Tags: home theatre, sound, time

10 tips for better home cinema sound

We've assembled this checklist to help you quickly improve the sound of your home theatre system.

The Marantz SR5004 is a 7.1-channel receiver which features HD sound decoding, three HDMI inputs, and a new colour GUI.

LG HLB54S

The HLB54S is LG's first Blu-ray sound bar and comes with a suite of value-added extras, but is more expensive than its rivals.
Yamaha YHT-S400

Truly space-saving, Yamaha's YHT-S400 will no doubt appeal to those after home theatre minimalism. Thankfully, it sounds a great deal bigger and convincing than its meagre dimensions suggest.
Denon AVR-790

The Denon AVR-790 is a fully featured midrange AV receiver with standout upconverted video quality, although it's held back by some subpar design issues and average sound quality.
Creative Sound Blaster Arena Surround

As an all-in-one sound system, the Arena Surround is a solid performer capable of engaging the user in a surround audio experience.
Denon AVR-1910

The Denon AVR-1910 is a fully featured mid-range AV receiver with standout upconverted video quality, although it's held back by some subpar design issues and average sound quality.
Panasonic SC-BT207W

This is a well-featured system that will produce great looking Blu-ray and DVD images. Sound quality's generally pretty good, just don’t push it too far.
NAD C 717 Micro DVD Receiver

If you're after a super compact system that'll primarily provide great music and movies second, the NAD C 717 does just that.
Samsung HT-BD1255

Despite the rather plastic look and feel, this Samsung system offers plenty for the money and its audio and visual performance are both rather good for a HTIB system.

The sound of silence: Noise-cancelling headphones

If you're a frequent flyer or even a heavy user of public transport then you need to get yourself one of these sets of noise-cancelling headphones.
Best soundbar theatre systems

Looking for a compact home theatre without wires? Then try a soundbar — a single speaker that sits under your TV and simulates a 5.1 surround system.
Home cinema for under $1500

You get what you pay for with HTIB systems, so if you're prepared to spend up to AU$1500 you'll achieve sound quality that will better match the picture.
LED vs. LCD: Which is better?

Samsung has seemingly come out of nowhere with its new "LED TV" range. Yet, despite the name, the technology is more familiar than you'd think.

Belkin gives up on wireless HDMI

After years in development, Belkin has decided not to release its wireless HDMI accessory "FlyWire".
CES 2009 preview: Home entertainment

For the last few years, the format war between HD DVD and Blu-ray has monopolised home entertainment coverage at CES. Now that HD DVD is dead, we can finally get back to focussing on new technology, rather than which studios are backing which format. Blu-ray should have a big presence, along with its new competitors, internet-powered video-on-demand boxes.
LG reinvents itself as audio brand

LG is taking on the big boys of hi-fi with a new range of "luxury audio" products designed by a respected audio engineer.
Time awards iPhone "invention of the year"

Apparently, nothing really important was invented this year in biology, space travel, health care, personal safety, economics, nuclear research, disease control, or transportation.

Home cinema systems: Are kits or components right for you?

Whether you want to buy a home theatre in a box or go the components route, you'll need to decide which way is best for you right from the start.
How to connect your HDTV

In this guide, we help make connecting your TV to the rest of your system less intimidating, and explain all the relevant technologies.
How does a speaker work?

CNET explains the jargon behind the conventional loudspeaker, with a quick guide on the anatomy of this important home theatre component.
How to set-up your home theatre speakers

You don't have to be an electrician or an acoustics expert to get great surround sound from your home theatre system. Just follow the steps in this tutorial to set-up your home theatre speakers for optimum sound.

Amazing AVI Screensaver

Enliven your screen with animation.
GeoGenius USA

Quiz yourself on U.S. geography including states, capitals, regions, time zones, and state facts.
Mario Screensaver

Display a Mario Brothers screensaver on your desktop.
Compaq Deskpro 4000 Audio Drivers for ESS 1868

Install the Compaq Deskpro 4000/6000 audio drivers for Windows NT 3.5x.