If you want a state of the art gizmo with all the fun stuff, and you’re able to live with the expense, then Onkyo will probably currently have the perfect receiver for you, yet this is not it.

When Onkyo planned the TS-SR308, they imagined a very reliable entry-level receiver priced to be cost-effective and come with just enough features to have fun with, and yet not so many as to make the product too expensive. As we expected, Onkyo got the initial characteristic just right. The connectivity is without question the reason for purchasing this machine; 3 HDMI inputs which deliver full 3D compatibility, and this receiver will decode nearly anything.

The incorporated Universal port will allow for you to hook up peripherals with an individual cable, and it also has a front-panel audio input which makes it possible for you to connect iPods. The Onkyo TX-SR308 Receiver furthermore lives up to Onkyo’s reputation for sound quality, because it readily processes high-definition lossless audio codecs from Dolby and DTS.

We should never, however, lose track of the fact that this model remains an entry level receiver. The alternate listening modes show minimal improvements when rated against designs from a few years ago. Onkyo’s remote has not been improved recently, either, which is good or bad. The simpleness of the remote causes it to be very uncomplicated, yet it isn’t universal, so you’ll will need separate remotes for your other pieces of equipment unless they are additionally Onkyo products. This unit won’t offer video upscaling, which is just as well. Many receivers at this price range which offer that technology would be about the same without it, considering that the video improvements are undiscernable however the resulting cost is not.

Even though a number of of those flaws can be enough to drive a committed technophile into fits, for the remainder of us they just function to justify the $250 purchase price. The Onkyo TX-SR308 Receiver presents quality sound and good connectivity. Savoring the 3D capability at this price is likewise very nice, and the faults are pretty easy to live with, especially for a neophyte who doesn’t know the difference.

Home stereo systems are typically defined as a set of stereo speakers and a subwoofer connected to an amplifier in your home. Stereo or Stereophonic sound is the ability to create directional sound from two independent audio speakers. The term stereophonic is derived from the Greek word stereos, which means solid and phone, which means sound. From stereo it has evolved to Multichannel Sound.

Multichannel sound, also known as surround sound demands at least four and up to seven independent audio channels or speakers placed in front of and behind the center of sound and hereby surrounds the listener. Multichannel sound is also known as 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1 channel sound.

Home stereo systems are normally connected to achieve a surround sound in 5.1 channel. 5.1 in a system equals to five speakers or satellites and one subwoofer giving you a complete sound all around in your room. 5.1 channel is an industry standard format for movies and music with five main channels of sound and a sixth subwoofer channel (called the point-one channel) used for special movie effects and bass for music. A 5.1 channel system consists of a pair of speakers, a center channel speaker placed between the stereo speakers and two speakers located behind the listener.

6.1 channel sounds adds a sound enhancement to 5.1 channel sound with an additional center speaker located between the two surround sound speakers directly behind the listener. 6.1 channel sounds produces a more enveloping surround sound experience.

7.1 channel sound is a further enhancement to 5.1 channel with two additional side-surround speakers located to the sides of the listener’s seating position. 7.1 channel is primarily used for more accurate positioning of sounds.

Even though home stereo system comes in many versions, it is for most people defined as a 2.1 setup, equal to two speakers and one subwoofer. This setup you see at many computers as this provides great sound for games or music at your pc. As people is interested in achieving surround sound at their home theater with a 2.1 system it is becoming more and more popular making your home stereo 2.1 system into a 2.1 Channel Home Theater. A 2.1 Channel Home Theater is a stereo system that mimics home theater sound. By using a 2.1 channel home theater system you can avoid the clutter of additional speakers and wires. So how do we convert our tiny and simple 2.1 home stereo system to a 2.1 home theater system and hereby avoiding adding more speakers to our system?

Some 2.1 Channel systems have special software to mimic the sound of surround effects with two speakers. This is called Virtual Surround Sound (VSS). VSS creates an enveloping surround sound effect using two front speakers and a subwoofer. By using a 5.1 channel decoders and combining it with special digital circuits that simulate the sound of rear channel speakers a 2.1 system can make a virtual surround sound. So to get the VSS you need to get a prepackaged system or a receiver. Most common is tough to choose an all-in-one system that provides you with all you need like Blu-ray player, built-in receiver, two speakers and a subwoofer.

As great as VSS is, it is still only a virtual simulation of surround sound, so 5.1 will always be better. But for people with little space or don’t like wires all over your house a VSS home system is the answer.

Read more: Home stereo systems

Many people want to watch movie in wide-screen on a theater. Now, the technology allows you to watch movie in wide-screen right from your home. Watching movie in your living room is more interesting than going to a movie theater.

There are things that appear as the benefits of having a home theater.

1. You do not need to go out from your cozy home.
2. You will not get disturbed by other people.
3. You can do anything while you are watching the movie.
4. You do not need to join the lines just to watch the movie.
5. You can eat your own cooked foods.
6. It is quiet, comfortable, and convenient.
7. The picture and sound are very great.

If you want to watch a real high-definition movie, you might consider of getting a home theater. Some people find that home theater cost a lot of money. There are a lot of decisions that you have to make in order to get a great bundle of home theater system.

You can experience the great sound boost of the movie. Enjoy a high quality sound system right from your home. The sound effects are detected and transferred by the sound system. You will be satisfied because you can experience the almost real sound of the movie. It is such a contrast from what you experienced in the movie theater. You will not find the sound as great as in your own home theater.

You will hear different sound from different speaker. Each speaker transfer different kind of sound. This is particularly great when you are watching musical movie. The sound will be delivered perfectly. You will feel that this is just what you are looking for. The experience of great sound and awesome picture quality will satisfy you.

If you are a technician, you might have to repair a home theater television. PC oscilloscope USB is a great instrument to help you in analyzing the signal of the television. if you want to know more about it, you can go to www.newoscilloscope.com.

You just purchased your new 55″ LED and Blu-ray player. Your son came home with a copy of Iron Man 2 and you all want to enjoy it. You make popcorn and get everything setup. Within the first ten minutes, there is an explosion and you’re amazed at how good everything looks, but what amazes you more is how bad it sounds. Did that explosion just come from speakers of small headphones? Why doesn’t it sound as good as the old projection or tube TV you just replaced? Does the TV have a defect? Consumer reports told me this model had better sound then all of the others so why am I not hearing it?

The answer is unfortunate. Manufactures put nearly 10x more into the video-end of the production and design process when designing their TVs. Look at your TV from the side and note how thin it is.

That’s one of the things that amazed you about it in the first place and for some reason; you actually judged which TV you got on how thin it is. There physically is no room within the unit for a decent amp and legit speakers. Didn’t the box say it had something called “SRS Surround Sound”? What that means is that if you have a perfectly sized room with four complete walls that you will get that genuine tin can sound maybe to the left and maybe to the right more. You went over to your friend’s house then to watch the first Iron Man because they hadn’t seen it yet. You see that in front by the TV and behind you are speakers. The first air chase scene comes on and you are simply blown away at how good it sounds and how the room becomes where ever the action is.

Let’s face it; audio is more than half of the experience. Good surround sound is something I like to call high definition audio. You see how good a Blu Ray looks? The right system can give that to your ears. There are some people who understand why a system helps but they seemingly go out of their way to convince themselves why they don’t need one. I’ll address my most popular reasons here.

“I don’t have a room that would be good for audio.” This is probably the most realistic one but the only fault with this is that there are speaker brands who specifically design their speakers for odd or uncommonly shaped rooms. Even still, there are brands that almost disregard the room entirely and just fire the sound to one common location in the room. Brands such as these make a full range of speakers in all sizes.

“I don’t have the ear needed to appreciate good audio.” I shake my head anytime someone discredits their abilities like this. Go into any store where they can actively switch between speakers mid-song and have them go through their setup and listen. If you can say that there was one or two that you liked more than the others then congratulations! You are just as qualified as I am to have “that ear”. The only difference is people like me know exactly why that speaker sounds better, which is less important in the long run.

“I don’t want big bulky speakers in my room.” There is a reason why floor standing, bookshelf, on wall and in wall speakers exist. The reason is because consumers have different needs for their rooms. If you want the best sound and have the space, floor standing speakers are always the best. Do not listen to what anyone else says; the larger the speaker means the better the sound. Simply put, larger speakers can be made of better material and push more air. Even Bose’s flagship speaker, the 901, is a speaker the size a third of a refrigerator. Smaller speakers are made for smaller rooms because there is less need to move more air in them. In wall speakers are designed for any room where you can have the big sound that you want without the appearance. These are fantastic when you are building a new room, have easy access to run wiring through the basement or attic and need the space.

“I refuse to spend this much money for speakers!” This one is as realistic as it is misconceived. TV brands do make home theaters in small packages that are great as starter kits to get you used to the concept of surround sound for under the $600 mark. Why are there speakers that go for one thousand dollars each? That’s more than the TV I got! I need five of those and a subwoofer? I also need a thousand dollar receiver? The audio world can reach limits only you allow it to reach. Why are there speakers that cost that much? The answer lies in its importance. Let’s say you have a system that costs you $4000 and a TV that costs $2500. Which one of those two do you think is going to last you longer? Some studies show that home audio systems will last consumers anywhere from ten to twenty years. How long do you plan on keeping your TV for? How long do you plan on keeping your current car for? Some people pay forty thousand dollars for a vehicle they are only going to keep for eight years.

Knowing that the system you can own will get more use than your car, will make family night possible again and can illuminate your home with music you all love, why wouldn’t you want a great system in your home? For something that rations out to pennies a day over the lifespan of it, you can build a vacation spot in your home. You work eight to nine hours a day and come home and want to relax. You can sit down and pop in a movie and take a journey to the Caribbean, to outer space or the future and actually feel like you are there. Just think, you are about to deny yourself this gift by trying to convince yourself that you don’t need it, can’t have it and shouldn’t want it. Next time you think that, go into a showroom and have the sales associate show you a demonstration of good audio to see what you are missing.

Always remember, you do not know what you actually want until you see what you can have.

Joe Sabatino – Picture Perfect Installations

It’s become one of the great home theater rivalries…Plasma television versus LCD. Which one do you buy as the showpiece for your best home theater system? Plasma or LCD?

Maybe it’s a guy thing… I’m not sure but when I went shopping for my television, my better half, my gorgeous wife or “she who must be obeyed”… call her what you like, just didn’t seem to care what type of television I purchased, Plasma or LCD, just as long as it produced a good quality picture.

Let’s make some comparisons about the respective merits of either version. When setting up a home theater center the television is the centerpiece so you want to make sure you get this right. I will list what I consider the advantages of either type.

Plasma Advantages

1. Definitely screen size. Plasma tv’s are available in size from 32 inches, all the way up to over 100 inches. Certainly an advantage if you prefer the bigger screens.

2. Viewing angle is an interesting debate. Some say plasma while others say LCD. Maybe plasma “by a nose” but there is nothing in it. LCD’s have improved markedly though and are rapidly gaining the upper hand in this area.

LCD Advantages

1. LCD tv’s are definitely tougher and more durable, not that you’ll be tossing the thing around the back yard! They certainly hold the upper hand in the “durability stakes.”

2. Installation is usually a breeze with LCD’s where plasmas require a little more installation know how.

3.LCD’s are lighter although this could have something to do with the fact they are smaller however, they are also thinner than plasmas. Whether this is an advantage I’m not sure and in the end, it may be up to “the eye of the beholder!”

As you can see, there is not a lot of difference in my opinion.

Life Span

There is always an argument for and against concerning plasma and LCD life span but to be honest, there is not much difference between either version. You could reasonably expect to get 15-20,000 hours use from either television before backlights need to be replaced however, replacing an LCD part will cost you more than a plasma at this stage of the evolution in technology.

Picture Issues

LCD’s are perhaps more consistent in the area of picture brightness during normal conditions of light but under home theater situations, plasma will have the edge.

Pixel issues are again line ball with both plasma and LCD having their for against arguments. Burn-in issues were once a drawback with plasmas but technology in recent years has “levelled the playing field” in this area.

Which Is Best?

I’d rate plasmas as the choice television for a home theater set up. Let’s face it, you’ll more than likely use your home theater to catch up on plenty of movies. However, with technology advancing so rapidly, LCD’s are gaining more and more of a foothold.

What did I buy? Plasma. Why? Because in the end, I got a great deal on a set which was on sale and hard to resist at the price. I’m betting this may ultimately sway your decision as well. And yes, my better half was more than pleased!

So now you have your brand new home theater system components sitting in their boxes in front of you and it’s go time. You have to somehow connect all of these foreign objects together and make it all work. For many people this is a really intimidating scenario, but actually if you follow a few simple guidelines it doesn’t have to be all that difficult. So here are the top 5 tips for home theater wiring installation.

1. This may sound corny but read the manual. I know that there are lots of you folks that prefer to just pick up a screwdriver and dive in, but you cannot believe how much you can mess up by not taking the time here to read the installation instructions through and get a good feel for what you need to do in advance. In fact, you may somehow get the system to work without doing that, but odds are that it will never perform as well as it should simply because a few steps were left out while it was being installed. So save your self the extra grief and just read the wiring installation instruction manual before you get started.

2. Use the correct gauge wire for your installation. Remember that when you have to run wire for longer distances it requires a heavier gauge to be able to successfully transmit the signal. Here is a simple general guideline that you can use: for lengths under 100 feet 16 gauge wire should be adequate, up to 200 feet 14 gauge wire will work and over that you will probably need 12 gauge wire to make sure things work properly.

3. Whenever you are making any kind of home theater wiring installation whether it be from one component to another or from a component to the speakers, make sure that both components are powered off when you connect them. Many is the heartache caused by someone turning on components before making the connections and experiencing high sudden power loads that damage their brand new equipment. Avoid that by always keeping the components powered off as you make wiring connections.

4. Gather your cables and wires together in advance and make sure that they will stretch far enough from each installed component before you begin installation. It’s really frustrating to find out that one of your wires or cables isn’t long enough after you already have everything else set up.

5. A common mistake that many people make when installing their own home theater setup is stacking the components like the receiver, dvd player, cable box and so on, so closely together that they have no room to breathe. Often they will even put them inside a closed cabinet too, which only compounds the problem. So before laying out your system try to think of a way to provide plenty of air flow between each component which will allow it to run more efficiently, last longer, and perform better.

If you plan ahead to set aside plenty of time for your home theater wiring installation, you should be able to get it done with little problem and frustration if you use the tips provided above.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including audio and video. You can find out more about surround sound setup and surround sound installation by visiting our Home Theater website.