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A home theater
receiver provides the heart and brains for an entire home theater
surround sound audio system. With all of the advanced high
definition home theater source components and Full HD 1920 x 1080p resolution televisions and projectors that are now part of home theater systems, today's home theater receivers
need to be versatile enough to handle the widest array of both analog and digital audio/video entertainment possibilities.
Home theater receivers perform many important duties as the central hub of
a home theater system. Once properly connected to each of
your A/V source components, HDTV or front projector, and home theater speaker system, the home theater receiver makes it simple to switch between audio and video input sources by merely
pushing a button or turning a knob. Some of the buttons and knobs
on the front of the AV receiver function as pre-amplifier controls
that allow you to adjust surround sound settings, tone, volume, etc. Perhaps one of the top inventions of all time, the
remote control gives you the power to adjust your home theater's audio/video settings from the comfort of the couch.
In addition to switching
inputs and adjusting settings, a home theater receiver features
digital surround sound processing technology for decoding the 7.1 or 5.1 channels
of surround sound audio found on Blu-ray Discs, DVDs, video
games, and HD television programming. Home theater receivers
also include an integrated multi-channel power amplifier whose
job is to supply plenty of clean, high-quality, non-distorted
amplification to drive as many as 7 or more surround sound
speakers. A self-powered subwoofer has its own built-in amplification
for producing the deep bass effects.
Lastly, a surround
sound receiver includes a built-in AM/FM radio tuner, usually with dozens of
station presets. For virtually unlimited digital radio
programming possibilities, many receivers are also Sirius/XM satellite radio ready,
HD radio ready, or Internet radio ready - additional optional hardware and/or subscription to
service may be required. |
The most
popular video source components that people like to
connect to the inputs on the back (or front) of their home theater
receiver are a Blu-ray disc player, upconverting DVD player, HD digital satellite or cable box receiver/DVR, video game system, and VCR. Popular audio sources include a CD
changer, iPod (additional optional docking hardware may be required), cassette
deck, and turntable (not all home theater receivers have a phono
input). Some surround sound receivers have Ethernet or
WiFi capability for wired or wireless access to your home network, so you can enjoy all the
digital music residing on your computer.
In addition to
setting up your home theater system, you may want to also be able to listen to
music in multiple other rooms of your house, and even
outside. If you are building a new home or remodeling pre-existing construction, you will definitely want to consider
installing a whole house audio system and integrating it with your home
theater system. Enjoying your favorite music pumped through in-wall speakers and
ceiling speakers located throughout your home and even outdoor speakers is sure to make your
everyday living that much more enjoyable, and may also add value and/or appeal to the property if and when you
decide to sell your home.
No matter which
home theater receiver you decide to buy, be sure that it's got
adequate amplifier power and enough of the right types and
quantity of audio/video inputs to connect all of your
home theater equipment, as well as any A/V gear that you anticipate adding in
the future. Basically, you can never have too much power
or too many inputs.
Last, but certainly
not least, be sure to connect everything with quality digital audio, video, and speaker cables, and connect all your AC
power cords as well as any incoming satellite, cable, and phone
lines into a high-grade home theater surge protector such as a Monster Power Center.
Always remember that the performance of
your entire home theater will only be as good as the weakest link in the chain! |
