The Home Theater Story – Learning the Basics of Home Theater Systems

If you’ve ever been into one, you would notice that the traditional setup for every home theater is to have two speakers on the left and right hand side of a TV set. These are, of course, set up there for obvious reasons which is to enhance the audio experience of those who would watch.

Since the movie industry has since progressed, especially in North America, audiences needed a more compelling and realistic audio experience. These audiences became more and more receptive to the so-called multi-channel experience. What this is all about is having more channels added and having a louder, crisper sound to back the visual experience.

People are no longer contented with just a handful of channels. Speakers – there is now a wide spectrum of choices – were added to further enhance the music as well as the dialogues.

The future is bright for home theaters. With more and more technological advances, families now have the choice to have his awesome experience right in their living room or to turn other unused areas of their home into a home theater.

The 80s brought us Dolby Surround sound which includes four channels. Today, there’s the Dolby Digital 5.1. Channel which is the sound used on many newly-released DVDs.

There are now six distinct channels which include the usual left and right plus the front main (just like your regular stereo), added were the channel speaker which is dedicated to providing center audio. This is the speaker for dialogues of actors so no matter where you sit in the home theater, you are bound to hear the actors’ dialogues right where the TV is.

The other two are installed at the sides of the listening area. These are used to separate the ambient sounds such as chirping birds, rustling leaves, and cars that are passing by. The sixth is the deep bass sub-woofer. This channel contributes to the bass effects such as vibrations and thunder.

There’s more to come. There is now an upcoming speaker that will handle even the height dimension of the movie’s audio properties. There will also be a silent speaker that can be added to furniture so that vibrations and interactivity will be intensified.

What could be more exciting, right? Features that excite the olfactory sense perhaps? This is no longer impossible.

Home Theater Elements

Now that you know how enjoyable your TV and movie viewing could get, it’s time to set up your new home theater. The room does not have to be built from scratch. In fact, you can begin with a few house chairs set up all around your current TV and audio systems.

Just make sure that the furnishings are situated at correct angles so that you enjoy optimum viewing satisfaction. You may need to hire a handyman or a carpenter for a few construction tasks but, for the most part, you can already do it.

Be sure to add these essentials –

Comfy seats. You can add a recliner to make TV-viewing more relaxing or you can have the regular sectional or couch. You can go all the way by mimicking the movie theaters in your town by adding ample room for luxurious, upholstered seats complete with cup holders and such.

You gotta have a wide screen. With today’s theater-viewing audiences, the minimum length is said to be a hundred inches for optimum theatre experience. Have this wide screen TV set up in front, with zero obstructions.

Soundproofing. You wouldn’t want to be disturbed with rushing cars or the howling of your next door neighbor’s dogs, while you’re sitting and enjoying an action film. Soundproofing your home theater is a must, or at least, have something to buffer the noise.

Internal HVAC. This is needful because a soundproofed room is a room that has less air circulation.

Others. Add some anti-reflectors, carpeting (the plusher the better), dimmers, and decorative elements to make the room visually interesting.