John Dulaney asked:




The home entertainment market was created when the VHS was invented; it brought entertainment to people’s living rooms and bedrooms. The VHS progressed to VCDs and DVDs which became the latest in the home entertainment. The cinema theaters, meanwhile, still had their hold on audiences due to certain unique characteristics such as a big screen, digital sound effects, high amplified sounds, and the entire theater experience. There has been a constant effort to bridge this gap between the theater movie experience and that of the home entertainment system. There have been great technological advancements in this field, and the present home theater systems have brought theater quality of entertainment into people’s home with the invention of high definition technology.

High Definition Technology

The HD or High Definition technology comprises of HD Televisions, HD DVD players, and HD DVDs, which when combined with accessories like high quality amplifiers and speaker systems, provide for an exceptional quality of home theater system. The HD technology is relatively new, but has become very popular among consumers. HD equipment may seem to be expensive to the average consumer at first, but with time, as is true with all other types of technologies, these prices will come down as the usage becomes widespread and more advanced technologies emerge.

High definition televisions have already been around in the markets for some time. HD DVD players were rolled-out in Japan in March 2006 by the Japanese electronics giant, Toshiba Corp. This was followed by their inauguration in the U.S. a few days later, and they are scheduled to hit the UK market by the end of April. There is a lot of excitement regarding this technology, and people are expecting to see a revolution in home theater quality.

HD DVD Players and DVDs

The HD DVD or High Definition DVD was introduced in 2005 and was an adaptation of the existing basic structure of the DVD. The HD DVD has a greater storage capacity and can provide better audio and video quality as compared to a DVD. The HD DVDs are integrated with a state-of-the-art content protection technology which is unique to this medium. The storage capacity is 15 GB for a single layer, 30GB for a dual layer, and 45GB for a triple layer HD DVD. It uses the highly sophisticated compression techniques of MPEG-4 for increased capacity. At the core of the DVD format is a blue laser, having a shorter wavelength (405nm) that allows discs to store data at higher densities that are needed for high-definition movies and television. Toshiba has brought into the market two models of HD DVD players, the HD-XA1 and HD-A1, in the United States, priced at $799 and $499 respectively. The new machines are expected to breathe new life into the home video market and change the way people perceive home theater.

HD TV

The large screen plasma TVs and the LCD TVs have already been in the markets for some time and are widely acclaimed to have achieved high levels of quality. These are TVs that have a wide, flat screen that minimizes visual distortions dramatically. A large variety of screen sizes are available in display sizes ranging from 20” to 65”. They come with very high resolutions varying from 1024x768 pixels, 1280x768 pixels, 1366x768 pixels, and 1024x1024 pixels. The HD TVs are equipped to provide higher levels of brightness and contrast ratios. Brightness can vary from 450cd/m2 to 1,200cd/m2, while contrast ratios are 400:1 to as high as and 10,000:1. All these attributes provide for a greater picture resolution and result in very clear and well defined visual quality.

The audio quality is as important in the audio-visual medium as the picture quality. There are a lot of options available in the market that can constantly cater to high quality listening experience. There are three main systems used in the surround sound system; Virtual Surround, Dolby Digital, and the DTS system. For televisions that are not HD compatible, provisions can be made to make them HD-compliant by minor modifications.

The major brands selling HD TVs in the market are Sharp, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, Pioneer, Philips, Toshiba, and several others. HD TVs are available in a wide price range of $2000 to $5000, depending on the technology, brand, and features available.

Amplifiers or Home Theater Receivers

The amplifiers or home theater receivers are the hub of a home entertainment system and provide high quality digital-to-analog conversions. They decode and process any type of program material or surround mode of audio. They are capable of passing HD signals by converting all S-video and composite video inputs to the component video. Certain receivers also provide features like digital video recorders that enable viewers to watch and record programs in HD picture quality. The price range of digital amplifiers can vary from $300 to $750.

The Dolby system and the DTS (Digital Theater System) are currently very popular in both the home theater and the movie recordings. The first Dolby digital format (AC-1) was used in 1984, followed by the AC-2 improvement that was used for cinema. The latest, Dolby Digital (AC3) arrived in the cinemas in the year 1992. With the advancements made in the digital technologies, Dolby was later introduced in home theatre systems.

At present there are Dolby 5.1, 6.1 and the latest Dolby 7.1. These names are based on the number of channels provided. These also come with a great variety of speaker systems that include home theater subwoofers, speaker kits, in ceiling, in wall, book shelf speakers, center channel speakers, and floor standing speakers. They are available in a price range of $350 to $1500.

The overall effect of a home theater system is greatly influenced by the type and placement of speakers and the acoustic quality of the room in use. The right equipment combined with the right type of room make for the ultimate home entertainment theater.

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Lance Thorington asked:




Well that is the question that many consumers as themselves. I am making a large purchase, do I want to get a wide screen or a traditional aspect screen. Here are a few things to consider when choosing to buy a widescreen HDTV, a traditional aspect HDTV or regular TV.

Older Analog TVs versus HDTV. Older era televisions are analog televisions unless they have a digital receiver built into them. In February 2009, all television broadcast stations will be required to broadcast in digital. This means analog televisions without digital tuners will be unusable unless they are hooked up to satellite or cable. These are not a good choice to buy. Move along down the row to HD enabled televisions. Luckily enough, all television equipment sold after May 25, 2007 must either contain a digital tuner or be identified at the point of sale as not having one.

LCD or Plasma. HDTV comes in multiple types that can vastly affect price. The liquid crystal display (LCD) type of HDTV dominates the consumer market in small-size to mid-size and is typically cheaper. Plasma television models dominate the consumer market in large-size models. This consideration is generally not an issue when deciding between a wide screen and a traditional aspect. What is a consideration is life expectancy and cost. A widescreen has more visual area that can "burn out."

Flat Panel Television versus Rear/Front Projection Television. HDTV designs that are plasma or LCD are generally found in the flat panel design. However, you can still find rear projection and front projection HDTVs sold for home theatre systems. In general a wide-screen version will add considerably to the requirements for room size, the total shelf weight and moving restrictions are your overall consideration when making this selection. Unless you have a dedicated home theatre room and plan on never moving again, it's generally suggested to stay away from Rear or Front Projection wide-screen television.

Widescreen for TV Broadcasts and Movies. Over 90 percent of all broadcasts are in traditional aspect. Most are not in widescreen formatting or have been pre-formatted coming from the broadcaster to fit traditional aspects. If you mostly watch regular television broadcasts and do not routinely use a service provider that has widescreen broadcasts or movies using widescreen aspects, then widescreen is not for you.

Using your Widescreen for Gaming. The beauty of current of having a widescreen for computer gaming is the ability to use the split screen option on many different games without feeling crushed. This is especially true on many First Person Shooter games. If you are an avid gamer, a widescreen HDTV will only enhance your game experience.

Using your HDTV for Work. Here is another example of where the widescreen really can assist the consumer. Some HDTVs are enabled to accept input from computers and can be used as a monitor for your work. You can often get two or three documents on your desktop and view them much easier with a widescreen than on a traditional aspect. If you use your HDTV as both a television and monitor, here is where it can pay off in many ways.

For most consumers, the widescreen HDTVs are the way to go with very little drawback. Unless you are only watching sitcoms or are setting up a home theatre in a small confined space, they are the most versatile aspect. You can watch both traditional aspect and get the full widescreen aspect on the same set of equipment. They are more useful than traditional aspect HDTVs as they can provide additional workspace and even a greater gaming experience.

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