Home Theater Education
Buying a home theater can be a very difficult, confusing and even frustrating process. We've provided research pages below on everything from 7.1 surround sound to HDMI to 1080p to Aspect Ratios and much more.
1080i Video Resolution
1080i is not the the same as 1080p as it is a much more easily reproduced image of lesser quality, which is why 1080i was the choice for a high definition broadcast standard at the beginning of HDTV Continue Reading
1080p Video Resolution
1080p is resolution standard for Blu-ray discs. But what exactly does that mean and how does it relate to other resolutions? This entry provides information to answer this Continue Reading
1080p/24
Most movies are shot at a frame rate of 24 frames per second. It is for this reason that the 1080p/24 resolution has become the de facto standard of Blu-ray movies, but there is a lot more to it than that Continue Reading
1440p Video Resolution
1440p is a step above the 1080p standard of Blu-ray with an even higher resolution. It has been thought to be the next technological leap, but with 2K and 4K resolutions on the rise this may not be the case Continue Reading
16 Terms You Need to Know Before Buying a Blu-ray Player
There can be a lot of new terms to learn when it comes to understanding Blu-ray players and what to look for. Here are 16 terms that will give you an idea of what you are looking for. Continue Reading
2k (2048) Video Resolution
2k resolution is a much more detailed resolution than the 1080p standard. So much so that 2k resolution is often used in the process of digital filmmaking Continue Reading
3:2 Pulldown
The video for home theater and HDTV doesn't match so a conversion process is necessary. That process is known as 3:2 Pulldown. But what exactly does that mean? Home Theater Review has the answer for you Continue Reading
480i Video Resolution
480i is the default resolution of standard definition in the NTSC format. It is the resolution television had at its beginnings. This entry will give you even more history on the format Continue Reading
4K Video Resolution
4k video resolution is roughly five times the resolution of 1080p. It is also supposedly the the resolution when the human eye can no longer distinguish the difference between media shot on film and media recorded digitally. More facts about the standard in this entry Continue Reading
720p Video Resolution
High definition begins with the 720p resolution mark. However, it is rare to see this resolution in large screen formats. It is better suited for smaller screens. But there are other issues concerning 720p Continue Reading
802.11 Wireless
802.11 wireless is an set of standards for wireless internet, setting requirements for frequency bands as well as other things Continue Reading
AC Power Product Terms
AC power products are the products that protect your valuable AV components from any kind of inconsistency in your power supply. It's important to know what all the different kinds of products do. Continue Reading
Active Loudspeaker
Active loudspeakers are a bit of a rare breed in the home audio world, but they reduce the amount of gear needed to complete your system. There are quite a few advantages to the active loudspeaker Continue Reading
Active Subwoofer
Also known as powered subwoofers, active subwoofers are subwoofers that have their own power supply, meaning that get the power needed from an outlet rather than an amplifier. They also tend to have several bells and whistles Continue Reading
AirPlay
AirPlay is an Apple technology that allows Apple mobile devices, such as iPhones and iPads, to wirelessly transmit media to a home theater system. Many different products carry this technology Continue Reading
Amplifier
Amplifiers are one of the most important components in any system. They are the unit that drives the speakers. This entry breaks down general information as well as specifics about all the different types of amplifiers Continue Reading
Anamorphic Lens
Anamorphic Lenses are accessories for projectors that allow you to change the aspect ratio of a projector to better suit the content being watched. There are all kinds of lenses Continue Reading
Apple TV
Apple TV is a media streaming device made by Apple. The device is integrated with iTunes and AirPlay and offers an impressive connected media solution for home theaters Continue Reading
Aspect Ratio
Aspect Ratio is a measurement of the horizontal width against the vertical height of an image. But that is a simplification as there is a lot more to be said about aspect ratios Continue Reading
Audyssey Room Correction (EQ)
Audyssey Room Correction is a technology that runs a test of the speaker placement in a home theater and automatically adjusts your receiver or preamp settings to accommodate. The technology is rather impressive Continue Reading
BD-Live
Introduced in the Blu-ray Profile 2.0, BD-Live is a network connected system for Blu-ray discs, where additional special features and interactive options can me accessed Continue Reading
Balanced Connection (XLR)
Balanced connections are very popular in the pro audio world, but the debate lives on in the audiophile world whether or not balanced connections are worth the trouble in the home system Continue Reading
Bass Trap
Bass traps are part of the acoustical treatment branch of home theater products. As the name would imply, these particular treatments deal with the bass quality of a room Continue Reading
Blu-ray Player Education and Information
1.0 What is Blu-ray? Blu-ray is an optical disc format that competes with DVD and uses a blue (actually somewhat... Continue ReadingBlu-ray Profiles
Blu-ray has had a few bumps in the road as the standard was figured out. The improvements each time were called profiles and there have been several of them Continue Reading
CRT
CRT or cathode ray tube was the beginning of high definition video technology. While it was a breakthrough, it was also terribly complicated with all kinds of things to know and parts to adjust Continue Reading
Center Channel Speaker
The center channel is, as the name would imply, the center speaker in the front speaker set up of a surround sound system. Many consider it to be the single most important speaker in the system Continue Reading
Compact Disc (CD) Player
Compact Disc players have been the default stand alone audio source component since their introduction in the 1990s, but in the new age of digital audio they may soon be seeing their dominance end Continue Reading
Contrast Ratio
Contrast Ratio attempts to measure a television or projector's ability to display bright images and dark images. Unfortunately, there are a lot of discrepancies with this measurement Continue Reading
DTS Surround Sound
DTS was created in 1993 and has since become an incredibly powerful competitor to Dolby, but there is a lot more to the technology than just that Continue Reading
DTS-HD Master Audio
DTS-HD Master Audio is the DTS standard for high-definition audio output. This format competes with Dolby TrueHD. Though both these formats can appear on a Blu-ray disc, they use radically different technologies Continue Reading
DTS:X
The latest entry to the DTS suite of audio soundtrack options (which includes basic DTS and DTS-HD Master Audio), DTS:X... Continue Reading
DVD-Audio (DVD-A)
DVD-Audio was the high-resolution music format that competed with SACD. Unlike SACD, DVD-Audio was supported by Meridian's Lossless Packing, which some argue was the superior codec Continue Reading
DVD-Audio (DVD-A) Player
DVD-Audio players obviously play DVD-Audio disc, but they had another function that gave them an advantage over SACD players in that DVD-Audio players could play DVD-Video discs Continue Reading
DVD-Video (DVD) Player
DVD-Video has been the most successful format in the history of consumer electronics. These components, DVD-Video players, revolutionized the industry in a way like nothing that came before Continue Reading
Desktop/Computer Speakers
With digital music becoming more and more popular, computers are starting to become the go to source components, but they still need help as the internal speakers are not very good. When bookshelf speakers are too big, desktop speakers are the solution Continue Reading
Digital Direct Drive Image Light Amplifier (D-ILA)
D-ILA or Digital Direct Drive Image Light Amplifier is a technology developed and used by JVC. It's an impressive technology with a lot of interesting features Continue Reading
Digital Equalizer (EQ)
In order to customize audio in your system, some sort of frequency manipulation is going to be necessary. Digital equalizers are processor devices that can cut or boost frequencies to help you customize your system Continue Reading
Digital Light Processing (DLP)
DLP stands for Digital Light Processing. DLP is a projector technology that uses micro-mirrors to create the image. There are different kinds of DLP projectors that work in different ways Continue Reading
Digital Speaker (DSP)
Digital speakers are a form of active loudspeakers but they carry all kinds of features that average active loudspeakers may not. These features allow for incredible amounts of customization Continue Reading
Digital to Analog Converter (DAC)
A digital to analog converter does exactly what it sounds like. The device takes a digital audio signal and converts it to and analog one. There are many different kinds of digital to analog converters to choose from Continue Reading
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos is a next-generation surround sound format that was announced by Dolby in April 2012. The first film to... Continue Reading
Dolby Digital (AC3)
Dolby Digital saw its rise in the 1990s with the rise in popularity of DVD. It is a compressed format that has since been replaced with Dolby Digital Plus and the lossless Dolby TrueHD. Continue Reading
Dolby Pro Logic
Dolby Pro Logic was the beginning of surround sound for the consumer. Though it has continued on in many different forms, Dolby Pro Logic's history reaches back to the days of VHS Continue Reading
Dolby TrueHD
Dolby TrueHD is Dolby's standard for the Blu-ray disc format, which competes with the DTS-HD Master Audio format in the high definition lossless audio world though they use very different technologies to achieve results Continue Reading
Dynamic Loudspeaker
Dynamic loudspeakers are the most popular loudspeakers in the world of home systems. They can be found in all kinds of configurations and in different speaker types from bookshelf speakers to floorstanding speakers Continue Reading
Electrostatic Loudspeaker
Electrostatic speakers are speakers that are designed to utilize an electric field to generate the vibration to create sound. There are a lot of advantages to these types of loudspeakers, as well as many disadvantages Continue Reading
Energy Star
In the pursuit of making electronics more energy efficient, a standard for efficiency requirements needed to be set, one that would be recognized internationally. That standard is Energy Star Continue Reading
Ethernet
Ethernet defines standards such as wiring and signs for LANs (local area networks). But, contrary to popular belief, there is more than one type of Ethernet cable to get you on the internet Continue Reading
Firmware Update
Firmware updates are an amazing tool in consumer electronics. They allow companies to continue to improve their products and fix problems that may arise without having to release a new product Continue Reading
Five Tips to Successfully Set Up Your Blu-ray Player
Once you've got your Blu-ray player in your home, you are only part of the way there. These five tips will help get you the rest of the way to getting your player up and running so you can enjoy HD content. Continue Reading
Foot Lambert
Foot-Lambert is a measurement of luminance that is used to make measurements for not only projectors, but LCD HDTVs and plasma HDTVs, although it used primarily in the United States Continue Reading
HD DVD
HD DVD was the competitor for Blu-ray during the HD disc format war. HD DVD was backed by Toshiba and based on the pre-existing technology of DVD-Video, which Toshiba held many of the patents for Continue Reading
High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)
HDMI is the high definition home theater standard for cabling. Originally, more of video cable than an audio cable although updates to the HDMI technology has changed that, and it now offers an impressive list of features. Continue Reading
High-Definition Music Downloads
High Definition Music Downloads are the future of audio. They combine the high fidelity of formats like SACD and DVD-Audio with the convenience of MP3 downloads from iTunes. The best of both worlds Continue Reading
Home Automation
Home Automation is the ultimate form of control. Not only can a user control their home theater, but also lighting, climate control, and even security options. Given that, it would make sense that this form of control requires several components Continue Reading
Home Theater Personal Computer (HTPC)
Home Theater Personal Computers or HTPCs allow users to store all their media in one place, be that movies or music, and access it through a network. These devices can be customized in a multitude of ways and are very powerful additions to a home theater Continue Reading
Home Theater Seating
Home Theater Seating is one of the true luxuries when customizing your theater. You can give your guests (and yourself) incredibly comfortable chairs that recreate the atmosphere of a movie theater. There are all kinds of options Continue Reading
How To Build a Home Theater In a Less Than Perfect Room
The first two videos in THX's new home theater resource video series. Designed to be a practical and simple guide, these videos begin the process of building your home theater with placement planning and more. Continue Reading
In-wall Subwoofer
In-wall speakers tend to not have much bass because of the lack of cabinet volume and small woofer drivers.... Continue Reading
Internal Video Processor
In the early days of high-end video, up-conversion or video processing was done via a black box external component. Ultra-high-end... Continue Reading
Internet Radio
Internet radio is the next evolution of music consumption, stemming from the creation of the MP3. It is a term that applies to many services that stream audio over the internet Continue Reading
Jaggies
Jaggies refers to a particular type of artifact that can occur during video media playback. It is a pretty unpleasant thing to see in the image. Fortunately there are solutions that can be put into place Continue Reading
Jitter
Jitter is a digital timing issue that affects digital devices, such as DVD players and CD transports. High levels of... Continue Reading
Keystoning (or Keystone Effect)
Keystoning is a visual effect created by a trapezoidal image. It is usually a problem associated with video projectors. Fortunately, there are solutions to fix this problem and restore the proper image Continue Reading
LCD Versus Plasma
Liquid Crystal Displays or LCDs and Plasmas have many different advantages and disadvantages. It is important to evaluate each of these lists when deciding which television to buy Continue Reading
Lighting Control
Lighting control is a very important part of a home theater set up. If you want the best picture, it is important to have complete control of the lighting in your room. There are many ways to go about this Continue Reading
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
Liquid Crystal Displays or LCDs, along with plasma displays, revolutionized the home theater industry. Although, there are many different kinds of LCDs that come with different advantages or disadvantages Continue Reading
Low-Frequency Effects (LFE) Channel
The low-frequency effects channel (LFE) in a home theater system is more commonly known as a subwoofer. It is a... Continue Reading
MHL
MHL stands for - Mobile High-Definition Link and is a technology found in many devices, displays and accessories today. MHL-enabled... Continue Reading
MPEG-2 Audio Layer 3 (MP3) File
MP3 audio files are a lossy compressed music file common among all portable music players including Apple's iPod and... Continue Reading
Masking Video Screen
A masking video screen can help with displaying anamorphic content through different kinds of motorized technologies. There are several different options that go about this process in different ways Continue Reading
Media Server
Media servers are audio and video components that store audio and video content and play it back on demand... Continue Reading
Merdian Lossless Packing (MLP)
Meridian's Lossless Packing (MLP) is the main technology behind DVD-Audio. Its lossless compression scheme was groundbreaking and competed favorably with... Continue Reading
OLED
OLED stands for Organic Light-Emitting Diode, and OLED technology is an alternative to LCD and (the now deceased) plasma technologies... Continue Reading
Outdoor Video Screen
Outdoor home theater is one of the newest trends in consumer electronics. The idea of the swim-up or backyard home... Continue Reading
Passive Subwoofer
A passive subwoofer is a sub without a power amplifier and possibly without a crossover network. Audiophiles sometimes like... Continue Reading
Picking and Placing Your Display, Speakers and Subwoofer by THX
In episodes 3, 4, and 5 of their home theater information series, THX goes into the process of placement. These episodes teach consumers how to place displays, speakers, and subwoofers. Continue Reading
Point 1 (.1)
The "point 1" (.1) channel of a surround system is one of the most confusing terms for consumers. Point... Continue Reading
Positioning Speakers and Making The Most of Your Gear's Settings Plus the THX Optimizer: Videos From THX
The next installment in THX's Home Theater Made Easy series discusses how to aim and calibrate your speakers, how to take advantage of your gear's settings, and how to use the THX Optimizer Continue Reading
Projector Mount
If you want to go with a video projector for your home theater, you are going to need a projector mount. There are all kinds of different mounts that will suit any configuration a user could need or want Continue Reading
RS-232
RS-232 is serious form of control for a system and, in fact, an entire household. This connector is the protocol preferred by integrators for several reasons Continue Reading
Rainbow Effect
Rainbow effect is most commonly, pretty much exclusively, found in single-chip DLP projectors that use a color wheel to create all the different colors necessary for an image. Occasionally, this process can create rainbows Continue Reading
Refresh Rate
Refresh is a measurement of how often a frame appears on a screen. There is a wide array of refresh rates that work to different levels of effectiveness Continue Reading
Rimless In-wall Loudspeaker
One of the newest trends in in-wall loudspeakers was started by Sonance. The company has engineered in-wall speakers that have... Continue Reading
Roll-down Video Screen
Roll-down screens have been around forever. Most of us remember them from third grade, when the teacher broke out... Continue Reading
Room Acoustics
You can spend all the money in the world on gear, but it will never sound as good as possible if your room isn't properly set up. There are all kinds of different treatments that can be used to get the most out of your room Continue Reading
Round Loudspeaker
Round loudspeakers are a new class of speakers that are small and often mounted to match an HDTV system... Continue Reading
SXRD
SXRD is a technology developed by Sony and have a lot of advantages over other technologies, including a very impressive contrast ratio among others Continue Reading
Satellite Radio
Satellite radio is a pay service that allows users to pick different radio channels by several different sorting systems. There are also much less strict rules about censorship on satellite radio Continue Reading
Screen Door Effect
The screen door effect is an effect that occurs with projectors, occasionally causing images to distort. It appears to the user as if they are looking through a screen door, thus the name. Continue Reading
Screen Gain
Screen gain is a measurement system used with projector screen. This system measures the amount light a screen reflects or absorbs. There are many factors that go into deciding the amount of screen gain that is right for your projector Continue Reading
Selecting Surround Speakers, Electronics and Remote Controls From THX
Episode Six - Selecting Surround Sound Speakers This video gets into the basics of selecting surround sound speakers from traditional... Continue Reading
Side Channel Speaker
Side-channel speakers are what took 5.1 to 7.1 surround. 7.1 surround consists of speakers in the front left and... Continue Reading
Sound Box
Today's in-wall speakers are far more sophisticated than those in the old days. Gone are the days of simply... Continue Reading
Super Audio Compact Disc (SACD)
SACD or Super Audio Compact Disc was an attempt to mass market high resolution music, similar to DVD-Audio, but SACD was supported by Sony and Philips. Continue Reading
Super Audio Compact Disc (SACD) Player
SACD players play Super Audio CDs (SACDs) and convert their digital audio (DSD) into either stereo or 5.1 music... Continue Reading
Surround Sound
Surround sound is about trying to recreate the aural experience of a movie theater in the home. It requires several speakers to achieve the enveloping sound needed, but exactly how many is up for debate Continue Reading
Touch Screen Remote
Touch screens are the next evolution in control beyond a simple universal remote. In fact, it would be safe to call these the kind of all home theater remotes Continue Reading
Trinnov Room Correction (EQ)
Trinnov room correction is a direct competitor to Audyssey room correction. Trinnov technology is being added to receivers such... Continue Reading
Tuners "(AM/FM)"
Tuners are the original receivers, picking up AM/FM radio signals, as well has HD and satellite radio. No single component has stood the test of time like the tuner, as new models are continuing to be made today Continue Reading
Types of Floorstanding Speakers
The floorstanding loudspeaker is your traditional audiophile speaker. Because of their large size and to-the-floor design, floorstanding speakers have... Continue ReadingUSB DAC
USB DACs are Digital-to-Analog Converters that are specifically designed to work with your computer. The idea is to allow... Continue Reading
Ultra HD (Ultra High-Definition)
Ultra HD is the term for the next level of high-definition video technology, moving beyond the established 720p and 1080p resolutions. Read on to find out the specifics of the new format. Continue Reading
Ultra HD Blu-ray
Ultra HD Blu-ray is the latest home video disc format and includes support for a number of advanced picture technologies.... Continue Reading
Universal Player
During the DVD-Audio/SACD format war, Pioneer tried to bridge the gap with the first "universal player" that would play both... Continue Reading
Universal Remote
Universal remotes make life much easier as they allow you to consolidate your many component remotes into one remote to control everything. But which kind of remote should you choose Continue Reading
Video Calibration
If you want to get the utmost performance out of your screen, a video calibration will be in order. There are several different methods ranging from the basic to the top of the line, which will serve different levels of desire, depending on the user Continue Reading
Video Up-conversion
Video up-conversion uses a computer processor to scale an image up to higher resolutions. Several different kinds of components have been developed for the process, be they stand alone units or source components that have the technology integrated Continue Reading
Why Blu-ray Is Still Better Than Streaming Today
Now that streaming video-on-demand services like VUDU, Netflix, and iTunes offer movies at a 1080p resolution, many people have sounded... Continue Reading
Windows Vista
Most media servers on the market today and nearly every home theater PC (HTPC) uses a Microsoft operating system.... Continue Reading
Wireless Internet
Wireless Internet has become widespread throughout our modern world, wirelessy transmitting Internet data between routers and computers and mobile devices. Continue Reading
Wireless Speaker
Most consumers dislike having to run cables from the front of the room where their system is, to the... Continue Reading
iPad
The iPad is a tablet PC developed by Apple. It has popularized the tablet PC category much in the... Continue Reading
iPhone
iPhone is a cellular phone developed by Apple and available on the AT&T and Verizon networks. The iPhone is... Continue Reading
iPod
The iPod is a portable media player developed by Apple. It is nearly ubiquitous in the portable media player... Continue Reading
iPod Dock
iPod docks are the way to hook up your iPod to your sound system. There are all kinds of models, from the standalone model to components that have dock connections built into them, made by many different companies Continue Reading
iTunes
iTunes is a free media manager software from Apple. It comes with all iPod/iPhone/iPad products, and is the most... Continue Reading
New at Home Theater Review
Feb 26
Russound MBX-AMP and IC-620 In-Ceiling Speakers Reviewed Russound's MBX-AMP is a simple-to use one-room streaming solution that can also be employed to expand an existing Russound multi-room system into harder-to-reach zones.
Feb 24
Apple TV 4K Streaming Media Player Reviewed (2020 Update) Dennis takes the Apple TV 4K for a spin nearly 2.5 years after its release to see how it stacks up against the current streaming media competition from a home theater enthusiast's perspective.
Feb 24
An AV Enthusiast's Guide to Home Networking Today's AV systems have become inseparable from our computer networks. Whether you're streaming content from the Internet or your own...
Feb 19
Parasound Halo A 21+ Stereo Amplifier Reviewed After 15 years of devoted service, Parasound has retired its beloved Halo A 21 amplifier. Its replacement, the Halo A...
Feb 17
Could Coronavirus Be Worse Than Trump's Tariffs for Specialty AV? The specialty AV industry has already struggled over the past few years due to Trump's trade war with China. But this new novel coronavirus could make things much, much worse.
