TVs & Home Theater Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-24-2022

It's time to cut the cord (the cable cord, that is). The world of online streaming is positively teeming with services that offer everything from anime (see Crunchyroll) to zombies (see Shudder). However, outside of the standard TV and movie fare that you find on the likes of Netflix and Hulu, what most of us really want is stuff to keep our kids entertained, our sports cravings satisfied, and our thirst for news quenched. Here you'll find lists of streaming services that cover all of these bases.

Article / Updated 02-21-2017

USB is a serial bus standard that allows you to connect peripheral devices to a PC. In a home theater, USB can be found on the back of many computer-like source devices, such as MP3 servers and PVRs. Following are some details on USB connections and devices: Most printers, external modems, handheld computers, portable MP3 players, and other PC peripheral devices connect to PCs via USB. USB has pretty much replaced RS-232 in the PC world, with the exception of connections to automation and control systems, but it will probably eventually replace those as well. The most common use for USB in a home theater is with a Wi-Fi system. You can outfit source devices that can connect to the Internet with a USB Wi-Fi network adapter. This adapter enables you to connect back to the access point and out to the Internet. USB is also used for remote control connections for PCs. The remote control receiver for the PC connects to the PC via a USB cable. Multiple types of USB devices are out there. The latest and greatest variant of USB is USB 2.0 High-speed, which supports data transfers at speeds of up to 480 Mbits per second. The older and slower USB 1.1 standard doesn’t cut it for home theater use, because it can barely handle audio signals and just plain can’t do high-quality video. You can find a few A/V receivers (such as the RX-D201S by JVC) that have a USB connection that lets you connect to a nearby PC to feed digital audio signals (such as MP3 files) from the PC to the receiver without using a media adapter device.

Video / Updated 03-28-2016

Audio Transcript To mount your flat screen TV and make sure it stays on the wall, you have to have to pick the right mounting kit for the job. Most are anchored into wood studs, but many include special anchors for concrete, drywall, metal studs and so on. Just remember, your anchors need to hold 5 times the weight of what you're putting on the mount. To start, attach the mounting arms to your TV. Most monitors have mounting holes flush with the back on the monitor. Screw each mounting arm to the back of the TV. Be sure not to over tighten or use screws that are too long. They can do damage and cause the monitor to come loose. This kit comes with optional 5 degree mounting plates, if you're mounting the TV above eye level. Before you attach the wall plate to the wall, insert the security screws into each end of the bracket. Tighten them just half way, so they're able to turn freely. Use an electronic stud finder to find the outside edges of the two studs on which you want to attach your wall mount. If your kit comes with a mounting template, use masking tape to temporarily stick it to the wall at your pencil marks and use a level to keep your pencil marks straight. Then use the mounting template to measure the exact height you want to mount the TV on the wall. Measure from the floor up. Make sure the template is centered on the studs and then drill the mounting holes. Next, attach the wall mount by screwing in the top two lag bolts first, then screw in the bottom bolts and check that the wall mount is level. Tighten down all the screws. Be careful not to over tighten them. If your wall mount comes with decorative end covers, now is the time to attach them. Most just press the covers into place. Then use a screw driver to turn the locking mechanisms into their locked positions, toward the front of the bracket. Next, connect all the necessary wires to your TV. And finally, you might want to get a friend to help you lift and guide the TV onto the wall plate. Make sure the monitor arms are resting securely on the top and bottom rails. Lock the arms into place with the security screws. If it's mounted securely, the TV shouldn't move. The bigger the display, say 60 inches, the harder it is to support, so it's important to properly gage your wall structure to make sure it can support the weight. Or you might want to call in the cavalry, that is, a professional installer.

Video / Updated 03-28-2016

Audio Transcript Before you can watch anything on your HDTV, you need to get a TV signal into your television. The most common way is via an antenna or cable box. Since most over the air television stations broadcast in HD signal, you can get high definition versions of most network shows using a good old fashion, rabbit ear antenna — if you live in a city or metropolitan area. The first step to connect an antenna, is to find the input port on your HDTV. Look for the VHF/UHF input. It's usually on the side or in the back of your HDTV. Your antenna attaches with a cable — it has an F connector. That's the piece at the end and it looks like the connector you're probably familiar with, if you've ever connected a cable line to a TV. The screw on connector may be a little challenging for the first couple of turns. Once you get it started, it screws on easily. If you subscribe to a cable or satellite television service, your HD and non-HD channels probably come in from a receiver that you connect to your HDTV. Most of the time you'll purchase or lease it directly from your service provider. You have a few options for how to connect this receiver. The first step is to connect the box to the cable; it brings the television signal into your house. You should have a cable with an RF connector on the end that looks similar to the cable you used with the antenna. Attach that to the box at the jack labeled input. Now you have a few options to connect your box to your HDTV. The simplest one uses a second RF cable. Simply attach the cable to the receiver's output jack and your televisions input jack. This connector delivers both video and audio signals to your set. Again, you should find all of your television's input jacks on the back of the set. For better quality video, see if your cable box has an S video or component output. The S video cable has four pins on either end that insert into your receiver and your television. Component cables have three individual cables connected together. The ends are color coded red, blue and green. Simply match the end of the cable to the input jack with the same color. The S video and component connectors aren't as simple as the RF connection because they only transmit video. That means you have to use a separate cable with red and white RCA plugs to get the sound from your cable box to your TV. Simply insert the red and white connectors into the audio out jacks of the same color on your cable box. Then do the same thing at the audio input jack on our HDTV. The RF, S, video and component connectors all transmit an analog signal. It's good quality, but to get the most from your system, you may want to think about a digital connection. An HDMI cable is the best and easiest digital option, because it transmits video and audio through one cable. An HDMI has a flatter and wider connector than the other cable options. Simply find the HDMI output on your cable or satellite box and connect the other end to the HDMI port on your HDTV. If you have any questions, you might just want to take another peak at your manual to see what options you have for connecting your HDTV to a video source.

Video / Updated 03-28-2016

Audio Transcript Systems are different, but here are the general steps to connect your HDTV to your home theater or sound system. First, check your HDTV unit's input/output ports. Usually at the side or in back. Input jacks receive signals, output jacks send signals from your HDTV to your system. Now, check your audio amplifiers input/output ports, they're usually in back. Here are the ports on a typical home theater unit. There are three main ways to make audio connections. Most all audio components offer RCA style connecters. While these will do the job, you only want to use them if you don't have the digital connection option. Since digital provides better quality audio. Digital coax or tussling cables carry the audio signal digitally. If you have a digital optical audio out on your HDTV and a digital optical audio in on your sound system, use these. Newer equipment, like some DVD players and HDTV tuners, are designed for home theaters. So they probably have a digital audio output. A third option is an HDMI cable, for combined digital, audio and video connections. This may be your best option if your home theater supports it, because a single cable carries both video and surround sound audio. One quick tip, if you're connecting older components to newer ones, you may have to buy adapters from an electronics store.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is the latest and greatest digital audio/video cable connection and can give you great HDTV resolution. Besides HDTVs, HDMI is being included in a variety of devices these days, including DVD players, cable and satellite set-top boxes, Media Center Edition PCs, and the Sony PlayStation 3 gaming console. What's so great about HDMI? Well, a few things: It's all-digital. Like DVI and FireWire, HDMI provides an all-digital path for your standard and high-definition video signals. It's high-bandwidth. HDMI can support data signals as fast as 5GB per second. That means it can handle HDTV with plenty of room to spare. (In fact, HDTV uses less than half this bandwidth — so the HDTV signals don't have to be compressed.) FireWire, by comparison, tops out at 400MB per second (there is an 800MB per second variant, but it's not very common) — less than 1/12 the bandwidth of HDMI. It can support all variants of HDTV. 720p, 1080i, even 1080p can run over an HDMI cable. It can carry up to eight channels of digital audio. So a single HDMI cable can carry your HDTV and your 7.1-channel surround sound, reducing the tangle of cables behind your system. Keep in mind, though, that the "big name" HDMI cables in your average electronics store are incredibly expensive. Don't fear, though — HDMI cables don't have to be super-expensive. In fact, certified HDMI cables can be relatively cheap, and there are many good online sources. And as HDMI becomes more widespread, the price for cables will drop. As long as your HDMI cable runs are less than 30 feet, you can buy one of those inexpensive cables and expect excellent results. When you get over 30 feet, consult a specialist because you might need some special active components to boost the signal level. If you're shopping for a new TV, a new receiver, or a new DVD player, or choosing an HDTV set-top box or satellite receiver, go with HDMI if you can. HDMI can provide the highest quality video signal and throws your multichannel surround sound audio in on the same cable. You really can't go wrong here! HDMI is fully backward compatible with DVI, which just means that you can interconnect HDMI and DVI devices. So you can connect, for example, a DVI connector on your HDTV cable set-top box to an HDMI input on your new plasma (or vice versa). Keep in mind that such connections will carry only video signals — DVI doesn't support audio. If you're buying all new gear, it's best to choose HDMI all around, but if you're upgrading, the good news is that HDMI won't strand your investment in DVI-equipped gear. All you need is either an inexpensive (about $20) adapter or HDMI-to-DVI cables, which have an HDMI connector on one end and a DVI connector on the other.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

If you're turning a computer into a music machine, why not just do the obvious: Hook it up to the stereo? If you want to make audiotapes of your MP3s (or even streaming audio concerts) for your car's tape deck, this is probably a good idea. Also, if your band wants to convert a demo tape into MP3 format for posting on the Web, you can reverse the hookup — that is, run the sound out from your stereo into the microphone jack of your computer. If you just want to listen to music you find on the Web, you may find it easier to just invest in some high-end computer speakers. A basic computer can do the essential functions of your stereo: Play compact discs. Play high-quality sound through high-end computer speakers. Stereo speakers are not magnetized in the same way as computer speakers. If you place your stereo speakers too close to your computer, they could damage your hard drive. Play it safe and keep at least a few feet of space between the two. Or, better yet, shell out some cash for a good set of computer speakers with a subwoofer. The main reason most people seem to want to connect the two beasts is to crank their MP3s out of their stereo system. Just run the right-sized wires between the right places to turn your computer into a mighty combination MP3/audio CD player. To connect your computer to your home stereo, follow these steps: 1. Turn down the volume on your stereo and sound card. If you can't find your sound card's volume adjustment — which is either somewhere on the back of the card or through its software program — simply turn off your computer (after saving and closing any open files, of course). 2. Find the correct cable. You need a shielded Y-adapter cable. This cable has a stereo 1/8-inch plug on one end and two RCA phono plugs on the other end. You can find the cable at Radio Shack. Other electronics stores and some computer stores carry the cord as well. The package of a stereo Y-adapter cable often refers to it as "a male stereo 1/8-inch plug to two male RCA plugs." The best sound card manufacturers throw the cord in for free; others make you head to Radio Shack. If your computer and stereo aren't very close together, pick up a 12-foot stereo cable. A 20-foot stereo cable provides even more room. If your computer and stereo are more than 20 feet away, ask the Radio Shack salesperson how to buy the right cable and plugs to make your own extension cable. 3. Plug the 1/8-inch stereo plug into your sound card's speaker jack. Hopefully your sound card has all its jacks labeled so that you know which hole does what. If it doesn't, you have to open the sound card's manual. Then run the extension cord between your computer and your stereo system. If you have carpet, push the cord into the crack between the carpet and the edge of the wall. Use the right tool for the job: A spoon handle works well. No carpet? One alternative is to buy a rug, but whatever you do, don't leave the cord laying across the floor. 4. Plug the cable's two RCA phono plugs into the stereo's Aux Input or Tape Input jacks. Check the back of your stereo for some unused input jacks; you should see several pairs of stubby little metal heads. Use the Aux Input or the Tape Input jacks — whichever ones aren't being used. One jack of the pair is probably red or labeled "Right" — push the cord's red plug into that jack. The other jack is probably black, white, or green — this jack is for your other plug, no matter what color it is. Don't plug your sound card's output into your home stereo's Phono Input jack. Your stereo doesn't expect such a strong signal from that jack. 5. Turn on the stereo, and switch it to Aux Input or Tape Input. Turn the stereo's input select switch to the jack that you've used, either Tape Input or Aux Input. 6. Play an MP3 file on the sound card, and adjust the volume. Gradually turn up the volume on your stereo and sound card. If everything is hooked up right, the sound should start filling the room. If the sound doesn't start filling the room, make sure that the stereo is turned to Aux Input or Tape Input — or whatever input jack you plugged the sound card into. If the stereo isn't turned to the correct input switch, your sound card won't come through.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

An audio or home theater system generally includes the center channel speaker, the left and right front speakers, the surround channel speakers, and the subwoofer. The purpose of the center speaker is to provide highly localized speaker information; it's coming from the center of the screen. There's a high correlation between what you see on the screen and where the sound comes from. The left and right speakers are to provide more lateral, but still highly localized and directed, sound. Together, the three represent the frontal face of your home theater sound experience. When there is a specific sound — the clash of swords, the shout of the main character, the click of a trigger being pulled back — the sound comes predominantly from these speakers. Center speakers The center speaker is probably the most important speaker in your system, but it's optional. This is because the left and right speakers can handle the sound that comes from the center speaker. However, you may miss out on a lot if you choose to omit a center speaker from your audio system. The center speaker anchors your on-screen dialogue and serves as a seamless connection between your left and right speakers. As that boat zooms by left to right, you don't want to have a gap in the middle of your soundfield (a concern as screens get larger and larger). Center speakers are usually located behind the screen or above or below displays, so that you can localize the on-screen sound as much as possible. To achieve this seamless harmony with the left and right front speakers, your choice of center speaker is important. Don't skimp on the center speaker in favor of your other front speakers. Each speaker (left, center, and right) is equally important and should be of similar size, similar capability, and preferably come from the same manufacturer. In fact, if you can use an identical model speaker for the center, left, and right speakers, do it. Many folks can't do this because they've chosen tower speakers for their left and right speakers, and can't possibly install a tower speaker on top of their display as a center channel speaker. If you're not using dipole or bipole speakers for your surround channels, you should consider using another identical pair of speakers for your surrounds as well. Make sure any speakers that will be close to a cathode ray tube (direct-view) video display are video shielded — especially the center speaker. If not, the speakers will cause picture distortions on your screen. This is most important for your center speaker (which may rest directly on top of your display), but can also be an issue for your left and right speakers if they too are close to the display. Left and right speakers The front left and right speakers, if possible, should be: Full-range speakers (even if you plan on using a subwoofer). Ear-level (even if using bookshelf-style speakers). If the speakers are large, keep the tweeters at ear level. Of similar performance capability as the center speaker — preferably from the same manufacturer. If you want to use your existing speakers with your audio system, try to buy a center speaker from the same manufacturer and class for the best results. In an ideal world, you use exactly the same model of speaker for your center, left, and right speakers — all your front speakers. You should try to buy all three of these speakers from the same manufacturer and make sure that the manufacturer has designed them to be timbre matched — in other words, that they sound alike. This ensures that you get a more seamless listening experience.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Audio speakers are relatively simple devices. Basically, you have an enclosure (typically a box) into which speaker drivers are attached. The drivers are the round elements that many people call the actual speakers (they're not). The drivers look like cones or horns (or even ribbons or domes), and in fact, the large surface area of the drivers is called the cone or diaphragm. These surfaces move back and forth to make the sound. If you have ever pulled the front screen off your speakers or have seen speakers without their front grille on, you've seen the speaker drivers. Driver sizes Drivers come in different sizes and modes, but generally, you'll find three types, based on the frequencies they handle: Tweeter driver: These handle the high-frequency treble range (above 2,000 Hz). Midrange driver: These handle the midrange frequencies (200 Hz to 2,000 Hz). Woofer driver: These handle the low-frequency bass range (below 200 Hz). No single driver is well suited to handle all sounds from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz; multiple drivers are commonly used to be able to span the full spectrum. A speaker that handles the full frequency is called a full-range speaker. How drivers work Speaker driver cones are typically made from paper, plastic, or metal. This material moves back and forth and creates changes in the air pressure (sound waves) that ultimately arrive at your eardrum and cause it to move back and forth in a corresponding fashion. This causes you to hear the sound. The cone is moved by an electromagnetic process that's caused by a coil of wire at the base of the cone, called the voice coil. The electrical impulses coming from the amplifier (or the amplifiers built in to your receiver) drive the voice coil and the voice coil interacts with a permanent magnet attached to the speaker's cone (or dome or whatever shape it may take). Drivers come in all sorts of different sizes, but in general, the larger the driver is, the lower the frequencies it was designed for. Because higher frequencies require sound waves that have high and low pressure points close together, the cone must be smaller to be able to move back and forth fast enough to keep up. Lower frequencies have to move back and forth more slowly, and smaller drivers have a hard time with these. So you find that drivers are designed for specific audio frequency ranges. Most speakers that have multiple drivers in their speaker enclosure have crossovers, which divide up inbound speaker signals and distribute them to the appropriate driver. Drivers in speaker-market lingo You'll most often run into two types of speakers on the market: Two-way: These have a woofer and a tweeter in one speaker enclosure. Three-way: These have a woofer, tweeter, and a midrange driver in the same enclosure. The use of the cone-shaped diaphragm and electromagnetic-powered movement is specific to the class of speakers called dynamic speakers. You may run across other speakers that are more expensive and are used for specific purposes. In most cases, the following speakers are not recommended for home theater use: Electrostatic speakers: Theseare used primarily for stereo audio listening and are rare in home theater systems. They can't handle bass and are rather limited in where and how you position them. Planar-magnetic speakers: For similar reasons, these are not likely to be useful for your home theater application because they are best used for the higher frequencies only. You're better off spending your money on quality dynamic speakers.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Your speaker enclosure, it turns out, is pretty critical. You see, with all the shaking your drivers do, if you have a rather flimsy speaker encasement, then it's either going to make a lot of noise, fall apart, or both. Your enclosure should be able to handle the vibrations with ease and should add little sound interference to the sound emanating from the drivers. You'll run into two major types of enclosures: Sealed (also known as acoustic suspension)enclosures Ported (also known as bass reflex)enclosures A sealed enclosure is what it sounds like; it's an airtight case. As your driver moves back and forth, the air pressure in the speaker is constantly changing. This puts extra pressure from behind on the diaphragm as it moves in and out, and that takes extra power to overcome. On the positive side, however, that extra pressure makes the cone snap back and forth faster and with more precision, giving you a more crisp and accurate sound. A more efficient speaker design is the ported or bass reflex enclosure. In the front of these enclosures is a hole (port) that equalizes pressure between the inside and outside of the speaker. When the diaphragm moves back into the speaker, it increases the internal pressure, which is funneled out through the front port of the speaker. This augments the sound waves traveling from the speaker, and increases the efficiency tremendously. The downside is that, from a reproductive sound perspective, you may get less accurate results from bass reflex enclosure. That's because they don't have the benefit of the extra pressure influencing the reverberating diaphragm. So the speaker sound might reproduce bass notes less precisely — substituting a louder boominess for a more realistic reproduction of the low notes that doesn't have as much house-shaking "oomph." Bass reflex enclosures can dramatically decrease your power requirements because they increase the bass output of a speaker by around 3 dB compared to a sealed enclosure. To match a 3 dB output boost through amplification, the power applied to the speaker needs to be doubled. So if a bass reflex enclosure speaker were powered with a 150 watt amplifier, a sealed enclosure speaker would require a 300 watt amplifier to produce the same output. In the end, you can be happy with either sealed or bass reflex designs. Just keep in mind that these units handle bass differently and that good design and construction can minimize these effects.