Synopses & Reviews
What do you need for the perfect home theater experience? You need this book!
Overwhelmed with options? Annoyed by acronyms? Take charge with this friendly, easy-to-understand guide! It begins with the most basic information, helps you choose what you need and put it all together, and finally takes you through fine-tuning your system and cool touches such as accessing home theater content from your cell phone.
Just for you learn how to plan a home theater system and choose components that fit your budget, your lifestyle, and your room
Alphabet soup actually understand DLP, 3LCD, HDMI, DTV, and HDTV, and be able to talk intelligently with salespeople at the electronics store
Game time incorporate a Wii, Xbox 360, or PS3 into your setup
Don't be Blu know about Blu-ray, why the VCR isn't quite dead yet, and the amazing abilities of the PVR
Sounds you like explore HD and satellite radio options, CD players, DVD-Audio disks, and options for old cassettes and vinyl
Be the cable guy set up your system with the proper cables for each component, or learn what it takes to go wireless
Tuning up calibrate your video with a calibration disk, an optical comparator, or a DVD containing THX Optimizer
Open the book and find:
The ABCs of home theater audio
What the DTV transition is all about
How to use a Media Center or Home Theater PC
An update on MP3/digital music files
What you want in speakers
How to consolidate all those remotes
Tips for taking home theater wherever you go
Synopsis
A low-tech way to understand a high-tech system!
Create the home entertainment center that fits your home and your tastes
Gadget fans, a home theater setup is the stuff your dreams are made of. This book keeps the dream from becoming a nightmare! Here's how to select, set up, and optimize a system, translate the salesperson's geek-speak, connect all the parts throughout your home, and even do cool stuff like accessing your system from your laptop computer.
Discover how to
- Choose the right space for your system
- Select and connect source devices
- Understand speakers, TV types, and remotes
- Create a whole-home network
- Access your system away from home
Synopsis
A low-tech way to understand a high-tech system!
Create the home entertainment center that fits your home and your tastes
Gadget fans, a home theater setup is the stuff your dreams are made of. This book keeps the dream from becoming a nightmare! Here's how to select, set up, and optimize a system, translate the salesperson's geek-speak, connect all the parts throughout your home, and even do cool stuff like accessing your system from your laptop computer.
Discover how to
* Choose the right space for your system
* Select and connect source devices
* Understand speakers, TV types, and remotes
* Create a whole-home network
* Access your system away from home
Synopsis
Overwhelmed with big screen TV and home theater audio options? What do you need to build the perfect home theater experience?
Home Theater For Dummies, 3rd Editionshows you how to plan a home theater system and choose components that fit your budget and your room.
Beginning with the most basic information, this guide helps you choose what you need and put it all together. It explains DLP, 3LCD, HDMI, DTV, and HDTV so you can talk intelligently with salespeople at the electronics store. You’ll find out about Blu-ray, explore HD and satellite radio options, and see how to incorporate a Wii, Xbox, or Playstation 3 into your set-up. Learn to:
- Choose among plasma, LCD, and projection TVs
- Know the difference between digital TV and HDTV
- Assess and choose an LCD TV, a new 3D TV, or an HD radio
- Set up your audio system and TV for maximum performance
- Use a Media Center or Home Theater PC
- Fine-tune your system and add cool touches such as accessing home theater content from your cell phone
- Explore HD and satellite radio options, CD players, DVD-Audio disks, and options for old cassettes and vinyl
- Set up your system with the proper cables for each component, or learn what it takes to go wireless
- Calibrate your video with a calibration disk, an optical comparator, or a DVD containing THX Optimizer
Get the perfect home theater experience by following the expert tips and techniques presented in Home Theater For Dummies, 3rd Edition. You’ll be watching movies and listening to audio in no time!
Synopsis
What the book covers: This new edition delivers the same, solid information meant to demystify the process of building a home theater system including buying, setting up, and optimizing components to maximize the video and audio experiences.
This new edition include expanded or new coverage of:
* HDTV, including HDTV programming
* The shift toward LCD TVs as the standard video output device
* New 3D TVs
* Dolby volume standards
* Wireless speakers for surround sound systems
* Wireless HDMI technology
* Accessing new Internet content
* 1080i vs. 1080p high definition resolution
* BluRay DVDs
* Gaming, including new coverage of the Nintendo Wii
* Stereo equipment and HD radio
* Troubleshooting
About the Author
Danny Briere founded TeleChoice, Inc., a telecommunications consulting company, in 1985 and now serves as CEO of the company. Widely known throughout the telecommunications and networking industry, Danny has written more than 1,000 articles about telecommunications topics and has authored or edited 12 books, including
HDTV For Dummies, Wireless Home Networking For Dummies, and
Smart Homes For Dummies. He is frequently quoted by leading telecommunications and technology publications and can often be seen on major TV networks providing analysis on the latest communications news and breakthroughs. Danny lives in Mansfield Center, Connecticut, with his wife, four children, and two dogs.
Pat Hurley is head of research at TeleChoice, Inc., specializing in emerging telecommunications technologies. Pat currently concentrates on the field of consumer electronics and their impact on home and wireless networking. Pat is also TeleChoice’s IPTV industry analyst. Pat is the coauthor of seven books, including HDTV For Dummies, Wireless Home Networking For Dummies, and Smart Homes For Dummies. He lives in San Diego, California, with his wife, daughter and two dogs.
Table of Contents
Introduction.
Part I: Welcome to the World of Home Theater.
Chapter 1: The Zen of Home Theater.
Chapter 2: Defining Your Home-Theatered Home.
Chapter 3: The ABCs of Home Theater Audio.
Chapter 4: Getting the Big (Video) Picture.
Part II: What Are You Going to Watch?: Source Devices.
Chapter 5: Treating Your Ears to Music.
Chapter 6: Feeding Video into Your Theater.
Chapter 7: Feeding Your Home Theater from Outside Your Home.
Chapter 8: Introducing the Home Theater PC.
Chapter 9: Gaming Galore.
Chapter 10: Accessing Digital Content at Home and Over the Internet.
Part III: Watching and Listening: Display and Control Devices.
Chapter 11: The Heart of a Home Theater: The A/V Receiver.
Chapter 12: Speaker of the House.
Chapter 13: Understanding Your Display Options.
Chapter 14: Comparing Display Technologies.
Chapter 15: Remote Controlling Your Home Theater.
Part IV: Putting It All Together.
Chapter 16: Home Theater Cable Basics.
Chapter 17: Hooking Up Your A/V System.
Chapter 18: Plugging into a Whole-Home Entertainment Network.
Part V: Letting Your Home Theater Be All It Can Be.
Chapter 19: Tweaking Your A/V System.
Chapter 20: Customizing Your Home Theater Environment.
Chapter 21: Moving Up to the High End.
Part VI: The Part of Tens.
Chapter 22: Ten (or So) Accessories for Your Home Theater.
Chapter 23: Ten Great Sources for More Information.
Index.