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2torial #0580:
Learn2 Buy a Home
Theater System
Honey, who ARE all these people in our living
room?
Remember when your stereo and your television were considered two
separate items? Well, if you walk into an electronics store these
days you'll find things are very different: a home theater system
lets you watch video tapes (or laserdiscs, DVDs, broadcast movies
and concerts) with audio and video that simulates the movie theater
experience. And there are no disturbances from strangers' conversations
or commercial interruption. A reminder: if all you want to do is
listen to music or watch a small TV in the kitchen while cooking,
reconsider buying this equipment. If you're ready to turn an ordinary
room into a terrific home theater, take a deep breath and read on!
This process is similar to setting up a traditional stereo system
(except with more pieces). Just as with a stereo system, you'll
plug a "tape player" into a receiver, which will then play the sound
through the speakers. The big differences with a home theater system
are these: the "tape player" in this case is a hi-fi VCR, laserdisc
or DVD player, and the receiver is sending the sound to at least
five speakers, not just two.
 Choose your receiver
The receiver is responsible for taking pieces of a movie soundtrack,
such as the sound of a jet plane taking off, and sending it to the
speakers in such a way that you can hear the plane coming from behind
and passing over you. To get these effects, you have a few choices
to consider:
- A receiver with a Dolby Surround Sound decoder is the most
basic choice. This system feeds the front speakers with the program
in normal stereo, while the back surrounding speakers are fed
a basic signal that doesn't have much separation.
- For a more enhanced sound with higher separation, you'll need
a Dolby Pro Logic decoder. This is like an electronic traffic
cop: it'll direct the appropriate sound to the appropriate channel,
which feeds into the appropriate speaker, giving you much more
localized, life-like audio.
- Finally, there's Dolby Digital,which has even more sound separation,
adding a sixth sound channel to Dolby Pro Logic's five, for powerful
low-frequency effects (the kind that are felt more than heard).
If you're getting a Laserdic or DVD as your video source, you'll
want this one.
Be aware that better sound quality usually means higher costs.
Major brands, such as JVC, Kenwood, Pioneer, Sony and Technics,
all sell receivers with these types of Dolby decoders. You will
also find units from such audiophile brands as Aiwa, Bose
or SonyES (as well as others). As you move up the lines additional
features appear, such as the ability to simulate the sound of well-known
concert halls, or, with certain DVDs, replace dialogue with another
language.
 Choose your video source
At the moment, you have three choices for a video source. Although
with the speed that new technology is hitting the market, this may
change soon.
- The first and most basic is a hi-fi VCR. The difference
between this and a normal VCR is that the hi-fi provides audio
information for the Surround Sound or Pro Logic receiver that
an ordinary VCR can't. (The cost, however, is not that much more.)
Fancier models will give you more control over how you record
something than a cheaper model will. Reproduction of a pre-recorded
tape's soundtrack will probably be superior as well. But unless
you're an educated listener, you won't notice the difference.
For the majority of us, a less expensive unit from a reputable
manufacturer will be just fine, as long as it has audio out
jacks.
- Next is the laserdisc player, which gives you a much
sharper picture than you can get with most VCRs, or on cable or
broadcast TV. Some of them incorporate a CD player and the best
play both sides of an album-sized disc without you having to flip
it. If you have a big-screen TV and notice picture imperfections
easily, you may really appreciate a laserdisc player.
- Finally, the DVD player, which is the latest in video
technology and produces a slightly better picture than the laserdisc.
Unlike laserdiscs, DVDs are CD-sized, which makes for easier storage.
For sound and video quality, you can't get any better than this
(at least not yet).
Again, the higher quality sound and picture will usually mean a
higher cost, with DVD players running the highest. Other drawbacks
for DVDs (and laserdiscs) are selection--you have a far greater
number of choices with a VCR--and the ability to record. Still,
wait a couple years and these problems may disappear.
 Choose your television
How big a TV do you want? And what quality would you like your
picture to be? Those are the questions to ask yourself. Just about
every TV under 30" (diagonal measurement) will be fine, as long
as you stick to renting tapes and watching cable (or broadcast)
channels. If you are a critical viewer and own a laserdisc player,
DVD or have the new Digital Satellite System, you should definitely
consider a better quality TV.
Better televisions have the ability to reproduce about 500 lines
of resolution (as opposed to 300 lines or less for a "regular" TV).
They also have a brighter picture, better contrast and less distortion
at the edges than less expensive models. These things become even
more important when the screen is very large or the picture source
is very high quality.
Don't worry about having a stereo TV. Your video source
will take care of the sound.
When comparison-shopping for a TV, make sure that one model doesn't
have its brightness or contrast controls turned up high while the
others are turned down low.
 Choose your
speakers
Speakers are important. Everything you hear comes out of them,
so follow these tips for your listening pleasure:
- Buy the best ones you can afford--avoid low-quality speakers,
even if they're inexpensive. Five speakers are needed for a Dolby
Pro Logic or Dolby Digital system: two in front, two behind, and
one right at the TV.
- If you like, add a subwoofer to produce superb bass sound.
It's a luxury, though, not a necessity.
- You'll get the best results for home theater if all five speakers
are of the same brand, specifically manufactured for use together
in a home theater system. On the other hand, if you're also using
the system as your musical listening center, you'll want your
two main (front) speakers to be the best quality and matched.
The two surround (rear) speakers can be of lesser quality
but should also be matched. The remaining center speaker
should be of good quality but certainly does not need to be better
than the others.
- Subwoofers come both powered and passive. The
former is better, if you have the money. If you don't, a passive
subwoofer and powerful receiver can still be a very good combination.
-
When shopping, look for speakers that are heavier than they
appear. Grilles should be removable and have at least two drivers
underneath: a larger woofer and a smaller tweeter.
The speakers nearest the TV have to be magnetically shielded,
so they don't make the picture wacky.
Follow the directions (take it slow), pop your popcorn, pop in
your video and get as comfortable as you please--remember, it's
your house, not the theater.
-end-
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