| Home-Theater Components |
From "Home Tech"
episode HTC-101 |
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The Home-Theater Concept The objective behind home theater is to approximate the experience of an actual movie theater in your home -- to create an environment that minimizes outside distractions and allows you to become absorbed in the sights and sounds that are being presented to you. That may be a feature film, a television drama or comedy, a documentary or a presentation of a live musical concert or performance. One fundamental concept in home theater is the dimension of the screen -- not so much the size as the ratio of screen width to height. The dimension of the screen enables the impressive panoramic vistas and creative framing that directors and cinematographers use when they create movies. Ideally, home theater should reproduce the aspect ratio of an actual movie screen so the viewer gets the "whole picture," just as the filmmaker intended. High-quality sound is also a critical factor. Contemporary films make use of elaborate soundtracks with multiple tracks and carefully orchestrated sound effects, dialog and musical scoring. Ironically, until recently most televisions delivered all sounds through a single tiny, low-quality speaker roughly equivalent to one used in a transistor radio. In recent years, this has changed dramatically as home viewers have demanded that home systems deliver the kind of sound that rivals that of movie theaters and high-end home stereo systems. Home-theater systems now feature five or more speakers to deliver the multidimensional sound movie enthusiasts have grown to expect. A home theater system is more than just a fancy television. It's an integrated system that includes a high-quality television or TV monitor, surround-sound audio components (including a receiver or amplifier/pre-amp combination), multiple speakers, some type of program delivery system (satellite system or cable), and other optional components such as DVD players, VCR, etc.
Basic Elements in a Home Theater System Television. High-end home theater systems generally employ a television that is superior to a standard TV. Newer technologies such as digital TV and flat-screen monitors can produce higher resolution and better-quality images than standard television. Most home theater televisions are moving toward the wider, 16x9 format as well. These televisions tend to be larger than average models, allowing for a fuller visual impact. The ultimate in quality, at present, is high-definition television (HDTV). After years in creation, and more years in limbo as consumer standards were worked out within the industry, HDTV is now available and delivers the highest picture resolution currently possible, in addition to the cinematic 16x9 aspect ratio (figure A). Surround-Sound Receiver. When you watch a movie in the theater, you are surrounded by speakers. This multichannel audio system allows the sound to surround you, panning side-to-side and front-to-rear -- matching the action on the screen and creating a sense of spatiality and realism through sound. When utilized skillfully, there is no question that sound components can engage the viewer much more fully in a movie presentation. Home systems are now being built (sometimes in cooperation with the film industry) to approximate this kind of sonic experience in the home. The central unit for delivering the audio portion of the program -- and serving as the "command center" for controlling all of the components in the system -- is the A/V (audio/video) receiver, sometimes called a surround-sound or surround-audio receiver (figure B). In addition to having more audio channels, surround-audio receivers have digital-audio inputs (to receive digitally processed audio signals from external components) and a considerable amount of power in their amplifier section. These systems typically supply 100 watts or more of audio power to each channel. Some audio purists even go a step further, employing separate components in their A/V system -- an A/V preamplifier and multichannel power amplifier -- in place of a receiver. Speakers. High-end home theater systems typically employ at least five speakers, strategically placed in relation to the listening area, to accurately deliver the audio portion of the program. Depending on the type of receiver and audio encoding being used, surround systems may employ from five to seven separate audio channels -- instead of only two, as found in traditional home-stereo systems. Speakers are placed in front of, behind and beside the viewing/listening area (figure C). Digital Video Disc (DVD) Player. DVD technology (figure D) delivers video programming from CD-sized discs (figure E). Since it was introduced, the DVD format has caught on rapidly and is now widespread as a home-entertainment medium, sometimes supplanting the earlier VHS videotape systems that preceded it in most homes. Thousands of movies and other video programs are now available in DVD format at retailers everywhere, and more are being added every day. The most noticeable difference between DVD and VHS is the fact that DVD offers a much clearer, sharper picture than a VHS tape, as well as digitally processed true-surround audio. The other main difference is that (at least for the moment) DVD is largely a playback-only medium. At present, recording onto DVDs is not a viable option for consumers. Videocassette Recorder (VCR). Though DVD is edging it out in terms of popularity, the videocassette medium (VHS tape) is likely to be around for quite a while since it allows consumers to easily record programs for viewing at their leisure or for building a home library of films and TV shows. VCRs are available at varying levels of quality and sophistication. Models identified as Hi-Fi VCR provide stereo sound, better picture and more features than standard VCRs. Super-VHS or S-VHS models can utilize a more sophisticated recording process (when used with specialized S-VHS tape) to deliver even higher picture resolution.
RESOURCES :
Ultimate Electronics
Ultimate Electronics was featured in the DIY Home Technology workshop.
Ultimate Electronics
Thornton, CO 80260
Phone: 303-412-2500
Website: www.ultimateelectronics.com
Crutchfield home audio and video
Crutchfield is not only a catalog retailer specializing in a wide array of popular audio and video equipment, they excel at providing information and resources for audio-system installation. Their free catalog offers advice on selecting the best type of system for your tastes and the most suitable equipment for your audio and home-theater needs.
Stereo Review's Sound and Vision magazine
Stereo Review's Sound and Vision is a magazine dedicated to home audio and video equipment and home-theater entertainment.
Web site: www.soundandvisionmag.com
The Sensible Sound magazine
The Sensible Sound is a magazine devoted to helping audiophiles and home-theater enthusiasts find the best bargains in high-end audio and video equipment.
Web site: www.sensiblesound.com
The Perfect Vision magazine
The Perfect Vision is a magazine devoted to high-performance and audiophile level equipment used in home theater systems.
Web site: www.theperfectvision.com
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