Home Theater Systems FAQ

What are Home Theater Systems

Are you someone who loves surprises? I bet you are! There is nothing like being surprised with something that you love. Well if you love surprises, I have one for you. Close your eyes and walk with me as I take you into a fabulous showroom. Don’t open your eyes yet! Now, remember how much you like surprises then open your eyes. It’s more beautiful than you could have ever imagined, right? You’re looking at the brand new home theater system of your dreams! Okay, now wake up because you ARE dreaming. You’re really at home sitting in front of a round-screen TV hooked up to your boom box that you’ve hung from the wall. But don’t feel discouraged; your dream doesn’t have to remain that if you don’t want it to. There are tons of great home theater systems available if you know where to look. And I’ve rounded up few ideas to help you begin your journey.

What are Home Theater Systems?

For those who are unaware of what home theater systems are, let me be the first to enlighten you. In the day and age of advanced technology, television has not failed to keep up. Where once upon a time you could only enjoy a great movie from the un-comfort of a movie theater, now you have the opportunity to bring the full theatrical experience to your home with these new systems that come complete with a screen, projector and surround sound speakers.

But what exactly are home theater systems? Unlike the movie theater, a home theater system can work within the parameters that you set for it, giving you a more flexible price range to work with when choosing components to create your custom theater. The biggest aspect of your home theater to take into consideration is your surround sound experience. This is because the point of creating a home theater is to get as close to the “real thing” as you can. Movies are produced to give a real feeling of being there, and the sound of cars crashing around you and people screaming from all directions is more realistic than them all coming from in front of you. Home surround sound speakers were created to reflect this sentiment and are a vital part of your home theater experience.

After the surround sound speakers comes the experience of a large picture, which is guaranteed through a projection image that is able to handle large displays without appearing pixilated. Once these components are brought together, your home theater experience can begin.

Finding Home Theater Systems that Work for You

Some people who are rather electronic-savvy like to piece together their own home theater systems based on the knowledge they have of high-quality separate components. However, if you’re a novice in the world of electronics then you might want to consider purchasing a home theater system that has already been pieced together for you. Once upon a time you would have had to visit the most expensive electronics stores in your area to find a quality home theater system, but now you can find them at some of the more basic and affordable electronic and appliance stores.

For example, you can purchase a reasonably-priced home theater system for less than $350 if you know where to look. The Sony – Bravia Home Theater System is one that is reasonably priced but guarantees to give you a full theater experience. It comes complete with a 5-disc DVD/CD/MP3 player, AM/FM tuner, 4 surround sound speakers, a center-channel speaker and a subwoofer. In addition to the typical DVD components of today, you will also find that this system has wireless-ready rear speakers to avoid tangling cables, a portable audio enhancer for superior sound quality, and a music/movie mode that adjusts the sound characteristics – not bad for $300. But this home theater system comes minus the projector and screen. If these are not things you’re looking for then you’re fine, but if you prefer more then you might want to look at a more expensive component that will incorporate the entire package. If you do choose to find the “whole enchilada,” however, you’ll want to make sure that you have the space in your home to accommodate all of these components – especially the huge projection screen and the distance ratio appropriate for a quality projection. If you have these details all straightened out, then you’ll be good to go!

While you can find what you want in a complete package for your home theater system, if you have a creative mind, you can actually create your own, especially if you think you already have one or more of the components and just need one or two more. To create your own basic, yet full, home theater system, it is suggested that you obtain the following: a large television that is at least 27 inches across, at least four quality speakers, a receiver that is able to divide the separate sounds into the four separate speakers, and the assurance that either your TV or receiver has surround sound capabilities. If you have these items, you don’t necessarily need the pull-down screen and projector to create your home theater experience; just a little imagination and a lot of wiring patience will suffice. The addition of quality wireless headphones will also be a perfect match for these types of systems.

Finding excellent home theater systems used to be a bit of an arduous task, but with all of the wonderful options available, even an electronics novice can piece together a quality system that will make his home theater experience profound. If you are on the prowl for a system that will make your next viewing of Transformers (which is great in surround sound, by the way), or any other theatrical blockbuster, feel like you’re right there with them, then you might not have to spend thousands to make it happen. Just search your local electronics store for some of their mid-range home theater systems – and if you can, have them demo the system for you. You might find that they have just what you’ve been looking for.