Adding new equipment is supposed to be fun, exciting, and if done well, an improvement. I recently upgraded most of my system, new Epson 9500ub projector, Emotiva XPA-3 for the fronts, UPA-2 for the rears and the long anticipated UMC-1 pre/pro. For those of you familiar with the rocky start of the UMC-1, I haven’t had many problems; it has been more of a learning curve. I will be doing a full review of the UMC-1 in the next few weeks.

This is about HDMI, something that sounds so perfect for this hobby, a single cable that handles every connection. I have waited for several years to upgrade to HDMI, I didn’t have a real need or an HDMI capable receiver, so I used alternative connection methods. Now I am ready to step into the modern world and boy am I… terribly disappointed.

HDMI is supposed to simplify my life, clean up the rats nest behind the component stand, and allow everything to communicate in an effort to make things work. It is so simple in theory, it’s a damn cable, you plug it in to each component and pass glorious 1080p images and Dolby TrueHD sound. If only it worked as advertised.

I was ready to blame everything on the UMC-1, and I will admit, it hasn’t made things easier but it isn’t the culprit. Despite every manufacturers promise that their components adhere to the rigorous specifications of HDMI , in this case HDMI 1.3, they don’t play nice with each other. Sony plays nice with Sony, Samsung plays nice with Samsung, but when you start to mix and match within a complicated system it all falls apart.

I set everything up and tested, it was all working beautifully, I basked in the brilliant sound of my Magnepan 1.6qr fronts while streaming FLAC. My wife was out of town and I was confident we would sit down and enjoy a movie when she got home. The first attempt was with my DirecTv HR21-100 DVR. I mashed the remote button and everything came to life, that was the end of my enthusiasm as the picture cut in and out, sound squawked occasionally from each speaker. No matter of playing got it to work until I did a reset on the DVR. After the 10 minute reboot cycle, everything was fine, it played nice but I could see the frustration in my wife’s eyes. This was not something she was willing to tackle on her own.

After considerable research I found that when you place the DVR in standby it continues to output video through HDMI. When turned back on it doesn’t perform a proper handshake and you get a pink image and odd behavior in general. Now I have to leave it on all the time. That doesn’t make me feel all green, even my strict adherence to recycling doesn’t make up for leaving the DVR on 24-7.

I have now convinced my wife that everything is working, the problem has been found and we will be able to enjoy our new Blu-Ray copy of Paul Simon’s Library of Congress show. Again, everything fired up, the flashing lights on the front of the rack were impressive, then the picture and sound vanished, the components all groaned and crackled as they fought to make nice with each other. The picture and sound returned, for a minute and the cycle started again. This continued through the show and ruined what was supposed to be a night we had waited for. My wife’s face said it all, I, the all knowing guru of home theater had let her down. The medals on my shirt were removed, the halo around my head vanished, and I sighed. I had let her down.

I played and researched, swapped cables, swore, tested, retested, swore some more, researched, tested, and swore, and so on. Every time I think it is working, it fails me when I need it most, when the woman I love, and who trusts me to make anything with a power cord easy for her to use.

I bypassed the UMC-1 for testing purposes and quickly found the video problems still existed. HDMI sounds great, it should be great but the manufacturers have fucked things up to the point that it only works in the simplest systems, if at all. I know many people that have no problems with HDMI, most connecting components directly to a TV. I have found HDMI problems discussed with every receiver, pre/pro, from every manufacturer. Unless you get lucky, you are eventually going to have an HDMI induced problem.

So what is a guy to do, component cable and analog multi-channel are an option but using component cables will be an issue soon because of the new copyright restrictions, no more HD over component. The simple fact is that manufacturers need to get their act together and ensure everything works with every other thing. I am hoping I get things figured out soon but I have my doubts.

Movies are designed to place you deep inside their world, well good movies are. Watching a movie on a large television or even projector is a wonderful experience but the picture only tells half the story. Movie soundtracks envelope you, they bring out emotions, surround you in their make believe world, and complete the fantasy.

If you are listening to movies on the speakers in your television or on a cheap, uncalibrated sound system you are missing the movie. From the explosive sound effects to the softest whisper, a good sound system brings the movie to life.

Films are NOT a visual medium, they are a combination of video and audio. If you haven't watched your favorite films, no matter what the genre, in the theater or a home theater with a full 5.1 sound system, then you need to do so, right now. The difference is night and day. The importance of the sound track to telling a story on film was known even before talkies came out. Music was always played during the showing, music designed specifically for the film and timed to elicit the emotion, the action, the laughter being displayed on the screen.

Don't cheat yourself by cutting out the second half of a film, bring them to life in a whole new way. Experience the entire artistic vision of the director and invest in a sound system worthy of the movies you love.

Why are the studios waiting for Blu-Ray profile 3.0 to begin seriously releasing Blu-Ray music only discs? For those of you who are not familiar with profile 3.0 it is a simple update to the existing Blu-Ray versions. Profile 3.0 allows an audio only disc to start by itself, without menus when placed into the Blu-Ray player.

While skipping all of the menu nonsense sounds great, I ,and I am sure many of my fellow audiophiles would happily buy music only Blu-Ray discs now and wait for the upgrade for auto start. Profile 3.0 uses the existing formats, including the lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio along with uncompressed audio in stereo and multi-channel. This is a huge leap over the current Redbook CD and even DVD-A and SACD.

DVD-A and SACD have essentially killed each other off with a little help from downloadable music formats. It doesn’t take a quantum physicist to see that the public has moved towards mobile media but there is still a strong demand for solid medias. Vinyl continues to grow as a new generation becomes aware of its superior sound quality and CD sales, while slowing are still the choice for many of us.

Get it right this time and start selling the profile 3 discs now, they work just fine on any Blu-Ray player. Getting the media out there now will create an enthusiastic following, which will make the advent of profile 3.0 players a marketer’s wet dream. Give the early adaptors something special for their loyalty, bring out the profile 3.0 media today.

I was given the challenge of building a good home theater for under $1,000. In addition, the premise was that I had received a $1,000 gift card from Amazon and needed to build a complete, 5.1 home theater system that met my previous definition for what a home theater is and offered some kick ass quality.

Building a home theater for under $1,000 while making it a solid performer, is indeed a challenge that requires a considerable amount of thought, bargain hunting and a little compromise. The compromise comes in the form of a smaller display and a lack of Blu-Ray. For many this won’t be seen as a compromise however.

I started by locating an acceptable display that met my requirements for being a real home theater, that meant a screen size of at least 36 inches. In order for the system to be future proof, it needed to be HD and have HDMI capability. This is a pretty tall order if I wanted to spend $1,000 on the TV alone and have a quality display.

I found the Sharp Aquos LC37D44U 37-Inch 720p LCD HDTV that has 2 HDMI ports and a brilliant picture. At 37 inches, the lack of 1080P is unnoticeable and this TV is a bargain at the moment. Cost: $570.99

Now I needed the heart of the sound system and it was clear this years models were out, I needed a refurbished unit from last year. I found a number of Sherwood and Sony receivers that fit my budget but I wanted good sound I could build on, not a system that would be stretched right out of the box. I decided on the Yamaha HTR-5840 XM-Ready 6.1-Channel A/V Surround Receiver. This receiver claims 100 watts per channel, a mark I find extremely suspect and would guess the real specification if tested would be closer to 60 watts, but that is more than enough to drive a well thought out home theater system. It decodes all of the standard Dolby and DTS formats currently available on DVD.

The compromise here is a lack of HDMI switching and no HD audio support but that can be remedied using the 6 channel analog inputs when it is time to upgrade to Blu-Ray. Cost: $129.12

To make the most of the Yamaha receiver I knew it would be best to stick with bookshelf style speakers and I wanted a package that included the sub so that the entire system would remain consistent wherever the sound panned during a movie. I expected this to be a tough search but to my amazement, the Polk Audio RM10 Speaker System fit my budget thanks to a great sale. These speakers offer a considerable upgrade from your home theater in a box speakers or your budget brands. Cost: $211.36

The DVD was going to be easy as the prices for very good upscaling players have dropped substantially. I did want HDMI and 1080i support at the minimum, 1080p wasn’t a consideration since the display is 720p. What I found is the Samsung DVD-1080P8 1080p Upconverting DVD Player, a solid performer at a great price. Cost: $35

Now I just needed my cables and speaker wire. As I have mentioned before, you don’t have to spend much for a good HDMI cable and to prove my point I selected the Premium HDMI - HDMI Male to Male Gold Plated v1.3 Certified Category 2 - 6 ft / 2M for PS3 HDTV LCD TV Blue-Ray cable. Despite the lengthy name and PS3, Blu-Ray claim, it is a simple HDMI cable that is 1080p capable and it more than enough to provide a perfect picture. Cost: $1

Since the Yamaha receiver doesn’t support HDMI I need a optical, digital cable, again, I don’t need anything fancy, an optical cable is an optical cable and any one will do. The 2 pc 6' Digital Audio Optical Optic Fiber Toslink Cable was the perfect answer. Cost: $4.15

Now I just needed speaker wire and following my own advice, it had to be 12 gauge, oxygen free. The product I chose is the Acoustic Research PR221 Speaker Wire 12 AWG Oxy Free Copper, 50 ft spool. Acoustic Research makes good speaker wire without breaking the bank and 50 feet of wire will easily cover most home systems. Cost: $30.53

The final cost of my home theater came to $982.15 and gives me a solid performing home theater for under $1,000. The products and prices on Amazon change often but I am confident that you can go there any day of the week and build a similar system for under $1,000.

One consideration I didn’t address is the value of a projector if you have the right room. A projector system is the bargain way to get a big image for a low price and should be considered if it can work for you.

My next challenge will be to see what kind of system I would put together if money were no object. I am looking forward to this one.

Analog audio cables differ from their digital friends in purpose alone. The same cables that work well for your coax digital connection works just as well for any other audio/video connection, provided it is a 75-ohm cable. Unlike digital signals however, the cable used can color analog signals.

The changes made by analog cables are subtle at best and with most systems, no difference can be detected. Audiophiles spend years finding the perfect cable match for the sound they desire, be it warm, flat, expanded bass or any number of other characteristics. For those of us on a budget however, spending a thousand dollars a foot on cables won’t noticeably improve your sound.

You do want quality interconnects however but you don’t need to spend a lot of money, you just need to make sure the cables are well constructed, 75-Ohm, shielded models. I prefer the custom cables from Blue Jeans Cables, and in case you were wondering, I have no affiliation with these good folks, I just love their products and for the money feel they are the way to go.

Monster Cable, as I have stated before are well built and reliable but you pay a heavy price to cover their marketing and they are simply, very overpriced. Don’t spend any more than necessary on analog cables, just make sure they are 75-ohm and well shielded to avoid signal crossover to other cables and avoid picking up noise from power cables and RF signals in your home.

Speaker cables are where I am willing to spend a little more but I don’t go crazy.  I only use 12 gauge, oxygen free cable in my main system. That may sound expensive but the bulk cable found at Home Depot is high quality and inexpensive.

If you must go to a smaller gauge, never go below 16 gauge. If you have a large room where cable runs go beyond 20 feet, I wouldn’t try anything below 12 gauge unless there is simply no way to use it.

Choosing Digital Cables

What cables do I need? This is one of the most common questions in home theater and it is one surrounded in myth and marketing deception. This article will focus on digital cables, HDMI, Coax and Optical cables to be precise.

Digital cables have the simple job of passing along a signal, and this is the important part, it is a digital signal. Digital signals make it to the destination or they don’t, the cable can’t add warmth or bass, it can’t bring out the high end or improve the image on your HD Television. Digital either works, or it doesn’t.

Bandwidth is the only factor that matters when buying digital cables like HDMI, Coax or Optical. HDMI cables carry both the audio and video in a single, easy to use cable. Marketing by stores and manufacturers (I am looking at you Monster Cable) implies that you need an expensive cable to make that new Blu-Ray look and sound right on your new 1080p display.

This is where they begin to flat out lie to the public, as I said above, a signal either makes it or it doesn’t, any HDMI cable will work, you get a picture or you don’t. HDMI cables are self-checking for errors so they work, period. There is no magic cable that improves the picture or sound, so one last time for those in the cheap seats, YOU EITHER GET A SIGNAL OR YOU DON'T, it is digital.

Digital audio cables are a little different however the general facts remain true, the cable doesn’t improve or change the sound of a digital signal, they simply pass on the ones and zero’s which cannot be colored or changed by the cable. The only thing that is different here is that you need to ensure the cables are 75 ohm, which gives more than enough bandwidth for digital audio.

Not all cables are 75 ohm, the skinny cords that came in your DVD player box are NOT 75 ohm, they should not be used for anything. Coax and optical digital cables do not error check but again, as long as you are looking at a 75 ohm cable you don’t need anything else.

Radio Shack offers these cables at a reasonable price, Monster Cable  is outrageously priced but there is not anything physically wrong with them, they are a good cable brand. I prefer Blue Jeans Cables, they are hand made and look great, all for a very reasonable price.

Blue Jeans Cables can be ordered in different colors to make component identification behind a rack easier. They also carefully match the ends so you know exactly which cable in a bundle does what without tracing it back to the source. I use them for my digital cables so that all my cables match but I could easily save a few bucks by going to Radio Shack.

Analog cables require a bit more consideration than digital, I will be discussing them in the next article.

Choosing Analog Cables

Organizing a large DVD and Blu-Ray collection is more than just putting the movies on a shelf. You need a tracking system and an orderly way of arranging the movies so you can find what you want quickly.

When I was living alone and had less than 500 DVDs, I was able to maintain them with less effort than I am able to now, I always knew the movie was there, I just didn’t always know its exact location. Then my good friend and neighbor got his first DVD player and I started loaning movies out.

Loaning movies out must be done with extreme caution, I only have two people I loan movies too and I don’t feel a bit bad about telling everyone else no. Loaning movies complicates things unless you keep careful track of your movies but there is a solution that makes keeping track of your current movies easy. It also keeps track of your wish list and best of all, the movies you loan out.

DVD Profiler comes in a free and premium version. The free version does everything you could want but the premium version is inexpensive and includes a few bonus features. Adding your DVD, Blu-Ray or HD-DVD discs is as easy as entering the name, UPC, reading the disc in a DVD drive or by using a hand scanner. The DVD Profiler database is kept up by enthusiasts and includes every region, version and variable you can imagine, so you always have the exact information that applies to your DVD or Blu-Ray.

DVD Profiler allows you to sort by genre, actor, media type and more making it easy to find exactly what you feel like watching. It also has excellent reporting capabilities, all of which can be printed out. In addition, they have a mobile and online version so you can check your wish list at the store or make sure you don’t already have a disc and trust me, when your collection starts to get big, you can easily forget what you already have.

Now that you have your collection loaded up it is time to organize your shelves. I use alphabetical, which is the easiest but there are other options I will discuss below. I print out a report in DVD Profiler and start loading the shelves, it makes alphabetizing faster. I go through all of my collection once a year to check for out of place or missing movies. Large collections, especially with a teen in the house, have a way of getting unorganized.

I also take the time to go through my list to identify any discs that failed to make it into the database or have vanished, usually into the depths of a bedroom. I track everything down and make corrections if necessary.

Alternative organization methods are as numerous as movies themselves, I have seen by director, year of theater release, and even by the style of case. I would suggest keeping it simple, genre is a good option that makes sense. I also separate my DVD, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD collections, more for appearance than anything else.

Now that you know how to find the best prices, store your collection and keep it organized the sky, well ,shelf space is the limit.

Collecting DVD and Blu-Ray Movies    DVD and Blu-Ray Storage

When you have a few DVD or Blu-Ray discs, keeping them safe is easy. It’s when you have 50, 100, 250 or more DVD and Blu-Ray discs that you have to start getting serious about storage and care of your collection.  This article will focus on where to put your selection to ensure the discs and cases stay good as new.

The traditional solution to DVD and Blu-Ray storage is to use shelves, large shelves, and this is the route I prefer. I have a need to look at the collection, pull out the case and make a viewing decision. Shelf storage keeps discs and cases in good condition and makes looking over your collection fast and easy. Standard bookshelves or dedicated DVD shelves are pretty much the same and interchangeable.

Shelf storage comes in a variety of sizes to fit most situations, the only problem is when you have so many discs, filling so many shelves that you have nowhere else to go. It is possible, as I am finding out now, to run out of shelf space and worse, space for more shelves. Those with an extra room can place their collection there but most of us don’t have an extra room or even an extra wall to spare. For most collectors however, the basic shelf solution is the way to go.

Storage binders are the solution for the seriously space deprived and it works in a pinch. Most people are familiar with these for storing CD collections but they work for DVD and Blu-Ray just as well. There is a serious downside to using DVD binders however. Small dust particles or even dirt get into the sleeves and scratch the delicate surface of the discs. CD’s are capable of playing perfectly well with minor scratches but DVD and Blu-Ray discs can become unplayable much easier because of a thinner layer of protective covering. Even if great care is taken, you can find your collection suffering.

Another consideration of the binder solution is that you have to either store the cases or toss them out which makes trading or selling discs much more difficult or impossible. It also makes picking a movie from your collection a chore as many discs have no clear identity and for those who have difficulty reading small print, well, you will suffer.

DiscSox is a nice solution that is a combination of the shelf and binder solutions. You cut the artwork out of the original case, slide it and the movie into a special sock to greatly reduce your collections space requirements. DiscSox claims a 13 inch stack of cases will be reduced to 3 inches and keep your discs safe and secure.

While I like the idea of saving a lot of space and still being able to see the movies cover, I can’t imagine cutting up the cases. The cases are not important to many people so you will have to weigh the DiscSox option based on your needs.

One creative option is using drawers, in a dresser, cabinet or even kitchen. This solution may work well for you if you prefer a shelf free environment but can’t bring yourself to destroy your collections covers. This option allows you to keep your movies out of harms way while maintaining a more traditional décor.

Now that you have your solution picked out, remember to dust shelves and cases often. Dust can quickly become adhered to the plastic covers of DVD and Blu-Ray cases making them less than perfect in appearance. I learned the hard way and grimace every time I pull out one of those movies.

Collecting DVD and Blu-Ray Movies    Organize a DVD and Blu-Ray Collection

Collecting movies on DVD and Blu-Ray can easily become an obsession. Hang out on any home theater forum and you may be amazed, even shocked, at the movie collections out there. Three thousand DVDs is a lot, and there are more than a couple collectors out there who put the local Blockbuster to shame.

Collecting is easy, but doing it on a budget, dealing with storage, and keeping the disks organized takes work and planning. Taking the time to come up with a careful plan for collecting makes the task enjoyable and pays off for the whole family.

I plan to cover the variables of collecting in several articles, including finding the best bargains, choosing the method of storage, and keeping track of your collection. Collecting DVDs and Blu-Rays seems like a no-brainer until your collection begins to exceed 50 discs or so--at which point organization becomes a must. If you have relatives or friends you loan movies to, things can get even more out of control.

This article covers how to buy discs without busting your budget. The first thing to do is create a wish list with a simple prioritization system.  Creating a list keeps impulse buying to a minimum so your collecting budget doesn’t keep getting dinged with minor wants or dogs. My system is simple and straightforward and can be used in something as easy as an excel spreadsheet, a piece of paper, or an organization system like DVD Profiler, which I will cover in a future article on organization.

Buy it When Released: This category is for the must-have movies, like The Dark Knight. Preordering online can save you money sometimes, but I prefer to hit the local brick-and-mortar for these buys. Home Theater Forum has two hard-working members who put together a list of all the large stores, both online and off, so you don’t have to spend your time searching. Most times the store prices are within a dollar of each other…so you simply visit the one closest to you.

Classics: The first thing about classics is that they are often available in different versions that can have widely varied quality issues.  With some classics, there is only one version available and it simply isn’t worth owning unless you are a die-hard fan. This is another place where an enthusiast’s forum can be handy. You will find other fans out there who know the right version to buy and why. In the case of a single bad version being available, I suggest waiting until a better release comes out.

Really Want: These are movies that have already been released and you know you will buy it. Depending on how recently the movie was released, the price may already be right. For movies released in the last 6 to 12 months--it is worth waiting until you find it on sale or the MSRP comes down. DVD Price Search is an easy online tool that searches all of the major and a number of minor stores. DVD Price Search also lets you enter all or part of your want list and shows you the best store, including shipping costs to make your purchase.

Kind-a-Want: These discs are nice if you find a great deal, but you could live without it. This category includes discs that are most likely to eat away at your budget…so carefully consider what movies you might be giving up from higher on your list when you purchase these. Kind-a-Want discs are about the only time I will consider a used disc and I have had great luck at Half.com. They have a great selection of used and new discs.

Another good way to maintain your collection, getting rid of bad choices and making friends all at the same time is to, once again, give your favorite forum a try. Other enthusiasts take great care of their discs and are looking to trade or sell their copies.

Now that you have a game plan for buying, we can talk about storage next time. See you then!

DVD and Blu-Ray Storage    Organize a DVD and Blu-Ray Collection

Audio calibration turns ugly ducklings into audio swans, it can make an inexpensive system sound very good, and a good system sound great. If you haven’t carefully calibrated your system, you are not getting the best sound and you are missing out on details and nuance you never knew existed.

Audio calibration allows you to adjust for the differences in your room size, layout, furniture, floor, and even the decorations that hang on your walls. Every room is different and the factory levels are dead flat. Many new receivers have auto calibration features that detect and adjust delays and levels for you. In my experience, many of these do a good job but need a little tweaking after giving the starting point.

The starting point of audio calibration is measuring the distances and setting the speakers as close to the recommended distances as possible from the seating area. The front three speakers are of the most concern as they do the majority of the work. The center channel in particular is important in that it provides a solid foundation for dialog, the important part of most movies. Distances are important and it is often necessary to play around with exact positioning and angle to achieve the best sound.

Finding the best position requires a calibration disc and sound level meter. I have found all of the calibration discs available today do a great job of walking you though the setup of both audio and video calibration. I recommend using an inexpensive analog sound level meter, the digital models have received some criticism over the years so I have never tried one.

Now that the front speakers are in place, at least for the moment, let’s focus on the surround and rears if you have them. Most homes allow for easy placement of the front speakers but the rears are likely to be more difficult. I prefer the rear channels to be set up high on the side and back walls. Homes however have a way of making placement difficult, especially in living rooms where side and rear walls many not exist. Do the best you can and don’t mount anything to a wall yet, you will almost certainly have to move it.

This is where having a friend around can be handy. Have them hold the rear speakers up in the position you feel will work best, one at a time of course and make sure they are not standing with their body between you and the speakers. Start the calibration disc and set your analog sound level meter to “C weight,” “slow,” and “70.”

Let the calibration disc run through all of the speakers to find the loudest one and adjust the volume until the sound meter needle is dead center. This is your reference for the rest of the calibration as well as the reference volume point you will use for movies if you want to exactly replicate the volume level of a movie theater.

Run the calibration and adjust all of the speakers with the receiver controls until they are all showing dead center on the sound meter. It is now time to mount the rear speakers and put in a DVD you are familiar with. Action movies are best for this, as you want action in the rear speakers. Adjust speaker angles and placement to make sure you are getting the best imaging and recheck all of the sound levels again.

Finally, it is time to adjust the subwoofer. This is done exactly the way the rest of the speakers were calibrated except the sound level meter should be set to “80.” Placing the subwoofer a few feet out from a corner is usually best, but not always possible. One old trick is to place the subwoofer in one of the chairs and walk around the room to identify the position that has the best volume. If you are limited to one place for the subwoofer, adjust it the best you are able.

You have now calibrated the audio levels for your receiver. If you are not using the 5.1/7.1 analog inputs you are finished and can enjoy the newfound life in your movies. If you are using the 5.1/7.1 analog inputs, we get to do it all again. These analog inputs bypass any settings on the receiver so the process must be repeated by calibrating the sound on the DVD/Blu-Ray player.

Some receivers require calibration of each input individually. Use the original settings and make adjustments from there, it should be a minimal and quick process for each input.

After calibration is done, you will need to go through this process whenever you add or remove equipment in your system, move, add, or remove furniture and once a year just for good measure. Speakers and amps can change over the year without you realizing it and besides, it gives you a chance to keep familiar with your system and identify problem areas that appear out of nowhere.

Some of the very best bargains in home theater are found at online only electronics manufactures. Online only companies skip the middleman and pass the savings directly to you and in many cases they give you the most bang for the buck.

Some of these manufacturers started building products as a hobby and found enthusiastic buyers in home theater forums. After making a few and selling them it became apparent, a successful business could be created. This was the case with the first online only manufacturer I became aware of. SVS started out building cylinder style subwoofers with a perfect combination of punch, deep bass and accuracy that simply can’t be matched for the price. SVS has since added traditional subwoofer designs and front and rear speakers that are every bit as good as their first mind-blowing subwoofer.

The advantages of buying from one of these manufacturers is easy to see, the downside is you can’t walk into a brick and mortar to listen to their equipment. To address this they all offer amazing customer service and an easy return policy that protects you in the event you decide the product just isn’t for you.

You can find more information on any of these manufacturers on any home theater forum and if you ask nicely, it is pretty easy to find someone in your area happy to let you demo the product in their own system.

The next manufacturer I came across, who also has a loyal following was Outlaw Audio. Outlaw started building powerful, well-featured receivers at a great cost. They have since added amps, speakers and accessories that meet the original Outlaw vision of quality and performance at a great price.

When it comes to cables, there are a lot of opinions and most home theater enthusiasts believe price is the last factor in getting quality cables. An additional thought, one I agree with, is that Monster Cable is a huge rip-off. This is where I have really saved a lot of money while getting some of the very best cable made. Blue Jeans Cable builds hand made cables for every audio and video need using the highest quality parts. Blue Jeans Cable researches each cable carefully and offers clear choices based on your individual needs. These are in my opinion audiophile cables at basement bargain prices. Do yourself a favor and ignore the advice you get in the local store, go online and buy the best at a fraction of the cost.

Elemental Designs has been a well-known manufacturer in the custom car audio community for a long time, now they are building a reputation for best bang for the buck home theater speakers and subwoofers. When I upgrade the speakers in my living room system, this is where I am going. Elemental Designs also has a big discount when buying packages and offers an easy to use tool that lets you build a custom system from 2.1 – 7.1. I have had the pleasure of setting up several of these systems up for friends and I love the sound of their speakers, especially for the money. One note on these speakers however, even the smallest bookshelf speaker they make is enormous, if size is a factor, measure carefully before ordering.

This brings us to our final online only manufacturer and these folks put power, lots of power, into your system. Emotiva builds big, heavy, powerful amps at unbelievable prices. Being the owner of the famously power hungry Magnepan speakers these amps make me drool like a dog watching the chicken coop. Emotiva amps are fully 4 ohm capable and push anywhere from 125 watts into 8 ohms to 500 watts into 8 ohms. Even more impressive is that they double or nearly double their watts into 4 ohms, which is an indicator of a well-built amp.

I am sure there are other quality online only electronics manufacturers out there and I would suggest giving them a chance. To find out more from people who own these products and will happily answer your questions with real world experience, check out Home Theater Forum and AV science Forums.

 What is home theater? The definition is “the use of electronics to recreate the movie going experience in ones home.” I take this definition pretty seriously, I have many viewing areas in my home including three bedrooms and the living room. All have a DVD player or Blu-Ray and are used for watching movies but I only have one room I consider a home theater. All of my systems have a receiver and multiple channels although not always 5.1 or better. My main system is the only one I consider a home theater and not because it is a dedicated room, which is not, specified in the definition.

 The reason I consider only one system a home theater is because it is the only one I have made the effort to push the viewing experience as close to going out to the movies as possible, minus the gum and soda on the floor. I have carefully replicated the sound, picture and feel of the movie going experience in that one room.

That’s not to say I haven’t calibrated all of my televisions, dialed in the audio of each sound system and made every effort to maximize the experience. I simply have not gone to the lengths I consider necessary to make each room a home theater.

I have run into many people, friends and family who come to me for advice on setting up their home theater. I consider their budget and their priority in creating the system in their home. Like so many however, the advice is wasted or forgotten. They are likely to take my advice and get a great television and DVD or Blu-Ray player but that is where they stop.

I always provide a list of options, well within the budget that includes a receiver, speakers and subwoofer in various sizes that can fit any decor. This allows them to walk in and make purchases without spending a lot of time dealing with sales people or lingering over making the decision. I am all for listening to a system and making up your own mind, that however doesn’t really matter to most people who just want to get a decent system within their budget and for these people, the complete not enthusiast, they really don’t have much of an opinion on the sound system.

Just to prove the point, in almost all cases these people forgo my advice and my offer to make it simple by setting it all up for them. I get a call a week or two later to come over and check out their completed system. I know what to expect after so many of these visits and I bring along my standard equipment. Anyone who knows me well enough to call me up to check out their new system knows me well enough to expect me to put the finishing touches on things.

Here is where things get a little hairy as 9 out of 10 times I find a home theater in a box set up so that all 5 channels are sitting haphazardly on the cabinet below the television. The exception is when the surrounds have made it to the back of the room but very different distances from the sitting area. Nothing is ever calibrated, the system was simply plugged in.

I am not being a snob, I understand fully that the majority of people want to watch a nice picture and be able to hear the dialog, anything beyond that is a bonus for them. This is fine and I happily assist in making the most of what they have within the limits they impose. Is this a home theater? No it is not, it is an entertainment system and in no way resembles a home theater.

The first thing I do is check all of the connection on the television. I remove the coax running from the Hi-Def sat or cable box and replace it with an appropriate HDMI or component cable. Make sure all of the other connections are maximized and start making the correct audio connections.

 I always take a few minutes to explain how 5.1/7.1 works and how we can make that work in their house. This usually ends up with me disconnecting the surround speakers and disabling them in the receiver. This is not home theater but it is what makes them happy and that works for me.

Finally I pull out my calibration discs and analog sound level meter and get to work, making the absolute most out of what they have. They are happy and I am happy and for my final act I program their universal remote, hopefully one I suggested like the Harmony 550 which is both inexpensive and works well for most small set ups.

I am not a saint and I do have an elitist streak when it comes to an actual home theater. A television, source and speaker system capable of recreating as closely as possible, the movie going experience is not what most people want or strive for so when I am told about someone’s home theater, I smile and nod knowing the odds of them having a home theater is low, very low which gives me a warm elitist glow in my belly. What would I ever do if everyone did have an actual home theater, I might have to get into something like space flight where an actual space craft is much less subjective.

Home theater in a box is OK if it is set up properly.

No surround, not a home theater.

Non-HD television… You bet as long as it is 36” or larger, this is also dependant on the room. A 36” television watched fro 17’ away doesn’t work.

Subwoofer is required unless bass shakers have been installed, both are better.

Connecting an HDTV to HD sources with the wrong cables… Definitely not a home theater and close to unforgivable even for non-enthusiasts.

"DVD is going away soon" has suddenly become a hot topic on many enthusiast forums. While the question makes a lot of sense from people who have invested a considerable amount into collecting DVDs and buying top-notch players, there is nothing to worry about in my opinion, at least not yet.

Many make the argument that Blu-Ray will be a short-lived format that is brought down by downloadable movies. I will concede that downloadable movies will become more popular in the years to follow however for the vast majority of the public, it is not a convenient option as long as video quality and bandwidth problems exist.

Blu-Ray and downloads aside, DVD is king in the public eye at the moment. The movies are readily available at a fraction of the cost of Blu-Ray discs and players are available for well under $100. At this price point, the general public will continue to go the DVD route.

The difference between DVD and VHS was much more dramatic than DVD to Blu-Ray is. Few people had large collections of VHS tapes and the difference in quality between VHS and DVD was immense. Many home theater enthusiasts have skipped Blu-Ray altogether as they do not see enough of a difference between Blu and upscaled DVD. I am not of this opinion as I see a huge difference on many movies but like all media, it is dependant upon the source material and the quality of the transfer.

The current rule in my house is that big action movies get picked up on Blu-Ray for the HD sound quality as do classics for their video quality. Upscaling is good enough for many other movies, especially movies that are likely to be played in one of the bedrooms or even the living room where HD audio isn’t an option. I still like to have flexibility in where I watch but I never watch the latest war movie outside my main theater.

Until the general public is convinced to calibrate their televisions so they can easily see the difference between DVD and Blu-Ray they will not buy unless the price comes down to DVD levels, which it won’t, at least in the near future. Besides, what is the chance that the public will suddenly decide to turn their TV setting down from eye melting bright, not much in my opinion.

Downloading movies seems like a great option and years down the road it may be true, but renting downloads doesn’t satisfy the collection bug of so many who want the physical package on their shelf. The big chance downloads have at the moment is that most people really don’t care about picture quality at this point but the need to run wires and set up special servers will hold this format back for at least a few more years.

DVDs are not an endangered species by a long shot and much like VHS, the manufacturers will continue to put out players and media as long as there is a public willing to buy or rent. I for one will continue collecting for years if not decades yet to come.

Refurbished is a word every budget-minded hobbyist should know. Over the last 15 years I have purchased at least 50 items considered refurbs. I have never had a problem, not one, with any of the refurbished equipment I have purchased.

Refurbished items are more than simply factory rebuilds and fall into several categories that we will discuss along with their relative merits and weakness.

First off, why should anyone consider a refurbished product? To save money, get more for your money and overall being able to put that little piece of magical equipment in your house sooner. Refurbs are a great buy for many items but others are best avoided depending on the type of refurb it is.

Recertified: An item that has been returned, most often to the manufacturer for repair. These refurbished products generally made it into someone’s home where it failed to operate properly. It could be that it had a failed part such as a hard drive or the firmware wasn’t correctly installed. Recertified products are a great buy because they go through much more rigorous testing than the original units and carry a warranty, often the same as buying off the shelf.

Open Box: These are the marked down items you see when browsing, most often, the local Best Buy or other brick and mortar. They often went home with someone who decided they didn’t want it for whatever reason and returned it. Look out for missing parts such as cables and manuals. The nice thing about buying an open box item is that you can return it easily if it fails to work. Open box televisions are generally the best buy in this category but make sure it wasn’t a demo unit.

Floor Models/Demos: Products that fall under this group should have a serious savings involved, like 30% or better. If it is an item that uses power like a television, it has likely been on for 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, in full burn mode for months. This is not a good buy, I also avoid receivers, computers and other items that the public have had a chance to dismantle. Non-power items or items that come from a high end dealer where they have seen light use are a better buy and worth considering.

Damaged: This is likely a unit that has a few scratches, dents or other cosmetic flaw. If the unit will reside in a hidden area such as a cabinet or there is a scratch on the back side where nobody will ever see it this is not a bad buy. It is really up to the buyer to determine if a damaged unit will work for them based on the amount of savings involved.

Previous Generation: Big savings on last years model can be a great deal as long as it has a feature set that works with your system. Many of last years products may not have a key feature, for instance HDMI receivers are new to the market. You may not see a need for HDMI in your system but it does future proof your investment. Research the missing feature, many of which will have no impact to you at all.

Factory Seconds: Very small scratches or dings that make selling an item at full price impossible. The cosmetic damage is far less than the damaged category so the savings may be less. These are a great buy if the savings are right.

Buying refurbished products from a respected dealer is important to ensure you are able to get help if there is a problem. I have found many bargains at Fry’s, Best Buy and Amazon but my favorite shop is Ecost where I have received great service and the pricing is right.

 Aside from times when my son or wife talks me into seeing something at the Alamo Draft House in Austin I buy or rent movies. I see no reason to endure the crowd, rude people, poor sound systems and dull pictures so often associated with going out to a movie.

 I buy a pretty good number of movies on DVD, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD but most of the movies I watch are rentals. I have belonged to both Netflix and Blockbuster, even both at the same time at one point and I have been reasonably happy with both. A recent thread at my favorite online hangout, The Home Theater Forum, was about which rental service is better. The main complaint about both was the long wait for many titles and I have experienced the same problem but I have always been able to make it work. I don’t bother with downloaded movies so I will not be discussing that option, available from both parties.

 I started with Netflix about a month after they came online. I was in hog heaven, movies right to my door, no late fees and an amazing catalog of movies to choose from. I dismissed Blockbuster altogether at this point because of a grudge over late fees that I felt was unfair and it was some time later that they introduced their online plans.

Years later Blockbuster came up with their trade in deal. Instead of mailing the movies back, I take it to my local brick and mortar in exchange for an in store rental, at no cost. I decided to give it a try and it has worked so well for me I dropped Netflix.

The movies I put in my Blockbuster queue do tend to be older classics, cult favorites and concert videos. These types of movies tend to have a short, long or very long wait associated with them. While that would be a problem with Netflix, it isn’t for me as the wife and I make a pilgrimage to the store every Saturday and pick up the latest releases, often on Blu-Ray. Occasionally, if there is a standout release I will go in on a Tuesday morning. This works, I get the best of both worlds for the cost of a single subscription.

  If you sole purpose for renting online is to never walk into the store again and you order a lot of older movies and classics you are likely to be disappointed by the wait associated with these types of selections. My advice is to brave the sun once a week or so and take advantage of the Blockbuster trade deals, they let you have your cake and eat it too.

I am just estimating here but I would say 99.746% of people believe Bose is the best speaker ever made or as Bose claims are the most respected speaker ever. I hear it all the time, some guy bragging about his superior Bose system.  Bose owners look down on the rest of the audio world as if they were driving a Ferrari. The problem is that they are in fact driving a Yugo and not even a new one.

Bose survive, hell they flourish because of an amazing marketing drive. They have brainwashed the world into believing they build the greatest speakers in the world.  Nothing could be further from the truth, Bose are simply the biggest rip off in the audio world.

Bose uses paper cone drivers that have been around for decades, unchanged. Why does this matter? The sound these diminutive paper cones produce require the elimination of a vast swath of the frequency range used in common recordings. They don’t just remove the top end or the bottom end, they hack the mid frequency range to pieces as well. A full 80Hz is missing if you use one of their Acoustimass modules, while a mind blowing 180+ Hz is missing without it. According to Intellexual.net the actual frequency response of the Bose speakers is 280hz – 13.3kHz, even the cheapest speakers fill 120Hz – 20kHz and better speakers, even at a fraction of the cost of Bose are 40Hz – 22kHz.

Just for a reference, the same cone speakers found in most Bose systems are also used in alarm clocks that cost under $25. So how can they sound so good? Well, they don’t but they certainly sound better than my alarm clock. This is accomplished by removing much of the frequency range from the music before it is sent to the speaker. This is why it is difficult or even impossible to use the Bose speakers that come in a kit with other brands components. This is especially true of the Bose car audio systems that require a complete rewire to replace the head unit and speakers.

In addition, the cheap plastic boxes and cubes used for Bose enclosures are inexpensive and reduce the quality of sound even further. Anyone who has ever looked at how to build a speaker understands that plastic is one of the worst materials you can use. I will concede that building an enclosure out of aluminum cans would be worse but at this level of badness I don’t see that it would make a difference.

I can go on and on about how Bose refuses to release frequency response information for their systems, something that every other manufacturer, and I mean every other manufacturer provides. I can go on about how Bose displays in the store are designed to provide sound within a very specific area that cannot possibly be recreated in your home. How about the fact that they use amps that cost thousands to drive them, instead of using their own system, which is what they make it appear to be doing.

Enough about why to avoid them, what should you get instead. One of the things people do really like about Bose is the size of the speakers and I admit that is a tough one to find elsewhere but you don’t have to go much bigger. Almost any Home Theater in a Box will sound better than Bose once calibrated. I am including the Panasonic unit that can often be found under $150.

Will the Panasonic unit give you great sound? No, not even close but it is as good as anything Bose puts out if you set it up properly. Home theaters in a box are easily bested by buying the speakers and receivers separately but if you want Bose equivalent sound at a fraction of the cost, this is a good place to start.

Don’t fall for the marketing hype, anyone legitimately serious about home theater or audio will tell you about Bose, if they suggest otherwise, you are talking to a home theater poser.

Big, Bigger, Biggest is the reason I have a front projector in my theater. I want a picture as big as the sound my system produces. I looked at LCD, DLP and CRT televisions but to reach the size I wanted the cost was way out of line with my budget. I was fortunate that InFocus had recently released the X1 800x600 projector. The reviews, based on its very good HD capabilities for under $1000 sold me and I have been content through 2.5 lamps or about 8,000 hours of use.

I won’t pretend that the picture competes with a 1080p projector but it is as good as some of the 720p projectors I have run across. My point here is that you can have a big picture for a lot less than a 42” television and unless you must have the absolute best possible picture you will be happy, even amazed at the latest sub $1,000 projectors.

My projector is almost 6 years old now and I will need to replace it soon. I have seen the same model on Ebay, new, for around $400 recently. The InFocus 4800 and X3 are also about the same cost and there are many options now for under $500 that will give you the picture you crave with a very nice picture.

For those willing to spend a tad more, the options for 720p and 1080p projectors has fallen below $1500 and continues to drop. Sanyo, Optima, Panasonic and Mitsubishi all have excellent models in this price range.

There are a few considerations to discuss before making a swap though. If you can adjust to the requirements of a front projector, do it, you will not be disappointed.

Things to consider:

• A projector needs a screen or does it? I have found http://goosystems.com/screen paint rolled onto a flat wall is as good as any screen I have seen. Goo also provides a reference tool to assist in selecting the exact mixture that will work best for your projector.
• It isn’t a television and some projectors have a delay between being turned off and turned back on again. This has never been an issue for me but it is different than most of us are used to.
• Long cable runs. This is a problem in both additional cost and aesthetics. Most projectors are ceiling mounted and hiding the cables is difficult unless your room is pre-wired for it. Once you set up you never have to think about it again though.

Some people believe the need to replace lamps after 3,000+ hours of use is a hassle but it is very easy and much better than tossing out a TV and buying a new one.

If a front projector can work in your room, go for it, it is cheaper than a TV half the size and todays technology gives you a great picture at any price point.

Big bass from a booming sub is the cornerstone of any good home theater. Unfortunately, people that live in apartments or watch movies while the rest of the house is sleeping are forced to live without the realism a subwoofer brings to the game.

There is a great solution and it fits in even the tightest budgets. Bass shakers are a great addition even for those who already have a sub and they are easy to set up. Low frequency bass transducers are mounted under the seating in your theater or living room, depending on your system. They take the signal from your subwoofer output and vibrate, sometimes violently with the low frequency signal.

The realism bass shakers bring to your movies and games is impressive and it is one of the best upgrades you can make. It also impresses friends and to my surprise, are very friendly on the wife acceptance factor.

ButtKicker is the most common brand of low frequency transducers however lower cost alternatives that work as well are easy to find on Ebay and other sites across the web.

Bass shakers use an amp, which may be included in a kit, or you can use an old receiver, subwoofer amp or anything that delivers 50 watts. No need to worry about high quality power here, any old amp will do.

Stop living without the bass you so badly need to maximize your home movie experience and install bass shakers now.

To upgrade or make do with what you have is a constant question home theater enthusiast must answer on a regular basis. The most common problem facing us today is to upgrade our old receivers to one that can handle HDMI. Even receivers purchased today may not handle HDMI or only switch the video, as is the case in my living room where my Harmon Kardon passes two HDMI signals.

This works in that room as the speakers are hand me downs from my first 5.1 system 10 years ago and HD audio isn’t an issue. My problem comes in my dedicated theater where I have a Kenwood Sovereign receiver, one of the few I have found capable of driving the power hungry 4-ohm load of my Magnepan system through a full on action movie without overheating.

The Kenwood doesn’t even do component video switching but I am not giving it up, I love the warm sound and frankly, can’t afford to upgrade right now. I had to ask myself if HD audio was worth it and I decided it was so I waited until a Blu-Ray player came out that was capable of sending all of the HD audio formats via analog outputs. I settled on the Sony S550, I love it, the sound improvement over standard Dolby, and DTS is impressive, more open, detailed and enveloping.

HDMI switches are readily available at reasonable prices if you are running out of connections on your television. These switches can be manual, automatic or remote controlled depending on your budget.

I decided I could live with the Kenwood for a while longer, not that I have much of a choice and the cost of the Sony S550 was significantly lower than upgrading my receiver. For those of you who want to keep your DVD-A/SACD player connected to your receiver inputs look to Zektor for a high quality 8 channel analog switch or consider the budget solution of using a A/V switch.

In addition Denon has a universal Blu-Ray player, priced somewhere close to new car territory that solves this problem altogether. Oppo is also jumping into the universal Blu-Ray market with a rumored MSRP between $499 and $599 and considering the quality of their DVD players, this may be a real bargain.

If you enjoy the sound of your current receiver do your wallet a favor and keep it, you can still enjoy the sound and visual improvement of HD without falling into the upgrade trap. Besides, the receiver you want to buy today will likely be outdated next week.

 I have a sizable collection of DVD-A and SACD discs and I love most of them. I know vinyl is the perfect format but I just couldn’t talk myself, OK, I couldn’t talk my wife into restarting my music collection in another format which would require a considerable investment in a player and the records themselves in order to hear a difference.

 Despite the naysayers, I can hear a difference on well-recorded DVD-A and SACD discs but there is a new format for music that is just getting off the ground. Blu-Ray offers the potential for uncompromised sound, although it is digital and that is good enough for me. I don’t have my cables running through boxes of Peruvian sand and yes there are people who swear it makes a difference.

I am talking about music only discs here, not concert footage, which is readily available. My search was nearly fruitless aside from 30+ classical titles on Amazon. I was thrilled to see there is a market but I didn’t find anything I was interested in buying again. A few hopeful articles are out there but nothing concrete for future mainstream releases. This puzzles me as Universal Music was an early addition among Blu-Ray supporters.

Blu-Ray has potential because of the number of players, including PS3’s that are out and with the format war over this seems to be the next logical step for those who realize that all MP3’s sound like crap on a good system.

*UPDATE* Neil Young is releasing a 10 disc Blu-ray music collection available 2/24/2009. This is a great opportunity to see what the format is capable of. The projected price, well over $300 will mean I will not be hearing these anytime soon :(