TechnoFILE Looks at Home Theater

TechnoFILE's "BUYING HOME THEATRE COMPONENTS" Guide

We point you in the right direction…

VIDEO EQUIPMENT

AUDIO EQUIPMENT

Not too many years ago, the words "home theatre" were nothing more than an oxymoron. Now it seems like it's all you hear (except, possibly, for 'multimedia!') when electronics companies advertise their wares. But home theatre is nothing more than a logical extension of the video revolution outlined elsewhere in this magazine, the inevitable marriage of the home stereo system with the home video system to form a hybrid that has movie theatre owners scrambling to put bums back in their sticky, deteriorating seats.

A good home theatre can rival the local movie house, and you don't have to worry about some tall guy sitting down in front of your, or kids kicking the back of your chair! About the only advantage movie theatres have these days is in screen size and quality, and this advantage is shrinking with each new generation of TV.

Buying a home theatre can be expensive, though it doesn't have to be if your needs and means are modest. But it's not just an expense; it's an investment in your home, your lifestyle, and even your family ('cause the kids might just stay at home with mom and dad to catch a flick together).

A home theatre at its most basic consists of a TV screen, video source (tuner, VCR, or Laserdisc player) and a surround sound system. Everything else is gravy. Prices are now cheap enough that you can get a low end home theatre for as little as $1500 US! If you shop around, and take advantage of sales, you can get a 20 inch TV, a VCR, an A/V receiver with Dolby Surround, and speakers, all for about $300 each. That leaves you $300 for a CD player, cassette deck, or Laserdisc player (which is also a CD player). Granted, you may be buying last year's equipment and you're not going to get room-shaking sound or eye-popping video (and you won't want to watch too many widescreen "letterboxed" movies on a 20 inch screen - we'd suggest a minimum of 27 inches for real enjoyment), but it'll get you up and running until you decide what, or if, you want to improve.

Where do you start? It depends. If you're beginning from scratch and have to buy a bit at a time, we'd recommend a good TV as your first step. And if you can afford to, we'd say put half your budget into the TV. That way you may be able to squeeze a bigger screen out of your wallet; you may have to get a little lower end stereo, but you'll be amazed at the enjoyment you can still get from a lower priced audio system.

VIDEO EQUIPMENT

AUDIO EQUIPMENT