A home theater systems is a high-quality entertainment setup designed to provide movie fans with a cinematic experience in their own living rooms. It generally consists of a large-screen TV set, a DVD player, a cable or satellite television box, and a sound system with at least five speakers. The system may also include a control system to enable users to dim the lights, adjust the volume, and start and stop the movie. A professional home theater company can install equipment in an existing room and optimize the acoustics for the best performance.
Home theater systems have become a popular entertainment choice because they allow people to enjoy movies, sports, and other media at a level of quality that is close to what is seen in the cinema. The technology behind these systems has advanced significantly in recent years, resulting in more sophisticated audio and visual equipment that can rival the performance of many movie theaters.
There are a number of different home theater systems on the market, with prices ranging from less than $500 for a basic soundbar, to over $100,000 for a full-scale system in a dedicated screening room complete with theater-style seating. Generally speaking, the more money that is spent on a home theater system, the better the quality will be.
The heart of a home theater system is the audio/visual (AV) receiver, which is the central hub that handles all of the audio and video signals coming into the house. It processes and translates them for the various components in the home theater system, which are connected via audio/video (A/V) cables or over a wireless network. An AV receiver can support several sources of content, including record players and FM radio. It may also feature HDMI inputs for high-definition digital video and audio outputs.
In the early 2000s, technological innovations in video player equipment and TV screens made home cinema systems more accessible to average consumers. In addition to standard definition (SD) video, these systems now usually feature a high-definition (HD) or even 3D television.
Most modern home cinema systems rely on an HDTV and a Blu-ray Disc or DVD player, with some users adding a computer or gaming console for additional media types. The most upscale home cinemas are often outfitted with a large-screen digital projector and projection screen, along with theater-style seating or over-stuffed recliners that offer an authentic cinema experience.
In the past, some home cinemas used Kodak 8 mm or Pathe 9.5 mm film and portable movie projectors to show personal family films. Dedicated home cinemas in the homes of business executives, celebrities and other wealthy individuals may have larger 16 mm or 35 mm projectors and projection screens, and can cost $100,000 or more. Audiophile home theater systems often use audiophile-grade stereo equipment to reproduce the full range of frequencies in a movie soundtrack. These systems can be built into a dedicated screening room or in the basement of an average home.