Top 10 Tips for Home cinema installation

Author: ilifesolution

i.life solutions have the following top ten tips for setting up your home cinema system:

1. Apportion your budget evenly and wisely
Avoid spending most money on the display and treating the audio as an afterthought. Try watching a good movie with the sound switched off, and then try listening with no picture and you will see why both areas are equally important.

2. Source quality – feeding your equipment
The quality of the source will determine the enjoyment of everything you see and hear. Look for a machine offering the best performance for basic picture and sound rather than seldom-used features.

3. Speaker positioning
For ideal front speaker positioning, set-up the front left and right for good stereo reproduction then site the centre speaker at the same height (or as near as possible) as the tweeter on the front left and right speakers.

4. Ideal sub location
To find the best site for a subwoofer, place it in the listening position then walk round the room until you find the spot where most bass is heard. This is the ideal location for the sub.

5. Setting speaker levels
Although individual speaker levels can be set up by ear, a much more accurate result (and a more believable sound) can be obtained with a sound pressure level meter. These are very simple to use and relatively cheap at approx £40.

6. Rear speaker settings
If individual sounds from rear speakers attract your attention try lowering their level in the set-up of your processor or increasing their delay. A piece of film recorded in a heavy ambient environment (such as a church or cathedral) is ideal for this.

7. Positioning of display device
When positioning a TV or plasma screen avoid reflections on the glass from lights or windows. These are best observed with the set switched off. Do not install your screen too high (usually above fire places) as it will cause a sore neck after long periods of viewing.

8. Customising default display settings
Factory settings on TVs are designed to look good in a retail store, not your living room. Invest in a test DVD such as Video Essentials and follow the instructions carefully for the best results.

9. Video connections
Normal analogue interconnects will not function correctly with video signals. Ask your dealer for 75ohm coaxial cables for your video connections.

10. Get help from a professional - your local dealer
For ultimate performance employ a specialist dealer or home cinema installation company to install your cinema. Their services are often great value for money and a professional set-up will yield the most enjoyable system.

Paul Jackson – home cinema installation specialist, more information can be found at http://www.ilifesolutions.co.uk
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