Last year, I did a series of blog entries on a home theater at various price points - $2500, $5000, $10,000, and $25,000. In the ever-changing world of consumer electronics, what was great last year is no longer even available. So, I thought it might be time to revisit that series.
Last year, when I talked about the $2500 theater, I had specified a 50” DLP, a stereo receiver and speakers, and a DVD player, plus installation and calibration.
This year, the DLP is pretty much not even available any more. I’ve replaced it with a solid mid-range 46” LCD panel, and I’ve replaced the stereo setup and DVD player with an all-in-one unit that we call an HTIB (Home Theater In a Box). The price includes proper installation on your existing table or TV stand, and connection of several existing components, such as a game console, cable or satellite box, and even that old VCR you keep around for the kids’ videos, subject to having the right input and output jacks available. I’ve kept calibration in the mix, but to keep the whole thing within the price point I had to limit the cal to audio-only. More on that later.
The Television
I specified a 46” Samsung LCD television for this project. It’s the latest series from Samsung, but doesn’t include all the bells and whistles. So, for example, this model is 1080p, but is not 120 Hz. And it doesn’t include some of the neat Internet-based features such as RSS feeds and LED backlighting. That said, this is a very solid workhorse TV that you will enjoy for many years. It’s perfect for a master bedroom suite or a living room, and may even be the only TV in the house for many people. After all, not everyone needs RSS feeds on the TV – many people just want to watch TV!
The Receiver
For this project, I chose a Home Theater in a Box (HTIB), which is an all-in-one system that includes the A/V receiver, DVD player, subwoofer, and 5 surround speakers. Last year, I had specified a stereo receiver and a pair of good-quality speakers. That's still an option, but given the prevalence of surround sound in movies and TV, I opted for the HTIB.
The main upgrade here is moving from stereo to 5.1 surround sound. As Keith discussed in an earlier article, surround sound adds a significant level of sound immersion when you’re watching a movie, or a sporting event or other show that’s broadcast in surround sound.
The second difference is that this system has pretty much everything you need built in already – the AM/FM tuner, amplifier, DVD and CD player, and the remote control. So you don’t have to worry about getting speakers to match the amplifier, or about adding extra cables from the DVD player to the receiver or TV. And setup is much simpler for us, too, so we’re in and out of your home that much quicker.
Of course, we consider this to be a relatively entry-level system, so there are some things missing from the package. For example, the system has a DVD player, not a Blu-Ray player, so you won’t be taking advantage of all of the resolution your TV can deliver when you play a DVD. You can still get that higher resolution when you view high-definition broadcast, cable, or satellite programming. Upgrades to Blu-Ray-based HTIB’s are available, and will generally cost $300-500 more.
There are many brands of HTIB out there, and we would choose one from Panasonic, Samsung, LG, or one of the other excellent brands that are available.
Installation
Many people feel they can install an HTIB system by themselves, especially if it’s mounted on a basic stand. And many people are right about that. But adding professional installation into the mix ensures that the connections are right, and protects you against some of the more common problems we see, such as using the wrong connections, especially with older existing equipment.
We often see people connecting high-quality DVD or Blu-Ray players using the worst possible composite video connections, which really reduces the quality of the overall system. By using the right connection, you can really maximize the performance you get from your investment.
Note that we would use your existing cables to connect your existing equipment. Adding new cables could potentially improve performance of the system, but would change the pricing a bit. We'll be sure to give you the option, though. All cables would be neatly dressed and tucked away, but not necessarily hidden in the wall. And, of course, this is a table-mount, and wall-mounting is an optional upgrade.
Installation is a very small percentage of this package, and since we need to be there anyway for the calibration, doesn't it just make sense to have the system professionally installed?
Calibration
Most of the time when people add an HTIB into their home theater, it’s for a living room, game room, or other multi-purpose room. There are major flaws in the room from an acoustical point of view, compared with a dedicated theater room. For example, modern home has a fairly open floor plan with one or even two walls missing from the room – where there could be a wall, there’s an opening to the kitchen, dining room, or foyer.
From an acoustical point of view, these types of flaws can really affect your enjoyment of the system. The bass is too boomy (or missing in some places), the dialogue is hard to understand, and the high pitches can seem too bright and overpowering.
So adding calibration will really enable you to take advantage of all of the benefits you are getting with your new home theater system. When you invest that much money, shouldn’t you get your money’s worth?
I’ve dropped video calibration from the mix this time, though. Not that it’s unimportant, and we always encourage it as an add-on, but with a budget that’s severely limited like this, we believe that simply choosing the right mode setting will give you 50-60% of the benefit of a video calibration. This isn’t true of audio calibration, so we chose to focus on where you get the most value.
A Final Word
Of course, $2500 is both a lot of money and not much at the same time. The system described here is really a pretty basic home theater, without a lot of frills.
You can make many trade-offs in quality and performance to hit this price point, and still come up with a pretty good system. We can also create a less expensive or more expensive system depending on your specific needs. Generally, we’ll have to trade off screen size and resolution, calibration and installation, and even the HTIB quality to get to a lower price point. And if a larger screen, better motion handling, or better sound quality is important to you, your alternatives will be priced accordingly.
We believe that your home theater should be a reflection of your style, your needs, and your budget. For an in-person consultation on what would work well in your situation, call us to schedule an appointment either in your home or in our showroom. Keith can be reached at keith@inspired-electronics.com or at 847.471.4420.
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
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Give Nature a Soundtrack with Outdoor Audio
We install plenty of home entertainment systems, most of which are for living rooms, basements, or bedrooms. But as much as I’m a big fan of sitting down indoors on a comfy couch to watch a movie, I do enjoy the outdoors just as much.
My mother hardly ever let us stay inside on a nice day. I grew up camping, playing roller hockey, and shooting baskets in the driveway with my friends… and most of the time, we brought our music along with us. I can even remember being hired to paint my neighbor’s fence one summer, and I couldn’t have done it without my walkman.
Music makes the outdoors more enjoyable. It’s not TV, where you have to direct your attention to it. Just like indoors, music can help set a mood for whatever you’re doing outdoors, either as background music, or cranking your favorite song during a summer barbeque.
And the best part about outdoor audio is that it has gotten so much better than the boom boxes we’ve all used before. And don’t even get me started on opening your windows and just pointing your house speakers towards the back yard… that never worked that well did it?
Today, outdoor audio can be installed just like it can be in your home… permanently. No more finding an outlet, no more rushing to bring in the radio when it rains, no more underpowered speakers that you can’t hear over the usual outdoor ambient noise.
Outdoor audio, installed properly, is always there, always ready, and doesn’t require moving equipment or remembering where you put your extension cord.
We install weatherproof speakers and volume controls that fit into your outdoor design or landscaping. We can hide equipment inside, where it won’t get damaged or stolen. We can install a standalone outdoor audio system, or in some cases, we may be able to run it off of your existing equipment.
Just like in your home entertainment system, you’ll be able to listen to satellite radio, CDs, iPods, whatever. We can even program a universal remote control that is completely waterproof, and floats in case you drop it in the pool!
Whether you’re sunbathing, doing yard work, shooting hoops, cooking on the grill, swimming, working on the car or just enjoying the sunset at the end of the day… let us help you add a soundtrack to the outdoors.
Oh, and if you enjoy TV, and the outdoors, we’ve got weatherproof TVs as well!
Give me a call at (847) 471-4420 if you’d like to set up an in-home (or in-yard!) consultation to see what would work best for you. Or drop me an email at keith@inspired-electronics.com. Or even visit our website at http://www.inspired-electronics.com/!
Our slogan “Your room is our inspiration” works just as well in the backyard “room”!
Thanks –
Keith
My mother hardly ever let us stay inside on a nice day. I grew up camping, playing roller hockey, and shooting baskets in the driveway with my friends… and most of the time, we brought our music along with us. I can even remember being hired to paint my neighbor’s fence one summer, and I couldn’t have done it without my walkman.
Music makes the outdoors more enjoyable. It’s not TV, where you have to direct your attention to it. Just like indoors, music can help set a mood for whatever you’re doing outdoors, either as background music, or cranking your favorite song during a summer barbeque.And the best part about outdoor audio is that it has gotten so much better than the boom boxes we’ve all used before. And don’t even get me started on opening your windows and just pointing your house speakers towards the back yard… that never worked that well did it?
Today, outdoor audio can be installed just like it can be in your home… permanently. No more finding an outlet, no more rushing to bring in the radio when it rains, no more underpowered speakers that you can’t hear over the usual outdoor ambient noise.
Outdoor audio, installed properly, is always there, always ready, and doesn’t require moving equipment or remembering where you put your extension cord.
We install weatherproof speakers and volume controls that fit into your outdoor design or landscaping. We can hide equipment inside, where it won’t get damaged or stolen. We can install a standalone outdoor audio system, or in some cases, we may be able to run it off of your existing equipment.Just like in your home entertainment system, you’ll be able to listen to satellite radio, CDs, iPods, whatever. We can even program a universal remote control that is completely waterproof, and floats in case you drop it in the pool!
Whether you’re sunbathing, doing yard work, shooting hoops, cooking on the grill, swimming, working on the car or just enjoying the sunset at the end of the day… let us help you add a soundtrack to the outdoors.
Oh, and if you enjoy TV, and the outdoors, we’ve got weatherproof TVs as well!
Give me a call at (847) 471-4420 if you’d like to set up an in-home (or in-yard!) consultation to see what would work best for you. Or drop me an email at keith@inspired-electronics.com. Or even visit our website at http://www.inspired-electronics.com/!
Our slogan “Your room is our inspiration” works just as well in the backyard “room”!
Thanks –
Keith
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Things to Try On Your TV at Home
I’m going to list a few things here, things I’d like you to try for yourself at home if you can. Some of these things are watching specific parts in a movie; some are listening for particular sounds in movies or music.
Play along, let’s see if you hear what I hear, let’s see if you see what I see. If you do, great! If you don’t, let’s find out how we can get you there.
1) Put in the “Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of The Ring”. It’s the first of the trilogy, and one of my favorite movies. Don't like Lord of the Rings? Call me, and we'll find one of your favorite movies to try this with.
In the first couple of minutes there is an epic battle between the races of middle earth. And not to spoil the movie or anything, but Sauron, the main “bad guy” is killed in the first couple of minutes.
When he is struck down, a shockwave radiates across the battlefield, and a devilish sound permeates the viewer. I can’t explain this sound, it’s akin to a low-flying plane, or an oncoming freight train.
This low pitched sound wave should evoke an emotion in you, it should be powerful and have a definitive and profound effect signalling the falling of a terrifying foe.
If you’re not floored by this sound effect, you’re not experiencing the movie as it was meant… and we should talk.
2) Watch any NFL football game. In every game, the camera will at some point fall on the coach, who, without fail, will be holding a piece of paper in front of his mouth as he instructs the quarterback via radio on what play to run.
Look at that piece of paper… can you see words? Can you READ them?
If you’re saying to yourself, “words? I thought that was just a piece of white cardboard.” You’re not watching in high definition… and we should talk.
3) Look at the back of your DVD player and your cable or satellite receiver and tell me what you see.
If you see an HDMI cable, good for you... HDMI is a great video cable; however it sometimes doesn’t transmit the best audio. If you want to know if it can get any better, give me a call.
If you see (3) cables and they are red, green and blue… great! That is also a good video cable, although in some ways it’s not quite as good as HDMI. They don’t transmit sound at all, so we would still want to make sure you’re getting the most out of your audio. If you are curious to see how it can be made better, give me a call.
If you see a strange plug, which almost looks like the plug on the end of an older computer keyboard or mouse; that is what we call an S-video cable. It is not high definition, and it can be so much better, let’s talk.
If you see a little yellow cable (usually accompanied by a white and a red one for sound… this is one of the most basic and barebones A/V connections there is. It’s not your fault, don’t worry… even Blu-ray players which produce beautiful 1080p images come with these cables INCLUDED IN THE BOX! This astounds me to no end. That cable can’t even carry the high definition signal which Blu-rays are intended for.
If you don’t even know what any of these cables are, that’s okay. Again, you can give us a call, and we’ll be happy to take a look.
In the world of video cables, it gets better, so much better than composite or S-video… let us show you.
4) Turn everything in your A/V system off. Now, pick something to do, watch TV, watch a movie, listen to the radio, or whatever else you like to do.
Count how many remotes you use, and count how many buttons you have to push to make it all happen.
If it’s more than one remote, and more than one button… that’s too much, at least in my eyes. After all, how do you ever explain to a houseguest, or the babysitter, or your in-laws, how to use your system? Entertainment systems should entertain, not befuddle. Let us show you how we can make things easier.
5) Turn on your TV, and use it to check your e-mail, watch YouTube, or visit a website.
If you can't do that, or didn’t even know it was possible, we can show you how!
Well that’s all for now, folks. If you would like to know more about anything I’ve brought up in this article, please feel free to give me a call at 847.471.4420, or email me at keith@inspired-electronics.com. It is a sincere offer, and something we take pride in.
Oh, and please visit our website at http://www.inspired-electronics.com/. You can find out more about what we do, sign up for our newsletter, and more.
We’re here to help, to teach, and to make home entertainment, well, entertaining!
Take care everyone!
-Keith
Play along, let’s see if you hear what I hear, let’s see if you see what I see. If you do, great! If you don’t, let’s find out how we can get you there.
1) Put in the “Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of The Ring”. It’s the first of the trilogy, and one of my favorite movies. Don't like Lord of the Rings? Call me, and we'll find one of your favorite movies to try this with.
In the first couple of minutes there is an epic battle between the races of middle earth. And not to spoil the movie or anything, but Sauron, the main “bad guy” is killed in the first couple of minutes.
When he is struck down, a shockwave radiates across the battlefield, and a devilish sound permeates the viewer. I can’t explain this sound, it’s akin to a low-flying plane, or an oncoming freight train.
This low pitched sound wave should evoke an emotion in you, it should be powerful and have a definitive and profound effect signalling the falling of a terrifying foe.
If you’re not floored by this sound effect, you’re not experiencing the movie as it was meant… and we should talk.
2) Watch any NFL football game. In every game, the camera will at some point fall on the coach, who, without fail, will be holding a piece of paper in front of his mouth as he instructs the quarterback via radio on what play to run.
Look at that piece of paper… can you see words? Can you READ them?
If you’re saying to yourself, “words? I thought that was just a piece of white cardboard.” You’re not watching in high definition… and we should talk.
3) Look at the back of your DVD player and your cable or satellite receiver and tell me what you see.
If you see an HDMI cable, good for you... HDMI is a great video cable; however it sometimes doesn’t transmit the best audio. If you want to know if it can get any better, give me a call.
If you see (3) cables and they are red, green and blue… great! That is also a good video cable, although in some ways it’s not quite as good as HDMI. They don’t transmit sound at all, so we would still want to make sure you’re getting the most out of your audio. If you are curious to see how it can be made better, give me a call.
If you see a strange plug, which almost looks like the plug on the end of an older computer keyboard or mouse; that is what we call an S-video cable. It is not high definition, and it can be so much better, let’s talk.
If you see a little yellow cable (usually accompanied by a white and a red one for sound… this is one of the most basic and barebones A/V connections there is. It’s not your fault, don’t worry… even Blu-ray players which produce beautiful 1080p images come with these cables INCLUDED IN THE BOX! This astounds me to no end. That cable can’t even carry the high definition signal which Blu-rays are intended for.
If you don’t even know what any of these cables are, that’s okay. Again, you can give us a call, and we’ll be happy to take a look.
In the world of video cables, it gets better, so much better than composite or S-video… let us show you.
4) Turn everything in your A/V system off. Now, pick something to do, watch TV, watch a movie, listen to the radio, or whatever else you like to do.
Count how many remotes you use, and count how many buttons you have to push to make it all happen.
If it’s more than one remote, and more than one button… that’s too much, at least in my eyes. After all, how do you ever explain to a houseguest, or the babysitter, or your in-laws, how to use your system? Entertainment systems should entertain, not befuddle. Let us show you how we can make things easier.
5) Turn on your TV, and use it to check your e-mail, watch YouTube, or visit a website.
If you can't do that, or didn’t even know it was possible, we can show you how!
Well that’s all for now, folks. If you would like to know more about anything I’ve brought up in this article, please feel free to give me a call at 847.471.4420, or email me at keith@inspired-electronics.com. It is a sincere offer, and something we take pride in.
Oh, and please visit our website at http://www.inspired-electronics.com/. You can find out more about what we do, sign up for our newsletter, and more.
We’re here to help, to teach, and to make home entertainment, well, entertaining!
Take care everyone!
-Keith
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
5.1 Reasons Why Sound Matters
I get asked frequently if it is really worth it to invest in a surround sound system in addition to that nice new HD TV.
Short answer… Yes, yes it is, and here are 5.1 reasons why.
Reason 1: Dimensions
Let’s compare sound to sight for a moment. You have two eyes, and those two eyes allow you to see a three dimensional world. The same can be said for sound. Stereo, (two speakers) allows you to listen to three dimensional audio.
Think back to a concert you’ve been to, if you were lucky enough to sit front row center, you could close your eyes and point out where each instrument or voice was coming from. It is stereo which makes this possible.
While most all TVs out there come with stereo speakers built right in, I could argue that (aside from being underpowered, which I will get to later) they are often too close together to duplicate proper stereo… and since this is pretty much the limitation of the screen size, there isn’t a whole lot a TV manufacturer can do about that.
This is where separate speakers can really bring out the dimensions in your listening. Giving each ear something to hear, and providing a differentiation between left and right will improve most any TV, movie, or music experience.
Reason 2: Power
Take a look at your TV, can you see the speakers? My guess is that some of you out there can’t. That’s no surprise, most TV manufacturers go out of their way to hide a TVs speakers; this is especially true of most new HD flat screens.
Not only are they small and hidden, or sometimes on the bottom or even back of the TV for that matter -they’re quite underpowered compared to even a modest standalone speaker powered by an equally underpowered receiver.
TV speakers tend to be around 5-20 watts. If you’re looking to rock the house… this just isn’t going to cut it.
Try this too, find a music channel, or something else you’d like to listen to, and turn your TV up. No, I mean really turn it up! How does it sound as you get a bit higher in volume? A little distorted? Not as clear? Like it’s trying to make you happy, but can’t quite muster the strength?
And just to prove I’m not some rock music blaring metal-head, now turn on a sitcom, and turn the volume down low - low like you’re in bed and your spouse has already fallen asleep, but you still want to catch the rest of the show.
Can you hear all the voices clearly? Do you need closed captioning?
This is where adding speakers to your system, with adequate power of course, can really improve your listening experience. Not only will you be able to rock the house when you wish, but a properly powered speaker will also sound better at lower volumes too.
Reason 3: Dialogue
Those first two reasons primarily dealt with stereo setups, but now we get to the really fun stuff. Surround sound!
Let’s take 5.1 surround sound for instance. One of those 5 main speakers happens to be one of my favourites. The center channel.
Ah the center channel speaker, this ladies and gentleman, is where the really important audio comes from. Don’t get me wrong, I love those surround speakers behind me which make me feel like I’m in the middle of the action, but when I want to know what’s going on in a movie, I ask the center channel speaker.
This is where dialogue lives. When someone is speaking on screen, their voice is dead center, and so is the center channel speaker. When people talk to you, they aim their voice right at you, and so does the center channel speaker.
Dialogue is important. Without it, we may as well be watching piano-accompanied silent movies.
Reason 4: Envelopment
5.1 surround sound is more than just having multiple speakers surrounding your head. When you are watching a movie, DVD, video game, etc which has been recorded and made available in 5.1 or some other form of surround sound, what is really happening is that each speaker gets its own identity.
If I hook up 100 speakers and play the same thing through all of them, that is not surround sound.
Think of a basic example. You’re watching a movie and a plane flies into frame from behind you. The sound will first be noticeable from behind you - or at least that’s what the director would have wanted.
That airplane sound is only present in the rear speakers until the plane gets closer and closer, then the front speakers start to pick up the sound, giving you the illusion that the source of that sound is also moving.
Same goes for left to right -think of being at a race, the cars come in from the left, and zoom past you heading off into the distant right. Your left and right speakers aren’t playing the same thing at the same time are they?
This is what envelopes you and makes you feel like you’re right there in the middle of the action!
Reason 5: Mood
Let’s talk more about those little unappreciated speakers in the back of the room. Those surround speakers are what take you from watching a movie to being in the movie.
Your ears hear sounds all around you. Imagine walking through a park on a sunny day. Audible sounds are all around you.
You don’t stop hearing the birds once they’re behind you right? And if you did, it would be downright odd.
In TV shows and especially in movies, things are happening all around the actors. There’s the creek babbling in the background, the wind blowing, and the birds chirping, and unless you were actually there during the filming, won’t get to hear it the way it should be heard without those rear surround speakers.
Reason “.1”: Bass
I won’t even use a clever title for one simple reason: bass is important, there’s no point in denying it.
Whether it’s an action film, or a romantic comedy, you had better believe that there are low frequency sounds that you are meant to hear, and without a subwoofer, or another speaker capable of producing those low notes, you are not hearing them.
Ever have someone tell you that you sound different in person than you do over the phone? I thought so, don’t worry, happens to me too.
The reason is because phones do not reproduce certain frequencies. They purposely cut off low (and high) frequencies. How would you like to walk around in real life sounding like you do on the phone?
Frequency range is important. Have you ever taken a speaker, and turned it around to face away from you? Muffled huh? Well without getting into the boring details about high frequencies being more directional, I’ll just say that when you can’t hear a certain range, the change in the audio can be drastic.
If you want a demonstration of how important sound really is (maybe even some of what you're missing in your current setup!), give me a call at 847.471.4420 or email me at keith@inspired-electronics.com. I'll be happy to set up a demo for you in our showroom.
Or, visit us on the web at http://www.inspired-electronics.com to get more information about how Inspired Electronics, Inc. can help you get the most audio and video bang for your buck.
Thanks -
Keith Rose
Short answer… Yes, yes it is, and here are 5.1 reasons why.
Reason 1: Dimensions
Let’s compare sound to sight for a moment. You have two eyes, and those two eyes allow you to see a three dimensional world. The same can be said for sound. Stereo, (two speakers) allows you to listen to three dimensional audio.
Think back to a concert you’ve been to, if you were lucky enough to sit front row center, you could close your eyes and point out where each instrument or voice was coming from. It is stereo which makes this possible.
While most all TVs out there come with stereo speakers built right in, I could argue that (aside from being underpowered, which I will get to later) they are often too close together to duplicate proper stereo… and since this is pretty much the limitation of the screen size, there isn’t a whole lot a TV manufacturer can do about that.
This is where separate speakers can really bring out the dimensions in your listening. Giving each ear something to hear, and providing a differentiation between left and right will improve most any TV, movie, or music experience.
Reason 2: Power
Take a look at your TV, can you see the speakers? My guess is that some of you out there can’t. That’s no surprise, most TV manufacturers go out of their way to hide a TVs speakers; this is especially true of most new HD flat screens.
Not only are they small and hidden, or sometimes on the bottom or even back of the TV for that matter -they’re quite underpowered compared to even a modest standalone speaker powered by an equally underpowered receiver.
TV speakers tend to be around 5-20 watts. If you’re looking to rock the house… this just isn’t going to cut it.
Try this too, find a music channel, or something else you’d like to listen to, and turn your TV up. No, I mean really turn it up! How does it sound as you get a bit higher in volume? A little distorted? Not as clear? Like it’s trying to make you happy, but can’t quite muster the strength?
And just to prove I’m not some rock music blaring metal-head, now turn on a sitcom, and turn the volume down low - low like you’re in bed and your spouse has already fallen asleep, but you still want to catch the rest of the show.
Can you hear all the voices clearly? Do you need closed captioning?
This is where adding speakers to your system, with adequate power of course, can really improve your listening experience. Not only will you be able to rock the house when you wish, but a properly powered speaker will also sound better at lower volumes too.
Reason 3: Dialogue
Those first two reasons primarily dealt with stereo setups, but now we get to the really fun stuff. Surround sound!
Let’s take 5.1 surround sound for instance. One of those 5 main speakers happens to be one of my favourites. The center channel.
Ah the center channel speaker, this ladies and gentleman, is where the really important audio comes from. Don’t get me wrong, I love those surround speakers behind me which make me feel like I’m in the middle of the action, but when I want to know what’s going on in a movie, I ask the center channel speaker.
This is where dialogue lives. When someone is speaking on screen, their voice is dead center, and so is the center channel speaker. When people talk to you, they aim their voice right at you, and so does the center channel speaker.
Dialogue is important. Without it, we may as well be watching piano-accompanied silent movies.
Reason 4: Envelopment
5.1 surround sound is more than just having multiple speakers surrounding your head. When you are watching a movie, DVD, video game, etc which has been recorded and made available in 5.1 or some other form of surround sound, what is really happening is that each speaker gets its own identity.
If I hook up 100 speakers and play the same thing through all of them, that is not surround sound.
Think of a basic example. You’re watching a movie and a plane flies into frame from behind you. The sound will first be noticeable from behind you - or at least that’s what the director would have wanted.
That airplane sound is only present in the rear speakers until the plane gets closer and closer, then the front speakers start to pick up the sound, giving you the illusion that the source of that sound is also moving.
Same goes for left to right -think of being at a race, the cars come in from the left, and zoom past you heading off into the distant right. Your left and right speakers aren’t playing the same thing at the same time are they?
This is what envelopes you and makes you feel like you’re right there in the middle of the action!
Reason 5: Mood
Let’s talk more about those little unappreciated speakers in the back of the room. Those surround speakers are what take you from watching a movie to being in the movie.
Your ears hear sounds all around you. Imagine walking through a park on a sunny day. Audible sounds are all around you.
You don’t stop hearing the birds once they’re behind you right? And if you did, it would be downright odd.
In TV shows and especially in movies, things are happening all around the actors. There’s the creek babbling in the background, the wind blowing, and the birds chirping, and unless you were actually there during the filming, won’t get to hear it the way it should be heard without those rear surround speakers.
Reason “.1”: Bass
I won’t even use a clever title for one simple reason: bass is important, there’s no point in denying it.
Whether it’s an action film, or a romantic comedy, you had better believe that there are low frequency sounds that you are meant to hear, and without a subwoofer, or another speaker capable of producing those low notes, you are not hearing them.
Ever have someone tell you that you sound different in person than you do over the phone? I thought so, don’t worry, happens to me too.
The reason is because phones do not reproduce certain frequencies. They purposely cut off low (and high) frequencies. How would you like to walk around in real life sounding like you do on the phone?
Frequency range is important. Have you ever taken a speaker, and turned it around to face away from you? Muffled huh? Well without getting into the boring details about high frequencies being more directional, I’ll just say that when you can’t hear a certain range, the change in the audio can be drastic.
If you want a demonstration of how important sound really is (maybe even some of what you're missing in your current setup!), give me a call at 847.471.4420 or email me at keith@inspired-electronics.com. I'll be happy to set up a demo for you in our showroom.
Or, visit us on the web at http://www.inspired-electronics.com to get more information about how Inspired Electronics, Inc. can help you get the most audio and video bang for your buck.
Thanks -
Keith Rose
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Plasma vs. LCD TVs
Not a week goes by where someone doesn’t ask me whether a Plasma or LCD TV is better. I’m actually getting that question more frequently than I used to.
Now, you’ll hear a lot of talk about Plasma vs. LCD TVs, and a lot of that talk is pretty outdated.
That’s why I’m going to give you my “2-3 years ago” answer, and then follow it up with my “today” answer.
And just to keep things fun, (and not to mention easy to read) I’m going to try to keep this very short and sweet. Imagine you asked me this question on an elevator, and we only have a few minutes to talk about it.
So, here’s my “2-3 years ago” answer:
At the time, I would have said that Plasmas are great because they come in larger sizes like 42” and above, and they handle motion smoothly with great black levels. This means dark scenes in movies don’t look washed out, they actually look detailed.
But plasmas were big and heavy, so mounts were generally expensive. They also sucked up power like crazy, and they didn’t typically come in higher resolutions. When you did come across a high resolution, they were pretty darn expensive.
LCD TVs were nice because they tended to have higher resolutions. So it was easier to find, say, a 1080p LCD than it would be to find a 1080p plasma. They were also lighter, came in smaller sizes and took up less power than plasmas. Some people said that because of that, they lasted a bit longer than plasma TVs.
On the other hand, they tended to have poor black levels, meaning dark images tend to look bright and washed out – think more grey than black. Many LCD’s also had a tendency to blur images during fast motion.
All in all, if you were looking for a “home theater” type of TV, to go with a dimly lit room, comfy chairs and surround sound, I’d have said pick plasma.
If you were looking for a bedroom or kitchen TV, secondary TV, or something to display your computer on, pick an LCD.
Now for the “Today” answer:
Take your pick. I mean, really, as long as you stick with good brands, and don’t opt for the cheapest TV out there, chances are very good that you’ll be happy with either plasma or LCD.
Some of the things I still mention:
- Plasmas still don’t come in smaller sizes, so if you want a kitchen countertop TV, it’s going to be an LCD.
- Although plasmas have gotten better, LCDs still take less power. In today’s environmentally-conscious world, that’s a real factor.
- Plasmas are still HEAVY!
- LCD’s have gotten way, way better with black levels. But I have to mention that the LCD’s that handle black levels great are generally more expensive than a comparable plasma, which has been doing it great for years.
- LCD’s have gotten much, much better at motion, especially with the introduction of 120 Hz TVs. If you haven’t seen one, give me a call. I will arrange to meet you at our showroom so you can see one in person. Seriously, my number is at the bottom.
Now if you really want to sit down and get bored to tears over the details, I’ll be more than happy to talk with you, but typically, the preceding is all I really say about plasma vs. LCD anymore.
I will say this again though; don’t be fooled by the tempting, cheap TVs out there. All my current generalizations about plasma vs. LCD pretty much go out the window when you’re talking about extremely low budget TVs… because they’re pretty much living in the past.
Ah one more thing… you know those articles where the author sits nicely on the fence and provides a nice balanced argument for both sides and doesn’t push his or her opinion on the reader?
This isn’t exactly one of those articles.
I’m actually going to go out on a limb here and proclaim my love for LCD TVs. I’ve installed plasmas and LCDs all over town, and while I have nothing bad to say about plasmas, I still personally choose LCD to grace my walls.
If you’re really curious as to why, give me a call at 847.471.4420 or email me at keith@inspired-electronics.com and we’ll chat.
If you'd like to learn more about what we do here at Inspired Electronics, Inc., visit our website at www.inspired-electronics.com.
Take care, everyone!
-Keith
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