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Author:
Oliver Pankiewicz

Only a few years ago, home theaters consisted of large tube-based TVs, VCRs, and stereos with two speakers. Today, home theaters consist of flat-panel HDTVs, receivers, surround sound speakers, DVD players, and more. So what components will make up the home theater of tomorrow? Audio, video, and data distribution will be key to any future home theater, which will soon morph into a home theater network.

Today's home theater is limited to a single room. For example, a show recorded on a DVR can only be viewed on the TV to which the DVR is connected; music heard from the speakers of a home theater can only be heard in the room in which the speakers are placed. However, by establishing a home theater network, owners expand the capabilities of their home theater by creating a system capable of sending a recorded TV show to any bedroom, or playing music on speakers throughout the property.

The equipment needed to change a home theater into a home theater network includes a router, receiver, and a home theater PC (HTPC). The router distributes data and allows Ethernet-capable devices in a home theater to connect to the Internet and a home network. The receiver distributes audio and video from a home theater to multiple rooms. Note, the simple 5.1 surround sound receivers of today are not capable of this function. Newer receivers with multiple-zone outputs will be necessary for a home theater network. Finally, the HTPC functions as a source for audio, video, and data. For example, the HTPC can be used as a central server where an owner can save all of his music, video, pictures, and data. An HTPC also has the ability to serve as a DVR, and record TV shows. Since the HTPC is a computer, its capabilities are essentially endless.

As prices drop, more people are trading in their large, tube-based TVs and stereos for thin, high-definition TVs and multi-zone output receivers. Also, more people are building home networks with their laptops and multiple computers. The merging of the home theater and home network into a home theater network will arrive in the not–too-distant future. Your first home theater network lies just around the corner.

http://www.hometheaternetwork.com is the all-in-one source for HDTVs, networking devices, receivers, speakers, DVRs, game consoles, HTPCs, HD DVD, Blu-ray, VOIP, PDA phones, cables, interconnects, and setting up a Home Theater Network.

| Article Keywords: Home Theaters

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Home Theaters... The Home Theater Projector – Are They Worth the Money? When considering the visual component of your home theater system you are certain to look into the prospect of purchasing a home theater projector. A high quality home theater projector is a great way to start or improve on your in-home movie theater. A home theater projector works almost the same as a rear projection television. The only difference being, you guessed it, the location of the projector. A rear projection television, as the name suggests, has the projector situated behind the television screen and projects an image onto the backside of it. A front projection television is most similar to the projector in a real theater, where images are projected from the back of the room to the front onto a large fabric screen. The best feature, and reason that most people choose to buy a home theater projector, is the fact they can easily produce an image that’s 200” measured diagonally. No other type of screen can do this. In fact, a standard CRT television can only reach a screen size of 40”. Clearly, an image of this magnitude can only add to the true theater experience. With a properly installed home theater projector, you can expect the images produced to be very near the highest quality of anything else on the market. Of course, the room must be darkened enough so that the image appears bright and vibrant, but this can be easily managed through the use of heavy drapes for large windows. Certain types of projectors must be set up by trained professionals in order for a calibrated, clear image to be achieved. The type that you can easily set up yourself will initially cost less than one that has to be professionally installed. Having said that, professional installation is well worth the extra expense to achieve the clarity and create the ambiance of a night...