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Today, Full HD and 4K TVs, especially high-end TVs, have stunning picture quality and display images with stunning contrast and brightness.

Unfortunately, the sound quality of these TVs is not at all what is expected, and this issue is more evident in narrow and ultra-narrow TVs.

Therefore, to double the enjoyment of watching movies, there should be a suitable audio system next to quality TVs. In addition to the high quality of the movies, you can also enjoy the real quality of their sound. Home theater is the most suitable sound system to enjoy the quality sound of high-quality movies.

With home cinema, you are completely immersed in the film’s atmosphere and feel that you are present in the exciting scenes of the film (battlefields).

In this article, we intend to provide all the necessary information for buying a home theater so that you can choose the right system with full knowledge when buying these audio devices.

What is a home theater?

Today, almost all 4K and Full HD movies are available in surround sound (movies in AC3, AAC, DTS, DTS HD MA, and Dolby True HD). So-called Dolby and multi-channel, and some TV networks also have Dolby audio.

When recording surrounds sound or surrounds sound. You can record different sounds from different directions and so-called through different channels. During playback, You can also separate from each other and transmitted through different channels from different directions.

That’s why the sound of Dolby movies is so high quality. You can hear the smallest details of the sound with full resolution. For example, when a movie character is shot from behind. You also hear the sound of a bullet firing from behind you. And when it is raining, the sound is heard from all around.

Exciting sounds, such as explosions or the roar of a changing car engine. They are playable in action movies just like real sounds. And when you hear them for a moment, you become literally excited or even scared.

Also, in movies with surround sound or surround, you can hear slow sounds such as whispers, dialogues on the phone, and the sound of breathing with full clarity, and you do not need to turn up the volume at all.

Of course, TVs cannot play audio this way, and because they usually have only two speakers. They can only play dual-channel or stereo sound, and when you hear Dolby sound from their speakers. You will not feel any difference.

You have to use home theaters to hear Dolby’s sound.

Dolby home theaters with at least five speakers can process Dolby sound and play different sounds separate from each speaker. Although some home theaters are stereo, which we will explain later.

By playing different sounds from different speakers, the sound looks completely real. All home theaters also have subwoofers that add depth and richness to the playing sound by producing a bass sound. Also, all home theaters can play DVD or Blu-ray discs. Home theater players are built into their AV receivers.

AV receivers are the main part of the home theater and the home theater brain, and all the speakers and subwoofer are using a connection to it.

When buying a home theater, you should choose a powerful and advanced AV receiver device.

Different types of audio formats in terms of the number of channels

Before getting to know all the types and benefits of home theater. Let’s get to know the concept of single-channel, dual-channel or multi-channel sound. Which is essential for a better understanding of how home theater works.

Mono voice

In single-channel or mono audio, all the different sounds of an audio track are separated from one speaker. And the details are not clear. Mono audio tracks are usually not of high quality either.

Stereo sound

Some sounds are separated and played in two speakers in stereo sound, left and right. All TVs now have stereo speakers. Stereo sound quality is significantly better than mono sound. But it still has a long way to go with the details that sound like reality.

Multi-channel sound

In multi-channel audio, different sounds are played from the center. They surround speakers located in front of the listener, to his left and right, and behind his head. And the listener hears different sounds separately from different directions.

Currently, AC3 and DTS formats are the most common types of Dolby audio. Relatively old home theaters only support AC3 format, But newer devices also support the DTS format and the AC3 format.

In AC3 format, some audio data and details are deleted due to the reduction in audio crack volume. And their maximum bitrate is between 300 and 400 KB per second.

But in DTS audio tracks, all possible details and information are preserved. And the audio track is not compressed at all. For this reason, it offers the highest possible quality for Dolby sound, and its bitrate reaches up to 3 MB per second.

Therefore, we recommend that you choose a device that supports the DTS format to enjoy Dolby audio to the fullest.

Home theater application

• High power and suitable for creating loud and strong sound in large spaces
• Having a player
• Ability to create real and quality surround sound
• Ability to connect a microphone to the device

Disadvantages of home theater

• Occupy a lot of space
• Lack of support for state-of-the-art technologies such as Multi Audio Room, Automatic Room Correction, Hi-Res Audio, etc.
• Lack of support for 4K content and 4K Path through technology
• not having good support for Dolby Atmos technology and fully 3D surround sound (Of course, the LG BH9540TW 9.1 Home Theater has four up-speaker speakers that direct the sound upwards, producing a sound similar to Dolby Atmos Virtual. The Samsung HT-F9750W 7.1 Home Theater can also direct upward volume and create three-dimensional sound; unfortunately, neither of these two family theaters is currently on the market. A similar device has not been produced.

In general, if you want to have a high-power surround sound system, you should choose a home theater; But if you are looking for an up-to-date and stylish sound system with the highest possible sound quality;

We suggest you buy Sandbar; Of course, the sandbars of the category.

Types of home theater depending on the number of channels

Types of home theaters are divided into different types in terms of several channels. Including home theaters 2.1, 7.1, 9.1, and 4.2, etc. Because most home theaters in Iran have a 5.1 or 2.1 sound system. And there are several examples of 4.2 home theaters in the Iranian market; We will suffice to introduce only these three types of home cinema.

Home theater 2.1

Home theater 2.1 has two surround speakers and a subwoofer. Speakers of this type of home theater should be in front of the person and on both left and right sides. This type of home theater is the cheapest type of home theater; But due to the lack of back speakers, they are not very suitable for Dolby movies.

Home theater 5.1

Home theater 5.1 is the most common type of home theater, and most Dolby movies also have Dolby 5.1 sound.

This type of home theater has four surround speakers, a center speaker, and a subwoofer.

In this type of home theater, sound effects and music are played from two front speakers. Dialogues from the middle speakers and ambient sounds that look like real sounds are played from the back speakers.

Home theater 4.2

This type of home theater consists of two speakers, each with a subwoofer and two speakers.

Although the bass sound in this type of home theater is much louder and louder than in 5.1 cinema; In contrast to 5.1 home theater, it has a much better performance in producing real Surround sound due to its rear speaker speakers.

If good depth is more important to you, you should choose Family Cinema 4.2, and if you care more about sound pervasiveness, we recommend buying 5.1 Home Theater.

Meanwhile, in-home cinema 4.2, due to the lack of a center speaker, the sound of the dialogues is not as clear and transparent as in-home cinema 5.1, but this is only noticeable when the characters in the movie are talking to noisy scenes. Be each other.

Types of the home theater in terms of player

Home theaters usually have either a DVD player or a Blu-ray player.

We recommend that you still choose a home theater with a crystal player to buy, even if you do not intend to watch a crystal movie.

Because DVD players support very limited audio and video formats, they often do not support external hard drives and cannot play real full HD movies at high bit rates.

In contrast, Bluetooth-enabled devices support most audio and video formats, both MKV and DTS, and in addition to supporting external hard drives, they can play real full HD movies.

Genuine Full HD movies are usually released in MKV format, and their Dolby audio tracks are in DTS format. Also, because these movies are very large (between 15 and 50 GB), you usually have to use an external hard drive to play them.

Another advantage of home theaters equipped with Blu-ray players over devices with DVD players is that they have more up-to-date technologies, which we will explain in the following.

Home theater setup guide and layout model

To install a home theater, you need the front left speaker to the front left or FL input, the front right speaker to the Front Right, or FR input.

The center speaker to the Center or C input, the left rear speaker to the Surround Left or SL, the side speaker Connect the right rear to the Surround Right or SR input, and the subwoofer to the Sub Woofer or SW on the AV receiver.

To connect the wires to the speaker, you must pull the buttons on the wire holder down, and in the same way, connect the wires to the speaker and return the buttons to their place.

Properly positioning your 5.1 home theater speakers is very important, and if the speakers are not in the right place, you will not be able to hear Dolby sound properly and enjoy the surround sound as you should. To hear Dolby sound in the best possible way, you need to be right in the center of the speakers and at the same distance from all the speakers.

The correct arrangement of the speakers and subwoofer is as follows:

The center speaker should be directly in front of you. The two left, and right Strand speakers should also have a center speaker on the left and right and an angle of 22 to 30 degrees.

The two rear speaker speakers should be at an angle of 110 to 150 degrees from the listener, and their height should be slightly higher than the level of the listener’s ear (about 30 to 60 cm); Of course, the height of the front speakers should be exactly flush with your ear.

If the front speakers of your home theater have a stand, it is better to sit on a chair while watching a movie and place the back speakers on two small stands.

As we said, the distance between all the speakers is the same. For example, if the center speaker is 3 meters away from you, the front speakers should be the same distance. Therefore, the three front speakers should not be in a straight line next to each other and should be semicircular. Put together.

In addition, the front and rear speakers should be crosswise in front of each other; Place the front right speaker in front of the left rear speaker and the right rear speaker in front of the left front speaker.

There is no specific rule for subwoofer placement, and you can place it anywhere you want; But we recommend placing it in the corner of the room and close to the wall to reflect the sound well, even if you attach the subwoofer to the wall, you will get good results.

There is no specific rule on placing 4.2 home theater speakers, and its surround speakers should be like 5.1 home cinema speakers with an angle of 22 to 30 degrees from the listener.

Technologies used in home theater

Wireless home theater

In this type of home theater, two surround-back speakers can communicate wirelessly with the home theater AV receiver.

If you use a wireless home theater, you no longer have to use long wires to connect the rear speakers to the receiver; Of course, the back speakers of this type of home theater are not completely wireless and have a separate power cord.

The two speakers must also be connected to the wireless transmitter, designed to receive a signal from the device’s AV receiver.

So wireless speakers are just a publicity stunt designed to make wiring less and less crowded; However, these types of home theaters are quite suitable for large spaces and have more advanced technologies than conventional indoor cinemas.

Samsung and LG are among the companies producing wireless home theaters.

NFC technology

NFC technology is one of the wireless communication technologies. This is a chip that can communicate with another NFC chip and read its information.

To use this technology, all the device has to do is contact the home theater equipped with NFC to establish a connection between the two devices.

And you can play the music files of your phone or tablet on the home theater, of course, to use this technology. The distance between the phone, tablet, and the family cinema should be only a few centimeters or even less.

With NFC technology, you no longer have to use Bluetooth to communicate between two devices; The process of pairing Bluetooth between two devices is usually a bit difficult and time-consuming to communicate.

DLNA technology

DLNA technology is also perfectly suited for wireless communication between two devices. This technology provides a connection between two devices via a WiFi network and can share photos, videos, and videos on phones, tablets, and computers in home theaters.

Virtual Dolby sound

In some home theaters, stereo sound can be played as a virtual Dolby sound, and by activating this feature, Dolby sound can be heard from all five speakers;

Of course, when playing Dolby Virtual sound, different sounds are not separated, and the same sound is played from all five speakers; So, you should never expect the resolution and detail of a virtual Dolby sound to be the same as a real Dolby sound.

Karaoke Technology

Home theaters equipped with this technology have a microphone input. You can connect the microphone to them and activate the karaoke feature, eliminate the sound of the song, and sing yourself instead of the singer! Undoubtedly, this technology can be a very interesting entertainment for friendly communities.

Different sound modes

Home theaters have different sound modes that immerse you in the content space being played; Like cinematic mode, for example, it makes you think you are watching your favorite movie right in a professional cinema.

By activating Football mode, you also imagine being in the stadium and among a large crowd. By activating the music mode, you can also wash the notes of different musical instruments with great clarity and detail.

Use ceramic or glass speakers to increase sound quality and sharpness.

In some home theaters, instead of using non-resistant materials in the construction of speakers, durable materials such as glass or ceramics are useful to maintain the sound quality of the device over time and do not decrease and always hear clear and crystal clear sound (usually the quality of home theaters with Speakers made of soft, flexible materials (such as paper, shrink after a while).

Night Mode

The sound of home theaters is usually amplified by the sound of exciting scenes such as explosions or bullets, no doubt disturbing the rest of the night’s surroundings while resting.

By activating the night mode in home theaters equipped with this technology, you can safely watch the exciting scenes of the movie in low volume without fear of upsetting people.

Voice Mode

By activating this mode, slow sounds such as whispers or conversations are played higher on the phone, and you do not need to turn up the volume of the family cinema.

Lip sync technology

In-home theaters with this technology, the sound of the dialogues are played perfectly in harmony with the lips of the characters, and you will not see the annoying problem of inconsistency of sound and image at all.

HDMI CEC standard

If your home theater has the HDMI CEC standard, you can easily control your home theater and TV with a remote control after connecting it with an HDMI cable to TVs that support this standard.

This standard allows the creation of features such as turning on and off two devices automatically and simultaneously with each other and TV input detection.

For example, if both the TV and the home theater support this standard, when you turn on the home theater, the TV will turn on automatically, and the same input to which the home theater is connected will be activated.

Ability to play 3D movies and full HD movies

Home theaters with Blu-ray players can easily play full-quality original and real-time 3D movies in very high quality.

Web browsing

Some home theaters are equipped with a fan and can connect to the Internet, there is also a browser, and you can easily browse the home theater.

Tips for buying a home theater

Select the power of the device to suit the environment

Undoubtedly, buying a powerful home theater for a small space is not the right thing to do at all and will only irritate your ears.

We recommend that you choose a device with power between 300 and 500 watts to place your home theater in a small space; But for large spaces, 1000 or 1200 watt devices are an ideal choice.

Select a device with a suitable subwoofer

Bass sound is very important for amplifying the sound depth and making the sound more enjoyable, and the stronger the subwoofer, the richer the sound you hear.

Select a device equipped with Bluetooth and WiFi

We recommend that you choose a device equipped with Bluetooth, and you can use it to easily connect your phone, tablet, and computer to your home theater wirelessly and enjoy listening to their music files through your home theater.

If your home theater is equipped with WiFi, connecting it to a router will easily establish a wireless connection between your home theater and other WiFi devices, allowing you to play music files wirelessly on your home theater.

Select a device with an optical port or HDMI ARC

It would help if you used an optical port and cable or HDMI ARC to transfer high-quality digital audio from the player to the home theater. With the HDMI ARC cable, you can transfer high-quality audio from TV to home theater and high-quality video from home theater to TV. You no longer need to use a dedicated cable to transfer audio to the home theater.

An optical cable is also an optical cable through which you can transmit digital audio without any noise. Some AV receivers also have a coaxial port. You can also transmit high-quality digital audio via a coaxial cable (both ports are visible at the bottom of the image below).

If a device does not have these two ports, digital audio playback is not possible through it, which is the biggest possible drawback for an audio system.

Support for various audio and video formats

This is very important today, and if a device does not support new and updated audio and video formats, it can not be considered a useful and practical device.