How can an average person navigate the maze of audio/video technologies in a home theater system? Turn to Mark Fleischmann's Practical Home Theater: A Guide to Video and Audio Systems, now in its sixth edition, thoroughly revised and updated for 2007. The ultimate answer book, it tells you everything you need to know when shopping for HDTV and surround gear -- including how to read a spec sheet, how to separate fact from hype, and how to get good value for your money. To keep up with new technology, this edition reorganizes the television and surround sound chapters, and includes more than a dozen pages of new content. It weighs the pros and cons of HDTV display technologies such as plasma, LCD, DLP, and tube-based sets. It explains the differences between Dolby and DTS surround, including the new Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master standards. And it covers all formats under the sun including the new Blu-ray and HD DVD discs, DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, SACD, and anything that plays in an iPod. The book also explores often ignored topics such as buying a DTV antenna, power-line accessories, and cables. A richly detailed connections chapter tells how to hook up every component and how to solve common problems. By knowledgably guiding readers through the briar patch of video and audio, Practical Home Theater has become the standard reference work for home theater buffs. Future annual editions will continue to track changes in home theater technology.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Fleischmann knows mere mortals are not tech experts and can't afford to spend more for their TV than their car. -- Jonathan Takiff, Philadelphia Daily News
For less than the cost of a DVD, it'll remove the power of intimidation from your home theater. -- Kevin Hunt, The Hartford Courant
If you've been looking to have all your home theater questions answered in one place, this book will do it. -- Brian C. Fenton, Sound & Vision
Mark is well qualified to write about this subject.... An excellent primer for consumers, retailers and manufacturers. -- Steve Smith, This Week In Consumer Electronics
You may get to show up the mass-market retailer ... or perhaps hold your own against the specialist retailer. -- Paul Best, The Age (Australia)
For less than the cost of a DVD, it'll remove the power of intimidation from your home theater. -- Kevin Hunt, The Hartford Courant
If you've been looking to have all your home theater questions answered in one place, this book will do it. -- Brian C. Fenton, Sound & Vision
Mark is well qualified to write about this subject.... An excellent primer for consumers, retailers and manufacturers. -- Steve Smith, This Week In Consumer Electronics
You may get to show up the mass-market retailer ... or perhaps hold your own against the specialist retailer. -- Paul Best, The Age (Australia)
About the Author
Mark has been a technology writer and expert on home theater for more than 25 years. He currently serves as audio editor, news columnist, and reviewer for Home Theater and writes a monthly commentary for DigitalTrends.com. He has also served as founding editor-in-chief of etown.com, senior editor of Video Magazine, audio critic of Rolling Stone, and columnist for Audio Video Interiors, Premiere, and The Village Voice. His writing has appeared in Bloomberg Personal, CrutchfieldAdvisor.com, Details, E-Gear, Entertainment Weekly, The Men's Journal, Newsday, Spin, The Ultimate AV Guide, The Washington Post, and many other publications.
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More About the Author
Author of Practical Home Theater and Happy Pig's Hot 100 New York Restaurants, Mark has been a technology writer and expert on home theater for more than 30 years. He currently serves as audio editor, news columnist, and reviewer for Home Theater. He has also served as founding editor-in-chief of etown.com, senior editor of Video Magazine, audio critic of Rolling Stone, and columnist for Audio Video Interiors, DigitalTrends.com, Premiere, and The Village Voice. His writing has appeared in Bloomberg Personal, CrutchfieldAdvisor.com, Details, E-Gear, Entertainment Weekly, The Men's Journal, Newsday, Spin, The Ultimate AV Guide, The Washington Post, and many other publications. He has lived in New York City since 1975.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A complete novice on the subject of home theater, this book was my rescue.,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Practical Home Theater: A Guide to Video and Audio Systems, 2007 Edition (Paperback)
I recently bought a LCD HDTV by mail and set about to install it myself. I made the purchase after careful research, and with some head scratching was able to correctly connect the TV to my new high definition satellite receiver, and was delighted (and relieved) to see a stunningly lovely picture. However, I realized that I had managed just the "easy" part, next I faced the daunting challenge of adding enough black boxes to make a proper home theater. My knowledge of home theater was zip, nada! I did not even own a stereo music system. So, I searched home theater on Amazon and bought this book for no other reason than it said it was the "2007 Edition" and I wanted current information. I knew that an easy solution was to buy a theater-in-a-box, but which brand, and could I get a better value if I could put together a component system specifically designed for what I wanted, or thought I wanted?
The book arrived in the mail and I settled down to read. My total lack of knowledge was to test the author's ability to explain a complex technical subject to the complete novice. I cannot say I found the book to be a delight to read, but it did just what I wanted it to do, provide a through grounding in all aspects of home theater, preparing me well to make an informed decision about what to buy to add a good sound system to my new HDTV. This book is not an easy read, but then it should not be if it is to adequately cover the subject matter in detail. I must say that not once did I find myself hopelessly lost as the author attempted to guide me through a maze of technical detail. I found that this one book brought me up to speed, from zero to 60, on home theater. I now go back and use it as a reference. My only mistake was not reading the book before buying the HD TV, as the video sections are excellent and would have saved me much research time. Building your own home theater system requires a considerable outlay of money. Do not start the project without first reading this book. If nothing else, it will arm you to know hype from fact when you face the salesperson.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Start your HT here,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Practical Home Theater: A Guide to Video and Audio Systems, 2007 Edition (Paperback)
I was not blown away by this book but it does give you a good foundation. Of course with any industry that is changing as fast as home theater the book is a little out of date but still valuable.
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