Home Cinema Television Guide
The following guide has been put together to help you understand the concepts of home cinema television and to help you make better decisions when making a purchase.
What is a home cinema television system?
As the title suggests home cinema is all about bringing home the cinema experience within your living room. A combination of the audio and visual experience of the cinema is what makes watching a movie a truly memorable experience.
The key components of any home cinema are usually made up of a high definition television and a surround sound system. This guide will explore this in further detail and educate you in some of the component and terminology you will need to be aware of.
Television Jargon
Before you go out and make that purchase it may be worth arming yourself with a few of the techy buzzwords. Knowing some of the jargon will certainly help you make the better choice.
HD – Stands for High Definition Technology and is what your HDTV would need to provide you with the high end quality picture.
Digital Receiver – A digital receiver can come in many forms – freeview being probably the most common. Many new TV’s have built in Digital Receiver. Both options allow you to use the digital frequency to view digital channels.
HD Definition – There are 3 types of formats available - 720i, 1080i and 1080p. Just remember the higher the number the better the resolution of the picture.
Dolby Digital 5.1 – To create that cinema experience where sound travels all around you, you will need to invest in a speaker system. In most cases around 6 speakers are located in specific places around you room. HDTV is broadcasted in Dolby Digital format.
The Visual Experience
The television is a key component that will have a major impact on the viewing experience you get so it is important you make the right choice.
There are many types of television technology you can buy as you search the many types you will no doubt come across the below:
- Plasma
- Rear Projection
- LCD
- LED
Introduction to Plasma Televisions
A plasma TV offers you a flat panel display system and the technology behind the viewing is driven by a combination of gases that create a visible light.
The power consumption of plasma televisions is generally a lot higher than traditional tube based TV’s (CRT). Tube based TV’s still have a place in the market as some of the newer types can offer an excellent visual experience.
Plasma TV's produce great sharpness as a result of being able to present deep blacks.
These types of TV’s are generally slim in design which means they can be wall mounted. Even though these TV’s can be heavy in weight they will be far lighter than rear projection TV’s.
Consider a plasma TV if you have a huge room and looking to fill a big space. So if you are looking for a 63” TV then this could be your choice. Plasma TV’s generally provide excellent contrast and handle motion superbly.
Rear Projection TVs
As the name suggest these TV's use another type of technology that in its simplest form beam the picture from the back of the TV to the front. These types of TV have been around for many years and the old models were huge, over the years they have become much slimmer even though not as comparable to Plasma and LCD.
Many people say the big TV manufacturers have left the rear projection market and therefore believe it could be an end to rear projection.
Introduction to LCD TVs
LCD TV's are another flat panel TV type. LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display which is what you find in many existing products in your home such as your computer screen and even mobile phones. LCD TV’s have unitl now been the thinnest TVs on the market; however with the latest introduction of LED TVs they now take second place.
LED TV’s use a different a different kind of technology to conventional CRT and Plasma where crystals are sandwiched between 2 layers of glass and then triggered by an electric current to then allow a light source to make the picture visible to the viewer.
LCD TV’s are generally lighter than plasma TV’s, operate with cooler temperatures and have a marginally longer life than a plasma.
LCD TV’s can be slightly pricier in comparison for the same sized plasma TV.
Introduction to LED TVs
LED TV’s are the latest in TV technology; however LED’s have been around for a very long time. The term LED stands for Light Emitting Diode.
LEDs are used inside televisions to emit light instead of reflecting it. This allows the LED TVs to be very responsive and provide probably the best pictures for any motion. As LED TV’s do not need bulk backlights manufactures have achieved amazing designs and evidently slimmer. The clarity, colour and viewing experience is second to none.
As this technology is new, you can expect to pay a premium to get hold of it, however like with any technology over time the prices will generally fall as they make way for superseding products.
Buying Tips
Don’t rush out and buy the biggest and most expensive television on the market. Decide on what you want, why you want it and do a little bit of research. Below are some buying tips for your home cinema television.
- Bigger is not necessarily better, unless you want your new TV to be the centre of focus in your room.
- Make sure your tv has all the required connections, for example are you looking to connect your pc to it, do you have a blue ray player or do you also need to connect a gaming console.
- Adding a home cinema speaker system to your tv will complete the whole viewing experience.
- Make sure you read reviews of different tv’s on the internet.
- Visit the high street shops and look at them for yourself.