How to Get the Most From Your Home Projector Without Spending a Fortune

There are many things to consider about the home projector in order to get the best possible experience. While some people believe that throwing more money at the problem will fix it, optimizing the home theater experience can be done without spending a fortune.

There has been extensive coverage about buying cheap projectors, DIY projectors, and many other means by which you can save money on a home theater system and still enjoy a quality experience. How to get the most out of your projector without spending a lot of money is an important thing to think about.

Mounting

Not enough can be said about mounting. Proper mounting is very important. But how can that save money? Mounting on a shelf unit often results in dust build up. Keeping the filters clean and making sure that there is plenty of airflow will help you to avoid over heating the projector causing damage which is costly to repair.

Screen Selection

Selecting the proper screen is very important. Not only do you want to get the right screen to fit your home projector needs the first time (Rather than having to purchase another one for more money) but you need to get a screen that is suitable for the location where it will be mounted. Is the screen easily cleaned? If it is soft fabric, will it rip or tear? If it is something that will be easily damaged, can it be stored while not in use?

Screens can be built with protection as well. Using an "artsy" type cabinet covering with pictures, or even a painting of some sort will prevent the dust buildup on the screen, lessening the need to clean it with the potential of damaging it. It will also prevent any ripping, tearing or other damage that may occur to the projection screen due to unforeseen circumstances.

Lamp Care

Make sure that the mounting is such that the projection unit does not get bumped or jarred a lot. Constantly bumping or moving the projector can cause many problems that are costly to repair. The filaments in the head lamps are very fragile, much the same as a mantle in a lantern is. Constantly jostling or bumping the projector will severely shorten the lifespan of the bulb. This will result in costly replacements that should not be needed so frequently. Frequent bumping also causes electronic and circuit boards to lose connection or come loose. This can create the need for costly repairs as well.

Lens Care

Are the optic lenses being adequately protected when they are not in use? The projector optics can be a very expensive replacement part. Lens covers are important. Even if they do not come with the projector when it is purchased, they are well worth the price. Quite frequently, spending a little money up-front can save a great deal of money in unnecessary expenses later on.

Projector Covering

Building a small container, especially for shelf mounted units can offer a unique custom-design and look for the user, and perform vital functions as well. Inclusion of computer fans and a power supply at a very nominal cost will insure sufficient airflow to prevent overheating and prevent much of the dust and dirt from getting into the projection unit where it could harm the optics as well.

An ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure if the desired effect is to get the most out of a home projector system without spending a fortune.

Note: This article may be republish for use in websites as long as the author bio and active hyperlinks are kept intact.

Clifford Tan, a Home Theater enthusiast and owner of the website Home Projector Advisor offering projector reviews, advice and many useful tips and hints to business and home consumers looking to purchase a home projectors. He is a System Administrator by profession with more than 10 years experience in the IT industry. He is very passionate about Trends & Technology, especially when comes to mobile gadgets.

He is also an internet marketer, having several websites on various computer niches. The most recent website he own was designed to help anyone who needs help on computer problems caused by registry errors. Go and check the website on http://www.registryrepairinfo.com/best-registry-cleaner.html

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Living Room Surround Sound Sans Wires

In the age of Wi-Fi, it's surprising wires still have to be draped across living rooms, tucked under carpets or run along walls for a quality home surround-sound setup. While wireless speaker systems exist, they haven't spread as quickly or as widely as they should have by now - largely due to high costs. But a new technology is a taking an innovative approach to eliminating excess wires.

Two new Mitsubishi television sets - the 46-inch LT-46149 and the 52-inch LT-52149 - incorporate the company's new Integrated Sound Projector (iSP) technology. The new technology builds home theater surround sound into the actual television set. In theory, this seems nearly impossible. How could a TV set sitting in front of a person replicate the experience of speakers positioned all around (even behind) the individual? iSP accomplishes this through a sixteen-speaker array that recreates true 5.1 surround sound from a cabinet below the screen. When a person takes the TV out of the box, he or she enters specific room dimensions into the set. The iSP then determines how to provide the best sound for that particular room. Through the use of an advanced algorithm, the iSP delays the sound in varying intervals to each of the 16 speakers. As a result, the speakers generate distinct sound beams that are focused both directly and indirectly to the listener. Supposedly, this practice recreates the experience of an actual surround-sound system.

With iSP technology being so new (sets just hit retailers in mid-July), there's not much feedback yet on how well the sets reproduce the surround-sound experience. But the idea behind the technology certainly is a good one. Of course, the major benefit of iSP is the elimination of all those pesky wires associated with traditional surround-sound systems. Running wires either requires some diligent cover-up work or accepting a living-room eyesore in exchange for theater-quality audio. But, should it work effectively, iSP could eliminate the need to have a receiver and speakers altogether. That, in turn, also eliminates an extra remote - a great benefit at a time when TV-viewing rooms seem to be jam-packed with more remotes than most users can actually keep track of. The sets also could be ideal for use in smaller or oddly shaped rooms like bedrooms, basements or attics, where surround-sound setups aren't entirely practical.

Though the Mitsubishi sets come with a hefty price tag, the eradication of wires and other benefits should immediately put this set in consideration for any serious videophile purchasing a new TV. Additionally, the LCD flat-panel sets with iSP also are equipped with a number of advanced video features. Mitsubishi boasts that 120Hz film motion allows for smooth, crisp, fast and slow action content. And Mitsubishi's Tru1080p delivers over two million pixels to a screen for a full and true 1920 x 1080 resolution. Meanwhile, Mitsubishi Plush1080p technology reformats 720p and 1080i signals for a sharper, clearer picture. And, when not watching TV, consumers also can turn the Mitsubishi sets into a works of art with GalleryPlayer - software that enables display of stunning high-definition art and photography. But even a Picasso pales in comparison to the notion of wireless surround sound.

Mitsubishi LT-46149 and LT-52149 TVs are available at electronics retailers with suggested prices of $3,299 and $3,699.

Shad Connelly, Executive Editor - Invention & Technology News (http://news.inventhelp.com) Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shad_Connelly

Home Theater Televisions - Recycling Your CRT

If you watch television and have an older CRT (cathode ray tube) or analog TV set, you have undoubtedly heard that by February 2009, you will need to have purchased a converter box in order to view basic television programming. Most of us already enjoy digital television programming with satellite or cable and won't need to do much to prepare for the change. However, if you are one of the estimated 20 million households that do not take advantage of these services but rather watches TV using an antenna, you will not be able to receive any programming after midnight on the February 17, 2009.

CRT television owners can choose to purchase a converter box using a government subsidized coupon for the purchase or they can buy a newer model television that can accommodate the change to digital, like an LCD or plasma screen.

The change made by Congress to transition to all-digital television has been put in place for several reasons:
1. Better picture and sound quality is available with digital television
2. More free channel options are available with digital television
3. Transitioning frees up more frequencies that can then be used by emergency services.

What's The Big Deal?
Because many homes may in fact be getting rid of their older television, there is a growing concern as to what to do with those older TV models. An estimated 75 percent of unused and broken televisions get stored away rather than recycled or disposed of. Keeping an old set around is really not a good idea. Older CRT sets contain anywhere from four to eight pounds of toxic lead, a fairly unhealthy thing to keep lying around your garage. Additionally, throwing these TVs into a landfill is not too environmentally savvy either because the lead can leech into the soil and groundwater if broken. Recycling can help prevent the release of this hazardous lead.

Additionally, television sets are big, clumsy, non-biodegradable objects that take up large amounts of space in our nation's landfills. Many states have already started prohibiting or limiting the ability to dispose of electronic devices in landfills. California, for instance, was one of the first states to pass a law prohibiting the throwing away of old TV sets, followed by several other states. The Environmental Protection Agency website can give you more information on limitations in your area.

How Can You Recycle Your TV?
There are a number of different options available to CRT and analog TV owners wishing to dispose of their sets in the most socially and environmentally responsible way. Before handing over your TV to any of these organizations or companies, however, ask some simple questions to verify that they comply with state or local electronics disposal laws and that they send any hazardous waste to a facility that specializes in the safe and legal disposal of such things.

Donate It To Charity: Consider giving your TV to a local charity, church or hospital. They may be willing to take it off your hands as well as pick it up from your home. You can contact the Electronic Industries Alliance for a list of local and national organizations that accept used electronic items.

Local Goodwill, Thrift Stores: Thrift stores will generally take an older TV set as long as it is in working condition. If you don't know where to start, simply make a few calls and see who might be interested.

Electronics Retailers: Some retailers, such as Best Buy, Circuit City and Office Depot will work with television manufacturers to sponsor in-store collection of televisions, computers and other electronics devices. This service is usually free or there may be a small charge. This is an incredible convenient option for people that want to dispose of a TV and get a new one all in one shop. Some retailers may even pick up the old TV set when they deliver your new one.

~Ben Anton, 2008

Ben Anton lives in Portland, OR and writes for Ronny's 5th St. Audio Vision.
Recycling Televisions: Learn more about LCD flat panel screens and other home theater video components at Ronny's Northwest theater store.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ben_Anton

How to Turn Your TV Room Into a Home Theater

If you bought a 50" plasma and receiver with surround sound a few years ago and you want to kick it up a notch for the upcoming football season here's an idea...

Thanks to the fact that HDTV projectors are far less expensive than they used to be, you can turn your TV room into a full blown Home Theater for as little as $3,000.00. Here's the concept....use your plasma for most TV shows and when it's time to watch the big game or movie, turn your room into a home theater by sending your HDTV signal to a projector that shoots an image 120" diagonal on to a screen mounted in front of your plasma.

How to Do It

Screen: You are going to mount a retractable HDTV screen above and just in front of your plasma and mount a HDTV projector in the back of the room. The most common size screen is 120" diagonal. Determine what screen size you should purchase, go to mountsandmore.com

Projector: Sony is the biggest player in the front projector market. Two favorites are:

Sony VPL-VW60: Home Theater magazine says the "SonyVPL-VW60 is a" great projector at a great price". It projects a beautiful1080P image and sells for about $5,000.00.

If you're tight on money, the Sony VPL- AW15 is an incredible deal at about $1,100. No kidding, no typo! Although this model is only capable of projecting an image in 720P format, (1080 is best) Home Theater Magazine says "No rear projector or flat panel at anywhere near the cost can offer a big screen experience like this!"

Projector Mount: Due to variables like ceiling height, you're going to need a little help here. I suggest contacting projectorpeople.com and have them help you determine the correct projector mount.

Connections: Your HDTV projector only needs two connections, power and HDMI (high definition multi media interface).

Power: If you can afford it, have an electrician install a power outlet near the location you will be installing your projector. If you don't have the budget, just buy an extension cord that closely matches the color of your wall and run the wires as cleanly as possible to the nearest outlet.

HDMI: You will need to run a HDMI cable from your receiver to your projector. It looks best if you run your wires in the wall or under the carpet. You may want to have a home theater installer handle this for you.

You will need to purchase a HDMI switch as most receivers have only 1 HDMI out connection.

Black Out Curtains: The black in a projected image comes from the black in the room so you need to keep your room as dark as possible when you are in Home Theater mode. I suggest logging on totarget.com/ where you can purchase black out curtains and rods for as little as $29.99 each and install yourself.

If you're a do-it-yourself person, you can save some money installing yourself. If not, I recommend contacting finding pre screened contractors through the use of an online service called servicemagic.com/ Service magic is an on line contractor referral service that will get you three bids on anything you need to get done.

Project Specifications and Budget

HDTV Projector:
Model 1: Sony VPL AW15
Price: $1,000.00
Model 2: Sony VPL VW 60
Price: $5,000.00
Where: shopzilla.com

Screen:
Model: Da-Lite Model C - Video Spectra, HDTV Format 119" diagonal
Price: $480.00
Where: mountsandmore.com

Projector Mount:
Model: Varies by application
Price: Varies by application ($250.00 - $500.00)
Where: mountsandmore.com

HDMI Cable:
Model: HDMI 1.3
Price: Varies by length ($50.00 to $100.00)
Where: mycablemart.com/

HDMI Switch:
Model: 3 port Enhanced HDMI switch
Price: $50.00
Where: mycablemart.com/

Black Out Curtains:
Model: Target Eclipse Suede black out curtains
Price: $300.00
Where: target.com

Installation:
Price: Varies by application ($500.00 - $1,000.00+)
Where: servicemagic.com

For more on how to build an affordable Home Theater go to
http://www.BuildYourOwnTheater.com

John Swanstrom grew up in Los Angeles California. He has 12 years experience in the Commercial Interior Design business working with customers including Disney, Warner Brothers and Paramount Studios on many large and complex projects. In his spare time, John has used his experience to build affordable Home Theaters.

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Bose Brings the Future of Home Entertainment to the Present With the Bose Lifestyle System Series

Creating a complete centralize home entertainment systems has always been a challenge for most of us due to factors like the number of rooms in the house, the massive amounts of equipment and wiring required, and not to mentioned the cost involved. Being able to create a network of audio and video equipment where all the components interact well with each other has for the most part been within reach of only a very privileged few.

Bose, the audio and video company known for cutting edge innovations, has created a solution with their Bose Lifestyle DVD Series, so advanced that it seems like it was ripped right out of a movie.

To start with, the Lifestyle DVD System delivers excellent home theater sound using their arrays of patented Jewel Cube speakers, a nice looking horizontal center channel speaker and a set of high-performance acoustimass modules, all included in the package.

This system in a nutshell, allows you to create a complete home entertainment network with top of the line components and smart technologies built right in to it. To get a better view of this advanced entertainment system, let 's begin with the brain of the network which, is the audio processor and DVD player . This component on the surface has the usual capabilities like the ability to play DVDs, VCDs, CD, MP3's, AM/FM tuner. It also allows you to record MP3s and comes with a connection to a your TV set through an HDMI port.

Underneath, however this system comes equipped with a unique Bose patented technology called ADAPTiQ and what this does is, it monitors the dimensions of your room and the placement of your speakers, and automatically calibrates the sound quality based on the acoustics of the room to achieve the best possible sound. So no matter what the shape and dimensions of your room are and where you place the speakers, ADAPTiQ will automatically calibrate the sound for you to achieve the best possible sound quality.

The second feature in this system is something called Bose Link Technology, and this is what allows you to establish the audio and video network throughout the house. BoseLink allows you to wirelessly link the main system to as many as 14 different rooms , so you can play a CD in the living room and deliver the sound to any of the other rooms, with each area having the ability to independently control the volume. What's more you can have a second audio stream, let's say an IPOD, and deliver that stream to any of the desired locations, so you can watch your TV in one room, while someone else listens to an MP3 somewhere in another room, all coming from the main hub.

As you can see the Bose Lifestyle system comes as close to completing a home audio and video network as you can get. The basic system comes with the main components and enough equipment to set up the main room, and speakers for any additional room would need to be purchased separately. However with the main system set up, you can expand the entertainment network to accommodate up to 14 other rooms.

Hugo Valle is an Affiliate Marketer and Expert In Consumer Electronics http://boseaudioonline.com/

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Home Theater Speakers - More About Subwoofers

We all know what bass can do to a movie soundtrack. It can create drama, danger, even a feeling of strength depending on the visuals that go along with it. Bass is one of the most important elements of any audio format because it provides balance and contrast to the overall score of a movie, television show, even commercial. Quality bass in a sound system is impressive while not being overpowering.

In a 5.1 surround sound system, one of the most common for home theater installations, the '.1' is the bass. The speaker for the bass sounds on a soundtrack is called a sub-woofer. Lower frequency sound waves use a larger diaphragm to move the amount of air it takes to make these sounds. While smaller speakers can produce these lower frequency waves, they typically cannot produce the kind of quality that one would expect from a quality theater. Smaller speakers can often sound tinny when trying to produce these lower sounds. Large home theater speaker towers are capable of handling this part of the soundtrack though it may require the reduction of sound quality from the mid and high range frequency speakers.

Choosing a good sound system with a quality bass speaker is not impossible, even for people who do not have a lot of experience. First, start with the sub-woofer. Homeowners will need to consider whether they require a passive sub or an active woofer. A passive sub-woofer does not need a separate power supply. Rather it uses power from the same amp that is driving the other home theater speakers. Volume from the amplifier can usually be controlled, there is less control overall with a passive sub. An active sub has a separate power supply. This means that the signal received from the amplifier/receiver is enhanced by the sub-woofer itself, without taking any of the power from the other speakers.

Once you have your home theater sub-woofer and other speakers picked out, lay them out to get the best sound from each. Bass sound is omni-directional, meaning that it goes out from the speaker in all direction. To decide where to place the sub-woofer, put it in the same position that you will be sitting in, whether it is on the couch facing the television screen or in a home theater chair. Turn on a favorite film then move around your room and listen. Find the spot that the bass sounds best and move your sub-woofer to that location. It can be set on the ground, on a shelf or off of a wall depending on where you feel the best low tone sound is heard. Since the sounds are going out and bouncing around the room in roughly the same direction, the sound should be great when you get it into place.

We've all heard the laments of mothers and fathers forced to deal with the incessant thumping and pounding of boom box bass lines from their adolescent's car or room. There is something to say for the potential for this phenomenon to occur in a home theater as well. While walls, ceiling and floor will generally block high sound frequencies from leaving the room, they can actually increase the volume of the lower range sounds. While laying out your speakers, try to also find the right volume balance for all frequencies that your family can enjoy the sound quality a bass can provide without driving your neighbors crazy.

~Ben Anton, 2008

Ben Anton lives in Portland, OR and writes for Ronny's 5th St. Audio Vision.
We invite you view the best in home subwoofers for theaters from vendors like Dali and Quad at Ronny's speaker, home theater and accessories store.

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