Home cinema basics
If you're reading these words, you've probably thought about owning a home cinema for a while, or you've just bought a new TV with a home theatre in a box and you want to know how to use it.
- Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
If you're reading these words, you've probably thought about owning a home cinema for a while, or you've just bought a new TV with a home theatre in a box and you want to know how to use it.
You may already own a flat screen but while it may be able to make the news sound OK, movies and music can sound just plain bad. While it's possible to buy a little iPod dock and play music that way, it makes sense to combine the two things — music and movies — into the one system. This is where a home cinema system comes into its own.
A system can be as simple as a single, discreet speaker underneath your TV to a monster 7.1 system (such as the one pictured) that dominates the lounge room. But either way, the idea is the same: to match great vision with great sound.
In this section we're going to look at all aspects of a home cinema, from what it is through to how to choose one and how to set it up. Whether you're looking to spend a little or a lot, it pays to do the research and ensure you get value for money.
While we also provide reviews on this site, it doesn't help if you don't know what the terms mean. We'll guide you through step by step and explain all the various features and functions in easy-to-understand language.