Looking for a Home Theater System
Saturday, August 28, 2010 6:33Nowadays it seems that more individuals then in the past have an interest in having the best home theater system possible in their home or apartment. The most often asked questions is “what exactly is required to have a home theater?
Even the most basic home theater comprises about three fundamental components. Ranked in normal order of importance, you might say that anyone hoping to experience the minimal home theater experience will need to have a sizable video display, a digital surround sound system and a DVD player. Of course the best home theater system for any individual depends upon their specific needs, available space and budget.
Your DVD player will function as your video source so taking into account today’s technology, it might be foolish not to buy a quality Blu-ray dvd player. Many people will go with a HD capable tv at the very least, so selecting a Blu-ray player ensures you that you will get access to all of the latest movie releases. Depending upon your spending budget, one may look at one of the new DVD players perfect for playing 3D Blu-ray Discs in 1080p if you have a 3D-ready HDTV in your sights. At the time of this writing, the Samsung BD-C6900, Sony BDP-S570, Sony BDP-BX57, Panasonic DMP-BDT350, LG BX580, and Samsung BD-C5900 3-D Blu-ray disc players tend to be among the most popular. For those who go with less costly products, just be sure your selected component has progressive scan capability and has a component video output. The truth is for all those on a limited budget, an entire home theater in-a-box may be the ideal solution.
In the past when you mentioned a complete home theater in-a-box, one naturally thought of cheap worthless junk. These days that’s far from the truth. A number of high-end theater in-a-box systems are the Yamaha YHT-591BL, LG LHB953, Yamaha YHT-390BL, LG LHB977, and the Onkyo HT-S5200 7.1 system. I’ve noted some excellent deals on a home theater 7.1 systems. Buying A home theater in-a-box enables a hassle-free purchase and all the buyer has to add is a HDTV.
The 2nd component of any home theater system is a Digital Surround Sound System or the home theater speaker systems. If you purchase a component Blu-ray dvd play, you need a quality sound system consisting of satellite speakers and a receiver. The usual surround sound system will be a 5.1 system meaning it provides a center stage speaker, four satellite speakers and a subwoofer. If space will allow, a 7.1 surround sound system adds another two satellite speakers for even an even more theater-like experience. When shopping for a receiver, remember you may get lost in the many options such as 5.1, 6.1, 7.1, video switching, HD and more. For anyone who is not ready to do a little homework at this point, it could be a good move to look at those high-end theater in-a-box packages mentioned earlier. If you’re determined to go the component option, you’ll find outstanding video receivers like the Sony STR-DN1000 7.1, Sony STR-DG520 5.1, Sony STR-DH510 5.1, Pioneer VSX-1020-K, and the Pioneer VSX-920-k.
The last, but most important part of any home theater is going to be your video display. If you are on a restricted budget, you will find some excellent buys in regular 32″ TVs. However consider the weight of that size TV before you accept anything but a thin flatscreen. The best option of course will be a LCD or plasma TV in the 46″ to 50″ range for family viewing. In recent years most of these have also come down substantially in cost. A number of popular and affordable models are the Samsung LN40C630, Samsung LN46C630, LG 32LD450, VIZIO VA370M, LG 42LH40, Panasonic TC-P42S2, Sharp AQUOS LC32LE700UN, and Sony Bravia S-Series KDL-40S5100. When looking for a flat screen TV, take into account how you will use the TV. Nowadays they are offered with all kinds of things from online connections and wireless access to home networks. However, you should look for a model providing 1080p and 120Hz refresh rate if you ever view a lot of action sports. Needless to say you may truly go to the top end and look at the brand new 3-D TVs on the market also. You will find good quality deals on the Samsung UN55C7000 and Samsung UN55C8000 if you purchase their 3-D DVD player as well. In addition to the the flat screens, a few home theater builders will go with a video projector or a rear-projection TV. Needless to say the video projectors need the largest amount of space plus the extra cost and installation of a screen.
Considering your options in home theater systems, you are going to realize it is possible to have some level of movie theater experience irrespective of your available space and budget.