According to Warren Mansfield, director of consumer technology for THX, the process of calibrating audio in a home theater is important because it enables homeowners to reproduce movie soundtracks in their homes the way the audio engineers intended.

“Calibrating receivers/preamps not only balances each channel so that you get matched sound levels from each speaker, but also calibrates the overall level so that 0 dB on the volume control represents the industry standard ‘Reference Level’ in the listening position,” he says. “This is the same level at which the movie was originally mixed and played theatrically. Only THX Certified products do this in the home.”

The above is taken from the article: Five Easy Steps to Superior Home Theater Sound by Robert Archer on ElectonicHouse.com. This article post has been my most clicked on article I have post on twitter to date. Check out the article. Its has some really good tips.

Till next time,

Todd Bartlett - Cinevidia Home Entertainment Solutions

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Want to toss out that old CRT TV—or any other old electronics—but you don’t know how?

Yep, in some states it’s illegal to toss those old TVs in the landfill. They contain lead and other toxins that can leach into groundwater. Some states have laws that mandate that manufacturers take responsibility for recycling (or e-cycling) old TVs and other electronics. Massachusetts is considering one this week.

Eighteen states and New York City already have e-cycling laws, with programs in place or about to start, including California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia.

However, TVs are not yet a part of programs in Hawaii, Michigan Missouri, Oklahama, Texas and Virginia, though it is being considered in several of those states. There are also different ways these programs are set up and who pays for them, as explained in this article on the free of fee-based models.

For those who just want to know where and how to get of that thing, here are six ways:

1. Check the Electronic Takeback Coalition‘s comprehensive chart of E-Waste laws and pending legislation by state. There’s also a chart comparing what can be recycled in each state, and a detailed description of each law. (pdf links)

    

2. Find listings of local e-waste collection sites at E-Cycling Central and Mygreenelectronics. Many are municipal facilities that will only accept waste from that city or town’s residents, but private e-cyclers and others are listed as well. Other helpful information services are listed here.

Read the full article at Electonic House

ottom: 0in">Sound proofing doesn’t just keep the sound in, it keeps distracting sound out. Some simple cost effective ways to kill sound transmission are:

• Special dry wall such as Quietrock.

• Second layer of drywall with silicone

• Alternating studs and splitting the 2x6 bottom and top plate

• Vinyl Barrier Acoustic Material

Ideally, a home theater should be in an "acoustic-friendly" room, which would include a room with walls of differing length, carpeting and padded furniture. Too many hard surface and the sound bounces allover the place and causes unclear dialogue and distorted sounds. Acoustical treatment could easily be the most cost effective method to improving your system's sound.

It's common to spend 50/50 Video and Audio, but leave little for the Third important piece:  Simple activity based control of your new system.  No more 3 remotes and 5 button presses to watch Lost.  Your remote should allow you one click to Watch TV or Watch DVD or  Listen to Music.  Today’s Home Theaters do not need to be stuck in the basement or garage.  With today's designs and technologies, home theaters can be in the living room, the bedroom and even outside.  Don't like seeing speakers? Try in-wall or in-ceiling.  Don't want to see the equipment?  Hide  in the cabinet and control with an RF (Radio Frequency) remote. Outdoorsy type?  Set up an outdoor theater invite the neighbors.  Trust me, tons of fun and big wow factor.

March 08, 2009 | by ' ); // -->This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it " target="_parent"> Todd Bartlett (cinevidia.com)

The goal of modern movie makers is to make you forget for that 90 to 120 minutes where you are and to feel like you actually there as a bystander to what is happening. To help create this experience, specific sounds are sent to the front, sides and sounds of the audience, ‘surrounding them in sound”

That's why all those speakers are needed!

And the .1? Well that is where the bass come from. That is the subwoofer and no surround sound setup is complete without one.

“So what am I looking for in my Speakers?”

Strive for balanced performance. It makes no sense to overspend on one speaker component and skimp on others. Your stereo, center, and surround speakers shouldn't just sound great, they should all sound the same. All speakers in the package should have a consistent character of sound known as timbre. Matching timbre assures a seamless blend of sounds and smooth transition of sound from speaker to speaker

With today's home theater systems, every speaker in the system has a critical job and must do it well

Lets take a look at the speaker types:

The Stereo Pair - Left and Right

In addition to playing music, the left and right "main" channels of a soundtrack carry most of a motion picture's special effects and orchestral score. In order to excel at these tasks, the stereo pair must encompass wide frequency and broad volume swings (dynamic range), reproduce subtle recorded details, and be able to create a convincing "soundstage" (the impression of three dimensions).

The Center Speaker

The first rule of this speaker is don’t skimp on it!!...

Enter speaker of a surround sound system is critical as over 50% of a movies sound is routed to this speaker channel. The speaker must have the ability to produce high volume with no distortion or strain. Almost all the dialog of a movie is heard through this speaker and you want the character to sound a close to natural as possible.

Superior bass handling is not necessity by this speaker. Modern receivers have Bass Management for this channel and allow frequencies below 100Hz to be routed to the Subwoofer and/or the Stereo pair.

The Surround Speakers

Have you ever counted how many speakers you see surrounding you in a movie theater? It’s more than two or three. They do this to surround you in sound and feel like you are in the center of the action. To replicate this experience at home you will also need surround speakers. Now whether you want 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound depends on the room size and budget. Most receivers now a day do both 5.1 and 7.1. . If your room is under 400sqft or you are on a budget and can’t justify a second pair at the moment then 5.1 is a solid setup. If your room is larger and you can swing the cost of an extra pair of surround speakers then do it. The resulting world of sound you will put your self and your family in will make you feel happy you did. Oh and there are a few high end receivers that even do 9.2 and 11.2 if you really want to be the “Go To” place for movies. You make have people come to your place over the local Cineplex.

With 5.1 and 7.1 channel systems, your surround speakers need to reproduce the same high frequency range as your front speakers and bass as low as 80 Hz, minimum. In-wall or in-ceiling speakers are an attractive option for surround channel use. They can offer high performance and take up no space at all.

So do you really need that .1? The Subwoofer

Some people you live with may tell you, you don’t need that loud box in the house. Well the fact of the matter is..YOU DO!! This speaker also has the same rule as the center speaker: Don’t Skimp! Subwoofers are an essential component of a home theater system those DVDs and Blu-rays you watch assign additional low frequency effects to a separate subwoofer track. A small, inexpensive subwoofer added to a pair of large, high quality floor-standing speakers may do more harm than good. Subs should add a deep bass foundation and not just "boom"? It should be tight and well defined with music. Ultimately how much bass you’re looking for in the system. If you want to rattle the walls and feel chest collapsing bass, one or more powerful subwoofers is recommended

There are a few things to keep in mind when selecting your powered subwoofer for your Digital Home Theater system.

· Select a location for your subwoofer and measure the space to see what fits.

· Subwoofers generally perform best when placed near walls.

· The better your front main speakers, the better the subwoofer needs to be.

· The subwoofer should be capable of reproducing very low frequencies so that it produces the bass that your main speakers cannot reproduce efficiently

· The size (volume) of your room is a factor. The bigger the room you want to fill, the better and more powerful the subwoofer you'll need.