Home Theater

Home cinema, also called Home Theater, seeks to reproduce cinema quality video and audio in the home. The video aspect usually involves a large-screen and/or high definition television or a projection system. Quality audio reproduction is usually achieved with a high fidelity surround sound system.

"Home Theater" has become something of a buzzword. Technically, a home cinema could be as basic as a simple arrangement of a Television, VCR, and a set of speakers. It is therefore difficult to specify exactly what distinguishes a "home theater" from a "television and stereo". However, "home theater" implies a real "cinema experience" and therefore a higher quality set of components.

A typical home theater would include the following components

1. A large, prominent, display--generally a big-screen television or possibly a projector, often HDTV capable.

2. One or more video sources. High quality formats such as DVD or Laserdisc are preferred, though many home cinema setups use VHS.

3. An audio system that is capable of surround sound. This usually consists of several speakers and a subwoofer. Sometimes a specialized decoder is used to allow the playback of newer surround-sound formats.

4. Comfortable seating arrangements to improve the cinema theater like feel. This might include several comfortable recliners and curtains or subdued room lighting to enhance the experience.

Some home cinema enthusiasts will go so far as to build a dedicated room in the home for the theater. Such a room is often decorated to resemble an actual cinema, with specialized furniture, movie posters, or a popcorn or snack machine. These more advanced installations often include sophisticated acoustic design elements, including "room-in-a-room" construction that isolates sound and provides the potential for a near ideal listening environment. These installations are often designated as "screening rooms" to differentiate from simpler installations.

These days it is possible to purchase "home theater in a box" kits from various prominent electronics companies like Sony, Onkyo, Bose, etc.,. These kits include a set of speakers for surround sound, an amplifier/tuner ( A/V Receivers) for adjusting volume and selecting video sources, and sometimes a DVD player or VCR. Though these kits pale in comparison to a true custom built home cinema, these kits are attractively priced. One needs only to add a television and some movies in order to create a simple home theater.