Posts Tagged ‘Home Cinema’

Home Theater Room Design – Where Do I Start?

March 5th, 2010



Once we decide we want a home theater design for our very own – what then? Do we have room for it in the basement, or in a spare room? Will our electricity have the power to handle it? Most professional designers will tell us that the design of our home theater system has to meet specific requirements in order to place it inside our home. For example, our theater system set-up must fit with the size and shape within our home, with the sound likely to be off if this is not done correctly – causing it to be less than the high quality sound system we originally purchased. Without much trouble, the theater design can be created within our home if done correctly. Seeking to reproduce an actual theater or cinema quality environment, the fact is that a large-screen high definition television or projection system requires certain things to work correctly.

Basically, the technical description of a home theater system is a television, VCR, DVD, and a set of speakers. When we are selecting a home theater combination, our first considerations should be about the design elements in the home. If we will be purchasing a theater set-up that is going to fill a larger room, we may need to consider additional elements, such as the amount of speakers that are needed. Quite possibly, a sales person or a designer in the store we purchased our set-up from, will help us with the layout. This can be the sales person, a professional designer, or obtaining professional services from someone else. We may find that the design aspect of the theater is not as complicated as we originally thought. In fact, many adept home owners are able to do this on their own when they take a home theater kit out of the box in their living room.

Most research have found that when setting up the home theater system within the home, if the homes have a complete home cinema set-up the layout of the speakers is common to use the speakers integrated within the TV instead of playing the sound through the surround sound system. Spend a few extra minutes to make sure that you have the right home theater for your home and it is hooked up correctly. The design of it should be easy to install, but by far the most important thing is that the quality of the sound system should be as close to perfect as possible. When we take the time to do this, we will have created the perfect theater for our home. If we find we cannot do this, we can work with a movie theater specialist to help us to come up with specific needs, based on our home’s shape and needs. The other option is to follow the directions that are provided to us with our movie theater system.

By: Mike Singh

What is a Home Theater in a Box?

February 26th, 2010



If you are acquiring home theater for the very first time and don’t know a lot about electronics or are unwilling to take the time to put together a system in stages then a home theater in a box may be a excellent way to get on track. The comparative ease of setting up the system is the reason why it is the largest growth product in the audio category and why it is growing to be quite fashionable with the majority of consumers.

The term is given to all-in-one digital audio systems, which usually consist of a progressive scan DVD player, radio receiver, digital surround sound amplifier, speakers and a powered sub-woofer. In fact, it gives you everything except the big screen TV.

When considering a purchase however, there are a number of recommended pointers to be made. Some systems have a propensity to cut corners on speaker assembly and quality, when compared to separate unit systems and are intended for home cinema use more than for listening to music. You may possibly be disappointed, if you are a serious listener to music, with the performance of most home theater-in-box systems, that may not deliver the pure power that you might need for a larger room.

However, since it’s introduction, it has quickly caught on with consumers hungry for a convenient, easy-to-understand compilation. The biggest benefit offered is simplicity, it’s easy to install and use and, for the most part, all of the required connection cables are provided. Budget wise these systems in a box can strike a balance between sound quality and cost and although there exists a wide price range, a home theater in a box can start for as little as a couple hundred dollars. More importantly, for the consumer, there are many brands available.

Conversely a custom system is a lot more expensive and you may even have to employ someone to help you with the installation of the equipment since it can be a difficult task for beginners.

For anyone who needs an uncomplicated surround sound system, or lacks the budget for a big and elaborate system, home-theater-in-a-box is a remedy. It is also a solution if space is at a premium or a second system is required for a second room.

The wonderful feature about these systems is that you know that everything you require to get up and running is all there. So if you’re looking to get started easily and without a lot of trouble you may want to look at a home theater in a box for quick and easy entry into the world of home theater. For you, it could be perfect solution.

By: John Philips

Home Theater Solutions

February 6th, 2010



Home Theater – Out of the box

What has made the home theater experience more accessible and affordable for more people in recent years is the emergence of what the industry now calls “cinema in a box”. This is a great option for the home-theater novice, those in apartments or renters as it is most cost effective.

For as little as a few hundred dollars, you can enjoy basic cinema sight and sound. You need to look around for all the latest specials in this area. Just go into your local shop and ask about “cinema in a box”.

For those on a budget this provides an ideal way to create a home theatre from scratch. Instead of having to choose and buy expensive separate components, you get all the equipment you need for one fixed price.
Will the home theater fit in my room?

Where you decide to put the home theatre is just as important as the equipment itself. The position, size of the room, along with how many windows it has, will influence your cinema experience to some extent. Large, uncovered windows and wooden floors will detract from the big screen as it will introduce the unwanted ‘glare’ factor. It would be a great idea to hang heavy curtains to reduce this glare and to lay carpet in the proposed cinema to eliminate noise reflection.

Square rooms are the worst for home cinema because sound waves bounce off the rear wall. So a rectangular or odd-shaped room will be much more suitable when it comes to sound if that is possible.

Several manufacturers now offer a solution to this in their home-theatre systems that will automatically balance the sound between all speakers, making it easier for the home-theatre novice.

So where is home theater headed in the future? Wireless! Actually it is already here so keep your eyes peeled for more news on that!

By: Steve Knowles