Archive for the ‘TV’ Category
There’s nothing quite so satisfying as being able to immerse yourself in total darkness before seeing a crystal clear studio logo pop onto the big screen while a blast of 5.1 digital surround sound overtakes your senses and rumbles beneath you. You are experiencing the rush of watching a movie in a theater. But not just any theater, it’s your home theater.
That’s right. No one kicking the seat behind you, throwing candy at your head or talking on the phone during the best scenes; if they do you can kick them out yourself!
In many ways the home theater experience far surpasses the big screens of movie theater chains. Not only the annoyances listed previously, but there’s also the factors of cost and convenience.
With the price of a movie ticket running somewhere around $10, plus the cost of snacks, you could easily afford your own home theater just by skipping those evenings out for a year or two. Depending on how expensive your tastes are possibly even sooner than that. And there’s no need to wait for the 7 o’clock showing or stand in line; you can start, stop and schedule your movie showings whenever it’s convenient for you.
As true home theater enthusiasts we’d been designing our perfect escape since before we bought our house. We were just looking for the perfect house to fit our dreams. We found it a few years ago and proceeded to design our dream theater with gusto. We had most of our cinema equipment (just needing a few finishing touches like the 5.1 digital surround and more monster cables) so we dug into planning everything from seating arrangement and style, to carpet color and decor, to the large hinged wall with secret escape route (doesn’t every kid want one?)
By doing most of it ourselves we saved thousands of dollars but it also took about a year to “finish.” Well, it’s finished enough for us to enjoy, we are always working on the little touches here and there. Many people hire professionals to design and build their theater’s, which saves a lot of time (but not always money.)
After a long hard day at work, or an evening of frustrating parenting, the need to escape reality can become overwhelming. Being able to drop ourselves into complete darkness and seclusion and then immerse ourselves in a full senses banquet of sights and sounds from Hollywood we can quickly forget our own headaches and get wrapped up in the big screen. Those two hours are sanity savers without ever needing to leave the house (or get candy thrown at our heads).
Related items
Home theater is the term used to describe the recent evolution of audio and video systems that offer exceptional quality and superior performance – in essence, it is like having a movie theater in your own living room.
The recreation obtained by the combination of audio and visual components creates the experience of a professional movie theater. The set-up may be as simple as a DVD player fed through a stereo system and a larger television set, or as elaborate as an entire room professionally wired with multiple speakers and a projection screen. A home theater system may even include theater-style chairs and an elevated floor for optimal viewing.
The knowledge of how a professional movie theater is designed is helpful to learn more about the working of a Home theater system. Amplifier units are located to the left, right and center of an expansive movie screen, there are also several satellite speakers embedded through the auditorium, including the back. Movie sound editors separate the audio track into as many as six different channels — the audience may hear dialogue in the front left, center and right channels for instance. Other sounds may start from a rear channel and move towards the front. This creates a very realistic audio environment.
Professional movie theaters also project a high-definition film onto an oversized screen which is wider than it is tall. This allows for a more natural visual experience than a typical square television screen provides. The increased definition of a 35mm or 70mm film also gives the movie added realism. All of these aspects of movie-going are recreated in a good home theater system. The DVD player in a home theater system can separate the audio track into two, three or even five channels.
Everyone has different needs and desires about what their media center should be, and may be constrained by different environmental or budgetary limitations. Careful navigation through a detailed methodology ensures that the right choices about design, equipment selection, features, and style are made up front. A few of the questions listed below would be advisable to ponder before setting up a Home theater.
? Where is theater going to be located?
? How large is the area?
? How many people would normally be using the room at a time?
? How much ambient noise is there?
? How much ambient light is there?
? What will the room be used for primarily?
? What will the secondary uses be?
? What kind of budget do you have?
Since new movies are always being released, the thrill of your theater is renewed each time you sit down in the comfort of your own home with your loved ones. Why not make the most of it?