A
home theater is a dedicated space in which to enjoy audio and video.
From there, the definition becomes far more personal, so to help you
make the right choices, you need to ask three questions:
1. What do you want?
What are you planning to watch in your home theater? "Lost?"
Sports programs? The latest feature films? And do you intend to watch
any of the above in standard quality (the easier, more affordable
choice) or in high-definition, which delivers sharper pictures and
enhanced sound?
Either way, you will need a display (a standard or high-definition
television); a source component (such as a
DVD player,
Blu-ray player, or digital video recorder, such as TiVo); and a sound system (which can include an
audio/video receiver connected to multiple
loudspeakers). Once you figure out what precisely you intend to achieve in your home theater, you're ready to do inventory.
2. What do you have?
Let's
assume that at the very least you have a sufficiently large TV, and you
are pleased with its performance. Thanks to the triumph of DVD in the
late '90s, the home-theater-in-a-box or "HTiB" category of products has
evolved quickly to become a viable alternative to individually purchased
audio-visual elements, for a painless "Just Add TV" approach.
A
complete HTiB bundle arrives with a DVD receiver unit, featuring the
necessary sound decoding/amplification combined with the DVD player
inside a single chassis, along with five loudspeakers for left and right
front, left and right surround/rear, a dedicated center channel plus a
subwoofer, along with all the necessary cabling. These "5.1 channels"
work together to recreate a true theater-style sound experience in the
home, only on a smaller scale. Audio-only HTiB solutions are also
available, without DVD, and almost all HTiBs offer inputs for connecting
multiple source components.
If you already have speakers, how
many? Dolby Digital is the audio standard for DVD, requiring the five
speakers plus subwoofer to properly reproduce the soundtracks of most
modern films. If you already have two speakers, it isn't necessarily as
easy as adding three more. Dolby Digital requires full-range speakers -
that is the ability to reproduce the highs, lows, and midrange of all
five channels. The best surround speakers also dissipate the sound for a
more realistic rear soundstage. Under normal use the front speakers
handle most of the load, so you will need robust left and right mains,
plus a center channel with exceptional clarity (for dialog). Centers are
ideally horizontal and tend to be placed directly above or below the
screen.
What is currently driving your speakers? If you own a
receiver, is it stereo (two-channel) or multi-channel? And does it offer
the latest audio decoding formats? The soundtrack data on the disc
needs to be decoded, and that decoded signal must then to be amplified
for your speakers. In addition to Dolby Digital, does it offer DTS, the
outstanding rival multi-channel format? And how much power is at your
sound system's disposal? Your sound system (the receiver/amplifier plus
the subwoofer, if it's self-powered) should be capable of delivering at
least 450 watts total system power for a small-to-medium-size room.
If
you are in the market for a new TV as well, keep in mind that American
television is changing over from analog to digital, and in less than a
year ATSC will officially be the new standard. So make sure that your
new TV contains an ATSC digital tuner. All new
HDTVs
have it, so savvy consumers will make the extra investment and stave
off obsolescence by making their next purchase an HDTV. You'll gain
widescreen display, best for movies and an increasing number of
television shows (the black bars you see on the top and bottom of many
programs will go away) as well as outstanding picture quality and the
latest inputs.
Size matters in more ways than one, as you need the right size screen for your room. The popular
42-inch widescreen TV,
for example, has an ideal viewing distance of about 5 to 10 feet. Any
closer will reveal imperfections in the image, while too far minimizes
the impact. About 1½ times the diagonal measure of the screen is the
minimum distance for the viewer, and three times is the maximum. So
measure not just the space in your shelving unit but also the layout of
your room before you begin shopping.
If your current television is several years old, your
DVDs
will probably look significantly better on most new TVs. Look for
progressive scan and component video input, just make sure that
whichever DVD player you use - traditional or as part of an HTiB -
offers progressive scan component video output. DVD is not true high
definition however, so if you plan to rent or purchase movies on disc,
Blu-ray is the way to go. A Blu-ray deck will not only play Blu-ray
high-definition movies but will make your current DVD library look
better than ever.
3. How much can you spend?
What
you get is largely determined by what you can afford to pay. In the
world of displays, more money nets you a larger screen size and the
latest technology, all the way up to 1080p, the highest-available
resolution on consumer monitors. One point not to be compromised on is
HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) input, the gold standard for
connectivity, which assures the transfer of full-quality HD video and
multi-channel audio from the latest source components.
As little
as $500 can buy a respectable HTiB, designed around standard-definition
DVD. If you insist upon buying a new standalone DVD player, don't spend
more than $100: That price will bring you outstanding features and
performance at this point in the product's life cycle, and you won't
feel badly when you inevitably upgrade to Blu-ray.
Performance is
the key factor when purchasing loudspeakers, as you will simply want
the best sound that you can afford, as defined by the "performance
envelope" of frequency and dynamic range. A speaker's ability to
reproduce lower bass (even in addition to a dedicated subwoofer) and
higher trebles is critical, along with the range across which it can
enjoyably reproduce soft to loud audio.
Proper demos can be difficult to
find at retail, so it's wise to find out if you will be able to
audition the speakers at home and return them if necessary.
Of
course, your speakers need to be a good match for your
amplifier/receiver, and not too piggish in their power demands, noting
their nominal impedance rating. Speakers with 8-ohm impedance are
extremely common, and lower ratings will mean the speaker is drawing
more electrical power. More discerning listeners lean toward separates,
that is a dedicated decoder/preamplifier box that then passes the
prepared signal to an outboard amplifier, vs. a single, integrated
audio/video receiver. The performance of receivers - which can function
as control centers and switchers for all of your home theater gear, with
HDMI ins/out - now approach the level of separates, while their value
and versatility can't be beat. Recent receivers also support the most
sophisticated audio formats available on Blu-ray, including Dolby TrueHD
and DTS-HD Master Audio.
Do
your research, don't skimp, and be sure find a comfortable chair,
because your audio/video system will bring you years of enjoyment.
