HOME THEATRE
WATCH MOVIES AT HOME

A relatively new way of watching and listening to movies in the home, HT’s aim is to provide the cinema experience in the comfort of your own lounge, or if funds permit, a dedicated theatre room.

A home theatre system comprises of two essentials, a television set (or a projector and screen), and the audio system for the movie soundtrack to be heard in it’s surround sound effect. Unlike stereo which only needs a pair of speakers, home theatre requires five, two fronts, two rears and a centre channel. A subwoofer is essential if the lower frequencies in a movie soundtrack are to be reproduced. This is where the term 5.1 originates. Some brands give the option of adding extra rear speakers turning a system into 7.1

As with two channel stereo, a HT system produces sound and pictures as good as the quality of the components that are used. The other similarity with stereo is that better gear tends to be big with large speakers and lots of component boxes which can make choosing a HT system a difficult balance between aesthetics and performance.

This is the reason HT has gone in two directions. You can either have a discreet set of speakers mounted in/on the ceiling or walls and a one box component that plays cd’s, dvd’s and the radio, or you opt for a more bulky system that ultimately delivers better performance. At Living Sound we cater for both options - either a Bose® ‘Lifestyle’ system or separate components from the likes of Marantz , Rotel and Naim.

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Five FAQ about Home Theatre:

1. Q.
“Are small sub/sat speakers going to sound as good as full size speakers and a sub?”

A. Generally no. There is a compromise when very small speakers and a subwoofer are trying to cover all the frequencies, so in most cases full size HT speakers and a sub will give better performance. The small speaker option is popular because of the space saved and they do not dominate a room like bigger speakers tend to do.

2. Q.
“Can I use a DVD player to play my music cd’s”

A. Yes you can but a dvd player generally doesn’t sound as good playing music cd’s as a dedicated cd player does. We recommend a separate cd player for music playback if choosing a separates system.

3. Q.
“Why are some 100 watt HT receivers dearer than others?”

A. Just like two channel stereo, HT receivers vary in sound quality and their current delivery relative to the wattage rating. Many HT receivers deliver much lower power measurements when all their channels are being driven (i.e. watching a movie) than what their measurements claim in the brochure when only 2 of the channels are being used. Price is a good indication of quality.

4. Q.
“Do I need a subwoofer with a HT system?”

A. If you are purchasing a sub/sat system then yes you do. The little satellite speakers are not made to take the bass frequencies and are likely to be damaged if a sub isn’t used. If larger floorstanding speakers are used then a subwoofer isn’t a necessity, but with movies there is a lot of low frequency sound effects that no speaker is really made to handle, so a dedicated sub will always improve performance.

5. Q.
“What’s best, a plasma or LCD television”

A. At this stage we believe a good quality plasma screen out performs the best that LCD has to offer. Technology however, marches on and no doubt it will become a more level playing field in the future with high definition waiting round the corner.