Your home theater system when is it time to upgrade
May 19, 2007 by Joe Boyle · Leave a Comment
Have You Outgrown Your Home Theater System how do you know when it’s time for an upgrade?
When I first got started in home theater I brought myself a Toshiba TV with integrated dolby logic and stereo and it completely changed how I watched movies for ever. Lets not forget we are talking the forerunner to dolby pro logic this was just enhanced stereo and was I impressed.
I was the first in our street to get stereo TV and this new stuff just blew me away ….My neighbours were all pretty green as well.
Many times, people experiment with a relatively inexpensive home theater system to get a feel for owning one and to determine whether or not home theater is for them and whether it increases their enjoyment of movies and television.
At the start most people a cyncial and feel that the demo they had in the home theater store or when they listened to a buddy’s system is just going to be the same in their living room or den.
But I can safely say almost without exception NO ONE WOULD GO BACK!
That’s right once savored home theater is a keeper 99 times out of 100 (the other 1% were just beyond help so we on’t worry about them : > )
When you find out how much you enjoy having a home theater system, you then start to look for a new system to replace their old starter system well that’s the case with most home theater fanatic’s
If you feel you have outgrown your existing home theater system, but aren’t sure what to do next, you may want to consider a few of these observations.
First, don’t throw away your old system.Unless like me it becomes so out of date you can’t even give it away…
I still have 6 center speakers, several surround speaker sets an a couple of early pro logic amps cluttering up my garage so when I move I am going to have to have a huge clear out so apply logic before sentiment.
As long as it is still operable, there is no reason to get rid of it with of course the above proviso.
Your old system may be a great way to build a secondary system or to supply some of what you will need for a new system depending on what you had. Or you might want to let a less fortunate friend or the kids have it for their bedroom or their den.
Additionally, if your old system is still functioning it can serve as a backup just in case you encounter problems with your next home theater system. This is big one my TV packed up a few months ago just before the Superbowl and I had to get out the old Front Projection TV which still delivers a high quality picture but I was glad I had hung on to it.
Second, consider building up the new system with the old components as a foundation. Instead of simply scrapping the old and buying all new stuff , carefully analyze the components of your old system to determine if there are any pieces that remain usable as you grow your system. In many cases one or more of the components from an older system can still be used as one part of the new.
By building a system this way you not only maximize the return on your original equipment investment, it also serves as a way to cut costs on the new system.You should always consider upgrading piece by piece if the existing components are of anything close to adequate quality. Especially if your love of home theater is bigger than your budget like most of us.
Finally, when it comes time to build your new system, approach the matter with all the caution and care you did with your first. Do your research properly.Search for bargains this site will help you with that. Do not be in such a hurry to acquire a new home theater that excitement takes over common sense and you buy a bunch of junk you never even listened to.
Home theaters can bring a great deal of fun and entertainment into any home but it is easy to make the wrong upgrading choices and feel the additional investment was not worth the additional improvement. (been there, done that, got the T shirt). Bottom line is don’t pay for features the magazines tell you are important only to find you never use them.
If you feel your current home theater or home cinema system is lacking in some areas , you should take some of the ideas mentioned here to heart before leaving your home to guy buy a new system don’t buy something for the sake of it a few hundred bucks on an unecesssary upgrade will buy a lot of movies!
Make use of what you have, consider alternative uses for your existing system, and approach buying your new home theater system with an eye toward maximum value after conducting adequate research
Don’t forget your best research tool is your own eye and ears….
Have a great day
Tags: dolby, entertainment, home cinema, home theater system, home theater upgrade, projection tv, speakers, Toshiba
Home theater system installation tips,tricks and advice for beginners
May 11, 2007 by Joe Boyle · Leave a Comment
Home theater system installation tips, trick and advice for beginners … great idea you are probably thinking I haven’t got a clue where to get started with my home theater installation and I could do with some handy hints so I don’t make a total hash of it.
Well have you noticed that most men … myself included always start to do things the wrong way round? Let me give you an example we decide we are going to decorate the bedroom don’t know one end of paint brush from another but it will save money.
3 Weeks Later You End Up Paying
But after 3 weeks we have the wife or girlfriend saying we are not sleeping with them until it’s finished we eventually give up and go and call a painter and decorator. Who after various tut’s and hmm’s that’s going to be expensive ends up costing us twice what it would of if we gave him the job in the first place.
Well doing it yourself home theater installation is a bit like that for many people, they get everything home from the store decide the couple of hundred the guy was going to charge for setting it all up was money better in their pockets and they start getting everything out of the boxes throw the instruction books in the corner and start assembling this mass of wires and components.
Good DIY Project or Dumb Idea?
So you might be asking is home theater installation a good DIY project or a recipe for disaster? The answer to that question will depend both your experience level (which if your are a newbie is likley to be pretty scant) and on the exact nature of the home theater system in question.
A good rule of thumb is if you paid more than a few hundred don’t even dream about trying to set it up yourself if you spent thousands of dollars on top end home theater equipment and don’t know your woofer from your tweeter or your center speaker from your decoder you are asking for trouble.
If the work involves wireless installation or cutting holes in panels and you are hopeless at DIY don’t even go there…
Mistakes Cost Money!
But few of us, however, are looking for anything quite that extreme but remember a simple mistake can cost a lot to put right.
If however you simply paid a few hundred dollars on an all-in-one home theater system which you brought off the net or second hand off eBay don’t bother paying for a professional instal unless you are a complete techno phobe.These low-end systems are particularly built for ease of installation and can be handled by pretty much anyone who reads the intructions.
Again, however, most of us don’t fall into this category either even less read the instructions…
The greater number of us fall somewhere between these two extremes.
Perhaps we have purchased separate components and a nice five-speaker surround sound set, but have stopped short of making a huge investment that would obviously warrant professional help.
Those of us in the middle and have read the manuals properly can generally handle a pretty basic home theater installation when it just involves connecting all the home theater components .
First, and most importantly, if you a novice or even if you are upgrading some home theater componets you should read all documentation and instructions things change. I had never even heard of an Optilink when I brought my first system and if you import from the Far East like I did a few years ago you can forget scart as they moved on from that years ago.
It is also important to have a clear understanding of how to hook things up and why they are hooked up this way. Don’t be tempted just to dive in immediately, read the supporting materials provided by the manufacturer even if they are poor translation which looks like it was written by a 7th grader or worse. I have found some manufacturers provide very useful information and with high end equipment this can be essential.
Second, use the right tools for the job. Home theater installations that involve using the kitchen equipment are likely to have several weak links. Take the time to use the right tools for the job and don’t compromise on quality of connectors,speaker wires and the like…
Finally, stop if it isn’t working!!!
It is possible to do permanent damage to components during installation and you if not done properly. You don’t want to hear a big bang and kiss goodbye to hundreds of dollars of equipment in puff of smoke.Most equipment has protection circuitry but it is not designed to be a substitute for stupidty or lack of understanding.
Generally, damage of this sort is not covered by warranties. Don’t risk your investment by experimenting when something goes wrong. Consult the documentation and troubleshoot likely problems. If nothing seems to work, put the project down and call in a pro every time…
Most of us can handle our home theater installation needs. All we need to do is remember a few basic guidelines and we are likely to emerge from the process with a fully operable home entertainment center that will make movie watching at home a real joy just follow my home theater installation tips. and tricks and you’ll be OK.
Tags: av components, do it yourself, home theater, home theater advice, home theater installation, optilink
