So, with all the hype surrounding the audio/video phenomenon, you may find yourself a bit confused. So much technology- HDTV, DVD, Infrared vs. Radio Frequency Lighting Control Systems. Help! Can someone please tell me, "What is a home theater?"

In some respects, the answer is as varied as the definition of what is a home. Some homes are small, simple, and comfortable. Others are large, lavish, and expensive. No matter what size or shape, all homes have some elements in common and so do home theaters.

Home theaters come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and styles, ranging from surround sound speakers in the family room to a dedicated10-seat home theater room on the lower level of a home. Each theater is right for each family based on preferences, available space, and budget. Based on these differences, all home theaters have one thing in common: the magic and excitement of the movies in the privacy and comfort of home.

The following information explains how home theater components contribute to having a cinema-like experience in your home.

High-Quality Audio/Video Sources

Movie theater excitement begins with a crisp, larger-than-life image on the screen and a full surround sound, both of which can be achieved in the privacy and comfort of your home theater. While an antenna and a VCR can deliver acceptable quality images, they are only two components of a home theater that will help recreate a movie-theater atmosphere. Increase your experience by adding a new antenna, cable service, or digital cable (when available). As an alternative to cable, consider a digital satellite system to receive every movie, entertainment, and pay-per-view channel you'd like to view in your home theater. For pre-recorded movies and programs, consider adding a DVD player, and upgrading your VCR to one with Hi-Fi sound and a four-head video system.

Choosing the Right Size Screen

When you go to the movies, the screen captivates your field of view, which is key to the immersive experience of a theater. If you choose not to fill the front of your home theater with a screen, be sure to select one large enough so that you are not distracted by activities to the left and right of the screen. On the other hand, a screen that is too large for a room will make the scan lines in the picture too visible, and will lessen the effects of a sharp, clean image. Selecting a screen with a picture height 4-7 times the distance from the screen to your seating position is a good rule to follow. Provide for maximum input quality by insisting on S video connections for use where possible. The newest DVD players output their signals in an even higher quality form called Component Video. To get highest quality reproduction, your video display, be it a projector or direct view set, should have component video inputs, as well.

Surround Sound Decoding and Adequate Amplifier Power

Sound is also a very important part of re-creating the home theater atmosphere. In fact, studies have shown that no matter how sharp and clear the picture is, the addition of a high-quality audio system not only makes programs sound better, but also triggers emotional responses that actually make pictures look better. The best way to achieve this superior sound is to select an A/V receiver or surround processor that can decode the new digital audio systems and is compatible with tens of thousands of existing analog surround titles and television programs. More importantly, surround processors provide six full channels of surround sound: front left, front center, front right, right surround, left surround and low frequency, delivering the highest quality sound. There should also be sufficient power to match the speakers you choose. As important, make certain that there is equal power to all six main channels.

High-Quality Connections

High-quality connection cables will aid in blocking out unwanted signals. They needn't be the most expensive wires, but affordable interconnects and coaxial lead-in cables that protect the cables' signals from interference such as radio transmissions, cordless and cellular phones, microwave ovens, and near-by broadcast stations.

Matched Speakers and Subwoofers

Having speakers that are matched at the three front channels (resulting in smooth pans across the front room) is essential to any home theater. If you are happy with your existing front left and front right speakers, look for a new center channel speaker that matches the acoustic characteristics of the others. Surround speakers should also match one another, though they are typically smaller than the front speaker. To complete your speaker system, add a subwoofer, which is a speaker specially designed to reproduce bass, or low- frequency sounds, typically under 120 Hz. Most of the subwoofers available today are powered, or include a built-in amplifier.

Lighting

Lighting plays a huge role in our lives, adding aesthetics and drama to homes, restaurants, and especially movie theaters. Too often, lighting is treated as an afterthought, leading to a situation where the video image or the room ambiance is not fully realized. On the other hand, if lighting is treated as an integral part of your home theater, the area will become a showcase for family and friends. Make every movie-watching event magical by dramatically dimming the lights at showtime and gradually raising the lights again during the credits. Planning for a lighting system begins first by determining the effects, such as accent lighting, wall wash lighting and task lighting, required for your room. Next, consider the type of lighting fixtures required. Depending upon the room décor and construction details, lighting fixture choices can include recessed downlights, track lighting, fluorescent fixtures, fiber optics, and emergency lighting. As a key visual element in the planning of your theater, a good lighting plan should provide the proper general light level, provide illumination at the perimeter surfaces, and highlight aesthetic elements of the room, such as artwork or interesting architectural details. This should be achieved while also striving to be as unobtrusive and energy efficient as possible.

Lighting Controls

We've come to expect, without even thinking about it, that when the lights dim, the movie is about to begin. Imagine yourself in a brightly-lit movie theater. Just before showtime, the lights are turned off abruptly, and you sit in total darkness. As the credits roll, the lights are thrown back on to full bright as your eyes try to recover from this sudden attack of light. It's hard on the eyes and certainly doesn't create a mood. To create movie theater lighting effects in your own home theater, replace toggle switches with dimmers, or perhaps a whole-room or whole-home lighting control system. Be certain that lighting is controlled in your viewing area so that there are no reflections on the screen and that room lighting does not otherwise distract from the screen images. A lighting control system gives you the ability to create and recall favorite lighting scenes, or preset light levels, with the touch of a button*even from the comfort of a favorite chair or bed. A number of scenes can be programmed for all of your home theater activities: pre-show, showtime, intermission, credits, and clean-up. Then, recall the one you want with a single press of a button.

Odds & Ends

To ensure that all the pieces of your new home theater fit together properly and deliver the performance you expect, it is important to do more than just set them down where your old TV and stereo were. Sound equipment requires careful placement, as well. Place the front speakers as far away from one another as they are from the viewing location, and put the center speaker directly above or below the viewing screen. Surround speakers should ideally be placed at the sides of the room, if possible, as they are in the movie theater, rather than on the rear wall.

Putting a home theater together needn't be a chore, and can be done yourself depending on the size and scope of your home theater. However, to get the maximum enjoyment from a home theater, many consumers are turning to custom installation specialists trained in all aspects of home theater. From the simplest family room system to home theater rooms, a custom installer can assist with proper equipment selection and installation.

A custom installer can help you make decisions about components and even real theater accessories. To add the finishing touches to your home theater, why not consider a candy counter, a box office, or even a marquis.

Working with a custom installer is as important as selecting the equipment that makes up your home theater. The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) is the world-wide trade group whose members have access to the latest training in technology and installation techniques, must meet uniform standards for liability insurance, and are recommended by other professionals in the custom electronics field.

Thanks to today's technologies, the quality of sound and image in your home theater may be better than that at your local cinema. Creating the ultimate home theater begins with you. Determine your needs, budget, and location, and you're on your way to enjoying movie theater magic in the privacy and comfort of your own home.