The book is divided into several chapters, organized by subject.
- Chapter 1, Buying Gear
It's easy to buy cheap gear, and it's hard to find quality components. The hacks in this chapter pull back the curtain on chain stores, show you the wonders of home theater boutiques, and reveal the tools of the trade for buying online. There are even hacks to help you locate hard-to-find items such as component racks that won't break your budget, theater lighting, movie posters, and fancy molding for your walls.
- Chapter 2, Video Components
When you sit down to watch a movie, the first thing you notice is invariablyâ¦the movie! This section is chock full of tricks to get the most out of your video components. From choosing a television set to defeating the ridiculous VHS/SVHS/DVHS scam, from removing glare on your TV to dealing with letterboxing and those pesky black bars, you'll have your video sources cranking out killer picture in no time.
- Chapter 3, Audio Components
The best picture in the world won't make a silent movie interesting. This section deals with video's sister, audio. You'll learn how to choose the units that drive your speakers, as well as amplification tricks for getting the most out of your main speakers. You'll even learn how to listen to those big action movies when everyone else is trying to sleep.
- Chapter 4, High Definition
It's everywhere you go nowâhigh-definition TV, high-definition VCRs, ESPN HD, HBO in lifelike color. High definition is much more complicated than Best Buy makes it seem, though, and this section breaks it all down. The right TV, the accessories that play nice with HD, getting your local networks in stunning resolution: these are all covered, and then some.
- Chapter 5, Speakers and Wiring
Here's where things begin to get plain nasty. Electronic components take a few paragraphs to deal with, but speakers are an order of magnitude more complex. These hacks teach you when to choose speakers from the same manufacturer, or even the same line; how to balance the super-sleek, small speaker with big movie sound; getting a literal rumble in your house when the bass kicks in; and much, much more. This is where the big boys start to play.
- Chapter 6, Subwoofers
Did someone say bass? Without a subwoofer (or two), a home theater is just a game room. This section teaches you how to move from seeing a plane take off, to feeling its engines wash back across the pavement. The right sub, as well as careful placement and proper connections, make even a mediocre theater sound professional.
- Chapter 7, Connectivity
As unsexy a topic as it sounds, keeping all your gear connected and running is crucial. The relatively simple hacks in this section will ensure that you're not wading through cables with a flashlight gripped between your teeth, all while your friends are waiting to see the last disc of Band of Brothers.
- Chapter 8, Calibration
If home theater is nothing more than a whimsical hobby, this is the section that will turn you into a bona fide audio- and videophile. Calibration, simply put, makes a decent picture great, and a great picture unbelievable; it turns a good set of speakers into a smooth soundscape; it provides $10,000 quality via your $2,000 TV. This section is tricky, tedious, and time-consumingâbut oh, the benefits! You'll blow your neighbors away before you're halfway through the chapter.
- Chapter 9, Do It Yourself
If you've got a hankering to break out your power saw, the hacks in this section are the excuse you've been waiting for. From speaker stands to 100-inch movie screens to power cables, you'll learn how to put together much of your home theater from scratch.
- Chapter 10, Remote Controls
No system is complete without a remote control; unfortunately, most theaters have three, four, or even more! Consolidate into one killer remote, and even learn how to make it look better than an Atari 2600 in the process.
- Chapter 11, HTPC
No hardcore home theater book would be complete without a discussion on adding computers into the mix. This section details everything from home theater PC display resolutions to cranking up DOOM 3 in glorious HD resolution.
- Chapter 12, TiVo
Once you're all set up, all that's left is to make sure you don't miss anything good. These TiVo hacks will help you catch every show you ever thought about watching, and do it all from your local Starbucks via a web browser!
Get Home Theater Hacks now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
