| |
| |
|
Personal Technology Information |
|
|
|
Buying a Home Theater Receiver
Buying a receiver is one of the most important decisions you're going to have to make when building your home theater. The receiver has a number of functions including; connecting and switching audio sources; connecting and switching video sources; decoding surround sound formats; amplifying an audio signal and sending it to your speakers; tuning in to radio stations; and acting as the interface between you and your home theater. The first thing to think about is whether you want a receiver at all or would you be better off buying a separate decoder, amplifier, and tuner? Despite being a more expensive route - not to mention the extra space needed - separates do have some advantages. You can pick and choose your own combination of components, can upgrade each component individually and won't lose all the functions if one piece develops a fault. On top of that, having each electronic component in a separate box does improve sound quality when compared with having them all on one circuit board. However, the separates route is more expensive, more complicated and needs more space than buying a receiver. And for most people its uneccessary. Today's receivers do a very good job in all of their functions. So what should should you look out for when buying a receiver? The first thing is to make sure that it has ll the inputs you need for the equipment you need to connect to it. Sounds obvious, but its very easy to overlook. As a mimimum it should have digital audio inputs (optical and co-axial) for Dolby Digital and/or DTS. It should also have analogue audio inputs for CD player, set-top box and possibly DVD-Audio or Super Audio CD player (the last two currently don't have digital outputs in order to make it less easy to pirate CDs). You should also consider whether you want to route all your video sources such as TV, DVD player, and games console through your receiver. Doing so means you can switch between sources from one controller, very easily. But if you want to do this you'll need to make sure the receiver you're interested in has enough video inputs. These could be S-Video or component inputs are best, or if you're in Europe, Scart. You should also make sure the video output from the receiver is of high quality, so again, it should be S-Video, component or Scart. If you can test a receiver before you buy, its worth comparing the quality of a video signal from a DVD player when its connected directly to a display and comparing it with when its connected via the receiver. There shouldn't be any noticeable difference in quality. The power rating of the amplifier is also important. The bigger the room you have for your home theater, the more power you'll need. And makes sure that the power rating is quoted in Watts per channel - the last thing you want is to get home with your 100Watt receiver and discover that its power is split between eight speakers in you 7.1 set-up. It's impossible to specify how powerful your amplifier should be, but if your home theater is in a reasonable-sized room, as opposed to an aircraft hanger, 100Watts per channel should be fine. Finally, don't forget the remote control. It's the key interface between you and the reciever and you'll spend a lot of time using it. So make sure it's comfortable and straightforward to use. The last thing you want is to have to spend ages wading through on-screen menus to get what you want. Kenny Hemphill is the editor and publisher of The HDTV Tuner, a site which aims to cut through the confusion surrounding HDTV and provide surfers with up to date, accurate and easy to read information on HDTV.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
5 Ways to Speed Up Your PC No matter how fast your processor and regardless of howmuch ram you carry, there comes a time when you realizeyour computer just doesn't run as fast as it did when youbought it.Windows loads slower, programs take longer to launch,and, in general, your computer drags like it just cameoff a 2-night drinking binge. Buying a Personal Computer (PC) For many people the computer industry is a seeming unsolvable jungle filled with mysterious words. Here is a guide to help you understand the personal computer and to give you the information needed to make a shopping decision you can live with so you can enjoy your PC for years to come. Dont Let the Internet Overstimulate Your Mind The Internet is an awesome tool, but be careful and aware that the cloud of over stimulation doesn't invade your mind.It seems we have to become aware of a new problem that is starting to invade our modern, industrial society, that being the problem of over stimulation. Ergonomics and Healthy Computing - Positioning Your Body For Maximum Comfort At Your Computer Do you remember the old saw about how computers would change our lives for the better? We'd have more time to ourselves and lead healthier, happier lives. The truth is computers do make processing information lightening fast. Is DVD Storage An Attractive Alternative For Your Computer Backup? If you have a computer for home use or for your business and don't take comprehensive backup for full protection then you are in the danger-zone.Maybe you do not take any backup at all. Selecting the Perfect Big Screen TV Selecting a TV isn't as easy as it used to be in years goneby. Rather than going to the local department store and choosing a console that would take up a large portion of the living room, we now have other options. The Many Benefits of Owning a DVR Has This Ever Happened To You? OK.. CCNA 640-801 Certification Primer The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Certification is meant for career enhancement as well as gaining knowledge of the LAN/WAN technologies currently available for implementation. Hence, CCNA Certification can be obtained by IT professionals who have been a part of the industry for a considerable time and are interested in furthering their career in terms of role enhancement and salary. Why Get a Microsoft MCSE Certification? In the years of the dot com boom and bust, the Microsoft MCSE Certification has gotten its eye blackened over an over. Paper Microsoft MCSE's who were excellent at finding brain dumps and passing exams gave the Microsoft MCSE Certification a bad name. Flash Your nVidia Video Cards BIOS You will need the following:1. 1. Keeping the Windows Registry Operational The registry is where the computer stores information about the configuration of the system and the programs installed so that the operating system can use them.Regularly maintaining the registry is a basic requirement. Classification of Computers Computers are available in different shapes, sizes and weights, due to these different shapes and sizes they perform different sorts of jobs from one another.They can also be classified in different ways. Is Digital Camera Technology Making Film Obsolete? Perhaps not yet, but the handwriting might be on the wall?How is a digital camera different from a film camera? What are pixels and why are they important? What's the difference between optical and digital zoom? What advantages do digital cameras have compared to film cameras? Let's address these and other questions as we discuss digital camera technology.First a short history and overview of digital imaging?The technology began with television in the early 1950's when researchers discovered how to convert video images to electrical signals for storage on magnetic tape. Quick System Restore with ASR Backups ASR (Automated System Recovery) is a feature available on the Windows XP Pro and Windows Server 2003 operating systems for quick and efficient system backup and restore.Typically, the restore process involves reinstalling the operating system and configuring all physical storage to their original settings before restoring data and settings. Review of Rio MP3 Players Below you will find some useful information and comments about a few of the most popular MP3 players by Rio, including the Nitrus, Carbon, Cali, and Forge. None of these MP3 players are perfect, but each offers a unique set of strengths and weaknesses that should be taken into consideration before you purchase any one of them. 5 Minute Guide to Video Editing for Beginners Getting started with video editing is very simple you only need a few items and you can be producing quality movies at home that you will be able to enjoy for many years to come. Maybe even produce a hit Hollywood movie. Portable DVD Players - Things To Know In my humble opinion nothing makes a long trip easier (especially if you have kids). A portable DVD player is the ideal solution for those long plane rides or endless drives in a car to keep everyone entertained, especially when you have new hit DVD to play. Learn the Lost Art of Touch Typing Computers have replaced typewriters, but two-finger, hunt-and-peck typing can never replace the touch typing of a trained professional.A recent report by Robert Johnson in the Boston Globe highlights the decline of typing skills. Top 9 Ways To Speed Up Your Surfing & Computing It seems like fast never quite rates fast enough.No matter how quickly something moves, especially on theInternet, it could always move faster. MobiTV and Visual Stimulation Imput for Personal Cognitive Performance Stimulus thru Caffiene or Visual Input?It appears that the Mobi TV feature for Cell Phones may in fact have some positive Bio-advantages in that it exercises the brain thru visual stimulation. We know that visual input stimulates the brain.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
