The name "home theater" was coined as a direct affront to movie theaters as in,
"You can watch at home with the same level of enjoyment as if you were
going out to a movie theater.” But the reality has always been about
comfort and convenience: watching at home means watching what you want when
you want. But in order to do that, a big TV with a good sound system is needed.
That wasn't so easy to acquire back in the day, but with big screen TVs so reasonably
priced, pretty much any room can become a "home theater" and be worthy of the name.
But like any technology that has grown in leaps and bounds, some
misconceptions have taken root. These misconceptions about home theater can
keep you from enjoying the best picture and sound possible. So lets put a stop
to three misconceptions right now.
ANY HDMI CABLE WILL DO
The brilliance of a HDMI cable is that it can transmit not just
high-definition video but multichannel audio as well. This is both convenient
(removing the need for separate audio/video cables) as well as practical (since
the connection looks unlike others and just works via insertion/gravity rather
than any locking mechanism). But while digital ensures that if the cable’s
wiring is working a picture is seen, the requirements of bandwidth needs today
require a high-speed cable. This makes inexpensive models less likely usable
and so should be avoided. Additionally, the cost of a HDMI cable can be
quantified by its construction — how well it will hold up physically.
This means that not all HDMI cables are the same, since the
quality of how they are made affects their overall use over time. This can be
especially true when greater lengths are needed.
SURGE PROTECTION IS ENOUGH
There's no question that a surge protector will help protect
electronic devices plugged into the AC line -- the power "grid" is undependable at best and even minor
surges can be problematic to electronics depending on electrical power to
operate. That includes power "spikes" too — both
can cause damage over time (and invisibly). But it’s also true that AC
power is "dirty" and can negatively impact both video and audio by
degrading the quality subtly. To avoid that, a power conditioner will come in handy. What this
does is take the AC power and conform and adjust it so that whatever is plugged
into it benefits from a stable and "clean" current. This can only
improve on the video (i..e., the TV picture) and the audio (i.e., the
amplifier, sound bar, etc.). Best part is that you plug your devices into the power
conditioner and then forget about it -- other than making some adjustments to
the conditioner itself, there's nothing else that needs to be done. And yes the
power conditioner has surge protection too.
THE SPEAKERS SOUND FINE
It’s understandable that reading a manual laced with technical jargon can
be annoying — pretty much every amplifier (i.e., audio/video receiver) is full of
this because there’s so many options and adjustments that
can be made. But unlike a sound bar, an amplifier can adjust the sound coming from multiple
speakers so as to make them provide a balanced sound — basically
making the speakers work together. So adjusting the speakers to benefit the
listening position makes complete sense — if
only it wasn’t such an issue to have to adjust each individually. That’s
where the manual comes in, since most amplifiers include a microphone that, placed at the
listening position, works with the amplifier to automatically do the adjusting
through a series of tones. It’s fast and painless (unless you stay
in the room while the tones blast out) and improves on the sound immensely. It should be done.
Having a home theater means that you want the best possible
picture and sound that you can get. Eliminating the misconceptions that can
keep you from having that is a simple but necessary step that is well worth
doing.
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