GETTING A HANDLE ON "HOME THEATER

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There is nothing better than being "front row, center" in your own home theater. At least, that is what more and more people are finding out. Americans are taking extra rooms, basements, even more bedrooms – and turning them into home theaters or "media rooms." Once accessible only to the rich and famed, theaters these days are being added to homes of every price range.

But What Makes "Home Theater" Different From "Watching TV"?

A larger TV screen, sure. But it is the bigger SOUND that makes home theater so much entertaining. A standard TV presents sound through one or two built-in speakers. But a home theater system has some speakers (usually six) placed around the room, and the system sends different components of the soundtrack to different speakers. So when Captain Kirk is talking about Federation politics with Spock, the dialog looks to come from the screen. And when the Klingon Warbird suddenly appears and attacks the Enterprise, you will hear detonations all around you – while the subwoofer shakes the floors and rattles the walls. Surround sound is so exciting because it is really ALL around you. Just like in real life.

Getting Your Home Theater Started.

Bringing the home theater experience into your house does not essentially necessitate major remodeling or a big cost. In actual fact, new technology and lessening prices make it easier than ever to collect a home theater system. The basic components are the room, the furniture, and the electronic equipment. Here’re some useful guidelines to get you started:

Choosing A Room.

Practically any room can become a very pleasurable home theater. But for the best sound and viewing, shoot for these uniqueness:

An enclosed room. That means four walls with a door that are closed. That way you can turn up the volume of your bodacious sound system without disturbing others. Blocking out light and properly placing speakers gets easier, too. The perfect room is rectangular, about 1-1/2 times as long as it is broad, with the screen and front speakers placed along one of the short walls.

Centered seating. A TV picture looks sharpest when viewed straight on. The farther you move off center, the dimmer it gets. Most screens provide a good picture within an arch of 60 to 90 degrees. The perfect eye-to-screen distance is considered to be about three times the screen diagonal. Which means a 36” screen looks greatest from about nine feet away?

Light. For the brightest picture on the screen, try to block out as much other light as possible. Heavy curtains that totally cover the windows are excellent (for both light and sound). Any light that occurs to enter the room will be less disturbing if you select darker colors for walls, carpet and other furnishings.

Selecting The Furniture.

Recently, specially designed "home theater seating" has been replacing conventional sofas and chairs in front of the TV. It makes sense that you did want comfy seating from which to enjoy your theater-style picture and sound & especially if you are watching for 2 or 3 hours at a stretch! Naturally, that kind of comfort means ''motion furniture'' better known as reclining sofas and seats.

These seats are fairly stylish and typically upholstered in durable, easy to clean leather. As a regulation, the seats are sold as separate units that can be connected in various ways. With authentic home theater seating, every chair comes with individual left and right armrests. Wedge shaped arms or relating tables let you make curving rows so that every seat gets a great view of the TV.

The Technical Components.

For the simplest possible arrangement, you might consider one of the numerous "Home Theater In a Box" equipment packages now obtainable. But if you are the do-it-yourself type, here are the basics if you want to collect a custom system:

Receiver. Home theater sound begins with a receiver. All your components (DVD player, VCR, and so on.) connect to the receiver, which processes the sound and sends the signal to speakers. Whether you are watching DVDs or VHS movies, the receiver is enter to unlocking the "surround sound" excitation of the Dolby Digital, DTS or Dolby Pro Logic soundtrack. For DVDs, the receiver must be Dolby Digital prepared or have a Dolby Digital decoder built in.

Speakers. For the eventual home theater experience, you should have a total of 6 speakers – front left, front right, center channel, rear left, rear right, and a subwoofer. Speaker placement is of utmost significance. The center speaker is for dialogue and other "up front" sounds, and is usually located on top of the TV. The powered subwoofer makes dramatic low and sub-sonic effects, and preferably should be placed against a wall or in a corner.

DVD Player. DVD technology gets lots of the credit for creating home theaters so trendy. A DVD player gives you the superiority and clarity of digital playback, allowing you to replicate the experience of "true cinema" in the comfort of your own home. For an even higher resolution, more high-density picture, think a "progressive scan" DVD player. Your DVD player does not need a Dolby Digital decoder if your receiver has one.

Large Screen TV. There are three basic types of TVs: direct view, rear projection and front projection. Widescreen TV is also becoming an important part of a home theater system. Your television should have a screening area of at least 27 inches to catch the highly detailed images from a digital source like DVD or satellite.

Then you will be prepared to pop some popcorn, have some friends over, and take pleasure in a "full immersion" movie-watching experience and in your very own home theater!