Home Entertainment & Automation Services in Matthews, NC.
Home Entertainment & Automation Services in Matthews, NC.
Home audio and Video Services in Matthews, NC.  TV installation, Surround Sound, Home Entertainment Systems
Home Theater Basics: 12 Things for Newbies

Custom Installation Services - Charlotte's Home Theater Company!

C.I.S. - Charlotte's Home Theater Company!

All you really need to have a home theater are speakers, some basic audio/video equipment and some popcorn.

Getting a basic home theater system into your house may be far simpler than you think. You just need to understand what the basic components are and match them to your budget and performance needs.

At an elemental level, a home theater system needs a large video display device (generally a flat panel TV 50-inches and up or a projector/screen), a surround-sound speaker setup (at least 5.1 plus electronics for switching and processing), and some quality source components (Blu-ray, cable, streaming devices …) . That’s it.  Sure, it can be a little more involved, but it isn’t rocket science. Here’s a more thorough breakdown of today’s home theater basics:

The Sights

1. A video display can be any size or style you want, as long as it’s big. For an immersive experience, we generally suggest a screen of at least 50 inches (measure diagonally), but smaller screens may make sense in some rooms. Your display will, of course, be high definition, and mostly likely 1080p resolution, though some 720p resolution TVs are still available.
When you’re planning your theater, a guideline for display size is that the viewing distance (the distance from you to the screen) should be 2 to 3 times the width of the screen (actually width, not the diagonal size).

2. A video display can utilize one of several technologies such as plasma, LCD (liquid crystal display), DLP (digital light processing), LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) or some others. All of these technologies have their pros and cons, but all can create a home theater-quality picture at a variety of budgets.

3. The type of video display you choose will depend on your budget, how you intend to use the display and the space where you plan to enjoy your home theater. There are lots of options, but your selection will be made easier if you know what you’re seeking.

4. Think 3D. Stereoscopic, or 3D, started getting serious attention last year, and this year that attention is even greater. A 3D TV truly separates a home theater from simply a television as it adds one more element that, until recently, was unique to commercial theaters. Plus, all the technology that goes into make a TV 3D, also happens to make it an even better 2D TV for conventional viewing.

From custom homes to corporate boardrooms, let Custom Installation Services install your next a/v project!The Sounds

5. A home theater’s surround-sound system consists of five or more speakers, with three in the front near the video display and at least two on the sides or at the back of the room.

6. The three front speakers do most of the work to produce sounds that correspond with the action on the screen. Two speakers, called the front left and right channels, are typically placed on either side of the video display. A center-channel speaker is often placed above or below the screen. Two or more speakers on the sides or rear are referred to as surround speakers. Additional rear speakers or even height-channel speakers can create an even more realistic impression on the audience.

7. The center-channel speaker is the most important loudspeaker in a surround-sound setup. This is because it reproduces a great majority of the sounds you hear in a movie soundtrack, including all of the dialogue. You’ll want to hear every word clearly and feel as if the dialogue is coming directly from the actors’ mouths.

8. The role of surround speakers is to convey ambient sounds, such as background noises, rumbles or passing cars or planes. These speakers help fully immerse you in a movie. The surround sound speakers generally shouldn’t be too obvious to the listener, so don’t crank them up too loud or the effect will be unnatural.

9. There are several surround speaker options. You can have two speakers, one on each side of the seating area. You can have three speakers, with one on each side and one in the back, allowing you to better hear the effects of movement such as that of a passing car or a train or airplane. You can have four speakers, with two on each side. Or you can have even more speakers. It’s really a matter of how far you want to go.

10. Specialty speakers called subwoofers produce low bass sounds so you will hear the full impact of sound effects such as explosions or the roar of a jet engine. Subwoofers can be placed virtually anywhere. People often put them in a front corner, behind a plant or a table or even under a couch. Subwoofers are not full-range speaker channels, meaning they only produce a fraction of the sounds you hear. In surround-sound parlance, subwoofers represent the “.1” in 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1 systems (5.1 meaning the basic surround-sound setup of five speaker channels plus a subwoofer, 6.1 meaning six channels and a subwoofer and 7.1 meaning seven channels plus a subwoofer). Multiple subwoofers can also be used.

11. To get sound to the speakers and video to the screen, you’ll need switching and processing components like a surround-sound receiver or a controller and amplifier. Receivers contain amplifiers, precluding the need for a separate amplifier, though for higher performance you may opt for a separate surround-sound controller and a power amplifier. Look for a receiver with multiple HDMI inputs (version 1.4 is the latest) for all your sources. Additional features such as iPods connectively, Internet radio, DLNA, multi-zone and audio calibration systems can add to your home theater’s functionality and ease of use.

12. Sources for all Tastes. Well, of course you’ll want something to watch, right? For most people, the two most fundamental sources will be a TV tuner (cable, FiOS or satellite box) and a Blu-ray player. Other great sources for home theaters include gaming consoles and web media players (such as Roku and similar products). Many Blu-ray players or TVs include built-in web-based services such as Netflix, Vudu and Amazon Instant Video.

 by EH Staff

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/12_things_you_need_to_know_about_home_theater/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – ”We may be a few dollars more than the competition, but we are a million times better”.

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Samsung Breaks $1,000 3D Barrier with 50-inch Plasma

samsung 3dtv 300 C.I.S. Charlotte NC  Available for Preorder

Custom Installation Services is Charlotte, NC's #1 Authorized Samsung Retailer!

A 50-inch 3D-ready plasma will ship from Amazon for less than $1,000. Who says 3D TV is expensive?

Besides the lack of content, the other major hurdle that’s preventing 3D video from mass adoption has been the high prices of the displays.

Samsung is going to break the high-price ceiling of the format when it begins shipping a 3D television for less than $1,000.

Samsung will introduce a $989 50-inch 3D-ready high-definition television (HDTV) that consumers can already pre-order.

The Samsung PN50C490 is expected to have a resolution of 1365 x 768, and three HDMI v1.4 inputs, a single USB port, two component video inputs with left/right analog audio and a shared composite/PC (RGB) and PC audio/RF input.

The one caveat with the Energy Star-certified 3D television is that there are no active-shutter glasses included with it. With an average price of approximately $150 per set, a family of four should expect the additional cost of entry into the world of 3D to rise by about $600 before the purchase of a 3D-capable Blu-ray player.

That’s still a relative bargain.

by Robert Archer

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/samsung_breaks_1000_3d_barrier_with_50-inch_plasma/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Charlotte and Boone NC’s Source For 3D HDTV Sales, Support & Installation!

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HD Guru: Bad Grades for DirecTV 3D

C.I.S. - Charlotte NC's Trusted Home Theater Experts!

C.I.S. - Charlotte NC's Trusted Home Theater Experts!

HD Guru Gary Merson scores 3D content on DirecTV and the results are generally grim: “Take it off the air.”

Last week, DirecTV flipped the switch on a bunch of new 3D channels. It’s been a long time coming, but was it all worth the wait?

HD Guru Gary Merson has posted his review on the service provider’s first four 3D offerings. He looked at some of the programming from the exclusive N3D channel, which is a joint effort between DirecTV and Panasonic. Some of the content features the awesome power of 1080p/24. Don’t get too drooly, though; some of the content is in 1080i.

So what’s the verdict? Well, you might still be anxiously awaiting new content. Programs reviewed included:

* Wild Safari: An South African Adventure
* S.O.S Planet
* African Adventure: Safari in the Okavango
* Encounter In The Third Dimension

Using a good, old grading system, Merson says the first three programs averaged about a C on content. That sounds kind of crappy, if you ask me. In other words, you’ll watch it because that’s all there is. Even more depressing is that two of those Cs scored even worse when it came to 3D quality—with one getting a big, fat F.

“Safari in Okavango is poorly shot 3D, making viewing a strain, as ones eyes try to compensate for the discrepancies,” Merson says. “At this time we feel it would be best for DirecTV to take it off the air and only rebroadcast it if it can fixed in post production.”

Tell us how you really feel, Gary! He definitely does. Check out his full review at HDGuru.com.

by Rachel Cericola

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/hd_guru_bad_grades_for_directv_3d/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Charlotte NC ’s Home Theater & Technology Experts!

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