What makes a home theater truly a home
theater? Many enthusiasts have very definite opinions about this, but
for most lay people, a home theater is what some would call a
“
surround sound home theater.”
Basically, this
simply means that you can take your regular television, add a surround
sound system, and experience a very basic form of home theater in any
room in any home.
Surround sound is exactly what it sounds
like. The sound from the speakers surrounds the listener. Modern DVDs
are formatted so that specific sounds come from specific speakers.
They
are made with surround sound systems in mind, so to truly experience
the best in DVD’s, you may want to consider purchasing a
surround sound system.
Surround sound “home theaters in a
box” can be found for as little as $120 (maybe even less) on
sale. Of course, the quality will improve as you go higher in price,
but even an inexpensive surround sound system can make a difference in
your viewing experience.
The most common surround sound home theater
system is what’s known as a 5.1-channel system. This means
that there are five “regular” speakers and one
subwoofer.
The subwoofer, just like with a traditional
audio stereo, is
where you hear your bass (or very low) tones. The other five speakers
are set up in a specific pattern.
The central speaker plays the “on
screen” sounds. These are the sounds that are being made by
the characters and things you see on the screen, such as conversation.
Therefore, this speaker is located with the television, usually
centered right below it.
The left front and right front speakers are
placed to the side and forward of the television, at about ear level.
These speakers play your music and movie and television soundtracks.
The rear speakers are situated to the left
and right and slightly behind the viewer. They are placed higher than
the forward speakers for a true “surround” sound.
A newer technology in surround sound home
theater is the one-speaker surround sound component. This item actually
contains multiple speakers in one box, many of which are angled to
bounce sounds off the walls behind the listeners, creating the surround
sound with only one component.