Home Theater Wiring Part 3

Part three of our series on home theater installation explores some final points.  

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Video and Home Theater Installation

There are a lot of choices out there for the video component of your home theater.  So many in fact, it can be more than a bit confusing.  Do you want to get HD, or non-HD?  1080P, or do you want to go lower to save money?  Do you want to get a Smart TV and an Internet enabled device, or just cable and satellite?  Your residential electrician can help you regardless of what choices you opt for, however, to clear up some confusion, here is some information.  

HD is nice, however, be aware that some movies look bizarre when you try to play them in HD.  For example, if you want to watch an old black and white movie, you could find yourself wondering why your movie looks like an old time soap opera from the 1950's?  Next, be aware that your pixel count will determine your picture.  The higher the picture count, the better quality picture you are going to have.  One thing you also have to consider nowadays is whether or not to go with cable/satellite, or go for a high-speed Internet connection and an Internet enabled device such as a high-end Blu-Ray, game console, or internet device such as a Roku.  A lot of customers are cutting the cable nowadays to save money, and it makes good financial sense.  Sometimes cable bills can easily top $300 a month.  A lot of times, people like to watch one show on each of the premium channels.  Nowadays, a lot of people do what is called binge-watching, which means they rent or buy an entire season of a show and watch it usually over a period of a day or two.  The next thing you want to know is where you're going to put your television screen.

Installing Video in Home Theater

First off, you never want to install your television anywhere that glare from lights or windows can fall on it.  For one thing, if the light is too strong, you can conceivably damage your screen.  On a more mundane level, if it is too bright, you're going to have light reflections on your screen.  Ideally, you want your television either recessed into the wall, or shaded from light sources.  

So as you see, there is a bit more to home theater installation than you might think.  

For more information on home theater installation, be sure to read part one and  part two of this series, or one of our earlier articles here.

Dodge Electric
781 South Arizona Avenue
Chandler, AZ 85225
(480) 926-1033

Home Theater Wiring Part 1

With home theater, there is a big difference between a box solution and custom design.  This three part article series will explore home theater basics and  design.

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Home Theater Lighting | (480) 926-1033

The Home Theater Movement

What is home theater?  This definition from WIKIPEDIA.ORG cover it fairly well we think: "Home cinema, also commonly called home theater or home theatre, refers to home entertainment systems that seek to reproduce a movie theater experience and mood, with the help of video and audio equipment in or outside a private home.Beginning in the late 1990s, and continuing throughout much of the 2000s, home-theater technology progressed with the development of the DVD-Video format, Dolby Digital 5.1-channel audio ("surround sound") speaker systems, and high-definition television (HDTV). In the 2010s, 3D television technology and Blu-ray Disc have ushered in a new era of home theater once again.Home cinemas can either be set up by purchasing individual components or a HTIB (Home Theater in a Box) which includes all of the pieces from a single manufacturer. The benefit of component purchasing is that one can attain improved quality in video or audio with proper knowledge and research. For instance, some speakers perform better in smaller rooms while others perform better in larger rooms and seating location must be considered. One of the challenges with buying all the components separately is that the purchaser must understand speaker impedance, power handling, and HDMI compatibility. Given these challenges, HTIB systems are a simpler and more cost-effective solution for many families. [READ MORE]

While Theater in a Box is one solution, it doesn't work for everyone.  Another challenge that a box solution has is that it may not work if the speaker density is too small or too great depending on the room.  For example, let's say that you buy a theater in a box, but it is designed for a much bigger room than the room that you want to install it in.  You're going to have to make sure your sound is turned way down on it or you can deafen yourself and your guests, not to mention all of the noise complaints from your neighbors particularly if you live in an apartment.

Custom Home Theater Wiring

Someone who can help you with custom home theater wiring is your electrician.  They can not only connect the power cords necessary to power your home theater experience, they can also connect the audio and video components as well as tie them all into the mixer.

So remember, home theater keeps advancing and it is so much more than it was even a decade ago.  So, customize your solution, and give yourself a true home theater experience.

For more information on home theater installation, be sure to read part two and part three of this series, or one of our earlier articles here.

Dodge Electric
781 South Arizona Avenue
Chandler, AZ 85225
(480) 926-1033