Practical Home Theater: A Guide to Video and Audio Systems, 2004 Edition
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Description
What do you need to know when buying HDTV? How can you decipher TV, speaker, and amplifier specs? Which of the hot new formats is worth adopting? What do you do when things go wrong? Mark Fleischmann, nationally known audio/video critic, explains. Read more
Publisher : Authorhouse; 2nd edition (January 1, 2002)
Language : English
Hardcover : 244 pages
ISBN-10 : 0759664242
ISBN-13 : 41
Item Weight : 1.15 pounds
Dimensions : 6.25 x 0.75 x 9 inches
Customer Reviews: 4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 53 ratings
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Top Amazon Reviews
Do you hesitate to go into the home theater dept at Sears or Best Buy because you don't speak or understand the "techno jargon" of home theater gear? Are you afraid to buy home theater equipment because maybe you'll discover later that it was something you didn't really need because you didn't KNOW what the heck you were buying in the first place? If you answered "YES" to one or both of these questions, then you NEED this book! I really like it because the author does a superb job of helping novices understand the complex world of home theater equipment. However, he also provides experienced consumers with more insight into all of the latest developments in the Hi-Def entertainment world such as: How Blu-Ray players interface with new & older AV receivers; Exactly what's the diff between HDMI 1.0, 1.2, 1.3 and why you need to know; What really separates one HDTV different from another, etc., etc. While I've owned a fairly complex home theater system for several years now, and read just about every magazine article I can regarding the subject, I still found this book to be very helpful. So, go ahead and order it today.., you'll be glad you did the next time you go into the home theater dept. at your favorite electronics retailer.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2009 by Kimo
I recently bought a LCD HDTV by mail and set about to install it myself. I made the purchase after careful research, and with some head scratching was able to correctly connect the TV to my new high definition satellite receiver, and was delighted (and relieved) to see a stunningly lovely picture. However, I realized that I had managed just the "easy" part, next I faced the daunting challenge of adding enough black boxes to make a proper home theater. My knowledge of home theater was zip, nada! I did not even own a stereo music system. So, I searched home theater on Amazon and bought this book for no other reason than it said it was the "2007 Edition" and I wanted current information. I knew that an easy solution was to buy a theater-in-a-box, but which brand, and could I get a better value if I could put together a component system specifically designed for what I wanted, or thought I wanted? The book arrived in the mail and I settled down to read. My total lack of knowledge was to test the author's ability to explain a complex technical subject to the complete novice. I cannot say I found the book to be a delight to read, but it did just what I wanted it to do, provide a through grounding in all aspects of home theater, preparing me well to make an informed decision about what to buy to add a good sound system to my new HDTV. This book is not an easy read, but then it should not be if it is to adequately cover the subject matter in detail. I must say that not once did I find myself hopelessly lost as the author attempted to guide me through a maze of technical detail. I found that this one book brought me up to speed, from zero to 60, on home theater. I now go back and use it as a reference. My only mistake was not reading the book before buying the HD TV, as the video sections are excellent and would have saved me much research time. Building your own home theater system requires a considerable outlay of money. Do not start the project without first reading this book. If nothing else, it will arm you to know hype from fact when you face the salesperson.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2007 by Tandy K. Bozeman
I am looking at moving away from my old 1997 tube TV set at the beginning of next year or maybe even Christmas (which I am born on December 25 so it would be my b'day present to myself) this year. I have a steep learning curve to get past. I am also interested in getting into online gaming so I face an even higher hurdle since the last video gaming system I played with was an Atari 2600 and a pong........one stick, one button or one dial and a blip on the screen gotta luv it!! How will I ever master all the gazillion buttons or keystrokes~ Euy Vey!!!! This book is very detailed which is what I need. The book is current to 2014 which is even MORE AWESOME. Highly recommend it to everyone before buying a system.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2013 by Princess Diana
It all started when I finally broke down and got the big Sony Bravia 52" LCD in anticipation of the big HD switchover. Merry Christmas! Picture was great, but the audio didn't seem up to par. Problem was, in my day we plugged two speakers into a tuner, and called it a day. What's SACD mean? What the heck is this X.1 business? And an $80 2 meter cable..are you kidding me? I needed help! Great book! Helped me get oriented, and put a very pleasing system together. I still use it for reference. Like some others have said..read first, buy later.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2008 by Reid Weaver
I expected this book to be fairly detailed in explaining the aspects of home theater. Instead, it basically gives high-level descriptions of various audio / video components, cables, speakers, etc. There's no real detail that you can't get from reading a products sales literature. There is no mention of video projectors, the mainstay of good home theater. I suppose the book is good for raw beginners, but if you have a good working knowledge of home theater basics, this book won't add much to that. Edit: I stand corrected. As Mr. Fleischmann notes in his comments attached to this review, there ARE descriptions of various projector types. With this type of book, I generally jump around, finding content I'm interested in by referencing the Index; in this book's index, "Projectors" is not found alphabetically. Instead, it appears projectors are alphabetized by type, for example, "DLP-laser rear-projectors" or "LCD projectors". My apologies to Mr. Fleischmann for this oversight.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2013 by CM
This is a reasonably comprehensive entry level guide to the basics of choosing and installing a home theater. It's adequate for verbal learners, but very weak in photos and diagrams to supplement and illustrate the text. This is a detriment for all users of the guide, and a fatal flaw for visual learners.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2009 by David L.