71 Home Theater

Home Theater, also known as Home Cinema is a home entertainment system that seeks to reproduce the movie theater going experience and atmosphere at home, with the help of video and audio equipment.

The genesis of Home Theater can be traced to the 1950s, when watching movies at home became popular in the USA with Kodak 8mm projector becoming affordable. The development of multi-channel audio systems and later, in the 1980s, the invention of Laser Disc ushered in a new era for Home Theater Systems. In the 1990s, a typical model of home theater consisted of a Laser Disc or VHS player fed to a big rear-projection television. The home theater technology made rapid strides with the development of the DVD- Video set up, Dolby Digital multi-channel audio surround sound speaker systems and high-definition television. The development of 3D television technology and Blu-ray Disc in 2010 have opened a new chapter in Home Theater Systems.

The latest standard in home theater speaker configuration is 7.1. A 7.1 home theatre system is essentially a sound system which is made up of multiple sound channels, namely 7, positioned in specific locations to make the sound be issued as best as possible. These systems are used in home cinemas and rooms where a television is used so as to watch movies mostly. This is done so as to be able to make the most out of the sounds and music found in the movie and issue it in a high quality environment, similar to an actual cinema.

The channels of a 7.1 home theatre system are positioned in the center, two on the left and two on the right, and another speaker on the rear. The left and right ones are positioned away from each other so as to allow the sound to be outputted better, namely the left surround and the left rear, and the right surround and the right rear speakers. The subwoofer is then used so as to provide the lower frequency effects.

The 7.1 home theatre system is basically a sound system which incorporates all the elements of the more common 5.1 home system plus some basic differences. Essentially a 5.1 surround system will typically combine the surround and rear channels, whereas a 7.1 surround system splits them. This enhances the sound quality. As a result the visual composition of the 7.1 surround system will differ slightly from the other surround system because the placing of the speakers will be different.

A 7.1 home theatre system will provide clearer and stronger audio as it is able to make the most out of different audio setups. Its processing capabilities are superior. Inevitably a 7.1 home theatre system is more costly in relation to a 5.1 surround system, so you will need to consider your budget before deciding which one to buy. Also make sure to check out the reputation of the particular brand.

All leading companies in the home electronic industry have introduced very attractive range of 7.1 Home Theater Systems incorporating the latest audio and video technology. Some of these models also include ipod and iphone connection through USB Port. The specification of a typical model (HT-S5400) of 7.1 Channel Home Theater System consists of HDMI Support for 3D Video and Audio Return Channel, Direct Digital Connection of ipod/iphone through front panel USB Port, Dolby TrueHD, PLIIz and DTS Master Audio decoding, total 680W output with a powerful 10-inch 120W Powered Subwoofer and a set of Audyssey Technologies for the perfect listening experience.