| Home cinema systems create an atmosphere in your living room which
enhances your viewing experience. Our buying guide will take you
through the types of home cinema system available and their benefits.
Why do I need a home cinema system?
Everybody has a favourite movie, from a Hollywood blockbuster
to an art house film. A home cinema surround sound system with
its immersive audio qualities will bring all those memorable moments
back to life, letting you relive them over and over again, all
in the comfort of your own home.
How does it work?
DVD has long been responsible for the growing popularity of home
cinema. Most DVD discs contain 5.1 multi-channel digital audio,
which when decoded and amplified by a home cinema system puts
you in the middle of the action, giving you a listening experience
akin to your local multiplex.
You can also use your home cinema system to extract surround sound
from stereo sources. Connecting up your TV and games console allows
you to enjoy broadcasts and video games, revealing detail you
hadn’t heard before.
Home cinema systems typically include a receiver, DVD player or
DVD recorder as well as a subwoofer and multiple mini satellite
speakers. The subwoofer provides powerful low frequency bass while
mini speakers are placed around the room to provide the sound
effects.
5.1 surround speaker system
5.1 surround systems utilise 6 speakers including a subwoofer.
The supplied cabling is normally thin enough to be run along skirting
boards so things don’t get untidy.
As the best sound formats such as Dolby Digital utilise 5.1 channels,
this type of system is perfect for soundtrack reproduction, each
channel having a dedicated loudspeaker. This, plus the precise
positioning of the speakers around the listener mean 5.1 systems
are generally considered to give the best surround experience
going. However, not all of them have the DVD player built-in.
2.1 surround speaker system
2.1 surround systems utilise 2 speakers (either separately or
mounted together in a unit which sits under your TV) plus a subwoofer.
2.1 surround systems are perfect if your want an immersive sound
experience but have a small living room, and/or you don’t want
the hassle of running wires to where the surround speakers would
normally be situated.
5.1 sound formats such as Dolby Digital can be “downmixed” for
2.1 reproduction, so you can still enjoy multi-channel surround
sound from just 2 speakers and the subwoofer. Clever psychoacoustics
(the way you perceive sound) convinces you you’re in the middle
of the action.
Again, not all of them have the DVD player built-in.
All-in-one speaker system
All-in-one units contain surround sound decoding, amplification
and multiple speakers in one neat box which sits under your TV
(or is built into a TV stand your telly sits on). The DVD player
is not normally included.
The speaker array contains drivers positioned at different angles
which then fire the 5.1 sound around you. Again psychoacoustics
(the way you perceive sound) convinces you you’re in the middle
of the action. The perfect solution for wire haters!
Glossary
2.1
Cinema-style surround sound from 2 speakers and a subwoofer. Front
left and right channels deliver dialogue and on-screen sounds,
and also surround effects normally reproduced by separate surround
speakers. The LFE (Low Frequency Effects) channel provides low
frequency bass at certain points for sound effects such as explosions.
5.1 sound can be “downmixed” by a 2.1 system.
5.1
Very precise cinema-style surround sound from 5 speakers and a
subwoofer. Front left centre and right channels deliver dialogue
and on-screen sounds, while twin left and right surround channels
provide the surround effect. Both Dolby Digital and DTS are forms
of 5.1 surround sound.
All-in-one
A unit containing surround sound decoding, amplification and multiple
speakers.
Centre speaker
A loudspeaker which generally sits above or below your TV and
reproduces dialogue and other front-oriented sound effects.
Coaxial digital cable
A lead used to connect a DVD player to a home cinema surround
system. Carries the 5.1 signal to be decoded by the receiver.
Dolby ProLogic
A technology which decodes audio encoded in two-channel Dolby
Surround for four-channel playback. The channels consist of Front
Left/Right, Centre (mainly for speech) and Rear (for sound effects),
combining to offer superb three-dimensional sound. Good sources
of Dolby Surround material include TV broadcasts, video games,
or DVDs of older films (which don’t carry 5.1 audio).
Dolby Digital
This sound format is more advanced than Dolby ProLogic. The surround
speakers output full-range stereo sound, and a subwoofer channel
for deep bass is provided. The format is also referred to as 5.1
with the subwoofer designed as the 0.1 channel. All six channels
are recorded separately for superior channel separation, which
ultimately leads to greater steering of sound effects around the
room.
DTS
A type of 5.1 surround sound created by Digital Theater Systems.
DTS uses less compression than Dolby Digital, which leads to a
slightly clearer sound.
Optical digital cable
A lead used to connect a DVD player to a home cinema surround
system. Carries the 5.1 signal to be decoded by the receiver.
Also known as TOSLink.
Popcorn
Popcorn is usually served salted or sweetened and is enjoyed during
the movie-watching experience.
Receiver
The heart of the home cinema, this unit decodes and amplifies
the 5.1 signal (Dolby Digital or DTS) from the DVD player. Will
also usually feature a Dolby ProLogic decoder as well for extracting
surround sound from stereo sources. The receiver may also have
the DVD player built-in.
Subwoofer
A loudspeaker which reproduces very low frequency sound i.e. bass.
Surround speaker
A surround speaker reproduces sound effects. Used as a pair, surround
speakers sit generally above and behind the listening position.
Virtual Dolby
Provides a surround sound effect while only using two front speakers.
Normally found on televisions or All-in-one systems.
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