Wireless Home Cinema System - How to Setup a Reliable Wireless Home Cinema

With the advances in technology it is becoming more and more possible to setup a wireless home cinema system in your home without having to run lots of cables around and start chasing into walls and ruining your decoration.

At the time of writing the technology in our opinion is not quite good enough for wireless video but wireless audio is definitely a viable solution if you are not going to look at too much of a high end system.

Wireless Home Cinema Video

The reason wireless video is not viable at present is mainly due to the bandwidth required and given the detail of the formats are increasing as well it makes it hard for technology to keep up. High definition content holds a lot of information and to transmit that real time in just not practical.

You can currently get some wireless projectors and these can either work as real time devices or as an upload and play style. The upload type store wireless uploaded content and then play it from their internal storage. Real time devices literally play the content as it is being transmitted. There is usually a small delay between the transmission from source to projector and this means that it's only really practical to use this type of transmission for static images such as power point presentations; it is currently not able to deliver motion with any degree of quality.

It is slowly becoming more possible on lower resolution screens and close proximity of transmitter to receiver. How long it will be before we see full high definition home cinema projectors I'm not sure but it's on the horizon.

Wireless Home Cinema Audio

Wireless audio is becoming quite common nowadays especially in town apartments where it may not be practical to run cables around. You will find that there is the possibility for both wireless source material to be transmitted as well as wireless audio signals to be sent to speakers.

In general audio signals carry a lot less information than video and so this means the bandwidth limitations are not so much of an issue as with video.

Afterthoughts

So how long is it going to be before we start seeing full dedicated wireless home cinema systems?

Well I still think it will be a while for dedicated home cinema systems if we even see them at all. The reason for this is because with a dedicated home cinema you are naturally going to build the room as well and so you can always plan to run the cables that you need which will always have a better transmission path than from wireless.

Home Cinema Systems and Audio Formats

Are you fond of watching movies or television shows? Then home cinema system is perfect for you.

By purchasing this, you can even make your watching experience more thrilling and fun, with its realistic effects and superb audio, perfect bonding place for you and your loved ones.

Of course, real pleasure comes from hearing sounds using the hi-fi systems as compared to a mere stereo sound system.

With the home cinema system, you need not spend money going to movie houses, since it produces the desired theater effect at the comfort of your own living room.

Samsung home cinema is one of the most liked and admired home theater nowadays. This brand is known for its latest and most updated models of television entertainment kits.

Audio Formats To be able to deliver the wonderful surround sound quality, the home cinema system makes use of different audio formats-the most common are the DTS and Dolby Digital.

These formats use various syntax as well as coding schemes to perceptually compress audio. In the recent times, different debates arise as to which surround sound format is the best. This article provides a better understanding on the differences of the audio formats, particularly the two above mentioned.

DTS. Normally encoded at a higher data rate than the other audio formats, DTS is believed by many home cinema system enthusiasts to have the better quality of audio than its counterparts (like the Dolby Digital).

Its features like improved signal-to-noise ratio, improved dynamic range, better representation of subtle detail in audio content are just some of the reasons why many people prefer this kind of surround sound to be at their living room.

DTS believers argue that, the one with the higher bit-rate (DTS) is understandable to have the better sound quality during playback. DTS has also the lower compression.

Hence, they are solely basing their conclusion on the compression figures and raw bit rates.

Dolby Digital. The Dolby Digital supporters, however, have different argument counteracting the claims of the DTS believers telling that, one cannot tell which audio format is better by simply basing on the raw bits and compression. Instead, they believe that one should look at the encoding and decoding algorithm designs.

Dolby Digital supporters believe that, its codec is way more efficient, in fact, three times more efficient, than that of the DTS sound format.

The issue on whether which audio format has the highest quality in terms of sounds seems to be subjective. Audio formats like these two differ in data utilization; hence, it is not proper to have a direct comparison between the two or to any other formats. Also, it is up to the user which surround sound best suits his or her preferences as well as personality.

How to Set Up a Home Cinema Sound System

Many people who experience the cinema find that they would love to recreate the environment at home. However, no matter how big the desire, not everybody knows how to set up sound for a home cinema system. For these individuals, the below tips should be taken under consideration. With a little effort, a wonderful home cinema is possible.

1. When it comes to speakers, there is usually some kind of set up process that needs to be addressed. Many people who have owned speakers but have never really adjusted them in any way will likely be suffering from a sound system that is off the mark. If that is the case, something needs to be done to bring the speakers to a level that is more appropriate. This can be achieved by checking to see that the sound from each speaker reaches the listener's ears at the same time. The speakers should also be at the same volume level.

2. It can be hard to measure the level of sound coming from each speaker; for this reason, many home cinema enthusiasts choose to invest in a sound level meter. This item is not difficult to find, and any store that deals with electronics is likely to have it, either online or offline, at a reasonable price. Once obtained, the level meter should be set to "C." By doing this it proves a lot easier to make sure that the speakers are ready for the sound needs of most films.

3. Some people keep their speakers in areas such as on book shelves or on the floor. This is not a good idea, as the sound will not be level with the human ear. When this occurs, the quality of the sound is greatly lessened, even if the level of the sound is equal in all speakers. To combat this, they should be placed on special stands. If this is not possible or there is nothing in the budget to pay for this, a place that is as close to ear level as possible is preferred. Anybody who takes this method to heart is bound to notice the difference this can make.

4. Any speakers that are purchased to complete the home cinema package should match. That is not to say that they should be the exact same colour or a similar kind of cosmetic appearance, but they should be from the same manufacturer. The reasoning behind this tip is simple: if the speakers are the same, they are more likely to have the same sound. This can make checking the level a lot easier, and there will be fewer surprises.

Understanding the Different Home Theater Components

The idea of having your very own home system sounds very exciting because once you have all the necessary equipments, you won't need to go to the cinema as often as before unless you want to watch the latest movies right away. If you give it some time, you can enjoy a very similar experience in your own home. That is only the basic thing that you can do because you can do so much more depending on the different home theater components that connect to each other. Depending on the model of each component, your home cinema experience can vary. It is best to dive into the essentials so you know what components to get if you plan on building your own home cinema system.

HDTV

Every home theater system starts with the display and it is likely that you have one already. The question is if it is capable of handling the rest of the components of your home cinema system. You can tell if it is worthy if it has a fairly large display which can handle 1080p signals so you get the best possible picture in high definition. It must also have a sufficient amount of connection ports so you can hook up the rest of the components that you plan to purchase. HDMI ports are the ones you need to look out for because an HDMI cable carries both video and audio signals resulting to fewer wires in setting everything up. Some HDTVs have extra features like Internet capabilities or enhanced audio capabilities such as a built-in subwoofer.

AV Receiver

If you want a better sound experience or want greater expandability, you will have to get an AV receiver. The AV receiver acts as the brain of your home theater setup where it receives audio and video information from various sources. The receiver will then use its internal components and technologies to interpret that data and then finally send it out to your speakers and connected HDTV. Even if your HDTV lacks Internet features, you may be able to add that functionality by going for an AV receiver that can connect to the Internet.

Multimedia System

A multimedia system can have many faces. Many home theater systems have a Blu-ray player which is one example of a multimedia system. Getting a Blu-ray player allows you to playback Blu-ray discs which are basically higher quality than DVDs. They can also play DVDs so you won't have to get a separate system. If you prefer higher compatibility, you might want to go for a universal disc player. If you still have some room for an additional connection, you can also connect a gaming console as your second multimedia system. This gives you a gaming experience where you can play various games while enjoying the visuals coming out of your connected HDTV. Some computers can be considered as multimedia systems as well since you can outfit these computers with Blu-ray players and you can make use of their hard disks to store plenty of multimedia content.

Once you have your HDTV, the choice is yours on what you want to do next. Just take note of the functions you want in your system and scout out some matching components that give you exactly what you need so you won't overspend.

Speaker Wiring - Choosing Home Theater Speaker Wire

If you have a home theatre system or a pair of loudspeakers then you will want to get the best possible sound quality and maximum potential from your speaker system. The good news is that you can get a noticeable sound quality difference from your speakers with a minimal investment in good quality speaker wires. In this article we will show you the benefits and explain, in understandable language, the reasons for you to decide if you want to upgrade to the optimum speaker cable to enhance your audio listening experience and overall system sound quality.

Choosing home theatre speaker wire is not an exact science but there are simple rules that you should follow when selecting speaker wire for your audio and hifi system. Many high street hifi shops are happy to sell you expensive speaker cables which may or may not suit your audio system and it is possible to waste hundreds of pounds or dollars on wiring that is certainly unjustified in making any audible difference on most home hi-fi and home cinema systems.

So what should I look for when choosing home theater speaker wire - best tips?

Firstly, you should know how to choose the right gauge of speaker wiring and this is easily done by understanding that a thickness of wire is relative to the gauge or size of the copper conductor/s inside the speaker wire. The gauge number, which is available by the standard AWG or American Wire Gauge, identifies the cable thickness. However, you should note that the lower the gauge of the wire the thicker it will be.

The lower the AWG gauge number of a speaker wire indicates the capacity or ability to more better pass the electrical audio signal through the speaker wiring conductor. The general standard or accepted range of wiring is from 12 to 18 gauge.

When selecting the right gauge speaker wiring for your home theatre, cinema system or hifi then you should take into consideration the general reputation of a supplier and cable manufacturer and the level of sound quality you wish to achieve within your own budget. You will also need to work out the length of your speaker cable installation and how much cable is required to connect the speakers. If you are installing a home theatre and require surround sound system at the back of your room then longer cable runs will be required and you should understand that a long wires runs cause their own problems in relation to loss of sound quality due to electrical current loss through the cable.

As a rule of thumb it is advisable to select speaker wire gauge from the following guideline of distance vs cable gauge:

(1) Distance from hi-fi / home cinema system to loudspeaker (Less than 60 feet)=16 gauge.
(2) Distance from hi-fi / home theatre system to loudspeaker (Less than 60 to 180 feet)=14 gauge.
(3) Distance from hi-fi / home audio system to loudspeaker (More than 180 feet)=12 gauge.

With home theatre speaker wire it is worth considering thicker gauge cable as it can really help you achieve good sound quality results and also as thicker wire handles the electrical signal much better it reduces the resistance of the cable and therefore puts less strain on your amplifier or audio visual receiver thus giving longer life of your amplifier component and providing a better quality sound output which is delivered more easily to your speaker / surround sound system.

Thinner speaker wiring, generally less expensive, is obviously easier to work with when installing around skirting boards or under flooring and choosing a good quality 16 gauge speaker wire will still achieve fantastic results for rear surround sound speakers providing that the cables are made from good quality components and this extends also to the correct use of cable terminators on both amplifier and speaker ends.