Aspect ratio: The width and height of the screen or signal. Widescreen is considered 16:9; most traditional televisions
are 4:3.
Center channel: A speaker channel in a surround sound
system. The center channel is important because it helps create the impression that the dialogue is coming from the actors
on the screen.
Channels: Most electronic devices that handle sound, such as a television or a stereo system, divide sound signals into different channels, and each channel is assigned to a speaker or group of speakers. The old transistor radios used only one sound channel (called mono) and therefore had only one speaker. Today, most music is listened to on systems with two sound channels (called stereo). Home theaters are the most recent sound evolution and use four, five, six or even seven sound channels to create a “surround sound” effect.
Component video: See video outputs.
Composite video: See video outputs.
Discrete: Discrete means you start with a multi-channel soundtrack and each channel is always kept separate from the others. This creates a more true-to-life sound.
Dolby Digital: See surround sound; Provides a dynamic sound experience; The most common speaker setup is Dolby 5.1, where there is one in the center, one at front left, one at front right, one rear left and one rear right (the "5") with one subwoofer (the ".1"). Frequency response: Typical frequency response for audio equipment is from 20Hz to 20,000Hz (or 20kHz). Any frequency outside this range is typically inaudible to humans.
Home theater: This is a general term for a group of electronic components that work together to create a movie theater experience at home. Most people consider the minimum requirements to be a large screen TV, a DVD player and a surround sound audio system. More elaborate home theaters might include a high definition TV, a satellite dish, a video game system and more.
Home theater receiver: The receiver is the heart of a home theater. It is where all of the home theater components are attached, including the TV and the surround sound speakers. There are two different devices that can each act as your home theater receiver: a DVD player or a modern AM/FM tuner with surround sound capability.
Inputs: In home theaters, this refers to the number of devices you can have hooked up to the same surround sound system. Most surround sound systems are centered on either a DVD player or an AM/FM tuner, and include at least one additional input. These additional inputs let you add things such as a VCR or a video game system to your surround sound setup.
Refresh rate: The rate at which the image on the screen is completely replaced with a new image. This is measured in Frames Per Second (FPS).
Resolution: The resolution of an image is the total number of stacked horizontal lines that create the vertical segment of a picture. A higher resolution results in a sharper, more detailed picture. Standard television signals generally display 525 lines of resolution. HDTV signals, however, consist of more than 700 lines of resolution, resulting in superior image quality.
Satellite speaker: A compact speaker that reproduces all of an audio signal except for the deepest octaves of bass. Many home theater speaker systems use satellite speakers for the full-range channels and subwoofers to handle the bass.
Subwoofer: This is a speaker specifically designed to handle low bass frequencies. It is often used with the LFE (Low Frequency Effects) channel in many surround sound formats. Because the human ear has difficultly pinpointing the origin of very low frequency sounds, a subwoofer can be placed almost anywhere in a room.
Stereo sound: A sound system that uses two channels.
Surround sound: A sound system that involves more than two channels to create an immersive, theater-like experience.
Universal remote control: Simplifies operation by also controlling many brands of TVs, VCRs, DVD players and A/V receivers. (May not be compatible with all brands and models.)
Video outputs
Component video: Provides you with the highest-quality
video image. Not all televisions support component video. It
uses three RCA-style jacks.
Composite video: The most basic of all connections
between your DVD player and your television. It uses a
single RCA-style cable. This type of connection will give you
the lowest-quality image. |