home theater system

You have it all planned out in your head – Just exactly what kind of theater seats you’re going to have, the color of the carpet and wall-fabrics, how many rows of seats, how big the screen will be, and so on. You can imagine turning it on for the first evening, having the THX ‘whoosh’ or your favorite movie scene ‘shock and awe’ you into quivering A/V delight. But don’t stop there – actually run through what it really takes to make that all happen…

– Set the temperature to the right spot, just cool enough for a lap blanket
– Get all the electronics warmed up
– Turn the lights down low at first, then totally off for the main event
– Find the projector remote
– Turn on the projector
– Set the projector input to ‘HDMI1’ for the BluRay player
– Find the video processor remote
– Set the video processor input to ‘DVD’
– Make sure the video memory is set to ‘Cinema’
– Find the surround processor remote
– Turn on the surround processor
– Set the audio input to ‘DVD1’
– Set the surround mode to ‘Cinema’
– Make sure THX processing is engaged
– Set the volume to reference -10dB
– Turn on all the audio amplifiers
– Find the BluRay remote
– Turn on the BluRay player
– Get the disc playing
– Use the ‘pop-up menu’ to get to right scene for the big show

Much less dreamy, huh?
Can you really remember all of that? Could any member of your family? Guests? Probably not. What about the different settings for different sources like satellite tv or VuDu? This problem of control is what companies like Crestron are perfect for. From a simple handheld automated remote control to a fancy wireless touchpanel, these controllers can turn an evening focused on technology, ‘stuff’, and frustration, into one spent enoying the true art of cinema.

Remember – The image may be pristine, and the audio dynamic and crystal clear, but if you can’t turn it on, it’s all just an expensive living room.
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Sean Hotchkiss
shotchkiss@localhost