Monday, October 27, 2008

Free-standing or Box speakers

What do you envision when you hear the word "speaker"? I know some people think of a person on a podium addressing an audience, but for those of us in the audio and video realm, we think of something that generates sound - the final link in the process that starts with a microphone and enables sound to be captured, transmitted, and replayed.


And for most of us, that thing looks like a box.

We'll talk about other options (in-wall, in-ceiling, etc.) in another article. But right now, I'd like to talk about this most common type of audio speaker.

In previous articles, I talked about the different driver types (cones, domes, horns, ribbons, and others). The box is really just the enclosure that houses the driver and associated electronics.

However, that box is also an important element in the acoustical properties of the speaker. If the box is the wrong size, shape, or made of the wrong materials, it will affect the efficiency and the sound quality of the speaker.

For example, many speaker enclosures are made of MDF (medium-density fiberboard) covered with a lacquer or wood laminate. The lacquer or laminate is to help the box look good in your living room (MDF is not very pretty!). But the MDF is what really provides the acoustical properties.

The box itself serves as a resonance chamber and contains the sound emanating from the back of the speaker. This enclosure needs to be made of an acoustically inert substance to reduce "sympathetic vibrations" which can lead to the speaker "walking" across the floor, or even shaking itself apart! Lead or concrete would be excellent, except they're too heavy. MDF, on the other hand, provides a reasonable balance between weight and acoustical properties. Some manufacturers make their enclosures out of other materials as well. For example, high-end speaker manufacturer James Loudspeakers makes the enclosures out of aircraft aluminum, which has excellent audio qualities. But they still have to make a nice-looking outer shell.

The construction of the box is important, too. It needs to be completely sealed, or some of the sound will leak out of the enclosure instead of being sent in the direction of the listener. This keeps the sound from the back of the speaker from mingling with the sound from the front of the speaker. This is important because the speaker actually creates sound both when it moves forward and when it moves backward. The sound created by the backward motion is 180 degrees out of phase with the forward sound, which means if the two mingle, they will cancel each other out!

If you'd like to learn more about which speakers are right for your home theater or audio setup, please visit us online, or call us at 847.471.4420.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

An overview of Horn Speakers


Horn Speakers are often considered to be of excellent quality, but the reality is that quality varies greatly depending on price and intended application. There are a couple of high-end speaker manufacturers such as Klipsch and Fostex that have well-designed horns, but remember that horns are also used in bullhorns and low-quality outdoor loudspeakers, which have very limited ranges.

Horn speakers use the interaction between the horn and the driver to increase the efficiency of the speaker. This allows a speaker to generate a higher volume for the same power input and distortion level. However, the same properties that increase the voume limit the frequency range. So a bullhorn can generate a high volume of sound using small batteries, but only in the frequency range of the human voice.

In order to compensate for this, some horn speakers use multiple drivers (with appropriately tuned horns) to cover the entire frequency range. Others use horns primarily for one frequency range (e.g. for the tweeters), and use standard cone drivers for the rest of the frequency range. Most Klipsch speakers fall into this category. Of course, there are always some manufacturers that save money by not adequately covering the entire range of hearing.

A little about cone speakers

The most common type of speaker is a cone speaker. This speaker has a diaphragm made out of a cone of a fairly stiff material, such as paper, polypropylene, carbon fiber, or aluminum, although other more exotic materials have been used. The diaphagm moves back and forth, pushing air out into the room, generating the sounds you hear.

The best material for a speaker cone is something that has low mass, good stiffness, and good damping properties. The low mass improves the speakers efficiency, meaning less power is needed to drive the speaker. If the material is not stiff enough, it won't generate clean sounds, especially at higher frequencies and higher volumes. And if there's not enough damping, the speaker will have a characteristic "ringing" sound.

Interestingly, paper is a good speaker material, because it has all of the properties needed. However, paper has the disadvantage of not handling moisture well (including changes in humidity). Polypropylene is used often in in outdoor or high moisture applications. Aluminum and other metal cones are light and stiff, but often don't have sufficient damping properties, and can sound too "bright". Fiberglass, Kevlar and Carbon Fiber have good properties, but can increase the cost of the speakers. So if you're interested in good speakers, and willing to pay a little more, we often recommend these materials.



The mechanism that moves the cone back and forth is a large magnet and an electromagnet. These two work together to vibrate the cone, compressing and decompressing the air, and generating sound waves. Note that the speaker generates sound in both directions. Since the reverse direction is exactly opposite the forward direction (180 degrees out of phase), care must be taken to ensure the reverse sound doesn't cancel out the forward sound!


In order to provide a stiff frame for the magnets to drive against, the speaker has a "spider", which is a stiff cage. Many spiders are made from a stiff plastic, while others are made of aluminum or another metal. At one time, spiders were made of Bakelite, but plastic and aluminum are much more durable. Plastic is light and inexpensive, but can distort under high load (high volume).

Speakers also have a flexible surround which binds the cone to the frame. This surround also keeps the sound generated by the reverse direction of the cone from coming around to the front and canceling the sound generated by the forward direction. In many older speakers, the surrounds have degraded to the point where this happens, and the speakers need to be repaired or replaced.
I'll talk more about speaker types and speaker design in future Blog postings, so stay tuned!

The importance of speakers

If you're listening to music, watching TV, or even talking on the phone, you're using speakers. Speakers, after all, are what translates recorded or broadcast material into sound waves that you can actually hear.

And the quality and type of speakers has a tremendous impact on how good that material sounds.

For example, have you ever sat on hold listening to your favorite song? I'll bet you found it at least somewhat annoying, because you couldn't hear all of the nuances of the music that you're used to.

That's because telephone speakers (in the earpiece, or even on a speakerphone), are not what we call full-range speakers. They're only designed to reproduce the human speaking tones, which range from about 110Hz for a low male voice, to about 1000 Hz for a higher female voice, up to about 3000 Hz for a child's scream.

On the other hand, the full range of human hearing is from about 20 Hz to about 20,000 Hz (20 KHz). Good full-range speakers reproduce all of that sound, and the entire range is used in music and movies. If you're not hearing the upper and lower ranges, you're missing a lot of important information in the sound track - and it just doesn't sound good!

Now, consider the speakers you're using for your current TV and movie-watching. If you're like many people, you listen through the speakers that came with the TV. Fortunately, TV manufacturers tend to be really good at video - unfortunately, audio is not really their specialty.

Many people consider these speakers to be "courtesy speakers" - that is, speakers that are included to allow you to set up and watch the TV without having to do a lot of work. But that doesn't make them good.

Lots of people have tried hooking their TV into their stereo, which usually results in far better sound than with just the TV speakers. We often hook up "surround sound" receivers and speakers - and the results are tremendous! Click here for more information on our home theater installations.

There are, of course, wide variances in the sound range of different types of speakers, so be sure the speakers you select will cover the entire range.
In the next few blogs, I'll talk about different aspects of speakers.
In the meantime, please visit us on the web at http://www.inspired-electronics.com/, or call us at 847.471.4420. We can answer your audio and video related questions, and help you get set up for the best home theater!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Lighting Control - Safety, comfort, ambience, and energy savings

I can't believe it's nearly fall already! I had some appointments this evening, and when I left the house, it was fully daytime. But when I came home, it was pitch-dark - and I had forgotten to turn on the lights.

I don't know about you, but I hate coming home to a dark house. It's not very inviting, I'm liable to stumble over a toy that one of my kids left laying around, and although I live in an extremely safe neighborhood, I know some of my friends worry that someone might be using the darkness to cover up something they shouldn't be doing.

Now imagine if, when you come home to a dark house like that, a set of lights come on automatically for you. Maybe you push a button (next to your garage door opener?), or maybe there's a sensor that detects a car coming in the driveway. Either way, when that set of lights comes on, you immediately have a sense of welcome, comfort, and safety!

Now, consider for a moment that you've gone to bed. Suddenly, you think "did I turn off the basement lights?" Instead of getting up, putting on your bathrobe, going all the way down into the basement, turning off the light, going all the way back upstairs (getting your blood flowing and energy levels up), and trying to get back to sleep - what if you could just press one button on your nightstand, and rest assured that all the lights in the house were set for night time?

And think of having a party. Perhaps you want to set a bright, cheery atmosphere. Lots of lights (but not glaring!), maybe some spotlights on some of your prized possessions, and lights off where you prefer guests not wander. How many switches and dimmers do you need to set in your home to get just the right ambience? And right before a party - who has time for that?!?

If you had a single button that could set all the lights exactly the way you wanted them, and maybe another for all lights on (cleaning or emergency), and another for a romantic evening with your spouse... wouldn't that be the greatest invention since the light bulb itself?

We can install a lighting control system that can do all of those things for you. And we can do it in both new homes and existing homes! As long as you have existing wiring in the home, or are putting wiring into the home, we can ensure that you have lighting control that makes your life safer, easier, and more fun.

Oh, did I mention that this will save money, too? By controlling the lighting levels to give you exactly the light you need, you will draw less power, thus reducing your energy bills, lowering your carbon footprint, and making your home more comfortable.

Visit our website at http://www.insired-electronics.com/ or call us today at 847.471.4420 to find out how we can do that!

- Rob

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Video scaling

I hear a lot of questions about video upconversion. I was talking with a client recently about a big-box retailer's recommendation to buy a receiver with built-in HDMI upconversion and switching. He wanted to know what that meant, and whether it was true that he needed it.


This is a pretty interesting issue, and is one of the reasons you should use an integrator like Inspired Electronics, Inc. instead of a big-box retailer - we truly understand the nuances of what's going on inside all of these boxes!


First, remember that all of your source components may output different resolutions. For example, a Blu-Ray player or good up-converting DVD player will output 1080p (or lower if you tell it to). A high-def cable or satellite receiver will put out either 1080i or 720p, depending on the signal coming from the cable/satellite company. Of course, any standard definition material is output in 480i (standard definition). And that old VCR that I integrated into my family room system sends out 480i as well.


Naturally, the TV will show the exact resolution that it was manufactured for (e.g. a 1080p display will show 1080 lines of resolution, a 720p display will show 720 lines, and a 480i display will show 480 lines - interlaced).


So how do you get the source format converted to the display format? Well, that's where a video scaler comes in. For the best possible quality, you will want an outboard dedicated video scaler box. Sometimes called a line-doubler or video upconverter, this dedicated piece of equipment takes any input format, and converts it to the appropriate output format, with truly excellent results. Of course, the price matches, with these dedicated units running $2000-4000 or more.


Your Blu-Ray or upconverting DVD player also does an excellent job of matching your source DVD to the TV. But, of course, it can only do this for DVDs.


The next choice then, really comes down to either the TV or a receiver with built-in switching and video processing capabilities.


The TV, naturally, knows its native resolution. So the scaler circuitry only has to convert to a single resolution - that of the TV.


The receiver doesn't know what resolution it's going to be driving when its built, so it has to be able to output all resolutions. So to achieve the same result, it will need more circuitry.


Now, some receivers will not handle any video processing at all. This keeps their cost down, but you have to run all video cables from the source device to the TV. If you have limited inputs on the TV and lots of sources, you may not be able to plug them all in. And if your source equipment is on the other side of the room from the TV, you will need to spend extra money on cables. 50' HDMI cables aren't cheap!


Other receivers will do what's called "video switching". This means they will send whatever signal comes in to the display over a single cable (usually HDMI or Component). But they don't change the signal - a 480i signal coming in on an S-Video input will go to the TV over the HDMI cable still at 480i. Usually, the receivers with video switching will cost an extra $200-300. But you can easily save that in cabling costs if your sources are a long way from the TV, since you only run one long HDMI cable from the receiver to the TV. The rest of the video cables are short since the components are close to each other in the cabinet.


The receivers that handle video scaling usually cost another $200-300 over the ones with video switching. Of course, the question is whether the scaler in the receiver is better than the one in the TV. At this level, the video scaling isn't bad. But if your TV already does a good job of converting, it's probably not worth adding the extra cost into the receiver unless you need the other features yoon the receiver (such as digital music streaming, additional power, etc.).


To get to a receiver that handles video scaling better than the TV, you will be spending about $1100-1300 more than the basic receiver that handles audio only. You also get other features in the receiver, such as more power, network audio streaming from your PC, and better audio calibration.


Of course, you can spend much more money on the receiver (I sell one receiver/amplifier pair for $14,000). At this level, you get great audio, great video scaling, 2 additional audio zones, individual amplifiers for each channel, wi-fi connectivity, and a lot more.

So the answer to whether you need a video converter in the receiver really comes down to one question - what's the most cost-effective way to get the video quality levels you want at the lowest cost?

If you're still wrestling with this (or any other home electronics or automation) question, please give me or Keith a call at 847.471.4420. We'd love to help you!

Thanks -
Rob

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

The $25K Theater

Over the last few posts, I've talked about what you can get in a home theater for $2,500, $5,000, and $10,000. This week, I'm going to step up a bit and talk about what you can get with a larger budget, in this case, $25,000. I realize that's a pretty big step, and there's a lot of room between $10,000 and $25,000. Just remember, we can tailor any package to your specific budget, so call us now to design your perfect home theater on your perfect budget!

First of all, everything is upgraded. You get better video, better audio, and better control. Quality installation remains the same, but since you'll have a somewhat more complex system, installation time may rise a bit.

Second, we can also add in comfortable theater-style seating and a rack mount to put all of your equipment away where you don't have to see it. This rack can also house other things outside the scope of this post, such as distributed audio gear, home automation equipment, and other "cool stuff" that can make your home much more inviting. We'll talk about all of that some other time!

Equipment Upgrades

At this level, you are almost certainly talking about a 1080p projector, although an upgraded large (greater than 60") plasma or LCD panel would also be comfortable at this level. You may also want to consider one of the best 720p projectors, which will have a brighter lamp, better color options, and may be ISF certified.

Projector vs. Panel
A good 1080p projector at this price point may be a single-chip or a 3-chip model. The 3-chip model will offer better color balance and a more even picture, but will force you to trade something else out for a lower model.

Audio

At the $10,000 level, we stepped up the audio to a multi-zone receiver that can handle an iPod dock. Here, we step up to an even more-powerful receiver that handles the audio processing faster and cleaner, more inputs of more types (especially more inputs that can handle high-definition sources), and can handle more networking functions, including streaming networked audio. You may also be able to drive a third zone of audio, as well as video to other rooms. Although it wouldn't be high-def video at this price point, wouldn't it be great to be able to watch the same movie in the kitchen that the kids are watching in the theater?

We also step up to better speakers at this point. Note that speakers are often the weakest link of the entire audio system, so going to better speakers and really tighten up the sound quality, make the dialog even more understandable, and pull in those nuances that lower levels of speakers just can't reproduce. We would also likely add a second subwoofer into the mix, to even out the bass response. Whenever you have just one subwoofer, there will be "hot" and "dead" spots in the bass frequencies due to the way audio works. A second sub can help to even those out, so more seats are in the "sweet spot".

Note that speaker prices in general range from something that goes into a $10 clock radio to over $50,000 per speaker, so there is really a very wide range in speaker quality.

Control

In the $10K package, we used a candy-bar style remote with Infra-Red (IR) signalling. This is the same technology that you're used to, in the same form factor. But at this price point, we would probably move into a tablet-style touchscreen remote. We'd get rid of the hard buttons and show only the buttons that are relevant to whatever you're doing. We would also be able to customize the backgrounds to show your favorite vacation locale, pictures of the kids, or whatever else you want.

Plus, we would move to Radio-Frequency (RF) based signalling. This lets you not have to worry about pointing the remote at the equipment, and also lets us put the equipment in a cabinet or closet. The equipment really no longer needs to be anywhere near the screen! This is a more reliable system of control, and is much more flexible.

Seating

If you go to a furniture store, you will find a huge array of quality, styles, and price levels for something as simple as a sofa. Theater seating isn't quite as dramatic, but there's still a pretty wide range. In this package, you would probably get 6 or 8 seating locations, with leather seats (possibly with vinyl backs and trim). These are really comfortable seats, and will add to your enjoyment of the system. After all, isn't it better to be more comfortable when you watch your movies?

Racking

In the lower priced-packages, we assumed you already have a shelf or entertainment center in which to put your equipment. But really, one of the greatest advantages of the new flat-panel TVs and in-wall or on-wall speakers is that you get the electronics out of the room.

So at this price-point, we add in a rack system so you can mount all of your equipment in a closet somewhere. If you like to see the equipment, I'd suggest a smoked-glass door on the cabinet so that you can see the equipment, but the LEDs won't be distracting as you watch your movie.

And if you decide you want to get more equipment out of your living space, this rack can also house your whole-home audio system (just put keypads in the walls and speakers in the ceiling), home automation system (lighting control, phone system), and much, much more.

Lighting control

Which reminds me of one more thing that we add at this price point - lighting control.

Imagine when you press "Play" on the remote to start your movie - not only do you get to sit in wonderfully comfortable theater seats, and watch (and hear!) a great looking and sounding movie, you can also watch the lights dim themselves to a comfortable viewing level. And if you press "Pause", the lights can come up part-way so you can find your way around the room. And when the movie is over, the lights can ramp up to normal brightness.

That's the real "cool factor" that you can get in your $25,000 home theater.

Above $25K

If you have the budget to go to another level, you can get even fewer compromises - full leather seating, better speakers, brighter projector at a higher resolution, a themed room (think your favorite movie!), more seating, and even a popcorn machine!

Remember, there are more choices in electronics than you can imagine. Each choice opens up a range of options in other areas - if you spend more on the projector, you may be more limited in your seating choices. Your budget and what's most important to you are the main determining factors.

At Inspired Electronics, Inc., we can help you cut through all of the options to figure out how to maximize your home theater experience within your budget and constraints. Call us today to get started on your project!

For more information on how Inspired Electronics, Inc. can put in your dream home theater, visit our web site at http://www.inspired-electronics.com or call us at 847.471.4420 for a consultation!

Thanks -
Rob

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

The $10K Theater

In the last few weeks, I've covered $2500 and $5000 home theaters. But what if you have a bit more of a budget? Perhaps you're planning on a big tax refund, or have been saving for this.

Well, I have to say, $10,000 opens up a whole world of possibilities in home theater. You now have options for a good projector or a large panel display, possibly some seating, and upgraded sound.

I'll talk about two possibilities here: The large panel and the projector. First, we'll talk about everything except the display, then talk about display choices last.

Audio Gear
At this level, we'll move up to a more powerful A/V receiver, and upgrade the speaker package. We'll stick with on-wall speakers at this price point. Although we could easily put in-wall or in-ceiling speakers in to get the equipment out of the room, we'd have to make compromises in other parts of the system to get the same audio quality.

In addition to more power, the receiver also gains some interesting features at this point. In particular, we add iPod compatibility and possibly network integration. This means that you can start to think about internet radio, and streaming your MP3's from networked computers. The receiver can also do upconversion of standard-definition video signals like DVDs, VHS, etc.

Control
For the control system, we move up to a sleeker remote that can handle more complex controls. For example, you can now have the remote remember if your DVD is on or off, and send commands only if they are needed. In our $5,000 system, the remote had to use "brute-force" control methods - force the receiver to always turn on, for example. This "smart-force" approach will reduce the time required to turn on the system, and especially reduce the time required to switch from one mode to another.

Sources
We'll also move from an upconverting DVD player (which improves the look of your standard DVDs, but isn't really high-definition) to a Blu-Ray (or HD-DVD if you prefer) player. This gives you true high definition movies. Some of the more recent Blu-Ray (and all HD-DVD) players also allow for interactive Internet connections, so that you can get more features, play games, get updates on actors, directors, upcoming movies, etc.

Other items of interest
At this level, some people choose to stick with a smaller screen and entry-level sound in order to add home theater seating. Depending on the trade-offs you're willing to make (leather vs. vinyl, size of TV, etc.), you could get 4, 6, or even 8-person seating at this price point.

You may also choose to integrate some lighting control. If you do, you'll be able to really "wow!" your guests by automatically dimming lights when you start a movie, or brightening the room when you pause or stop!

Display
Now we come to the most visible feature of your home theater - the display.

At this price point, you will probably be going for BIG! A 58" plasma would be a great addition to this theater (I chose plasma primarily because at this time, larger plasmas are still less expensive than the equivalent size LCD).

Or, for an even bigger size picture, consider a projector and screen. Depending on the room size, you are probably looking at an 84-106" fixed-mount or manual pull-down screen. You can also opt for a 1080p projector, or a step-up 720p projector.

The 1080p projector would be entry-level (single chip, not as bright, lesss video processing capability). The 720p projector, on the other hand, would have lower resolution (but still hi-def), but would be brighter, and would have better video processing capabilities. The 720p may also have three separate display chips, which will result in better colors and contrast.

Remember, we're a custom installation company, so all of our packages include professional installation, programming, and calibration. Plus, this would include all required cabling, mounting, and instructions on how to use the system (not that you'll need much, given the simplicity of the remotes!).

There are a lot of choices in home theater. This is by no means the only option in this price range - the right home theater for you is really dependent on your tastes, your budget, and your room. Our goal is to work with you to uncover what's most important, so that we can put in a system that is perfect for your room, your tastes, and your budget!

For more information on how Inspired Electronics, Inc. can put in your dream home theater, visit our web site at http://www.inspired-electronics.com or call us at 847.471.4420 for a consultation!

Thanks -
Rob

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Your Home Theater Budget - $5000

Last time, I talked about a $2500 home theater. That's great for a lot of people, but many people want more. Larger screen, more power, better control, etc.

Again, there is a very wide array of options, so don't take this as the only possible system you can get for the money.

In this package, you would step up from stereo sound to 5.1 surround sound, and move to a 46" LCD television. In addition, we could either wall-mount or table-mount the TV, and the receiver, DVD, and your cable or satellite receiver would all be mounted in a cabinet underneath the TV. All equipment would be protected by high-quality surge suppression, and you would get an easy to use one-touch remote control.

To me, the remote is one of the best things about spending a little more money. In my house, we have a one-touch remote. Not long after we put our system in, my wife and I were going out for the evening, and my mother-in-law was watching the kids. Now, my mother-in-law is great at watching kids, but she's not really interested in trying to figure out how to use the collection of remotes in order to "just watch TV". But with the new remote, my daughter (who was 7 at the time), showed her grandmother how to use the TV. "Just press the 'Watch TV' button, Grandma," she said. And with just that one button push, the TV came on, the receiver came on, and the cable box came on, the TV and receiver inputs were set correctly, and she was watching TV!

Of course, the larger TV and the surround sound also improve your TV watching. Most people agree that for sports or movies, a larger TV creates a better experience. And the ability to mount it all on a wall really improves the feel of most rooms.

Since we're an installation company, all of our packages come with installation and calibration. So you don't have to worry about which wires to plug in where, or how to mount the TV to the wall. And we adjust the color and sound to work perfectly in your room. After all, why bother spending $5K on an entertainment system that doesn't sound right, or doesn't look right?

As with everything we sell, we only use quality brands like Samsung, Denon, Canton, and Universal Remote (URC). So you know you're getting solid equipment that will perform well for years, along with reputable warranty support in the event that something does go wrong.

As with any package, you can always make trade-offs. If you want better sound, you could step up to a better receiver and speakers, while switching to a rear-projection TV. If you want a larger screen, you could go back to stereo sound. If you want an even better one-touch remote, you could consider a smaller TV screen. The options are endless, and the answer to the right system lies in your room, your style, and your budget.

Next time, I'll step up to the $10K level. There are a lot more options here, including gaming, ultra-large projection screens, theater-style seating, etc.

For more information on how Inspired Electronics, Inc. can put in your dream home theater, visit our web site at http://www.inspired-electronics.com or call us at 847.471.4420 for a consultation!

Rob

Monday, January 28, 2008

Your Home Theater Budget - $2500

One of the key factors in putting together a great home theater system is your budget. We will put together the best possible home theater or electronic system for you within your budget, but we do need to have a target budget to work from.

One of the biggest concerns I hear from people is that they really don't know how much these things cost. They see ads for flat panel TVs all over the place, and they seem pretty cheap (for example, a 42" 720p LCD for $800, or a 47" 1080p LCD for $1500), but they know that's not the whole story.

Consider also the mount, the wiring, and the labor to put it all in and make it work. Plus, many people want to add surround sound, which means a receiver and speakers (and speaker wiring and mounts), possibly a DVD or Hi-Def DVD player, and a good programmable remote control. And if you're thinking along the lines of a dedicated room or media room with a projector, you need the screen and projector, plus more wiring to be able to place the projector correctly. Oh, and don't forget power. Most homes don't have outlets where your TV will go, although we're starting to see that in newer homes.

So how much can I expect to spend? Well, over the next few Blog entries, I will talk about a few common systems at various price points. Note that there is an almost infinite variety of choices. I'm not trying to put together the cheapest system by any means, but rather to offer some common choices in the hi-def arena with great quality brands and models. And of course, since installation is our business, installation is included in all of these packages.

I'll start with an entry-level system, coming in at $2500. With the continued drops in television prices, a $2500 home theater isn't really a stretch any more. For this price range, you're looking at either a smallish flat panel (37" or 42"), or a medium sized DLP Rear Projection (say, 50"). Add in a stereo receiver and bookshelf speakers, and a reasonably good upconverting DVD player, and a few cables, and you have all of the basic equipment to make a pretty good audio and video experience. We would mount this equipment on a stand or table that you provide, hook it all together, and calibrate both the audio and the video to give you the best possible picture with that equipment.

All of the equipment here is made by a major manufacturer (Samsung, Denon, Canton), so you have good eqiupment (albeit at the lower end), and reputable warranty support. You don't get surround sound or a one-touch remote, and this would be in your living room, family room, or similar. For some people, this would make a perfect bedroom system.

Of course, you can always make trade-offs. If you want the one-touch remote, you could go with a smaller TV. If you want a bigger TV, consider the rear projection. If you have a little more in your budget, you can move to 5.1 surround sound instead of stereo.

In my next entry, I'll tackle the next level - $5,000. I think you'll be surprised at the additional value you'll get at that level!

For more information about Inspired Electronics, Inc., visit us on the web at http://www.inspired-electronics.com. We look forward to installing your home theater!

Rob