Getting the most from your home theatre
Quantum - your Independent AV SpecialistWith more than 30 years supplying audio and viisual products we are well placed to advise you and or your family on the components, speakers and vision products that will make your Home Theatre experience come to life.
And, by purchasing from an independent AV Specialist the we can promise you the result will be satisfy your needs.
THE SCREEN
LCD TELEVISION:
Available in sizes from 66cm to in excess of 150cm, LCD television is the world's most accepted flat panel TV.
The advantages are:
fitting into minimal space,
bright vivid picture quality,
up to 1080p, with 1920 lines of resolution this is true best quality HD.
heaps of inputs and flexible mounting either on stand, off wall or drop down motorised solutions.
PLASMA TV
Has many of the advantages of LCD but with better dynamic contrast and blacks, but suffers from a poor perception
compared to an LCD screen in the reliability and power consumption stakes.
The fact remains the Pioneer KRP500 plasma tv has been reviewed as ‘the best picture on the planet’ from a flat panel TV!
OVERHEAD PROJECTION TV
Still by far the most realistic way to watch DVD/Blu-ray movies and ‘big sports events’
A quality home theatre will use a cinema Projector such as the superb Sim Domino range. These units deliver very film like results from movies. Screen sizes of up to 300cm can be achieved although a 16:9 250cm (100”) screen is excellent viewing.
If room condition don’t permit a projector, consider a high quality wide screen LCD or plasma television.
While widescreen plasma or LCD offer exceptional picture quality, nothing beats a projector for extraordinary cinema quality.
The image quality from Quantum’s range of projectors is awesome. Our staff will be happy to advise as to the best device
for your room/home.
One option is to choose an LCD TV for day to day viewing, and a motorised projection screen for movies and sport so you can enjoy the best of both worlds.
For optimum results with LCD, Plasma and Projectors skilled installation is required with specialised inter-connecting cables.
THE SOUND
Good movies are as much about sound as they are pictures, so to do them, and your music collection justice, you need to match your home theatre audio package to your widescreen tv or projector.
The Home Theatre Receiver
This is the ‘engine’ that all sources , such as a DVD player, plug into . It contains the amplifiers to drive the various speakers
around the room. It also contains digital processors and these vary enormously in quality - hence not all Home Theatre
receivers are created equal.
A very good Home Theatre should be based around a powerful Surround Receiver. These receivers have 7 x 120w amplifiers, usually a built in AM/FM tuner and enough inputs for future developments. Quantum have models that, for example, feature Bluetooth®, iPod® and/or ethernet connection for streaming music from your computer. How much power is needed varies depending on room size, type of speaker system and listening habits.
Don’t be fooled by focusing on just the power specifications - the number of watts does NOT tell you how the system with actually SOUND in your room. Quantum’s install team can link this to a multi-room solution if required.
The Speaker System
A speaker system using the superb B&W (Bowers & Wilkins) series of either in-ceiling. on wall or free standing speakers will deliver a VERY good Home Theatre experience. They are visually apealing and are available in various finishes to suit your home. Also we offer new technology such as Stealth, which are completely hidden speakers.
Main Speakers
Because most of our customers still want good stereo from their CD collection, iPod(c) stored music and movies, it is important to have a main speakers capable of reproducing your favourite music properly. These main speakers should be able to be placed evenly each side of the Video display - whether this is a LCD TV, large projector screen or plasma panel.
Centre Speaker
This important part of any Home Theatre delivers the voice or dialogue channel and should sit just above or directly below the TV image. This speaker must be voice matched to the Main Speakers - our staff can advise you as to how this is achieved.
Rear Speakers
Due to space constraints rears are usually smaller units so they can be wall or ceiling mounted. A very good solution is utilising
in-ceiling or in-wall speakers. In fact many of our customers are now choosing & we are installing complete ‘flush’ in-wall
or in-wall solutions.
Sub-Woofer
By definition sub bass means moving lots of air to create those low, low notes! It is difficult to get a subwoofer of real quality below about $1000. Bear in mind that subs contain their own amplifier so its not just another speaker in a box. You will not see a bass player at the local pub using 10cm drivers in his or her speaker cabinet - usually they are a minimum 20cm or 30cm - likewise most good Home Theatre subs have a quality larger cone driver (or woofer). B&W’s unique golf-ball PV1 sub offers incredible performance from a small but designer friendly bit of gear!
The End Result – Simple to use
A Home Theatre to entertain your family & friends. Sit down push a couple of buttons on the customised touch panel controller and forget the frustrating day at work! And its not just watching movies, check out some of the live concerts available on DVD. Even for ageing rock ‘n rollers like me there are concerts from your favourite group or artist. These sound and look brilliant through a good Home Theatre set-up.