Home Theater No No´s!
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Things NOT to do when Building a Home Theater Living Room
This article by Bill Healey looks at the other side of home theaters, discussing what not to do.
We all enjoy going to the movies. There is just something about sitting in a dark theater with that big screen and all sound effects sounding so crisp from its speakers. Now, with home theater systems being sold at such reasonable prices and installation so easy, more and more people are putting their own little movie theater into their living rooms.
Great home theater systems can impress your family and friends. All you really need for the quality home cinema experience is a DVD player, a big-screen television and a little dab of digital surround sound. Youll be the life of all the parties since everyone will asking to come over your place.
Despite the increasing complexity of audio/video systems, a theater system isnt that difficult to put together yourself and wont require ant professional installation. By skimping on the installation cost, you are free to spend more money of better quality products, instead. Here is a list of some of the more common mistakes people make when putting together their home theater system.
Buying the wrong size television - Bigger sometimes isnt always better. Depending on the size of the room or viewing distance from the couch, a big TV doesnt always work best. A quick trick to try and remember is the minimum optimum viewing distance from you to the screen should be about two to three times the television screen width. For example, if you just bought a 34-inch television, dont sit any closer than seven feet from its screen.
Not using the owners manuals - Hey, you dont need any instruction manual. How hard can it be, right? No matter how easy it appears to be, it is always important to read the owners manual for your new theater parts. This way you can get a feel for how its SUPPOSED to be put together and then become familiar with its functions and connections before you work on the set-up.
Messy cables - At some point when dealing with electronics and wiring, were guilty of making a mess with the cables. More cables are used for each new component added to your home theater and eventually, it becomes rather difficult to keep track of what cable is attached to what component. This is particularly a headache when doing some troubleshooting. One way to avoid this is to have your cable runs not too long but enough to easily access the components. Some people also label the cables with colored tape or any other marking which will help you decipher whats what.
Unbalanced speaker levels - Weve all been there at some point when putting together your speakers. You finished connecting the speakers, turned everything on, and then weird noises. Everything is out of whack and nothing sounds right. This is easily fixed. Most home theater systems install their receivers with a setup menu allowing you to note the size and distance of the speakers from the prime listening position. Some even include a test tone generator to help with adjusting the sound output level of each speaker.
Cheap cables -Some people will tell you it is necessary to buy the high priced cables for a basic home theater system and then there are others who will tell you it doesnt matter. Thin, cheap cables youll find pre-packaged with DVD players and the like should be replaced by something more heavy-duty. A more heavy duty cable gives you better shielding from interference and can stand up physical abuse.
Buy what you really want - Shopping by brand is a good idea to begin with; it is not a guarantee that a brand item is right fit for you. Shop around and look at a variety of brands, models, and prices. Avoid deals and sales that seem to be too good to be true. It usually is. While the price may be great, there is a more than likely possibility that it will not hold up to your standards when it comes to performance or flexibility.
Electra Warehouse does not only offer mobile electronics, it also carries pro dj equipment and home audio equipment. Electra Warehouse strives to give each customer a great one stop shop for the best mobile, home and pro dj electronics. Visit them at www.electrawarehouse.com.
