home theater

An audio/video entertainment center that has a large-screen TV and hi-fi system with three speakers in the front (left, right and center) and left and right speakers in the rear. Starting in the early 1990s, video inputs were added to stereo receivers and preamplifiers. Today, almost all audio vendors make combination audio/video equipment for home theater listening and viewing.

Audio - Just As Critical
A good sound system is as important as the video display in a home theater setup, if not more so. In many homes, the audio is the more elaborate and costly portion of the system. Setting up the room for realistic audio can be a lot more challenging and time consuming than setting up the video, but the results are worth it. See 5.1 channel, Dolby Digital, digital media server and audiophile.

Home Theater Components

These are the typical components in a 5.1 audio (5 speakers/1 subwoofer) system. More speakers may be used (see 5.1 channel), and rather than an A/V receiver, a separate preamp and amplifier are found in high-end systems. If the TV is rear projection, it cannot be wall mounted. Except for the subwoofer, which always takes up some floor space, speakers range from tiny, wall-mounted units to floor models containing several speakers.

Wide Screen Home Theater!

Just as exciting as today's LCD and plasma TVs were the first "wide screen" CRTs in the early 1950s. Screen sizes jumped from 10" and 12" to the huge 16" screen you see in this 1951 Zenith floor model. Monochrome TV, of course. (Equipment courtesy of World Wide Stereo, www.wwstereo.com)