Intro to Receivers page 3 |
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Greg Gentry Twenty seven year old Director of Marketing in Jacksonville, FL, Greg Gentry, has been involved in Home Theater design for the last 6 years. Greg will be writing articles for the new audio/videophile. |
Connection Concerns Another area to be concerned about is speaker connection. On entry-level and mid-line models, most home theater receivers include spring-clip connectors for the speaker wires. Speaker binding posts are found on the higher-end models. Intermediate line models may offer a combination of posts for the fronts and spring-clips for the rears. Binding post provide a much better connection because you have the option of using bare wire, lugs, pins, or even banana plug connectors. Banana plug connectors resemble a banana, and fit snugly into the binding post and offer the best possible connection. Of course, like the upscale connectors, they should be gold-plated for better connectivity. Some speaker features really allow you to enter the modern era with your home theater. Multi-room capability will allow the receiver to deliver sound to other rooms. For example, the family would able to watch a movie in the family room while someone else could be listening to a CD in the bedroom – using the same receiver. The
Remote Control Rebellion Many receivers include universal or learning remotes. Universal remotes help tie your components together. Although these remotes will work on a variety of manufacturers’ components, if you have gear from the same brand, it will make the remotes easier to use. Universal remotes have built-in, preprogrammed codes for various components. Some brands allow you to “teach” your remote the commands of other types of equipment. Additionally, some manufacturers also include “macro keys” that allow you to tie together different commands by tapping one button on the remote. With one keystroke, you can turn on your receiver, TV, and VCR – and be in the right mode to watch your favorite movie. Many remotes are now illuminated. At the touch of a button, some or all of the keys light up. Alternately, a few units offer touch-pad LCD screens. These models call up different screens for each piece of equipment – the VCR screen is different from the CD screen. Many new remotes are sophisticated enough to allow you to control picture-in-picture, the on screen menu of your DirecTV system, and program your VCR. A newly emerging product category in the realm of home theaters is called “Home Theater in a Box.” This bundling product allows an aspiring home theater owner an easy and inexpensive way to get into the game. Home Theater in a Box products usually include an A/V receiver with either Dolby Pro Logic or Dolby Digital surround processing, five magnetically shielded speakers, a subwoofer, and color-coded speaker wire – all conveniently bundled together and ready to carry home in a box. It’s literally one-stop shopping for the average consumer. All you need to do is just attach a TV and hi-fi VCR or DVD player to your Home Theater in a Box, and you’re ready to experience the drama of a working theater in your living room. And some manufacturers make it even easier to get going. Aiwa and Pioneer, for example, now include a DVD player in some of their packages. Buying
Tips Once you have made the decision to get into the home theater game, there are a few basic considerations to note. First of all, it is important to purchase a home theater receiver that at least featured Dolby Pro Logic surround – and preferably one that is Dolby Digital ready. However, if your budget allows you to, you should buy a model that includes both Dolby Digital and DTS surround decoding. Spending a little more on these features now will ensure that your receiver will be on the cutting edge for the next several years. Additionally, it would also be wise to purchase a model that also includes six-channel outputs. That way, if a new technology comes down the pike in a year or two – they always do – you’ll be able to use it. Remember that home theater receivers will last for many years, so that investment of extra money now will pay dividends in the future. It is also a good idea to try to purchase a receiver with as many video and audio inputs as possible – even if you can’t utilize them right away. More and more video products will include S-Video, and more audio products will include either digital coax or optical outputs. You can really never have enough inputs on a receiver. The beauty of home theater is that you do not have to buy it all at once. You can buy a receiver today and a speaker system tomorrow. Each component is a building block to your total system. There may not be as many discounts on home theater receivers as there are for other types of equipment. And for some pieces of gear, you may have to go to selected retailers or specialty stereo stores. If you can’t find what you are looking for, call or e-mail the manufacturer. They will be happy to recommend dealers in your area so that you can experience and listen to their products in the proper setting. Greg Gentry |
