|
Dear Home Theater Enthusiast . . .We have a nice collection of home theater related articles here, such as: Installing a Home Theater, DVD Online Club Why I Went With the Best and Cheapest Way to Rent Movies, and How To Get Wholesale DVD Movies At Up To 90 Discount. Our website has these and more. This is the full text of just one of them - enjoy reading! Author: Steve Faber So youve scraped and saved, now youve finally gotten together a semi-respectable home theater system. You want even more, but the idea of spending another few thousand on new front speakers doesnt cut it. What can you do? There are ways to get the most out of what you have without breaking the bank. There are several areas you can look at to ensure your theater is set up correctly and performing at its best. Cables and Interconnects Its imperative the signals are transferred from your source components to your speakers, going through various components along the way, with the least amount of degradation. Make sure your audio, video and speaker cables are all of good quality and that none are old and corroded. You can use contact enhancer to be sure the connection is really good. Contact enhancers increase the contact area of metal to metal connections, such as you find with a typical RCA connection. Because of the surface imperfections, most connectors actually make fairly poor contact. As low as 5% of the surface area is actually in contact with each other. Contact enhancers fill in the minute gaps between the two connectors. One such product is Quicksilver. It uses a silver-based solution, just like some of the finest specialty A/V cables. Youve really got to check this stuff out, it can make a noticeable improvement for not much money. Make sure to use the highest level of A/V connection your system supports. i.e. if you can use a component or DVI video connection from your DVD to your display device then do it. Calibration Your video display will definitely not look its best without proper calibration. Manufacturers have a dismal record when it comes to calibrating sets at the factory. Most are TVs designed to look their best on the showroom floor, not in your home theater. In fact, a CRT based rear projection TV can have its life dramatically shortened by improper calibration. The contrast is invariably set too high to make the set stand out in the showroom environment. This sells more TVs but causes premature tube wear. (That sells more TVs too, I guess) Proper video calibration will correctthe problem. I have used Joe Kanes Digital Video Essentials for years and the Video Essentials laser disc before that. It is a great tool to help you get the best out of your home theater. It has all the needed video test patterns and explanations on how to properly use them. Pick one up here: http://1touchmovie.com/DVDOnline/Digital_Video_Essentials.html Acoustic Improvements These encompass a whole host of different things, from acoustically treating the interior of the room, to quieting down your projector. Whenever you lower your noise floor, you effectively increase your dynamic range. In addition, acoustic treatments can dramatically improve dialogue intelligibility, bass response and imaging. One of the best in the bang for the buck category is to put a 1 or 2 thick, acoustic panel on the two side walls of the theater to reduce the first reflection. The first reflection is the sound that leaves the front speaker and takes a longer path to your ears by bouncing off the side wall on the way. Since it takes a longer path, it takes more time andarrives later than the direct sound that went straight from the speakers to your ears. The net effect is a loss of dialog intelligibility. Another, even cheaper, tweak is to optimize your subwoofer placement. For years people have been told Bass is non-directional. You can put your sub anywhere. That is, simply, BS. While low bass is fairly non-directional, the tonal quality and amount of bass is tremendously affected by subwoofer placement. A simple trick is to place the sub at the listening position (at ear height), then move around the room (at sub height) until you find the place with the best bass quality. If possible, thats where you put the sub. Keeping the ambient noise level in your home theater is critical to maintain the "suspension of disbelief" you've tried so hard to achieve. In addition, lower ambient noise will enable you to hear the softer portions of the movie's sound track without turning up your home theater's volume so loud. This has the effect of increasing the available dynamic range (the difference between the loudest and softest soundsyour audio system can reproduce). One cheap tweak is to build a hush box around your projector to minimize noise from it. Make sure you use adequate ventilation to maintain proper cooling. That cannot be emphasized enough. As a partial measure, without having to build a whole box, you can place acoustic absorption material on the ceiling above the projector. If your projector is close to the ceiling, this will kill the noise that normally bounces off the ceiling and into the listening room. I hope this gets you started down the path to even more enjoyment from your home theater and saves you some money at the same time. About the Author Steve has 15 yrs in electronics. He is a CEDIA certified designer with ISF and THX certificates. Experience includes: installer and programmer; system designer; business unit director for an a/v importer; sales rep for a CE distributor; and principal of a $1.5M+ CEDIA firm. He's now senior sales engineer for Digital Cinema Design in Redmond, WA. See him at The Home Theater and Automation Guide |
Home Theater Loungers
Leather
Upholstery
Home Theater Seats
Various
Leather
Upholstery
Home Theater Accessories
Concessions
Poster Cases
Poster Marquees
Gift Certificate
Navigation
Home
Articles
Resources
Deals & Savings
Contact Us
More Resources
|
$600 - $1200 $1200 - $2000 $2000 and Up |
|
Leather Theater Seats Coaster Brand Popcorn Makers |
Featured Items
"Whether you are building your dream home theater or installing a private screening room our Centurion Movie Theater Seat will provide a comfort and functionality that will enhance your viewing experience. These chairs are designed to give the look and feel of high quality theater seating featuring fold-up seats and handsome laminate arm rests with built-in cup holders. Sturdy footings are designed to be attached directly to the floor though an optional foot plate can be ordered if not for permanent installation. With the upholstery and configuration options the Centurion Movie Theater Seat can provide your audience with an exciting viewing experience.Order this seating today and complete your screening room or home theater in style.
"
"Experience the ultimate home theater experience and a game night you will never forget with our Olympia Logo NCAA Lounger! Solid hardwood frames are covered in deep foam padding to give your audience maximum comfort game after game. Lean back and watch every score in style with this fully reclining chair that lifts your feet and puts you into the perfect position with either manual or motorized options. Two toned color choices feature an embroidered logo of your favorite college team in the thick head rest while the wide arms provide built in cup holders for your beverage of choice. Create the home stadium of your dreams with multiple configuration options and invite the fans over for the next game!Make your home theater the place to be for the next game by ordering this fine collection online today!
"
Regal Leather Movie Theater Seats
"Give your home theater audience a luxurious cinematic experience seen in only the most modern theaters with our Regal Leather Movie Theater Seat. These deluxe chairs are not your standard theater seating. The high backs are contoured to cradle your body and the smooth rocking action lets you relax with a gentle sway. The wide seats have ample cushion and fold up to keep isles clear when not in use. Other features include comfortable arm rests that rise up for loveseat style seating while the beverage holders keep your drinks close at hand. Solid footings mount directly to your theater floor or riser. Choose your leather covering options and install enough to fill your screening room!Order these wonderful leather theater seats today and add the perfect complement your home theater or private screening room.
"
Home :
Home Theater Seating :
Terms Of Use :
Privacy :
More Info :
Contact Us
Copyright (c) by Home-TheaterSeating.com Home Theater Furniture