Years ago, before the phrase “home theater system” became a household name, things like cable TV and VCRs were exciting, new and rare. There were no big screen TVs like we know today and a sound system consisted of a speaker attached to the TV. That’s it.
People actually had film projectors and screens that were more reminiscent of a prop used in a high school biology class than an exciting movie-going experience. Now as things have changed and technology has progressed, cable is competing with satellite, VCRs are giving way to DVD players and home theaters are becoming more and more common to the home.
The biggest question is, what exactly is a home theater and why does everyone need one? Home theaters consist of setting up a TV, speakers, a surround sound receiver, and a DVD player and/or VCR to duplicate the same experience and joy you get out of going to the movies.
To understand the fascination of the home theater, you have to think about all the things we love about going out to the movies in the first place. One of the first things that people remember about the joy of going to the movies is the large screen. Watching the actors interact on such a large screen make you feel like you’re a part of the action. Characters are life-sized and this makes for a really entertaining experience.
Also, while watching the movie, you can’t help but to notice how crisp and clear everything and everyone is. You get to watch every detail and the characters seem to glide across the screen.
Let’s not forget one of the most memorable things about going to the movies—the sound. Who can forget watching Jurassic Park and it seemed like the dinosaurs were right behind you!
Experiencing surround sound is unforgettable. Unfortunately, much has changed during the years. Rising costs, overcrowded theaters, long lines, and lack of convenience, overshadow the movie-going experience. People are just tired of paying more than $50 to take the family out for a movie. Also having to wait for show times, overpriced food, and irritating strangers distracting you from the movie is just too much when the technology exists to duplicate your own movie theater at home. Therefore more and more homes have started adding a home theater.
In the early stage of the home theater experience, many started to upgrade their television sets. The screen was one of the first noticeable changes in the evolution of the home theater. TVs screens have gotten much larger and thinner. At the very minimum, people are getting 27 inch TVs to duplicate the movie theater experience. But it doesn’t stop there. There are plasma TVs that offer contemporary design, a good picture and compact size. Then there are the projectors that are just about the closest thing to an actual movie theater. Like a movie theater, a projector projects the image on a screen, with some screens as big as 200 inches!
The quality of what you’re viewing has also changed dramatically with the rise of DVD players. VCRs were once the hottest craze, but the enormous difference between watching a movie on a VCR compared to a DVD was remarkable. Images on DVDS are sharp, crisp and extremely close to what you experience at the movie theater.
The next important thing is the sound of the movie. Nowadays, surround sound is a must-have if you want to experience true movie theater fun. With all the new technology and advancements in audio/video, you too can experience theater quality and the unique sound of dinosaurs right behind you, or a car crash that looks like it’s going to jump out of the television.
So the days of going to the movies are not over, but it is safe to say that things are definitely changing. Even though for years people have had the opportunity to either wait until a movie came on cable or rent it and watch it on a VCR, this didn’t stop the movie going experience because you couldn’t get the same sights and sounds of the big screen. But now with the increase of home theaters, the future holds what may become of going out to the movies. What used to take lots of money, time and patience, will now involve walking to your theater room and pressing play.
