Home Theatre Electronics

Basic Electronics for all Your Entertainment Needs

With an abundance of high quality technology readily available, many people are discovering the joys of watching a movie from the comfort of their own homes. Enjoying a movie from your own couch removes the multitude of annoyances one generally faces at the theatre, from getting there on time to someone kicking the back of your seat.

Setting up your own home theater system may seem intimidating at first. What's more, if you are considering building your home theater from individual components, it can get expensive to say the least! 

A “home theatre in a box” will save you time and money. They are simple to set up and of excellent value as today's advancements in technology are able to provide superior quality at prices that vary from a couple hundred dollars to a couple thousand.

Keep reading to find out more about basic home theatre electronics or click here to shop our home video category.  

Home Theater in a Box

Pros:

• Affordability – you can purchase on a lower budget and upgrade when you are ready.
• Dummy proof - everything is included in one box, including the necessary wires so you can install it without the help of a professional.
• Size – they are relatively compact and will easily fit most living rooms without requiring an expensive remodel.

Cons:

• Music quality – most systems are geared towards maximizing quality for home theater purposes not for listening to music, avid music listeners may be disappointed.
• Power – make sure to check out reviews before you make your choice as some systems may not be powerful enough to deliver in large rooms, and distortion may occur if the system is pushed too hard.

Things to Consider

Number of Inputs: If you need to hook components like satellite, video game consoles or VCR up to your system, make sure it has enough auxiliary outputs to allow you to do so.

Integrated DVD player: Although an easy option, built-in options tend to offer fewer options and less functionality. Also, you may have to replace your entire system if the built-in DVD player ever quits working. Buying a separate DVD player will be more expensive, but many experts say that it pays off in the flexibility it offers.

Wattage: Be wary of the wattage levels and ‘movie theater quality' claims. Many systems cannot function at the full advertised wattage as the sound will distort at a certain point. However, in most cases, systems are powerful enough to accommodate a living room area.

Featured Home Theatre Systems

DVD Players

If you have decided to opt for a separate DVD player, you will once again be faced with a multitude of options to suit different needs and budgets. Here are a few things to consider:

• Your TV – the higher end your TV, the better your DVD player should be if you want to be able to maximize your system's image and sound potential.
• Number of CDs – if you plan on using your DVD player as a sound system, you may want to consider a model with multi-disc capacity.
• Recording capacity – may be a nice feature to have, but it significantly impacts price and make the unit more complicated to operate.
• Progressive scan – This is a fairly new feature which also impacts the cost of a DVD player. This function only works for digital TVs and refreshes the images 60x per second for a super high quality image.
• Number of outputs – check that the number of outputs are sufficient and compatible with the rest of your home theatre components.
• Extra features – some models now offer additional features like multi-format compatibility (like MP3s and JPEGs), or a karaoke function.

Let's Not Forget the TV – Plasma or LCD?

Every room has a focal point, and in a home theatre it's the TV.  The sleek design and space effectiveness of flat screen TVs has skyrocketed their popularity with consumers in recent years. The good news is that plasma and LCD TV's have reduced somewhat in price since their arrival on the market. The experts on the subject are divided when it comes to resolving the debate as to which is better between the two technologies, but these are a few of the many points you may want to consider when looking into one:

LCD – enjoys highest popularity right now for benefits such as low (or no) screen reflection, and a vibrant picture.  It has its downfalls however, which include a distorted picture when viewing the TV, augmented colour, and motion blur.

Plasma - colours are not enhanced on the screen, which makes viewing for long periods of time less harsh on the eyes, and therefore less tiring.  Plasmas also do not display motion blur so are considered by some as a better choice for sports and fast action programs.  Downfalls include a more reflective screen.

You will come across the term “HD”, “Hi-Def” or “High Definition” when you are shopping for your TV.  HD channels display a superior quality picture and clearer stereo sound.  Be aware that the HD feature in a TV is only useful to you if you are prepared to pay for the cable channels that support it.

***If you shop in-store, remember that most shops will display HD DVDs or use HD TV channels to better display their TVs.  You may be disappointed once you get home to your traditional cable.

Featured LCD Televisions

Featured Plasma Televisions