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Getting Started With Your Home Theater SystemEquipment SelectionOf course, the primary selection criterion is equipment specification. You must start with the room design and layout Sound is a critical component in matching the mood and environment that the motion picture artist created. Speaker placement and installation and the attributes of the room affect sound as much as the speaker capabilities themselves. The size and shape of the room determines such things as what type of speakers are needed, where they should/can be located, and how much acoustic power is needed to fill the room, and what type of acoustic compensation is needed to overcome reflections. Display Selection The type of video sources, viewing position, ambient light and room design affect the specifications necessary to deliver the desired home theater experience. These factors will lead to the most effective display technology (Plasma, front projection, LCD) and type of video switching capability. Budget, of course, is also a consideration. A/V Receiver Selection After you know how many and what type of speakers will work, and how much power is required to fill the room, you can begin to specify the A/V receiver. After you determine how many video sources and the type of display to use, you can determine video processing and routing capabilities of your A/V receiver. Acoustic Compensation Sound reflections cause certain sounds to be eliminated, others to be exaggerated and others to echo. Even with the perfect equipment, reflections can occur. Even with perfect placement, reflections can occur. An equalizer/processor can be used to change the way the sound is sent to each speaker and reduce the effects of reflections. The is an important component. System Integration After the specifications have been determined, you can now begin to select the components. Components Have to Work Together Well Although any combination of components can be put together, a top performing system needs to be built with components that are well matched. Match Amplifiers to Speakers Overdriving speakers at a minimum distorts sound and at worst can destroy the speakers. Under-performing speakers will also distort sound. A mismatch between amplifier and speaker can sound great at medium levels and fall apart at high levels. |
Match Video Sources to Displays Similar issues arise between video sources and the display. The image can only be as good as the source, and with a perfect source the image you will see will only be as good as the display. Match the Sound System to the Room Once everything is installed, the sound system will still need to be adjusted to minimize the effects of reflections and maximize performance in the seating areas. Strive for Point and Shoot Simplicity Your home theater system is complex. There are many video and audio sources, adjustments for image aspect ratio, sound adjustments to maximize music enjoyment, and recreation of special effects that are part of the total movie experience. Selecting equipment that can be precisely controlled is important to put the whole package together. With proper selection, source switching and equipment control, video and audio adjustments become automatic, controlled by a single point and shoot button control. With this, the whole family can enjoy the home theater experience without frustration! Tuning & Testing Whether you do all the research yourself or you hire an expert to help with the equipment selection, you won't get the most from your investment by simply un-boxing the components, plugging them together and turning them on. Tune the Room Equipment at the Start If you are remodeling a room to be your special home theater, be sure to get a top notch home theater design and integration expert involved from the start. The materials selection and design of the room dramatically affects what the audio system can do. Light sources affect the display. The system should be designed as a whole package to ensure that room aesthetics and beauty are well balanced with the performance of your home theater system. Fine Tune After Installation Even with perfectly matched equipment, top notch physical installation and thoughtful room design, the system will need fine tuning for optimal results. Similar to tuning a high performance engine, you need a skilled technician with the right equipment to get top performance. Your Image Depends on the Image The more shades of gray your display can produce, the more detail you can see in a dark room. A video display has only three primary colors and mixing accurately to get the right colors takes final adjustment of the integrated system. Without this step, details will be lost and the performance environment will be flawed. Getting All of the Sound The final step is to adjust the audio equalizer and processor to get the last bit of distortion out of the room as a system. |
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