1 - Introduction
| The components of a home theatre system include; a TV, a DVD player, an audio/video/stereo receiver
and speakers. If you don’t want to spend too much money and if you have a fairly big sized television then you
can upgrade your current entertainment system into a fairly crude home theatre system by purchasing a good DVD player,
a stereo receiver and speakers (which is also called home theatre system in a box). |
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Most home theatre systems do not come with a big screen TV. However, it is advisable to buy a television which is wider (at least 27-28 across, measured diagonally) for a true visual experience.
Most home theatre systems come with a DVD player so you don’t need to purchase one separately. A Receiver is the component that receives or tunes and broadcasts signals. Typically it is the component that includes a preamp, surround processor, multi-channel amplifier, and AM/FM tuner. An audio/video/stereo receiver acts as an amplifier and decodes sound tracks on your DVDs or HDTV. In other words, the receiver receives input from devices such as the TV, DVD player and decodes/amplifies those signals and sends them or splits them to output devices such as the TV and, the speaker system. The audio/video receiver sits right in the center of your home theatre system.
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2 - Speakers
The speakers are the main highlight of a home theatre system. Each speaker of a home theatre system has a different role
to play. Here is a brief note on speakers and where you could place them:
2.1 - Center-channel speaker
It is the main source of dialogue, music and several other sound effects. The best place to position this speaker is
either above or below your television, so that the sound and the dialogue come from the same position as the picture.
Hence the sound will be projected directly to you.
2.2 - Satellite Surround Sound Speakers
These speakers provide for the background sound, such as; the sound of footsteps, the shrill of the night. They should be
placed a few feet behind, to the right and left of your couch so that you may have a complete surround-sound effect.
2.3 - Left and Right Front Speakers
They are the essential part of your home theatre package. They deliver realistic sound effects and music experience,
which you shall especially relish while watching an action movie or a special-effects movie. They should be placed at
the left and right positions from the television at an equal distance.
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2.4 - Sub-Woofer
It produces the ultra low-frequency and bass sounds like a bomb explosion. So if you are an action movie buff, a sub woofer would
definitely make you feel the heat. They come in many dimensions, and it is advisable to place the sub-woofer out of the way of
foot-traffic. |
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3 - Purchasing Factors
While buying a home theatre system it is important to know the specifications and how it affects or influences the movie
experience.
Some of the specifications that you might come across are as listed below:
- Surround sound format : The receiver in your home theatre system should support most surround sound formats. DTS, (Digital Theater System, is a digital sound recording format, originally developed for theatrical film soundtracks), Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic, Dolby Pro Logic-II (are encoding systems that digitally compress 5 to 7 discrete channels of audio). These are some types of digital surround sound technology used in home theater systems that enhances audio. Home theater components with this technology work with a 5.1-speaker system (five speakers plus a low-frequency subwoofer) to produce true-to-life audio that draws the listener into the onscreen action.
- Video Up-sampling : Up-sampling is done to increase the bandwidth of a signal. Video Up-sampling technology reduces the distortion or “mosquito distortion”, giving you an improved picture quality. Most theatre systems come with an up-sampling rate of 4x.
- Wide spectrum speaker system : A wide spectrum speaker covers the entire audible audio frequency range, hence capturing and producing realistic sound. Since there is only one driver reproducing the entire audio range, it results in minimizing phase distortion or time distortion thereby protecting the audio quality.
- DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter) or D/A converter : This device is used to convert digital signals to analogue signals. This technology preserves every detail of the authentic picture, hence giving you a sharp and natural image. Some home theatre systems use 10-bit DAC; however the limitation of a 10 bit DAC becomes apparent while using large screens and projectors. Most home theatre systems come with a 24bit D/A converter.
- Playable disc formats : It is advisable to get a system which supports multiple disc formats, so that you will not be restricted to use a particular format of disc. Some of the disc formats are DVD-Audio, DVD-Video, DVD-RW, DVD-R, +RW, +R, CD, CD-R/RW, SVCD/VCD, MP3/WMA/JPEG Digital Still (CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW), MPEG-4 (ASP)/DivX (CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW).
- Progressive Scan : Usually, fields with odd lines of the image are sent to the screen first which is then followed by the even lines. Hence, the image on the screen is perceived to be less sharp by the eye. Progressive scan technology writes both the fields at the same time on the screen, therefore the eye perceives a sharper image with no line structure.
- Aspect ratio : It is the ratio of image width to image height. Normally, analog TV pictures have an aspect ratio of 4:3, which means the picture is slightly wider than it is tall. HDTV (high definition mode of digital TV) present the picture with an aspect ratio of 16:9, which means the picture, is twice as wide as it is tall. This is quite akin to the pictures you see in movie theatres.
- S/N Ratio : This ratio indicates how much audio signal exists in relation to noise, or a specified noise floor. The S/N Ration is measured in decibels (dB). A higher S/N ratio is more desirable.
- Frequency response : This is the range of frequency that the speaker can reproduce. The normal frequency range that a human being can hear is 20-20000 Hz. A good speaker system should produce as much of this range as possible to cover all variations in sound.
- Impedance : It is the total opposition or resistance that a circuit offers to the flow of alternating current or any other varying current at a particular frequency. It is represented in ohms, the higher the number in ohms the greater the resistance to the electric flow. Hence it is advisable to buy a speaker system that has low impedance.
- Connectivity : Wires and cables come with the home theatre system package. Most of them come with SCART cables, easy fit speaker connector et al.
- Karaoke : For those who enjoy singing, this feature offered in some home theatre systems can give you unlimited music enjoyment. They may come with features such as; adding an “echo” effect to your voice or key controls allowing you to choose and control your voice range.
- Infrared Remote : Most theatre systems come with an infrared remote to give an unperturbed movie experience. Some also come with multi-brand remote control that can be used for television and VCR.
- Warranty : Most home theatre systems give at least 1 year of warranty.
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4 - Buying Tips
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• All the cables and wires that connect the components of a home theatre system play a vital role in giving you best sound and picture quality. Frayed and worn-out wires are the main reasons for picture distortions and low sound quality. So be sure to replace worn-out wires and cables to get the best beat and bang for your buck!
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• The dimension of your room should also be kept in mind before you buy a home theatre system. Most home theatre systems are compact and sleek enough to blend with your décor and fit in to the available room size. Be sure that you verify the dimensions prior to purchase.
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