09.2.2010 | 5:00 pm | Home Entertainment
There was a time when TVs and speakers sat on a cabinet in the corner of a room, inconspicuous and small. But now they are the focus of the modern living room and take pride of place on the wall – so how do you get them up there and what are the advantages?
The first big plus of hanging your TV on the wall is the floor space that you’ll free up. In a small room this can make all the difference, changing a cramped environment into an airy space. In a larger room, it will allow you to get a more interesting piece of furniture or extra seating in place of a dull TV cabinet.
With the new large plasma screens that are increasingly the norm, placing the TV up on the wall means you can sit back on a sofa or lie back in bed, look up and enjoy a cinema experience. And speakers up high will give better acoustics, so that you get more from your music system.
Of course you must make sure that the wall you are using is strong enough to carry the load. Plasma, wall mounted screens are heavy and need adequate support so you don’t end up with a disaster on your hands. The same applies if you are wall mounting a box TV set. LCD screens, until now not as popular as plasma screens are improving in quality and have the distinct advantage of being lighter weight so they may well gain market share.
An electrician can help to hide the wiring which would otherwise be exposed, tavelling up the wall. This is certainly a job for a professional – he will need to run the wires through the wall cavity and bring them back out at the right level. Alternatively wiring can be camouflaged by being painted the same colour as the wall or wrapped in tape that, again, matches the wall. You will also need an electrician to run the cables for your video feeds, in addition to the power cables.
Wall mounted speakers have the advantage of being smaller than traditional speakers so they will make less of an impact on the look of your room. They can also be angled in any direction, allowing them to be installed on any part of the wall and still be effective. If you want something even less visible then in-ceiling and in-wall speakers use the ceiling and wall cavities as the speaker cabinets, with only the front exposed, which can be the same colour as the ceiling or wall so they are barely visible.
And if even that spoils the aesthetics of your room you can go for the ultimate sound experience. This involves the speakers being placed entirely in the wall cavity and using powerful electronic devices called transducers which can transmit high quality sound through solid walls. This is the technology that cinemas use and as long as you have a wall cavity there’s no reason why you can’t have it at home. You’ll need the expertise of a good electrician who is familiar with the technology and you’ll need to buy the hardware but prices are coming down and certainly this system is becoming a feasible alternative. And it will allow you complete freedom to decorate and arrange your room as you wish.
Home entertainment is getting more sophisticated and exciting but the bits you don’t need to see are increasingly easy to hide – surely that’s the best of both worlds. Just get the right hardware and a good electrician to help you and you can enjoy all the benefits of modern entertainment technology.
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09.2.2010 | 2:16 pm | Home Entertainment
The gaming industry has seen tremendous growth in recent years. Even the movie industry looks pale in comparison. Traditionally, we’ve seen games being developed after movies. Current market trends have many movie makers developing adaptations of video games knowing they will be a sure-fire hit at the box office. But why are we seeing such trends? One can point towards the evolution of the television and the increased demand for quality home entertainment furniture.
Television has seen one of the greatest advances in technology in recent years. High-definition television and Plasma TV’s have the technologically-savvy drooling. And it’s because of the advent of these that many furniture manufacturers are taking the initiative to make the home entertainment system something to behold. For many of us, there is no better feeling than seeing in perfect detail, the game-winning overtime goal during the Stanley Cup Finals, or watching the walk-off home run during the World Series.
Proving to be one of the most advantageous from the advent of High-Def and Plasma TV’s is the gaming industry. In recent years, we’ve seen the birth of such next-generation gaming systems such as the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii. These systems have taken the world by storm, with over three quarters of the homes throughout North America, Europe, and Asia owning at least one of the three aforementioned systems. And is it any wonder why these systems are the “Must-haves” for any teen or young adult? Not really when you think about it. For many gamers, for years they’ve wanted to see their games come to life, and with the engines these systems are equipped with, the graphics are so realistic that it may be as close to real life as they’ll ever get. Or perhaps they’ve wanted to be part of the game, acting as the main hero in the story, or actually driving the car. Enter the Nintendo Wii – a system that uses a remote control as a peripheral device that acts as your own personal sword, steering wheel, golf club, etc etc.
So what does this mean for the state of the home entertainment system? A tremendous leap in demand for high-quality entertainment centers, big-screen units, and/or other home theater furniture.
Keeping up with this demand, many furniture manufacturers are producing home entertainment centers as their top line of product, as they too want to be part of the home entertainment phenomenon. In today’s marketplace, it is not uncommon to see a wide selection of big screen and corner units, entertainment armoires, TV stands and cabinets, and other home theater furniture from your local retailer or online store.
We are now left with the evolution of gaming, combined with top-of-the-line entertainment furniture. What does that make? Home entertainment for the 21st century. A state where our lives are being fulfilled by unbelievable clarity in the games we play and the movies we watch and undeniable fun when entertaining our guests.
The evolution of the television has indeed forever changed the outlook on modern day home entertainment. With it, we are once again seeing our living rooms as a haven where fun and entertainment lives. High definition and plasma televisions, next generation gaming, and quality home entertainment centers are the future of home theater. This is home entertainment for the 21st century!
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09.1.2010 | 4:04 pm | Home Entertainment
The most helpful and amazing magazines on the market are those that can help the consumer make informed choices about those items that they know very little about. One such magazine is the Home Theater Magazine, and in a similar format to Consumer Reports, they help you get advice and information about Home Theater equipment.
This magazine gives you with the latest information about the newest developments in the industry. In addition to that, they offer a buyers guide and complete equipment reviews that not only give you the facts but they do so in terms that regular people can comprehend.
It is great to have a resource that can help guide you through your home entertainment purchases without being invested in which item you decide to purchase. When you go into a retail store, or try to buy online, you usually wind up following whatever the sales person tells you. When you are unsure about what you are purchasing, what other choice do you really have? You need guidance, and you are at the salesmans mercy being swayed not only by his limited knowledge, but his opinions and his motivation to make a sale. Some stores even offer a bigger commission if the sales person sells an item that they overstocked on. So your sales person may be motivated by other factors and not truly motivated to help you choose the home entertainment equipment that is right for you.
In an economy where people are struggling, it is extremely important to make purchases wisely and to predetermine the items that are right for your needs and budget prior to shopping around. Home Theater magazine offers you a resource that you can trust for all the latest information on everything from HDTV equipment to woofers for your surround sound system.
You can start your search off by researching information about your home theater equipment and you will find that you no longer experience confusion when it comes to understanding your home theater equipment. Just read the information in Home Theater magazine and find out information about projectors and projection systems, surround sound, flat panel televisions, rear projection televisions, AV receivers and much more.
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