• Last updated 10/5/12 by espodo

    By Eric Podolsky, 10/03/12   If there’s one thing that becomes readily apparent from browsing AVS Forum’s wealth of informative threads, it’s that the AVS community takes projectors very seriously. There are few topics onsite that inspire the amount of time and dedication in our members as projectors do, and AVS Forum takes great pride in our wealth of lengthy threads that contain invaluable information submitted by our resident projector experts. There’s no denying that the world of projectors can be a rabbit hole that leads to endless experimenting,... read more

• Last updated 10/2/12 by David Bott

  By David Bott, 10/02/12   Okay, I need to ask something here. It is something that has been bugging me for some time now. The question is, what is currently considered to be a “home theater"?   What I mean is, “home theater” use to be just that: a personal theater in someone’s home.  But lately, it seems that people are using the term “home theater” to talk about anything to do with audio and video in their home. I have even heard people say, “I now have a home theater!” because they had hooked up something that did 5.1 for the first time. Now don’t get... read more

• Last updated 9/10/12 by espodo

We received many inspiring submissions from AVS members when we asked you to share your most meaningful home theater moment of all time with us. The responses varied widely, but all drove home and emphasised the passion and love that we all share for achieving a true cinematic experience in our own home.   After much deliberation, we’re happy to announce that the winner of a $100 gift card to Amazon is AVS member Moggie! It’s impossible not to smile ear to ear when reading his submission: Quote: I've had many great experiences in my home theater but... read more

• Last updated 9/10/12 by espodo

    By Eric Podolsky, 9/10/12   As we collectively hurtle into the brave, new world of streaming, our ever-increasing bandwidth demands present us with constant challenges. The amount of data we stream continues to increase exponentially, and the routers we use to transmit said data are becoming obsolete faster than ever before. Thanks to a growing pool of streaming HD entertainment and games, the typical 300 Mbps wireless router just isn’t going to hold up to demands pressed upon it.   Naturally, as our hardware becomes increasingly unable to handle the... read more

• Last updated 11/1/12 by espodo

    By Eric Podolsky, 8/27/12   When building a home theater, there is no debate as to the importance of choosing an audio configuration that’s the best fit for your taste, as well as your space. Whether you’re looking to keep it minimal and compact, or want to go all out with big, floor-standing speakers, care needs to be given to their configuration if you want everything to sound its best. Here are some of the main considerations to take into play when choosing your home theater’s surround sound configuration.   Room Size   As most AVS members... read more

• Last updated 8/24/12 by Ralph Potts

As home theater enthusiasts we love to show off our home entertainment systems. Let’s face it we have put lots of blood, sweat, tears and money into our labor of love so why shouldn’t we sit our friends, neighbors, relatives and anyone else that happens by down for a demonstration? Like many of you reading this I still get a kick out of watching people react to a great demo scene played back in my 7.2 channel theater. Of course this type of setup isn’t required to derive the awe factor as each room, system and enthusiast is different. The advent of surround sound gave... read more

• Last updated 9/17/12 by espodo

  By Eric Podolsky   8/17/12   As the summer winds down and the brutal heat starts to subside, we find ourselves looking forward to reaping the bountiful harvest of new Blu-ray releases in store for the fall. With such a barrage of first-time Blu-ray releases on autumn’s horizon, our couches are guaranteed to see plenty of action as the days get cooler.   Titanic - 2D and 3D - 9/10     James Cameron’s ambitious blockbuster comes to Blu-ray for the first time, and should look great with its new 3D facelift. Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures -... read more

• Last updated 8/24/12 by TeddyGVT

    By Eric Podolsky, 8/14/12   For those looking to free themselves from the shackles of the all-powerful cable company, there are plenty of hardware options that will help you declare your independence and still get all the content you need from your TV. The world of streaming video has expanded dramatically in the past year, and though the picture quality of streaming video is still not quite up to speed with cable, the money saved through reliance on these services makes a strong argument for switching over. We know that the amount of streaming boxes on... read more

• Last updated 9/7/12 by espodo

  By Eric Podolsky, 8/13/12   In today’s rapidly changing world of home entertainment, more and more people are choosing to cancel their costly cable and satellite subscriptions and replace them with streaming services. And while this move away from broadcast television has its pros (less expensive, no commercials, on-demand content) and cons (no news or live sports), if you choose to go ahead and cut the cord for good, deciding which services to subscribe to can be a daunting task. Each offers its own set of content, and though there are plenty of overlaps... read more

• Last updated 9/14/12 by espodo

By Chris Abbott, 7/24/2012 With the amazing high-def, 3D visuals that were introduced in this most recent generation of gaming consoles, video games are definitely one of the best ways to show off a killer home theater system these days. Let’s face it, there’s nothing quite like cranking up the receiver and getting completely immersed in an intense gaming experience. And while it’s virtually impossible to truly narrow down a list of best HD gaming experiences, we decided to give it a shot with some of our favorites. From the explosion-laden Battlefield 3 to the... read more