Practical Home Theater Guide

...explains it all

A comprehensive home theater guide to home theater systems, product reviews and home theater design; lots of easy-to-follow information and practical installation tips to help you get started.

Samsung LN52A650 52" 1080p LCD with RED 'Touch of Color'

For our details 2008 Samsung LCD Product Guide, click here.

No more driving to the crowded movie theater... true cinematic experience within the comfort of your home is a reality!

Today home theater systems can do a remarkable job towards a great cinematic experience. It is all about an intermix effect brought together by the various system components:

the big screen TV,
home theater receiver, speaker placement,
home theater room setup, overall room decor...

Even what may appear as a simple sheet of stretched fabric - the projection screen - can do a lot to help support this cinematic effect.

Through the info published on Practical Home Theater Guide, we show you that it is all a question of selecting the appropriate gear to complement your room. It is also a matter of following the necessary implementation principles for a correct home theater setup. It is not true that the bigger a big screen TV is, the better. Nor is it true that you will have better home theater sound by pumping more power into that sub-woofer!

Follow through the various articles in Practical Home Theater Guide to discover more.

Website Objective

We hope that Practical Home Theater Guide will serve as a comprehensive reference source with easy-to-follow information covering all aspects of home theater.

Our aim is to help you achieve through your own home theater system that same magical experience we enjoy at movie theaters.

We are therefore presenting a series of informative articles and setup guides that discuss the various aspects of home theater.

Practical Home Theater Guide is broken down into various sections targeting specific areas of interest:

	CRT, Plasma and LCD direct view displays
	LCD and DLP Rear projection TVs
	Home Theater and Multimedia video projectors
	Video projector screens and projection screen paints
	Home theater receivers and wireless speaker systems
	Home theater calibration and setup discs
	Equipment protection
	...and much more.

Each of these sections include the relevant home theater guides that discuss in detail the respective design criteria, setup constraints, equipment selection, and overall equipment integration.

Related home theater system reviews are also included, while links to manufacturers' sites and major online suppliers are provided whenever possible.

We are also featuring an interesting series of Home Theater Design articles that takes a full 360^o approach to the subject, starting with the basics in design concept up to final implementation.

Topics covered include: initial planning issues such as budget and available space, room acoustics, lighting, shared versus dedicated home theater room, room decor, home theater seating, screen size and viewing distance, equipment and speaker placement, speaker wiring, etc.

On our part, we are committed to continue developing our website into a complete resource of free home theater guides and product reviews.

We encourage you to subscribe to our free e-zine 'Practical HT Guide Update' to remain abreast with the latest additions to our site.

To subscribe, simply fill in the form below:

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Please feel free to use the site Feedback Form to post in your comments, suggestions or queries.

Meanwhile, we hope that you will enjoy and profit from the articles and guidelines appearing in Practical Home Theater Guide.

In the news...

The latest home theater news and more

Practical Home Theater Guide - Website Index Main Categories

Video/TV - Digital Television and Direct View Guides: CRT, LCD, and Plasma TV

Guide to Digital TV
Discover all you need to know about digital television - from converter boxes to DTV antennas - and see what you can to so that the latest and greatest change since the introduction of color TV would not make your analog TV set obsolete by February 2009.

Home Theater Entertainment: Direct-view Big Screen TVs
A complete guide to home theater big screen TV systems covering direct-view CRT, flat panel LCD TV, and high definition plasma televisions.

CRT TV Guide:
The latest low prices on flat-panel TVs seem to imply that the CRT TV days are over. But is it really so? CRT still offers unsurpassed picture quality, and the new slim type tubes offer even more�

The Complete LCD TV Guide:
LCD HDTVs are turning out sharper, bigger, better, and cheaper. Discover all you need to know about LCD TV sets in this series of articles on LCD televisions.

Plasma Television ...the primary choice in BIG screen TV
A Complete Guide to Plasma Television: Discover the basic operational principles, find out the pros and cons of plasma vs. LCD TV, and identify the features to look for when making a plasma TV purchase.

Flat-Panel TV Reviews: LCD and Plasma HDTVs

LCD TV Reviews:
A series of LCD TV Reviews covering some of the best yet affordable LCD televisions presently available on the market under the so-called 'value category'. In the process, we also take a look at a few cheap LCD TVs selling at under $1,000!

Plasma TV Reviews � discovering the best plasma televisions!
A series of plasma TV reviews covering some of the best yet most affordable plasma television sets.

Video Projection Systems - Guides and Product Reviews: Rear projection TVs, Video Projectors and Projection Screens

Projection TV - the center of attraction in home entertainment
In search of BIG fun; look to the big screens of Projection TV. A complete guide to front and rear projection television systems, and DIY projection TV.

Front Projection: Business and Home Theater Video Projector Reviews
Multimedia video projectors can serve many purposes. Our video projector reviews can help you discover the best-selling business and home theater projectors available today from major brands.

Rear Projection TV Reviews
A selection of Rear Projection TV reviews covering major top-selling systems for home theater use.

DIY projection TV � Converting any TV into a 150� big screen Television
Imagine watching movies or your favorite sports in real life-size without spending a fortune! DIY projection TV can make all this a reality but �

Home Theater Screens � the Secret behind Great Image Projections
Home theater screens are usually the last to be considered when setting up a home cinema. Many would choose among the cheapest available projector screens. However, this is a BIG mistake...

Home Theater Audio: Multi-Channel Sound

Home Theater Surround Sound Formats
For many, the long list of terms and brand names associated with home theater surround sound - Dolby, DTS, THX, etc., as well as the availability of DVD-A, DualDiscs, and SACDs, is getting a bit too complicated.

Help is on the way! This home theater guide takes a detailed look at the different sound formats and certifications in use today in the home theater world.

Home Theater Cables: AV Interconnects and HDCP

Home Theater Cables: A Guide to AV Connectors and Speaker Wire
Do not underrate the importance of quality home theater cables. The build quality of AV connectors and speaker wire will impact system performance. Read here to discover more.

HDCP - An Introductory Guide to the most debated Digital Content Protection
Discover what HDCP is all about, why it impacts your HDTV viewing, and how it works. Is there an alternative to noncompliant HDTV devices - what about HDCP strippers?

Home Theater Guides: HT Design, AV Racks and System Set-up

Towards a Successful Home Theater Design: A series of articles to get started
Fire your system, drop a new DVD, and dim the lights� Instantly, you are immersed into a totally different world. A correct home theater design is crucial for this kind of experience. Discover more here.

Getting the best out of your system: Home Theater Setup DVDs
Home Theater setup DVDs can help you get the best out of your system without calling a professional. Read here to discover how these calibration discs can come in handy during equipment setup.

A Guide to Audio Video Equipment Racks
AV Rack enclosures come in all shapes and sizes, and are great to help you keep your gear well organized and safe - essential for long-term trouble-free operation.

But there is more to equipment racks than a storage space for your system components. More in this informative home theater guide.

Home Theater Room Decor: Home Theater Pictures and Movie Posters

Home Theater Pictures - Visitor's Gallery
A collection of Home Theater Pictures to help you discover what others have done to build their home theater masterpiece.

Movie Posters - a great way to relive the magic of your favorite movies!
Movie posters can help recreate the magic of the movie theater in the home. Learn more about the fascinating world of movie pictures, poster sizes, poster books, poster light boxes, etc., in this Movie Poster Guide.

Wireless Home Theater: Headphones, Speakers & Media Players

A Practical Guide to Wireless Headphones and Dolby Headphone technology
Ever told to turn it down? Wireless headphones may be a solution. However, you need to combine the flexibility of a wireless headset with Dolby Headphone technology to enjoy a great sound experience.

Wireless Home Theater � A buying guide to Wireless Speakers Systems
Wireless speakers offer greater flexibility especially when in-wall wiring is not an option. This wireless speakers buying guide should help you identify the best solution for your needs.

PC - Home Entertainment integration through Wireless Media Players
Are you ready to expand your wireless networking from a simple home-office to a fully integrated wireless home entertainment system? Today�s wireless media players make all this easily achievable.

Home Theater Books, Magazines and Electronics Catalogs

Home Theater Magazines (and books) - Reviews and Suggestions
Grab one or two �solid� home theater magazines and a few �good� home theater books, and you are on a sure way to avoid costly mistakes when planning a home theater or making a purchase.

Free Electronics Catalogs
Now you can get some of the best Electronics Catalogs from major companies covering top electronic gadgets and home theater gear, free of charge. More info here.

Power Protection: Line Conditioners and Surge Suppressors

Power Protection in the Home Theater - Power Line Conditioners
A guide to power protection in the home theater: Power line conditioners, surge protectors, and AC regenerators surely represent an effective insurance policy for your home theater gear, but not only�

Satellite Television - Installation Guides & 'Free' Sat TV Offers

A comprehensive online guide to Digital Satellite TV
With its exceptional picture and sound quality, digital satellite TV is delivering entertainment to millions in the USA - it is surely a great choice to complement your home theater�

FREE Satellite TV Offers from DirecTV and DISH � Where is the catch?
The fierce competition between DirecTV and DISH Network has translated itself into a number of free satellite TV offers for the end customer � offers worth a couple of hundred dollars, but�

Useful Links

Home Theater Resource Directory
A selection of home theater guides and informative articles from specialized top-rated home theater sites, with links to related web resources.

Useful Links - Home Theater
Lots more info at Practical-home-theater-guide.com: Recommended Home Theater links sorted by category.

More Links
Additional resources: Useful websites worth visiting.

Online Store, Best Price Search, and Refurbish Electronics

The Practical-Home-Theater-Guide.com Home Theater Store
The Home Theater Store with the movie 'magic' in mind - covering books, home theater magazines, audio video cables, DVDs, videos and music CDs, home theater receivers and TVs, etc.

Price Search
Do not just buy it... Best Price Search It! We have partnered with one of the major price comparison search engines to help you identify the best deals and save money when shopping online.

Guide to Buying Refurbish Electronics
Buying Refurbished electronics is a great way to big savings. However, you first need to understand what refurbished products are all about in order to be able to manage the risks involved when buying a refurbished product online.

About ME

How I built this Site - Turning passion into an income earning activity
Revealing the secret behind practical-home-theater-guide.com success - A detailed account of how I built this site.

E-Zine Subscription, Feedback, Site Search, and Site BLOG

The Practical Home Theater Guide Update
A free e-zine from Practical Home Theater Guide. Keep abreast with the latest additions to a series of informative home theater design articles, unbiased system reviews, and free advice.

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Practical Home Theater Guide ...explains it all