You have heard of a home theater on TV. You have seen them in the electronics store where you shop. Your friends talk about their own home theaters. But what, really, is a home theater?
A home theater is a fancy term for a television or home entertainment system. The theater incorporates everything from the television or projection screen to the sound system. Your home theater may even include the room in which you watch TV. Here are some common types of home theaters:
Simple Television Set
A simple television set can be classified as a home theater, albeit basic. Your television set most likely is connected to other electronic devices, such as a DVD player, VCR and maybe even a speaker system. The entire unit, including all peripheral devices, is your home theater.
Upgraded Home Theater
An upgraded home theater system is a set-up that is more complicated than the simple television set. The upgraded system generally incorporates a more high-end television set, such as a flat panel or plasma screen TV.
Most people owning the upgraded system also have auxiliary speakers to go with the system. The nicest upgraded speaker system is a surround-sound, heavy bass option. The surround sound and bass help to make the image on the screen come to life, and feel as if it is in the room with you.
Projection Home Theater
Some people refer to a home theater in very literal terms. To them, a home theater is the projection and screen system that is set up for viewing movies or television shows. This type of home theater requires the use of an AV projector and a projection screen, but functions like a regular home viewing system. Instead of having the image project from a television, the AV and projection system has an image project onto a blank screen, like in a movie theater.
Home Theater Room
Some people refer to an entire room that is set aside solely for viewing television and movies. This type of home theater is becoming increasingly popular in the U.S., as more people are finding that they can receive all the entertainment they desire from the comforts of their own home.
The home theater room generally uses a projector/AV system to make the experience more closely resembling an actual theater. Also, many home theater rooms are decorated in the style of a movie theater, incorporating movie memorabilia. Specialized movie theater-style seating can also be purchased for such a room. These pieces of furniture generally include cup holders and reclining seat backs for maximum comfort.
Whatever the style of home theater, keep in mind that it is basically a home entertainment system. The system can be as simple as a television set or as literal as a room in your home dedicated solely to the television or movie screen.
If you are considering investing in an upgraded home theater system, then shop around. Recent technology is bringing down the prices of some of the more high-end television sets. Thus, owning your own high-end home theater doesn’t have to be expensive anymore!