The availability of high-quality, digital sources of video, and audio – in the form, for example, of DVD and HD (“High Definition”) television broadcasts, including multiple channel, surround sound – has meant that a truly authentic, home cinema experience is now available to many domestic consumers.
High definition television sets, either Plasma, or LCD (“Liquid Crystal Display”), allow screen sizes to be much larger than the traditional, CRT (“Cathode Ray Tube”) alternatives – in fact, up to 60 inches, or larger – but, at the same time, remain slim and lightweight. In addition, these new technologies make for images that are not only large – truly widescreen – but high in resolution and contrast, and rich in colour, and therefore, overall, of significantly superior quality.
Digital surround sound allows five, six, or even seven, main sound channels to be recorded onto, for example, a film soundtrack, and reproduced on dedicated loudspeakers, positioned around the viewing space, to produce realistic, immersive sound, emanating from all directions.
Home Cinema System Components
The essential components of any home cinema system are, rather obviously, a means of producing, or receiving, digital video and audio signals – that is, a TV receiver and/or a DVD player, or recorder – and a means of reproducing those signals – a TV set, and digital surround sound speaker system.
Many home cinema “in a box” solutions provide a DVD player, or recorder, and surround sound speakers, but leave the choice of television set up to the individual consumer – working, perhaps, on the assumption that many consumers will already have a set, and wish to expand to a full home cinema system. The merits of the two competing technologies, Plasma and LCD, have been hotly debated for quite some time now, but, driven by market forces, the technologies have largely converged, or come together, in terms of functionality and quality, such that excellent models of both types are readily available.
Broadly speaking, LCD is generally considered to produce brighter images, run at cooler temperatures and avoid so-called “burn in”, if static images are displayed for long periods. Plasma displays, on the other hand are technically easier, and therefore more economical, to produce in sizes above 40 inches, and typically offer higher contrast ratios and colour depths.
With regard to DVD players, or recorders, one of the most important aspects is the number, and type, of interfaces, or connections that are available, for attachment to a television receiver, surround sound speakers, or any other components of your home entertainment system. This should not pose any problems if you choose a complete home theatre system, but if you are considering “separates”, do bear in mind that, while all DVD players and recorders are likely to include analogue connections – composite, component and S-video – the latest, all-digital protocols, DVI (“Digital Visual Interface”), and, particularly HDMI (“High Definition Multimedia Interface”) remove the need for costly analogue-digital-analogue conversions, and, as such, are highly desirable. The Samsung HTX200R Designer Home Theatre Kit, for example, features HDMI connectivity.
Digital surround sound loudspeakers are typically supplied in sets of five, plus, more often than not, a separate subwoofer, responsible for the reproduction of low frequency, bass effects – in what is known as a “5.1” channel configuration. DVD and HDTV broadcasts employ the Dolby Digital, industry standard, protocol, which allows five, discrete sound channels to be recorded (the “5” in “5.1”), plus an LFE (“Low Frequency Effects”) channel (represented by the “.1”) – so, a dedicated loudspeaker for each channel, plus the sub-woofer, gives six speakers in total. The Bush DVDAV14K Home Theatre DVD Player, for example, provides 5.1 channel digital surround sound, via five micro speakers and a subwoofer.
Loudspeakers in a 5.1 channel system are usually arranged as front centre, front left and right, and rear left and right, plus, of course, the sub-woofer, which is best positioned in a corner of the listening space. You will come across surround sound speakers in many shapes and sizes, from large, floor-standing towers, perhaps 3 feet, or so, in height, to tiny, cube, satellite speakers, only a few inches high – and what you can, or should accommodate, depends largely on the size of your listening space. Bear in mind that smaller speakers have limitations, in terms of bass, and volume, when compared to larger models. A complete home cinema, or theatre, solution, will a typical output of around 50 watts, is likely to prove more than adequate for an average living room, say 15 feet by 15 feet, but the sound may be “lost” in a room of larger dimensions. One of the great advantages of complete home cinema systems is that all the speakers will have been matched for tone, or “timbre”, by the manufacturer, so that, as sound “moves” from one to another, there is no discernable difference. Examples include the Panasonic SCHPT550 DVD Home Cinema System, and the JVC TH-V70R DVD Digital Cinema System.
A good quality subwoofer will add depth and realism to your listening experience, by conveying rumbling and vibration from a soundtrack – remember the Tyrannosaurus Rex in “Jurassic Park”? Better quality subwoofers are what are known as “active”, that is, they include their own integral amplifiers, and produce powerful, extremely realistic effects.
Conclusion
Above all, before you start to shop for a home cinema system, try to make a realistic appraisal of what you can sensibly accommodate in your viewing and listening space – in terms of both physical size, and power. A huge screen is all very well, but if your room does not allow you to sit far enough from it, then individual picture elements, or “pixels”, may become visible, spoiling the effect, and, similarly, hulking tower speakers, belting out hundreds of watts, will overpower a small room. Furthermore, try to find a reputable manufacturer, or retailer, with proper pre-, and after-sales service – user forums on the Internet, for example, can be a valuable source of information and advice that may not be immediately apparent elsewhere.
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