Home Entertainment

Home theater systems, whole-house audio systems and their corporate equivalents are big business these days. Of course, B&H carries everything that home enthusiasts and professionals need to assemble these systems. Whether it’s flat-screen TVs, home-theater systems, audio amplifiers, speakers, computers or any kind of related accessory, B&H is your go-to resource.

Just because the outdoor drive-in movie complex has largely disappeared from American suburbs doesn’t mean you can’t set up your own theater—in the driveway. You may already own some of the components, and they don’t necessarily have to be seated in a convertible.

The demo is eye-popping. Hold an iPad 2 in front of an Apple TV, download Real Racing 2 HD and suddenly the tablet becomes a telemetric steering wheel. Instead of the game view being seen on the tablet, it’s displayed in 1080p on your big-screen HDTV even as the engines reverberate out of your home theater’s subwoofer. 

There’s a good chance that some day you’ll want to connect your computer to your big-screen TV to make it easier to share either photos you’ve taken or Internet video with guests. HDMI has become the standard type of high-definition connector found on modern TV sets, and many new computers include an HDMI output. 

Just because your connected TV set or media receiver can stream content from particular sites doesn’t mean you can explore the full range of the Internet. But with the Logitech Revue with Google TV Media Player, you can “Google” anything from the sofa as easily as from a computer.

As more TV sets and source components such as game consoles, Blu-ray Disc players and media receivers require Internet access, the unavailability of a nearby Ethernet jack in your home theater or bedroom can stymie installation—especially when Wi-Fi isn’t an option.

As the main component housing an amplifier/switcher/tuner, an audio-video surround receiver plays the crucial role in managing all your home theater components. So, it’s important to think about how the receiver will serve your needs, going forward.

Now that you’ve decided to upgrade your TV audio with a Home Theater in a Box (HTiB) sound system, there are a few things you can do to make sure you’re hearing the best possible results.

Sometimes you want the signal from a source component to travel through an intermediary component without alteration. Thus, when a home theater or handheld electronics product is described as having pass-through capability, it means that the audio or video can exit exactly as it entered.

Though most viewers have never attached an antenna to a TV, they’ve also never experienced the novelty of free TV. Cable and satellite services are laden with monthly fees, but an antenna is a one-time purchase.

Upping the media-savvy IQ of your TV set is easy with one of AVerMedia's newly arrived players. Each attaches to an HDMI input on your TV or home theater receiver: one model adds a USB input and card reader; another lets you attach a USB or eSATA device and stream content from your home network or the Internet; a third turns your cable or satellite box into a computer-controlled DVR.

Beyond perching your new TV on a wood-grain or metal/glass tabletop or bolting it to a plate in the wall, you can set up your home theater in a number of novel ways.

Whether you’re moving into a smaller abode or simply want to make more efficient use of existing rooms, there are at least 10 things you can do to free up space. By digitizing the piles of physical media in your home and relocating or replacing some equipment, you stand to become the big-time beneficiary of an analog-to-digital makeover!

Cleaning resolutions spring eternal, but when it comes to protecting the investment in your flat-panel TV and other components, you’d be wise to follow through with a little preventive maintenance.

Due to the girth of tube televisions, every set stood on its own accord without assistance. (An assistant was required when you had to lift it.) But today’s flat-panel TVs aren’t as proud. They either need to be anchored to an included stand or optionally mounted on the wall. Some flat-panel TVs ship with the stand attached, and it’s up to you to remove it if you decide to make the TV wall mountable.

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