The instant Sauron’s unique ring was destroyed on Mount Doom, the seconds leading up to the Death Star burst into a thousand pieces, the decisive battle between the young wizard Harry Potter and the un nameable Lord Voldemort, the tragic sinking Titanic through the eyes of Rose and Jack Dowson or the moment when the Ark of the Covenant is opened to unleash all its fury are some of the scenes that you can experience in an epic and immersive way with a good home cinema.
This entertainment system, born in the mid-nineties, became an experience for the senses, giving us the opportunity to experience emotions that we have only come to experience on the big screen.
The sector of sound devices for home theater is one of the most complex, since to the very diverse models and existing brands, we have to add some characteristics that can be difficult to understand.
Keys to keep in mind when buying a home cinema
Choosing the perfect home cinema is not an easy task if we really want to live a unique experience every time we watch our favorite series and movies. However, we can follow some fundamental keys such as those specified below:
-One of the first questions we must ask ourselves is whether we are going to use our home cinema on a daily basis or, on the contrary, in a more spaced or punctual way throughout the month. If we are going to use it every day, it is best to opt for some type of sound base or sound bar equipment. Although they may be of lower quality than others such as multichannel amplifiers or A / V receivers, the truth is that they consume very little power and are designed to operate for many hours at a time.
On the contrary, if we are going to use our home cinema only for a more punctual viewing, dedicated only during weekends, for example, in those cases, we must opt for the aforementioned multichannel amplifiers , in addition to the separate speakers.
Home cinema
-We have to take into account, when choosing the home cinema, is that there are very different types of systems. In this sense, we can highlight the 2.1 system, consisting of three speakers, left and right channel, and a subwoofer designed for the most serious sounds. Likewise, we have the 5.1 system, which is made up of a total of five loudspeakers, to which correspond five channels that independently treat a specific range of frequencies. It is presented as one of the standard and most demanded systems, both for the production of titles and films designed for this format and for a wide assortment of compatible players.
Adding two more speakers to the previous system, we have the 7.1 and that in many occasions is used for video games, an area in which sound effects play a very important role. In 7.2 systems a subwoofer is added at the rear compared to 7.1. For 9.1 systems , two speakers are added in the ceiling (although they can also be included in the front part) and in 9.2 a complementary subwoofer is incorporated to the previous system.
-As for the power of the amplifier , we have to take into account the actual watts of the device that it can supply to the channels. The larger the room where we are going to install it, the higher the watts must be.
-With regard to decoders , the chosen home cinema must be able to translate the main market standards into sound. You should at least try to achieve it with the majority. One of them is Dolby Digital, a format widely used in DVD, Blue Ray and digital television; the Dolby Digital EX with extended channel 6.1, it includes six audio channels and a channel of low frequency effects; the DTS , an optional format that adds separate channels for sound effects; Dolby Pro Logic , which creates surround sound from two channels that transforms into four; THX-Certified, a kind of certification that confirms that our team meets the necessary minimums.
-With regard to connections, when choosing the home cinema, we must remember that the most important for a perfect model are, for example, RCA , which uses separate audio channels for stereo, usually differentiated by black color or red; or XLR , a type of balanced professional audio connector.
With regard to the speakers , we highlight the basic ones such as the front ones (located to the left and right of the screen). In these cases, the spaciousness and distribution of the room must be taken into account to avoid rebounds and sound distortions. Center speakers , meanwhile, deliver intensity and power to the main sound channels of a movie. Along with these we can find equipment for a more enveloping experience with rear speakers , located behind the listeners. There are also side surround speakers, which require a small emission range and are not so important when choosing a device.
-For its part, the subwoofer is the one that will give us the lowest sound registers. We can find them with two technologies: passive, less and less common because they lack an internal amplifier. We also have the active models , which use both digital and analog sound filters.
In the image and sound section, in addition to home cinema, we will also find televisions, digital cameras, DVD and Blu Ray players, consoles or drones with a camcorder.
What do you look for when choosing the perfect home cinema ?
