MakingLif.MareEnjoyable, Bringing Home A Real Theater Experience (NAPSA)—Convenience or performance, which would you choose? To get a real movie theater experience at home, a DVD player and your TV speakers won't cut it. You need a home theater sound system. You could simply buy anallin-one system, known as “home theater in a box” (HTiB in industry slang), or build a system of separate “components.” One is really convenient, and onereally performs. Asthe term implies, “home theater in a box” is a DVD/receiver unit and a set of small speakers in one box. They’re all about convenience, with compatible parts and easy hookup. Theprice is nice, too, with name-brand HTiBs starting under $200. But that consumer-friendly price may limit the quality of an HTiB system. “[HTiB systems] may not sound great,” says Wayne Garcia in The Perfect Vision magazine, “but they’re small and relatively unobtrusive.” “HTiB is a solution for people who have a small space or a tight budget,” says Sean Fowler of Virginia. His first home theater system was a small cube-speaker system. “But the truth is, no small system can compete with the real performance of a component system.” A hometheater system made up of “components” includes separate devices, often from different manufacturers: a DVD player, a multichannel receiver and speakers (usually five, with a separate lowfrequency “subwoofer”). Hookup’s a little more complex, but dedicated workmanship can deliver a level of performance rivaling that of a movie house or concert hall, depending on your choice of speaker ee) Even when size is an issue, many people find that component systemsoffer better sound. size. Cobbling together a component hometheater system will cost you more—build a good system for around $500, a really good system for around $1,000 and a truly mind-blowing home theater system for around $2,000. “You'll have to find the fusion of convenience and performance that’s right for you,” says Matthew Polk, co-founder of Polk Audio, one of the leaders in home theater products. “If you have a small room or apartment with a small TV, and you tend not to indulge in explosive action movies or music, then an inexpensive HTiB system is perfect for you.” If, on the other hand, you have a large room with a big television, and you really enjoy big action movies, sports and realistic music reproduction, then a system of separate high performance components will give you that real movie theater or concert experience. “The difference,” says Fowler, “4s like night and day. Once you go components, you never go back.” A wealth of information about building the home theater that’s best for you can be found at www.polkspeakers.com/advice.
