Home Theater Website Targets Common Shopping Mistakes

(PRWEB) December 9, 2004

Many shoppers this Christmas will purchase home theater components that quickly become obsolete because of rapidly evolving new technologies. But there are ways to “future-proof” your home electronics shopping, says Wayde Robson, editor of http://www.hometheaterfocus.com, a leading consumer advice guide.

“Consumers feel frustrated and confused by what’s available on the home theater market today,” says Robson, “partly because they have seen how quickly products change in home electronics.”

Robson says there are a few basic precautions that consumers can take to make sure their home theater components remain usable for many years. Robson’s annual “Christmas List” of shopping tips and traps for the holiday season can be found at: http://www.hometheaterfocus.com .

Here are some of Robson’s most useful suggestions:

HDTV – When looking at HDTVs, make sure you get an HDCP-compliant video input. These special digital video inputs come in two basic types: DVI and HDMI. They’re critical to future-proof your video connection even if you don’t have a device that can connect to your TV right away.

Plasma TVs – Plasma displays provide beautiful high-contrast images, but they’re also extraordinarily expensive. And Robson says plasma is overrated. “Other display types look just as good as plasma and are almost as light and thin – and won’t cost as much as a new car.”

Full-Screen DVDs – When buying a DVD for that Home Theater aficionado, be sure to select the “widescreen” version. A “full screen” version usually accompanies widescreen in any major DVD release, but “full screen” is sure to make true fans of any film cringe. And cringe they should: “full screen” is formatted to fit onto a square TV, so you lose up to 20% of the picture.

DVRs – Many consumers believe TiVo is synonymous with DVR, the ability to pause and record live TV. But TiVo is really just a brand name for a premium service that charges a fee to search for programming to record. DVR is a feature (specifically a hard drive) that is included on satellite receivers, cable boxes and DVD recorders. Buying someone a TiVo receiver may seem like a great gift but you’re also buying something that requires a monthly fee. If someone on your Christmas list already uses a satellite or digital cable service they’re happy with, why not just get them a DVR receiver that is compatible to the service they already use?

HTIB – Home Theater in a Box (HTIB) is seen as the shortcut to Home Theater sound, but it’s usually anything but. Some HTIB systems might sound good in a very small room, but for a full-sized living room it’s sure to leave much to be desired. Box systems lack the punch and impact of the true Home Theater experience. You can get stuck with a dead-end system that cannot be upgraded. Chances are that for little more than you pay for a HTIB, you can get a real receiver and 5.1 speaker system.

Setup DVDs – The most often-overlooked aspect of Home Theater is calibration and fine tuning. Most people set up their system and let it run, never sure if they’re getting the best performance possible from their system. No Home Theater system should be without a setup DVD like Avia: Guide to Home Theater. A setup DVD will cost no more than a movie and will walk anyone through a series of tests and calibration procedures to help unlock the full potential of a Home Theater system.

For more information contact:

Wayde Robson, Editor

http://www.hometheaterfocus.com
email: editor@hometheaterfocus.com

Member, Home Theater Alliance

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