Do I need a big home to have a home theater?
No! Believe it or not, everyone can have a home theater. Many people finish off their basements, attics, or small rooms and use them as prime theater space. Even if you can’t dedicate a room, you can still create a home theater atmosphere. There are a variety of options for smaller areas, including the "home theater in a box," which packs almost everything you need into one box—just add your TV!
Is a home theater really as good as going to the movies?
Once you have your own home theater, it’s hard to imagine fighting the crowds, sharing armrests, and dealing with offenders of the “silence is golden” rule. You can make a home theater as realistic as you’d like. Some people add accessories such as a marquis, candy counter, and real theater seating (the comfy kind). However, a home theater located in your family room can still be better than a night at the local Cineplex.
What is the difference between front-projection and rear-projection?
Except for its size, rear-projection is configured like an average TV, with a base and cabinet behind the screen to support the amazing picture that's being produced. Most have very large screens—some are more than 6 feet wide. Rear-projection TVs come in CRT (cathode ray tube), LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), DLP (Digital Light Processing), and LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) models.
A front-projection system is like a real cinema. This type of system would consist of a projector and a huge screen. Some systems can project images 10 feet wide, regardless of the source (DVD player, VCR, etc.). These projectors utilize either CRT, LCD, or DLP processing to produce film-like images. (See also
Projection TVs.)
Sound Systems