Buying a Home Theater Receiver - What to Look For

As the central component of any home theater system, the home theater receiver is one of the most important pieces of equipment you can buy. This receiver is also known as an AV receiver, or surround sound receiver, because it includes the majority of the inputs and outputs required for setting up the home theater system, from speakers to the TV set itself.A good receiver will serve as a tuner for receiving AM/FM and satellite radio, as well as high definition radio. It will control the different audio and video sources that can be used, including the DVD player, the CD player, and the VCR. It will also come equipped with a multi-channel amplifier for the transmission of surround sound signals. Be sure and check out the power ratings of this amplifier. Higher wattage capability per channel does not automatically equal better sound.

The overall sound level of the receiver is critical to the quality of your home theater experience. Decibels are used to indicate the sound level produced by a receiver. To make sure your receiver doesnt emit background noise or distort sound, look for one with about 50 watts per channel (WPC) with minimal distortion levels. Keep in mind that a receiver with a distortion rating of 10% is going to sound terrible! A receiver rated at .01% for distortion levels is ideal. Usually, distortion information is indicated by the acronym THD, or total harmonic distortion.

Yet another factor to consider where receivers are concerned is signal-to-noise ratio. This number indicates the amount of sound in contrast to the amount of background noise. A large ratio indicates that important sounds like dialogue and music will be effectively isolated from annoying background noise. Signal-to-noise ratios are indicated in decibels. Look for a ratio of 70 decibels when buying a receiver.

A factor called continuous power is also important. This is the capability of the receiver to work to its fullest power over an extended period of time. Continuous power is indicated by the acronym RMS. The RMS will give you the power capability of the component, including its potential for generating sound at various levels over an extended duration.

Dynamic headroom is another term shoppers should be familiar with. Dynamic headroom refers to the power of the receiver to generate sound at particularly high levels for brief periods of time, during a music crescendo in a movie, or when loud sound effects occur. The ability to accommodate sudden increases in sound is an important factor to look for in a receiver. Decibels are used to indicate dynamic headroom. Look for dynamic headroom of three decibels when shopping for a home theater receiver.

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LCD Vs Plasma - What's The Difference?

So you are contemplating about getting a large screen television to hang in your keeping room. It can get very frustrating with all of the television manufacturers, model numbers, features and styles to select from. As we review at this together you will see that there is no "one size fits all" TV here, as you will see that it depends on several factors. In this article we will look into the most commonly asked question.

So Should I Get A Plasma or LCD TV?

1) What size of a screen will you be selecting?
Both the LCD & Plasma screens are available in up to 65” now. Are you considering a TV bigger than 50"? I believe you will find that with Tv's larger than 50" you will get a better deal on a plasma than a LCD. But here's the good news…LCD’s are becoming less expensive every day.

2) What will the lighting situation be in your TV room?
The reason I mention this to you is that the degree of sunlight that enters the room will play a role when choosing your flat panelwall mount television set. The reason I mention this is that the plasma’s glass screen can reflect plenty of direct sunlight.So as you can imagine sometimes this can be an issue in very bright rooms. Did you know-- direct sunlight can also contribute to a washout of color. Even indirect or ambient lighting can cause a contrast ratio reduction, especially in black colors produced on the screen.

Now we will talk of one of the LCD's key benefits, since the LCD comes with a plastic matte screen that reflects less light. So if you have a very bright room-- the LCD is probably your best choice. So score a point for the LCD here.

3) Lets discuss your seating arrangements.
The reason I ask is that unfortunately, when you sit at a funny angle from the screen you will get a faded LCD picture. So this may be an important thing to consider when arranging your furniture in your TV room. Sometimes based on the the amount of wall space and windows you have…You really don’t have much of an option. So think carefully about the trade off here. You tend to see some brightness and color shift when you're on too much of an angle with LCD’s. (Thankfully LCD designers are burning the midnight oil to try to find a solution to this. Here's some good news for you plasma fans, a plasma can be viewed with a fairly solid picture from almost an angle. So score a point for plasma's here. Since technology is changing minute by minute and quality varies from manufacturer to manufacturer (and model to model) I would suggest a side-by-side comparison with several flat screens you may be thinking about. Try to make believe where your seating would be so you can watch it from the estimate angle you will be using at home--and simply judge for yourself.

These are just a few concerns to think about when picking a television for your home.

Would you like to learn more about the differences between a plasma and LCD?

Learn more about Plasma TV Installation Atlanta.