By Bob Gatton
In the previous article in this series, we discussed speakers and their placement in the media room. But of course, speakers don't do much good if there's no sound going to them, just as screens are useless without a video signal. So this article will discuss the audio/video/data sources for the media system.
The sources most commonly found in a media room include the following:
- cable box or satellite receiver
- DVD player or recorder
- video game
- digital video recorder (DVR).
Some of these sources are available in combinations: satellite receiver or cable box and a DVR; DVD and VCR or DVD and DVR. Some video-game consoles also play DVDs.
Other sources include satellite radio, computers, cassette tape decks, and yes, I still see turntables in homes from time to time.
Many cable boxes and satellite receiver/DVR combinations now require at least two coaxial cables, while most satellite receivers need a telephone connection. Primary audio-video areas of the home–the media room, the family room and the master bedroom–should always have at least one telephone and two coax connections. If you add an off-the-air antenna for local stations, you'd better go for three coax outlets. (We'll talk about wiring in more detail in a future article.)
Getting to the source
No matter how bargain-minded you are, don't skimp on the DVD player for your media system. Yes, you can find one at a very low price, but this is a component that will be used very frequently, and a quality player doesn't cost that much more.
Also consider a DVD changer. There are many multi-disc carousel DVD players available, as well as mega changers that can store as many as 400 discs. Not many families will watch five movies in a row, but remember: DVD players also play CDs. Being able to put multiple CDs in the player is great for background music when you entertain.
Digital video recorders, sometimes referred to as personal video recorders or by brand name (TiVo, Dishplayer, ReplayTV and others), use a hard disk drive to store video. They let you record television programs; pause live television; and record one program while watching another. Most also have a feature that finds and records every program in a series, even if the broadcast time changes.
Many DVRs also can search and find all of the programs for a particular director or actor. You can search for "Clint Eastwood," and the DVR find all of the broadcasts in which Mr. Eastwood appears in the near future, whether he's singing in Paint Your Wagon, playing Rowdy Yates in Rawhide, or chatting with Jay Leno.
A DVR also has a live-television buffer. When you're watching a program, it will have automatically stored at least the last 30 minutes of the show. That's nice because if you miss the first few minutes of a show, you can simply back up to the beginning.
The latest developments in DVRs include the following:
- The addition of HDTV tuner(s). This allows you to record both standard- and high-definition broadcasts.
- Larger hard-disk drives. A few years ago, 40-gigabyte drives were common; now some DVRs come with 250-gig drives. One gigabyte of storage will record approximately one hour of standard-definition television.
- Home theater personal computers. HTPCs are quickly becoming more popular. Properly configured, they can be used as DVRs.
Game systems are also a very popular source, with Sony PS2, Nintendo Game Cube and Microsoft X Box among the leaders. Most "serious" gamers own more than one type of game system.
However, because HTPCs are becoming part of media rooms and home theaters, they are also changing the face of video gaming. Online video games are becoming increasingly popular, but they require a broadband connection–either very good DSL or cable -- so make sure a broadband connection is available.
An option when you might want to include for gaming is to run the cabling for the game controllers from the game console to an outlet close to the seating. The players can then connect the controllers to the outlet where they are seated; there won’t be wires running across the floor. Remember that different game systems use controllers, so allow for that when you install the connectors.
All of this gives you a good idea of the meaning of "multi" in multi-media. Computers eventually may take over the functions of some of these sources, but other, yet-to-be-imagined media could pop up in the future, too. One thing is certain: media rooms will continue to offer dazzling sights and sounds — and maybe even smells, tastes, and tactile sensations — as "multi" comes to mean even more.
See all articles in the Home Theater/Media Room Series
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