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| 09 | 2006 |
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| Audio/Visual Systems: Bringing the Theater Home |
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Advancements in audio/visual equipment have taken a home seat with the development of high-definition, plasma and flat-screen televisions and high-end entertainment projectors. With a few additional components, you can create a home theater system scaled to fit your needs and your budget.
Whether you are setting it up yourself or having a technician install it, you’ll need to select four components to complete your theater.
1. Television: The number of options can be daunting. From HDTV to EDTV, and flat-screens to rear-projection, the combinations are numerous. If price is not an issue, a plasma or LCD flat-screen HDTV offers the highest definition with that sleek flat-panel look. If you’re on a budget, determine your limit and the feature that’s most important to you, whether it’s the resolution, screen size, or depth size. If HDTV is a must-have, consider a rear-projection model – you’ll find larger screen sizes for lower prices than the flat-panels. If a flat-panel is a must have, consider EDTV (enhanced-definition television). The resolution is lower than HDTV, but still provides quality imagery in a flat package. If screen size is the must-have feature, consider entertainment projectors for a true theater feel. You’ll find a selection of sizes and resolutions.
2. Speaker system: Some people choose to stick with the television speakers to fulfill this requirement, but a true home theater system incorporates surround sound into the mix. You’ll need at least 4 to 6 speakers distributed around the room. For many, the frustration with speakers is not only determining placement, but contending with the wiring. For the best quality, have a technician analyze the acoustics in your theater room and setup your speaker system. If you’re setting it up yourself, position two in the front, two in the rear, an additional in the front center, and include a subwoofer for low frequency sounds.
3. Receiver: The receiver is equally as important as the other three elements. It not only powers the speakers, but its control system is typically the gateway to all the audio and video components. Some features to look for: higher watts per channel, video conversion, THX cinema processing, Dolby Digital and DTS. Some systems, such as Yamaha, even offer receivers that optimize the sound in your room based on the acoustics – a great feature if you’re installing it yourself.
4. DVD player, DVR or PVR: Although one of the most important elements, this is typically the least expensive piece of the home theater system. If you choose a DVD player, minimum requirements should be a quality picture and a variety of active, component outputs (such as S-video, composite video and analog audio outputs). DVRs (digital video recorders) offer the added bonus of an internal hard-drive for recording, thus eliminating the need to have a VCR for taping shows. If you’re feeling ambitious, consider a PVR (personal video recorder), also referred to as a home theater PC. A PVR turns your television into a complete multimedia system. Essentially a PC with software such as Microsoft’s Media Center PC, the home theater PC enables you to watch DVDs, watch, view and record TV programs, play music, view pictures, and much more.
These four elements will have you well on your way to replicating the cinematic experience in your home. However, if you’re searching for the perfect in-house cinema, consider adding theater chairs, cinema lighting and sound-proofing the room. With the technological advancements to media equipment and the growing popularity of home theaters, the options are endless with the spectrum ranging from economy to cinema-quality products.
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About The Brookfield Group
The Brookfield Group has become a leader in IT, ISP, ASP and web solutions by providing next level technology solutions managed by experts who give you peace of mind without the tech-talk. The company's services are customized to fit any enterprise-size businesses and include: IT project management; hosting solutions and maintenance; systems security and patches; telecommunications services, server and desktop setup, repair and applications; network infrastructure design; audio visual products; surveillance and security solutions; as well as a variety of other software, hardware, services and accessories. Located in Carmel, Indiana, more information about The Brookfield Group products and services is available at www.thebrookfieldgroup.com or by calling 317.524.6000.
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