because it is probably the future or near future at least. If you get a satellite TV connection you will have access to HDTV downloads which you can watch whenever you like.

Are you considering installing a Custom Home Movie Theater? Then visit our us at Home Theater

Wireless Speakers For Your Home Theaters

Saturday, July 3rd, 2010

Wireless speakers are not the height of technology that they were not so long ago, but they are still fairly new. The good news is though that the cost of good quality wireless speakers has come down to an affordable level for most people. However, the incessant march of technology continues and it is almost unfeasible to be on the forefront of it for more than six months before something new comes out.

So, I have come to a conscious decision not to be on the forefront of technology any more. Twelve months behind is good enough for me these days. It can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars to take that decision. I am sure that you are already aware how much items like computers, in particular laptops, and plasma TV screens have come down in recent years.

So, now is the time to get into wireless speakers. They are a good idea in any circumstances, because you can move speakers around without needing extension leads, but they are particularly useful in a home theater because people will not be able to trip over the wires in the dark.

Wireless speakers have come down in price because there are more manufacturers making them, which is the normal reason why this occurs. Many of the newer manufacturers are in the Far East, which is also nothing new, but the quality is just as good. They are just cheaper.

Wireless speakers are one of the first up-grades you should think about if your system is a couple of years old. Wireless speakers allow so much more freedom to move your speakers around to get the best sound out of your home theater set-up.

One tip if you want to try to save a bit on your acquisition of wireless speakers is to buy online. But, do not rush into it. First of all do the round of the shopping malls and find out which wireless speaker systems you like. Take a note of three brands or models. Then go online and check the prices for these models.

You should note down the models, the online prices and the URL of the store where you saw them online. Then, go back to the stores where you first saw those models and ask if they are willing to equal, or better, the price. If they are willing to price match, all well and good. You have won because, if there is a problem you can return them locally. If they will not, you must weigh up the value of a local purchase to you.

You can easily end up with a top quality home theater system with wireless speakers by going about buying your up-grades in this way. You really ought to go the way of wireless speakers and if you do not believe me, just walk around the shopping mall one Saturday afternoon, you will soon be persuaded.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with wireless home theater systems. If you are interested in a Home Movie Theatre, please click through to our site now.

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Creating A Custom Home Theater

Monday, June 7th, 2010

Watching films is a fantastic way to escape from the stressful life we all live nowadays. Watching films on a wide screen system with surround sound can take you far away from that stress and into the movie you are watching. You allows you to experience the plot it as if you were actually there in the movie itself.

Until recently, we could only experience this sort of escapism in a movie theater. However, modern technology is able to provide the same visual and sound experience right there in your own living room. We will discuss the basic components of a home theater system in this article. Read on to discover how these basic components can deliver the best cinematic experience possible in a custom home theater system.

Experts in home theater contend that the most important factor to consider when setting up a custom home theater system is the size of the location where you will install the home theater system. The most important factor in your custom home theater system, the television, is dependent on the size of the room, although the guideline is that a 27 inch television screen is the absolute minimum necessary for your home theater installation.

It is also a recommendation that a flat screen television is advisable for a home theater system because it shows fewer reflexions and produces a crisper image. Another major component of a custom home theater system which depends on the size of the room, is the speaker system.

The number of speakers for your custom home theater system is dependent on the size of the location. You need at least three speakers to create a believable surround sound, but you may have to place up to six speakers, if you want a more lifelike sound. Adding a subwoofer may also be a good way to achieve a complete surround sound like in the movie theaters. Three loudspeakers is really the bare minimum, but you may go up to six if the room is larger.

Another major piece of equipment for your custom home theater system is the digital DVD player. It is a recommendation that DVD players with a progressive scan are the best choice. This is because the progressive scan reproduces sharp, flicker-free images. However, this points back to the choice of television unit; you may need to check whether your flat-screen television set supports progressive scan protocols. You may also want to purchase a five-disk carrousel DVD player. This will stop you having to get up from your chair to change discs quite so often.

A minor consideration is the power of the DVD player as that will determine how loud your speakers can be played. Of course, almost all this depends on the size of the room in which the home theater system is going to be set up. Small rooms require only a few types of equipment, bigger rooms may require more and adding custom home theater furniture to your home theater system will make a big difference. A bigger room therefore requires more investment. A smaller room might require less, but nevertheless good quality equipment to avoid a too basic feel in the home theater system.

And finally, you might want to consider hiring an expert in home theater in order to set up a beautifully designed custom home theater system. If you have te money, this is definitely the best way to go, because a home theater expert will be able to design and set up your custom home theater more effectively .

A custom home theater specialist may also suggest installing some additional features like a specialized home theater seating structure and even other home theater furniture, such as small tables for snacks and drinks in order to make your custom home theater system more complete and thereby make it more closely resemble a real movie theater. Having the finest and highest-quality custom home theater system you can afford, will give you a most sought after set up, one that you can really be proud of and one that will enable you to enjoy your movies to the fullest.

Do you want to install a Custom Home Movie Theater? Then pop along to our site at Home Theater

Which Screen To Use For Your Home Theater?

Friday, June 4th, 2010

If you do not buy your home theater in one box, as many people do, then you will have to select a screen at some point or another. However, not only that, but you may be faced with deciding between a TV-cum-monitor unit and a drop down canvas screen.

It really all depends on the dimensions of the room you want to use as your home theater. If you are going to convert the box bedroom into a movie theater, then a 28 inch TV screen might be enough for you, but if you are going to use a long room and people might be quite a few yards from the screen, then a projector and drop-down screen would probably be the correct answer.

However, for most people, a normal TV screen would be sufficient. There are various types of television sets on the market at the moment, so we will take a look at them in turn later. Firstly, I would like to talk about the dimensions. It has been standard practice for hundreds of years to place a painting five times the diagonal of that painting from the viewer’s eyes. In other words, if a painting or a screen or a window, is two feet diagonally, then the best place to view it from is ten feet away.

This is a broad rule, it is not written in stone. Personal preference and eyesight come into it too. Therefore, if you used a 28 inch television set, the optimum viewing distance would be about 12 feet away. So, 28 inches would be ample for most spare bedrooms, but perhaps not for a converted attic or basement. This relationship between screen and room size is the most important to get correct, otherwise the rest is a waste of money.

It all boils down to: do you like to sit in the front of the movie house or at the back? [We are only discussing viewing the film here]. If you like to be dominated by a huge screen, then the proportions I gave you must be decreased, otherwise they should be about accurate. Assess yourself: how far do you like to sit from your TV? Is it more or less than 5:1?

There are essentially three kinds of view screens and they are: plasma, rear projection and front projection screens. The first is the modern flat screen TV, the second the conventional TV and the third a system with a projector.

Plasma Televisions

These televisions provide the best quality, especially for watching movies that are formatted for wide screen viewing. They have a much larger viewing area than traditional televisions and they also come in a wide variety of sizes in order to adapt to many varieties of home theater needs. The biggest problem with these beauties is the price, but that is dropping every month too.

Rear Projection Televisions

This is the standard cathode ray tube TV that we have all been watching since were born. Their major problem is that they are big and deep, but that was not a problem for decades, so if it suits your room, do not let it be a problem to you now,

Front Projectors

This is what you see at the movies or on old Cine 8mm – the drop-down projection screen. But, do not write it off. It still produces high-quality images and for larger rooms, it is basically the only screen for your home theater.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with Home Theater Screens. If you are interested in a Home Movie Theatre, please click through to our site.

Common Home Cinema Mistakes

Friday, May 21st, 2010

A home theater takes a sizable investment of money, thought and installation, especially if you have a high quality home theater. Therefore, it is a shame that so may people just connect all the pieces in a room without giving any thought to what other things they should be doing to improve it. Unless you hire a professional adviser, you might not realize the full potential of your home cinema system. However, it is not necessary to hire an adviser, if you just pay attention to a few common blunders made by a lot of home cinema owners

The lighting in any cinema is very important, as I am sure you already know. Why is it then that many people do not treat it as important in their own home cinema? You never see external light – sun light – in a specialized movie theater and you should not want any in yours either. Hang heavy curtains over every window in the room and let them extend beyond the window by a good border.

Heavy curtains will not only keep exterior light out, but they will also dampen street sounds, something else you never hear in a real movie theater. If you have neighbours close by, it will also help to preclude them from being bothered by your loud films or music.

Do not try to save money by buying poor quality speakers. Do not mix and try to match speakers either, unless you are sure you know what you are doing. If you need five speakers and a sub-woofer, but can only afford three and the sub-woofer, buy speakers from a well-known brand that you know you can get hold of again.

Do not buy end of line speakers, as you will find upgrading difficult. The best approach for the novice is to get a 5.1 surround sound set of speakers. Then, if at some point in the future you want to upgrade, you can quite easily, either by buying more or swapping the lot in one go. One thing is for sure, a lot of the magic of going to the theater these days lies in the surround sound and you need to reproduce it at home.

It is not rocket science to put a home theater together whether it comes in kit form or not. However, if you do not feel comfortable setting it up, you would be better off having it done for you. Clearly, it is up to you how you go about this, but you could ask a relative or friend or neighbour or hire someone from the shop where you got it. My speculation is though that any reasonably competent eighteen year old has already seen one set up before and can do it for you.

Your movie theater, if it came in a kit, will or should have detailed instructions for you to follow. Please read the handbook before you start plugging things into each other. Read the handbook and inspect the parts until you are well acquainted with the installation process and the recommended positioning of the equipment.

Make sure that the voltage is adjusted correctly before you plug it into the mains. Most equipment is made abroad for sale to many countries, so they often have some sort of selector for the voltage. Get it wrong and you could blow a part of the equipment, probably the amplifier, the DVD player or the screen. that could mean replacement of the module or poor reproduction of sound or picture.

It is not hard to get the installation of your home theater right, but you do have to pay some attention to detail, if you want to get the best out of it.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with home theater speaker placement. If you are interested in a Home Movie Theatre, please click through to our site now.

Home Theater Packages

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

If you want to get a home theater system, there are a few essential principles that you should keep in mind. However, no matter how much advice you are given, if your level of know-how is insufficient to understand it, it is useless. Therefore, you have to be honest with yourself and admit to yourself how much you know.

Fortunately for most of us, the Baby Boomers are the most electronically wise older generation ever, because many of today’s older generation grew up in the 70′s when everyone had a TV and a stereo.

Music and sound quality is significant to Baby Boomers. However, if you were one of those who was not interested in electronics, a home theater kit is probably for you. On the other hand, if you feel competent to take on the task, you will be better served by a system that you compile yourself.

This is not to say that kits are not much good, it is just that there are certain variables that must be taken into account before buying a home theater system.

Sound or acoustics depends on the dimensions of the room where the home theater system is installed, most of us understand that, but because we are unlikely to want to remodel the room to suit the theater, we have to choose a speaker system to suit the room.

Likewise with the screen. Bigger is not always better. There is a ratio that can be used to help you work out the size of the screen you should be thinking about, but even this proportion depends on individual predilection.

The formula says that you should sit 9-15 feet away from a 36 inch screen, but you might have poor eyesight and prefer to have a 48 inch screen. This is where kit fall down.

In general, home theater packages suit regular shaped, smallish rooms. By that, I mean 12 – 20 feet in length and combinations thereof. Then, depending on the room again, you will have to consider the sound system. Stereo is not up to the job, if you want to replicate the sound of a full size movie theater. In order to do that, you will need surround sound with at least three speakers and probably five or more.

All in all, you will get the best system for your home movie theater if you buy the components separately, especially if you have an odd or oblong shaped room or certain personal preferences. However, a standard package delivers a quick and easy, passable solution for many modern, ‘standard’ sized rooms.

One last piece of advice though, if you do buy a kit, make sure it is one that you can upgrade, particularly in the sound department. A TV screen is just a matter of a connection and they are all the same, but if your home theater package comes with three or five speakers, maybe you will want to add some more one day. You may also want to think about adding games functionality to your system too.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with Home Theater Screens. If you are interested in a Home Movie Theatre, please click through to our site.

Electric Massage Home Cinema Chairs

Sunday, May 16th, 2010

After you have finished designing the layout of your home theater, the next step is to decide on the accessories. Things like floor covering, lighting, decoration, curtains, and furnishings, like a small fridge, some small tables and seating. If you are planning your home cinema just for yourself, then maybe you can afford to really splurge out on a really top end home cinema chair.

After a hard day’s work or exercise, your muscles can become taut, especially in your neck and shoulders. The best way of relieving this is some destressing exercise like yoga or a massage, but most people do not want to take up yoga postures after work, so they would opt for a massage.

This is all well and good, but then you would have to shower, get changed and drive down there and sometimes you just can not be bothered. You could phone a massage parlour and have them send someone to your house! That sounds great, but no, you are not going to do that either.

So, why not go for the next best thing. Get yourself an electric massage chair for your home theater? You could kill two birds with one stone. You could spend an hour and a half watching a film, while getting all those aches and pains gently worked away.

A massage chair can never totally replace a masseur or masseuse, but many regular massage parlour goers say that it is a good second best. The point is though, that you can have a soothing massage every day of the week, which some people say is preferable to one intense massage once a week. You masseur or masseuse right there in your own home cinema ready to work for pennies a massage any time of the day or night and while you are at the movies too! Think of it!

Using an electric massage chair as your home cinema chair (or one of them) is a fantastic idea. While your mind is being taken off your daily troubles and worries, so your body is being relieved of the tensions that have built up there too. You can recline in your home cinema chair and have the head rest massage your neck, while the back rest massages your lumber region, soothing away those aches and pains in a gentle, but efficient manner.

The great majority of these electric massage chairs come with a remote control, so it is very easy to toggle cycles on and off or repeat them at will. Some are programmable too, so that you could build up your own massage sequence, once you get used to what your new home cinema massage chair can do.

Imagine having it start at your neck and calves at the same time with the two massage points slowly converging on the small of your back. Or beginning at the small of your back and then radiating up and down your body at the same time. You would need two masseurs to do that and all while you are sitting in your home cinema chair watching a movie.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with the Home Theater Chair. If you are interested in a Home Movie Theatre, please click through to our site now.

Home Cinema Luxury Seating

Saturday, May 15th, 2010

Many people like to relax after a hard day at work by going to the movie theater. However, if you go directly from work, you are apt to get trapped in a traffic jam and you will not have had the chance to freshen up. However, if you go home first to have a shower and get changed, sometimes you can not be bothered to go out again. That is how it works with me in any case.

So, would it not be lovely to be able to reproduce that authentic movie going experience in your own home? Not only can getting to the cinema be a nuisance, you can be hassled once you get there too. People talking through the film or giggling right behind you, someone with his feet up on the back of the seat next to you, cell phones ringing, babies crying… It is enough to put you off. And it is not even as if it is a cheap event anymore.

If you fall into this group, home theater was made for you. It is not necessary to have a spare room in which to set up your home theater, you could just as easily use the living room. The size of the screen is important, but that is a function of the size of your room or, more accurately put, a function of how far away from the screen you will sit.

If you need a very large screen, you could go for a projector, although for most people a 36 – 60 inch screen should be enough. Then speakers. You must have surround sound or you will miss out on a lot of the realism of a true movie theater experience. Again, the number of speakers depends on the size of the room. A 5.1 configuration will do for most rooms. That means quadraphonic sound, plus one extra speaker under the screen and a sub-woofer.

If you like to play games, then you could replace the standard DVD player with an Xbox for a truly awesome experience. Those are the basics of a medium to excellent home theater with possible games functionality, but there are other things you can do as well.

A set of heavy curtains is a good idea. They will not only stop light coming in, but the will muffle sound getting out Seating is a necessity and I would add a few occasional tables too for drinks and snacks. If the room is not near the kitchen, a small fridge would be handy as well.

The seating provisions are important too. Some people just put a few couches in the room and that works well enough. Others prefer a few armchairs. If it is to be used primarily by kids, half a dozen bean bags is all they need to have fun. However, if you or you and your spouse want to make the experience really something else, why not get a couple of recliners or even better still electric massage chairs? You could be sitting there enjoying a film with a drink and some snacks on a near-by table while having all your problems and stress from work being gently massaged away.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with the Home Theater Chair. If you are interested in a Home Movie Theatre, please click through to our site now.

Cinema Quality Sound At Home

Saturday, May 1st, 2010

Do you love going to the movie theater and get lost in the realism that their top-quality sound systems create? If you do, then I bet you are also one of those people who hates going there, only to have a potentially fantastic evening ruined by noisy people talking through the movie or letting their cell phones ring.

I used to love the movie theater, but that was in the time when people respected the rights of others to listen to a movie in silence. There were no crying babies, ringing mobile phones or noisy youths in cinemas and if they got in they were soon kicked out if there was any noise.

Nowadays, cinema managers seem to take the easy route of letting these people spoil it for others. As a result, more and more quiet people are staying at home and the cinemas are becoming even noisier. If you are one of the stay-at-homes, but miss the cinema, why not recreate one in your home?

Build yourself a home movie theater with surround sound. You will never regret installing surround sound in your home, because you will be able to play your favourite films, the TV and your music through it. The difference between surround sound and stereo or even quadraphonics is breath-taking.

Different people have different requirements, aspirations, finances and even hearing ability, so it is tricky to recommend a system to a mass audience, but there are strategies for going about the purchase of your own home theater system. A lot of people buy a kit home theater. This is fine, if funds are limited, but you will want to upgrade the screen and the speakers before very long. If you just want to put a home theater in a small spare bedroom and do it quickly and easily, then this approach is for you.

If, however, you want a bit more, then you might prefer to get a bigger screen but make do with the speakers that came with the kit. These can easily be upgraded later. If you want to get everything part by part, you will need a screen, speakers and DVD player. If you would like to play games too, replace the DVD player with an Xbox.

But back to the speakers, whether you are renewing or putting your own system together, the strategy I suggest hold true. Write down the dimensions of your room or better still do a little plan of it to scale. Take this around the shops and malls and try to listen to a few installations in a room similar to your own. This could be difficult, but you might be lucky.

Work out whether you need a 3.1; 4.1; 5.1; 6.1 or even 7.1 set of compatible surround sound speakers. Basically, it all depends on the size of your room, but the shop assistant will be able to show and advise you. As a rule, a 5.1 surround sound set will be adequate for most rooms. The figures stand for normal speakers and sub-woofers: ie 5.1 means five normal speakers and one sub-woofer.

The arrangement of the speakers depends on the size and shape of the room and on your personal preference, but the standard layout would be: one speaker the far left and far right of the screen and one beneath it with two more speakers a little apart from each other at the rear of the audience. The sub-woofer can go at the front or the rear.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with wireless home theater systems. If you are interested in a Home Movie Theatre, please click through to our site now.

Choosing A Screen For Your Home Theatre

Friday, April 16th, 2010

If you are considering setting up a home theater system, then there are three essential pieces of equipment to consider. They are the screen, the speakers and the player. Two of these components are directly related to the dimensions of the room in which you will be sitting and where you will be seated.

All DVD players over a certain price are pretty good and you ought to listen to a couple to make up your mind. The same with speakers, although how many you will need is dependent on the proportions of the room. The screen is more important and that is what I want to discuss here.

It will not actually be of very much help to you to just walk into a department store which stocks fifty or sixty television sets all in rows. You may find that you have a preference for one screen’s colour display over another, but the colours are controllable anyway by brightness, contrast and colour mix. You need to view the screen as it will be seen in your home theater.

In order to do this, I always recommend getting a pen, paper, preferably graph paper, and a rule. Draw in the dimensions of the room to the largest scale that the sheet of paper allows, maybe one inch for two feet or there abouts. Then draw a line to symbolize the screen against whichever wall you choose and finally add a few squares for the seating. Now measure the space between them and write that figure down, because it is very important.

Using our scale above, if the gap on paper between the screen and the seating is five inches, the distance in the room will be ten feet and ten feet is 120 inches. A good rule of thumb, when trying to work out screen size is the same one used for paintings, which is that the ideal viewing distance of a picture is between three and five times its diagonal measurement. Therefore, in our case, the ideal screen size should be between 40 and 24 inches. Nevertheless, many experts put a minimum screen size for a home theater at 28 inches.

That may come as a bit of a surprise to many of you, because a lot of people think that the answer is the bigger the better. However, primed with this information, now go to the TV store and look at the TV’s again. You will find that if you get up too close to some sorts of screen the picture becomes rather poor, particularly with conventional television screens. Plasma and HDTV permit you to get a little closer without losing quality.

Another factor is your age, or at least, the quality of your eyesight. Would you rather watch the film with your glasses on or off? Off for me, so I would tend towards the higher end of our scale or maybe even go above it. My eyes are not going to get any better, but I can always put my glasses on when the time comes that I cannot see my screen properly anymore. However, I want to put that time off for a while yet, so I would go for a 48 inch screen in this example for my home theater. Plasma, if I could afford it.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with Home Theater Screens. If you are interested in a Home Movie Theatre, please click through to our site.