Top five tips
For building a better home theatre
- No Surround sound!
- "Why does everyone look FAT?"
- Component Video fault finding
- Digital TV reception
- Flat screen woes!
No Surround sound!
Digital audio connections and amplifier settings
Do your movies sound flat and boring? are only 2 speakers giving sound? The most common reason for this is the dvd player is not connected to the reciever amp with a digital cable. You must connect your dvd player and reciever amp with either a optical or coaxial digital cable, a standard analog RCA connection wont do the job. The other cause for this is related to a setting within the receiver amplifier. Most modern receivers have the ability to have any of the digital audio inputs assigned to any source selection. Look in the recievers menu for "digital input" or similar and ensure the selection matches the chosen socket on the rear of the amplifier. Once you have this right the amplifier will jump automatically into "Dolby Digital" surround mode giving you glorious surround sound from your movie.
"Why does everyone look FAT?"
Aspect Ratios
The wrong aspect ratio setting on your TV system can make everything look stretched or produce uneccasary black bars. If you have a widescreen TV ensure it is et to "16:9" or "widescreen" mode, then also ensure your dvd player, foxtel box etc are also set this way. After doing this widescreen programs will fit the screen correctly and non widescreen programs will not be stretched. Try to avoid aspect settings like "zoom" or "14:9" etc as these distort the picture and sometimes cut off detail as well.
Component Video fault finding
The "Y" signal
When connecting component video, you should notice that if you only connect the luminance or "Y" signal (green) you will get a black and white picture. This can help when using one of those component cables cables with little or no identification marking. Once you have the "Y" signal right at both ends you only have Pb and Pr signals left, it will be easy to tell if you get these wrong as the colors will look terrible.
Digital TV reception
Some tips on issues with recieving digital TV signals
Digital TV reception can be really disappointing if your antennae and equipment setup is not up to scratch. Image and audio glitches are common problems relating to a poor setup, this can get worse in bad wheather or even when the fridge motor starts up! An external antenna that is "digital ready" is a must for robust, reliable reception on all channels. A professional antenna installer uses signal measurement equipment to ensure a quality signal that wont suffer from signal glitches.
Flat screen woes!
Some tips on setting up your new flatscreen TV
When first plugging in your new flatscreen TV it's unlikely to look as good as it should which can lead to disappointment. New screens are often factory set to attract attention on the showroom floor rather than delivering accurate colors and image clarity. The first thing to do is select the "user" or "natural" image mode rather than the factory "dynamic" mode. You should then use a suitable image or calibration dvd to adjust contrast, brightness and colour to more realistic levels. A professional ISF calibration can make a dramatic difference to the quality of your new screen and give your eyes a break when watching at night.