Practical Home Theater: A Guide to Video and Audio Systems (2009 Edition) (Paperback)

~ Mark Fleischmann (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

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 eighth edition, thoroughly revised and updated for 2009. 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. 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. It dispels the confusion surrounding such topics as HDMI and 1080p. And it covers all formats under the sun including the new Blu-ray disc 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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Product Details

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: Quiet River Press LLC; 8th,Updated edition (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932732101
• ISBN-13: 978-1932732108
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #420,104 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 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., February 10, 2007

By	Tandy K. Bozeman (Lake Almanor CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and Informative, December 17, 2004

By	Frank Doris (East Northport, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Practical Home Theater: A Guide to Video and Audio Systems (Paperback)

This book contains a wealth of valuable and useful information and "demystifies" the subject of home theater with clear, concise explanations. It is an excellent resource, exceptionally well-written and extremely comprehensive, and as the book's title indicates, it offers a great deal of practical, real-world advice. The author clearly knows the subject matter thoroughly. I recommend this book highly to both novices and experienced home theater enthusiasts.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Straight to the point, for a variety of skill levels, October 18, 2004

By	Adam Sohmer "Adam Sohmer" (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Practical Home Theater: A Guide to Video and Audio Systems, 2005 Fourth Edition (Paperback)

Fleischmann's book is ideal for anyone who wants to cut through the clutter of most books on the subject. Experienced high-end audio and home theater fans will certainly pick up a few new pointers on how to make the best use of their systems, but those who are relatively new to the game will walk away with plenty of information to make informed buying and set-up decisions without having to sift through pages of jargon and hyperbole.