Lg is brand that we are all very familiar with. This brand is now producing superior LG plasma TV products. There are various items that you will need to think about before you purchase an Lg plasma TV. These items are the specifications that you will come across with this television.

The specifications that you will need to look into are that of the plasma display specifications, input terminals, output terminals, plasma monitor accessories and the dimensions and general specs. Each of these specifications will allow you to choose an Lg plasma TV that you require for your entertainment needs.

For instance you should look to see if the LG plasma TV that you are looking at will have mounting options, speakers and audio amplifiers. These accessories will let you select the various options for DVD players, camcorder playback and you will also have access to a surround sound type of quality viewing.

The input and output terminals that are found in the LG plasma TV will let you plug your TV viewing options properly so that no electrical faults occur. Some of these input an output terminals will provide you with a better level of quality in your image displays.

To compete with the other popular plasma brands LG plasma TV models are now fitted with new technology. This innovative technology presents the LG plasma TV with an integrated HD tuner. This in built tuner will allow the LG plasma TVs to receive and display high definition signals. For this reason you will not have any need to hook your LG plasma TV to any external HD receiving device.

The newer LG plasma TV models are now designed with sound and analogue engine that is called XDTM. This engine will enhance the sound and analogue signals of your LG plasma TV so that the various color features like brightness, details, color contrast and high definition picture quality is seen by you.

For the LG plasma TV you can now receive a type of surround sound capability. This surround sound comes from a module that features “SRS Trusurround”. This 3 dimensional sound is emitted from the twin speakers of the LG plasma TV.

As most plasma TVs are affected by screen burn the LG corporation has devised a way to combat this problem. The LG plasma TV models are fitted with a program that is called Image Sticking Minimization or ISM.

This function also prevents the appearance of ghost images that can sometimes materialize on your plasma screen. As you see LG plasma TV is capable you providing you with a superior service and excellent quality plasma TV.

Satellite TV is perhaps the most common way to watch TV.  There are a few programming providers like DISH Network, DirecTV, Bell ExpressVu, and Sky Mexico, just to name a few.  Those programming providers usually charge a monthly programming fee to viewers to allow them to view the channels that the programming provider has purchased the rights to to broadcast on their satellite, using their own proprietary satellite receivers.  Most use a standard 18 inch satellite dish and a circular LNB to pick up the signal from the satellite broadcasting between 12.20GHz and 12.75GHz frequency.  These satellites are NOT Free To Air.

Free To Air ( FTA ) is exactly what the name says.  It’s channels that broadcast with out being scrambled or having any type of encryption.  Usually, the TV station pays for the satellite transponder time and broadcast it to the viewer free of charge.  There are approximately 75 satellites that can be picked up from N. America, of which about 45 carry Free To Air channels.  Channels vary from wild network feeds from CNN, Fox News, ABC, NBC, CBS, BBC, and many more.  Other channels are 24-hour entertainment channels like Fashion TV, Arabic TV stations, Farsi | Persian TV, Vietnamese TV, Thai TV, Supreme Master TV, Korean TV, Christian TV via Spiritcast Christian Satellite Television, Aghapy TV, Russian TV, Afghani TV, Senegalese TV, Kurdish TV, Turkish TV, RTN TV networks and literally, much much more….

Free To Air is broadcasted both in C band and Ku band.  The difference between the two is that with Ku band you can usually use a smaller than 120cm ( 1.2 meter ) satellite dish or smaller.  With C band, in order to get proper signal, you should use a 180cm (1.8 meter | 6 foot ) satellite dish or larger.

Many Free To Air satellite distributors in the USA like WS International ( www.wsidigital.com ) sell Ku band satellite dish motors that you can use to pick up multiple satellite signals using a single satellite dish solution.  The antenna motor operates using the Free To Air satellite receiver sold by the distributor and no extra wiring is necessary.   

For most parts of the USA 30 inch satellite dishes like the Winegard DS-2076 is an excellent dish to pick up signal from most of the satellites broadcasting.  In Southern Florida and northern part of Washington state, a WS9036 90cm satellite dish is required. 

To get more information about Free To Air, visit www.wsidigital.com or www.galaxy-marketing.com.

 

 

We’ve seen all of the television commercials, heard the radio ads, and gazed upon the billboards as we drive down the highway- the war is on and in high gear between the cable and satellite companies, and then more intensely between DirecTV and Dish Network. Each company is constantly ripping apart the other, making negative claims about the service and/or technology in the process. So whom are we supposed to listen to for the best home television entertainment plan? You’ve got to look at the concrete facts while forgetting about any rumors that you may have heard. To help you out with this, we’ve done the all of the research, so you don’t have to.

Starting with customer satisfaction: according to JD Power and Associates, satellite television is the clear winner with an outage average of only 1%. Cable comes in a surprising second place with an average outage of 3-5%. (Those stats are a bit different than the information you may have heard in the cable television ad campaigns.)

When it comes to the monthly bill, here are the latest stats and you can be the judge and make up your own mind. The average 60-channel satellite television monthly cost, including all televisions hooked up to the system, is roughly $33. Digital programming is included, as this is the only kind of programming that the satellite companies offer. On the other hand, the typical 64-channel analog cable bill will run about $40 per month, with digital programming an extra $11, and additional television hook-ups can cost between $4 and $10 for each set, each month.

In our opinion, satellite is the clear, overall winner.

Next, we’re on to the battle of the 2 top satellite television providers- Dish Network and DirecTV. Each offers something that the other doesn’t. For example, DirecTV is the only satellite with the NFL Sunday Ticket, a subscription channel that grants access to 14 professional football games each week during the season. Both main satellites have a different variety of college football games with add-on programming. But, if you have a high-definition television (HDTV), you’ll be interested to know that Dish Network carries 29 high-def channels compared to the 9 of DirecTV.

International programming, anyone? Dish Network is once again the clear winner here, boasting 30 foreign language/culture channels compared to DirecTV’s 10, with most of them in Spanish.

If you’re more of a homebody that likes to stay on the couch and access Pay-Per-View channels, Dish Network has 60 of these channels while DirecTV falls a bit short with 55. Adult PPV’s are available on 5 DirecTV channels and 6 of Dish Network’s.

Are you looking for a way to access cable TV for free because you are like most people who are trying to save money. With all the talk about how bad the economy is; people everywhere are trying to budget their family incomes. Well you have come to the right place; we are going to discuss how you can today begin watching all your television programs for a small one time fee; and then never have to worry about anymore monthly bills.

It is called PC internet TV and it allows anyone to access cable TV for free. Well okay not completely free; you still have to pay a small one time fee for the satellite software equipment that you need for you computer. However once you pay the small fee which you can easily find most reputable companies will charge less than $50 so that you can begin watching 3000 channels from your PC. Once you purchase the software it is yours to keep and you will recieve free satellite television for as long as you own the software.

Do you and your family enjoy watching television? Maybe you are like most people you had to cut down on the channels that you received in order to save some money; and now it seems as though there is nothing to watch on television. Well you are not the only one; before I found this new technology I was down to basic television and felt like I was watching the same shows all the time; because that was all that was ever on.

You can now access cable TV for free you will receive all the channels that you currently recieve; plus thousands more. All in all you will receive 3000 channels for your viewing pleasure. It is simple and convenient to turn your laptop or computer into a television broadcaster.

All you have to do is find a reputable online vendor that you trust and choose whether or not you want to do business with them or not. They will provide everything that you need to access all the television shows that you and your family could ever want.

If you have a computer and a high speed internet connection; that is all that is required to be able to use this service. You will not have to worry about purchasing any new hardware or spyware to utilize this technology. It is completely safe and extremely easy to use. All of the reputable companies will provide a step by step procedure that you follow to begin accessing all the channels and will take you through the whole downloading of the software.

If you found this article on “access cable tv for free” helpful; visit our site below and in just five minutes you can begin to watch all the shows that you and your family will enjoy. You will never have to watch another re-run; unless of course you just want to. So get ready to watch all the new fall premiers without having to worry about how you are going to pay the bill.

For more information about PC Internet TV please visit: http://pc-internet-tv.hi-tech-reviews.com

Is it possible to buy an expensive LCD TV?

Liquid crystal display television (LCD TV) technology has come a long way in recent years. The implementation of thin file transistor (TFT) technology has removed many of the angular resolution and ghosting problems previously associated with cheap LCD televisions.

It is now possible to buy an inexpensive LCD TV that has state-of-the-art features and superior picture quality.

What is an LCD TV?

An LCD TV is a flat panel television that utilizes advanced materials technology to create a bright, attractive picture on a flat screen.

An LCD TV screen is made up of two glass plates with a thin layer of liquid crystals in between. When electricity passes through the crystals, tiny color pixels light up to produce an image.

How do LCD TVs Compare to Plasma and Tube TVs?

In the past, plasma TVs were the only real flat panel television option. Now, LCD televisions have progressed to the point where they can compete with plasma TVs in terms of picture quality.

LCD televisions are easier to maintain, less likely to degrade with time, and use less power than plasma TVs. And the new crop of LCD TVs have a sharper picture, require less space, and use much less electricity than tube TVs.

What are the Features of an LCD TV?

Here’s a list of features found on newer model LCD TVs:

* Digital picture – the picture on an LCD screen is much sharper than on a tube TV and is now comparable to plasma TVs.

* Space saving design – LCD TVs are thinner and lighter than tube or plasma TVs, and can be set up almost anywhere.

* Widescreen format – LCD TVs utilize a widescreen format, similar to movie screens, so they are compatible with HDTV programming.

* Flat screen – LCD TV screens are flat, so there’s no distortion as with tube TVs.

Where can I Buy a Cheap LCD Television?

The best way I’ve found to get the best deal on a television is to first check out various models at your local electronics stores and discount stores. After you get a good idea of what you want in a TV and what’s available, go online and check prices and ratings at a comparison shopping site.

With the site I use I can compare various LCD prices and find out which stores are reputable and give good service. I can also get detailed product information, ratings by electronics experts, and even consumer reviews by people who actually own the product.

Forget about sales and discount warehouses. The best way to save money on big ticket items like LCD TVs is to comparison shop online. I’ve saved thousands of dollars on TVs, computers, appliances, and even furniture using this method (click on the links below for more information on the site I use).

Visit the http://TheSatelliteTVGuide.com to get more information, to compare prices, and to get consumer ratings for LCD TVs. Click on this link for information on home theater systems.

Online TV:

Online TV refers to a television service offered online to enable you view and watch streaming online TV channels on your computer via broadband internet connection. To watch or view television on PC or Laptop will never be easier, once you are a member; you will get instant access to more than 12000+ live online television channels with streaming films, news TV, Kids TV, sports, music, weather, lifestyle, TV shows and free movie TV downloads, you will be able to watch thousands of channels and movies within seconds of becoming a member at NO monthly charges,To Register Now. Click Here

Broadband Online TV Features:

- Get 12000+ live TV, recorded TV, and VOD (Video on demand) channels.

- Get thousands of radio + music stations at no extra charge.

- Access to full movie channels.

- Watch LIVE! Popular sporting events from all over the world.

- Detailed instructions how to setup your PC or Laptop.

- As a member get the latest updates, added channels at no extra cost, hdtv.

- Use the special direct connect TV channels; login to member’s area and watch TV.

- Search programming by genre, country or by viewing format.

- Free technical support.

- Get over a hundred dollars worth of bonuses as a member.

Online TV Entertainment:

In terms of entertainment, online TV offers television channels from all over the world in many different languages.

A few of these countries are:

Albania – Top Channe, Albania – Voa News, Algeria – ENTV, Andorra – ATV, Andorra – TVA1, Antigua and Barbuda – ABS, Argentina – Canal 2, Argentina – Canal 4, Aruba – Bo Canal 24, Australia – ABC Comedy Kitchen, Australia – ABC Kids, Australia – ABC Media Watch, Australia – ABC Rage, Australia – ABC Sports, Australia – ACC, Australia – AFL (Australian Football League), Australia – Bigpond, Azerbaijan – AZTV, Azerbaijan – GunAz TV, Azerbaijan – Ictimai TV, Bahrain – Discover Islam TV, Belarus – Belarus TV, Belarus – First National, Belgium – West op Zondag, Belgium – WTM, Belize – 7 News, Belize – Channel 5, Benin – LC2, Bolivia – Full Television Canal 39, Bolivia – Gigavision, Bolivia – Megavision Canal 18, Bolivia – Redadvenir, Bosnia&Herz – BHTV, Bosnia&Herz – NTV Hayat, Bosnia&Herz – VOA Bosnia, Brazil – ALCE, Brazil – AllTV, Brazil – Arca, Brazil – TV Terra, Brazil – TVE, Brunei Daris. – RTB, Bulgaria – BTK international, Bulgaria – BTK national, Canada – Argent, Canada – Canal Savoir, Canada – CBC Calgary, Canada – CBC Edmonton, Canada – CBC Igalaaq, Chile – Canal 13, Chile – Canal 13 Cable, Chile – CDtv, China – SZTV, China – XATV-2, China – XIN TV, Colombia – Canal 41 ABN, Colombia – Canal Cuatro, Colombia – CMB, Colombia – Nova Television, Cote D’ivoire – TV2 Cinema, Croatia – HTV 1, Croatia – HTV Sat, Croatia – OTV, Croatia – Smart TV, Cuba – Cubavision

Cuba – TV Cubana, France – TLM, France – TMC Monaco, France – TV 5 Monde

Germany – WWTV, Germany – XEN.ON, Germany – ZDF, Ghana – Ghana TV, Greece – Astra TV, Greece – ERT Sat, Haiti – Bamboch TV, Honduras – Canal 6, Honduras – Maya TV, Hungary – ATV, Hungary – Duna II Autonomia, India – Sudarshan TV, India – Zee Smile, India – Zee TV, Italy – TVA, Italy – TVR Teleitalia, Italy – Videolina, Japan – Channel J, Japan -Beach TV, Japan – FNN, Japan – IIV Channel

Japan – Impress TV, Mexico – Universidad Canal 1, Mexico – VideoRola, Mexico – XEJTV, Mongolia – TV 9, Mozambique – TV Mana, Nepal – Nepal 1 TV, Netherlands – 101 TV, Netherlands – 2e Kamer, Nigeria – Emmanuel TV, Nigeria – Loveworld, U.S.A – WVIT, U.S.A – WVUE, U.S.A – WVVH, U.S.A – Wildlife Channel, U.S.A – Young Turks, U.S.A – Yuma 77, Ukraine – 24 TV, Ukraine – UTR….and more

A few of the Online TV Entertainment Categories available:

Animal Channels, Documentaries, Anime TV, Family, Worldwide, Live Radio, Rugby, Music Videos, Fashion, Video on Demand, News & Weather, Business, Finance, Cartoon TV, Classic Films, Full movies, WebTV, Live shows, Soccer , Live Sports!, Cultural TV , Talk Shows, Sci Fi TV, Comedy TV , Sports News, Kids TV, Shopping, Auto Racing, Vacation &Tourist….and more

Advantages of Online Tv:

- You can watch Tv when traveling or on vacation.

- When you do not have access to satellite/cable in your area.

- You will view some great programming your current TV provider does not offer.

- You will watch channels from all over the world in many different languages.

- It’s a good alternative to your satellite or cable television service

- You save money from the high costs of satellite/cable television service.

Free Members Bonuses:

- Unlimited movie downloads

- DVD/CD burning software

- Video/DVD to ipod converter

- Web look TV

- Free internet security software

COMPUTER/ PC REQUIREMENTS:

At least 64M system memory — 128M system memory is recommended.

At least 10M hard disk space.

OPERATING SYSTEM:

Windows XP (Professional or Home edition), Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows95, Windows98, or Vista Home or Professional Platforms. MAC users will need to have a current OS X version with .exe download abilities.

INTERNET CONNECTION:

Use Online TV on a broadband cable/DSL connection with 128K minimum speed for optimum performance. However, this will work on a 56k dial up as well. You will just need to wait longer for the TV channels to buffer (download).

You can use Online TV service on as many as six computers with one membership, provide everyone in your household with this service, or install at your work or business. You will be allowed to download and view on up to six computers or laptops with one membership.

NOTE: IN FEBRUARY 2009 YOU WILL NEED TO SWITCH FROM ANALOG TO DIGITAL TV….

You will have three primary choices:

1. Contact your local cable company to purchase a converter box and service.

2. Purchase a satellite TV service.

3. Purchase an Internet TV service such as Online TV at a ONE-TIME price and get more channels than the others. Depending on your computer set up it is possible to transfer the Online TV signal from your computer to your TV set. 



Online TV will be uninterrupted by the transfer. As a matter of fact Online TV is expecting more TV stations once the transfer takes place in February 2009. No need to wait. Click here to Register – Online TV.

 

 

In recent years, it has become a growing trend to buy and watch classic television shows on DVD for your family entertainment. The availability of some of the all-time favorite classic TV shows on DVD and video has become pervasive throughout the U.S. This allows families to not only catch up on the past seasons of the television shows that they might have missed, but to go back to the classics that we and our parents grew up watching. It is now easier than ever to find seasons of shows that were produced 30 or 40 years ago, right alongside the DVDs of the television shows that are currently on the air. America seems to have become infatuated with remembering the characters and situations produced during the early years of television. What are the reasons for the increased popularity of classic television shows?

Classic television enthusiasts represent a large market of consumers. There were many classic sitcoms and variety shows that were aired between the 50s, 60s and 70s, that represent not only a large generation of viewers but a very powerful time in American history. They speak for the events of that age and include social and political commentary that goes right along with when they were made. Therefore, they are nostalgic entertainment and fun to relive. For those that watched these shows when they originally aired, classic TV DVDs allow them to relive that time in their life. For those that were too young to watch them when they first ran, DVDs allow them to appreciate the classics as new entertainment.

Classic television shows now available on DVD and video have created a new way to ensure that these memories are not lost. As more and more popular televisions shows became available on DVD in the 90s, there became a growing interest to see older television sitcoms on DVD as well. Shows like ER, Star Trek and The Simpsons were being sold at a tremendous rate which led to more and more people asking what happened to the other shows they once loved. Few television networks are able to show classic television programs which left a large gap of potential entertainment untapped and potentially gone forever. Without the DVD releases of these shows, the newer generations would have little knowledge about the early time in television history. But by allowing the distribution of these old sitcoms and variety shows through DVD, all generations can watch and love some of the classic shows and entertainers. Sonny and Cher, Donny and Marie and the comedic genius of Bob Hope can now be watched, remembered and cherished by those that remember when they were the stars of television.

In general, home entertainment and the purchase of DVDs has become one of the most popular entertainment expenditures for the American home. With televisions and DVD players become more sophisticated and movie tickets become more expensive, homes are opting to outfit their home to take on the task of keeping the family entertained. This means that more and more shows and movies to watch are also necessary. There is no shortage of network television to watch but there is a shortage on time to watch them all. When families know that they can purchase an entire season of a television shows on DVD in three to six months, they will do so. More and more we are finding families picking up classic television DVDs to watch because they weren’t able to watch them when they aired originally. With the television DVD market, it is now possible to follow the storylines of television shows that are on at exactly the same time. This is something that wasn’t possible even ten years ago.

Classic television shows are put onto DVDs so that a whole new generation of fans can watch them. Imagine a company that can make money off of a television series even twenty years after it aired. It no longer matters if a television show is currently on the air or not. With the new trend for putting classic television DVDs in consumers’ hands, classic shows are able to have a second chance at life. Some viewers can find shows from their childhood and enjoy the nostalgia that goes along with them, or they can teach their own children about the shows that they used to love. In the past, once a television show was no longer on the air, there was no way to see it again. However, now shows can be enjoyed over and over again. These shows are important to many viewers in lots of different ways and by putting these classic television shows on video and DVD, they can be popular for years to come.

The number of people using satellite TV system has increased since its emergence into the market in the early 1960s. The technology behind it has also advanced a lot since the “Early Bird”, one the first commercial satellite TVs. This TV had very poor pictures of low quality as compared to the present day crystal clear Direct-to-home deliveries available on Satellite Television.

Satellite TV works by means of communication between a satellite dish, a set-top-box and the global communication satellite. The whole set communicates by means of signals sent by an elliptical geostationary orbit located about 37, 000 km away from the earth’s surface.

The cycle of satellite TV communication starts where an uplink station transmits the signals using a powerful dish network antenna towards the satellite geostationary orbit in the sky. The uplink satellite dishes are usually large in diameter so as to increase the accuracy to the orbiting station receiving the signals. Thereafter, the transponder resends the signals back to the earth for your satellite TV.

Due to the evolving technologies and new ideas, the quality of satellite TV reception has tremendously improved over the years. Initially, the images were of low quality and were largely affected by atmospheric conditions. As newer technology remedies were invented, there came such equipments as parabolic receiving dishes which were a solution to weak satellite signals. Earlier, the sound was not in fine resonance with the images. However, later on satellite TV experts came up with low noise amplifier to tune in the sound-image accompaniment.

Another aspect that has changed about satellite TVs is that the costs of equipments and the expenditure of installation have tremendously gone down. This is due to the cheaper alternatives that have been employed as far as technology is concerned. For instance, the switch from the C-Band systems to the currents satellite TV systems enabled cheaper connection to the UHF TVs and made it possible for viewers to view multiple channels from the same connection line. This in turn resulted to mass production in relation to the equipments and commercial connections.

As the digital quality technology has gained publicity, the satellite TV has also gone digital. This is a great improvement as compared to the old PAL and NTSC technologies. These improvements have made many people to subscribe to the satellite TV systems, therefore moving always from the traditional analog TVs. As opposed to those days when people thought that those who had satellite TV were rich, these days all people from all walks of life can have the connection as well.

 

External looks are decidedly deceiving when you are standing on the showroom floor looking at the two side by side. Both of the televisions are flat and thin, but they use different engineering to bring you the same results.

How a Plasma TV Works

Plasma TV engineering use the same basic technology as the fluorescent light bulb. The screen is made up of of cells. In each cell two glass panels are set-apart with a thin gap filled with neon-xenon gas and then sealed in the form of plasma when it is produced. This gas is then electrically charged at precise intervals when the Plasma TV is turned on. The electrically charged gas then moves through the red, green, and blue phosphors (A phosphor is any material that, when exposed to radiation, emits visible light ), creating a television Picture. These phosphor cells ( red, green, and blue phosphors) are called pixels.

Although Plasma television technology eliminate the need for the bulky picture tube and electron beam scanning of traditional televisions, because it still employs the burning of phosphors to generate an image, Plasma televisions still suffer from some of the drawbacks of traditional televisions, such as heat generation and screen-burn of static images.

How a LCD TV Works

LCD TVs use a different technology.

LCD panels are made of two sheets of clear material, are then polarized, and glued together. One of the layers is coated with a specific chemical compound that contains the separate liquid crystals. An Electrical charge is then passed through the crystals, allowing the crystals to either let light through or block the light and this creates your image.

LCD crystals do not produce light on their own , so a light source, much like florescent bulb is needed for the LCD to produce a visible picture.

Different from the old style TV or a Plasma TV, there are no phosphors that have to be energized, less power is needed and less heat is generated than a Plasma or old style CRT television. Also, there is no radiation emitted from the LCD screen.

Plasma vs LCD

Plasma over LCD ADVANTAGES:

1. The availability of Larger screens.

2. Deeper blacks for a Better contrast ratio.

3. Clearer color and saturation of the colors.

4. Good motion tracking, very little or no motion lag especially with the faster moving images.

The DISADVANTAGES of Plasma vs LCD are:

1. Plasma TVs are more sensitive to the burn-in effect of static images. It is similar to when you stare at a bright light and then close your eyes and you can still see the light. It goes away but it can be a pain in the butt.

2. Plasma TVs create more heat than LCDs, because of the light needed for the phosphors to create the images.

3. Does not work as well at high altitudes.

4. Shorter screen life span (about 30,000 hours which equals 8 hrs of viewing a day for 9 years). The good news is, screen life span is improving to as high as 60,000 hours because of improvements.

LCD ADVANTAGES over Plasma are:

1. No burn-in effect of static images.

2. Uses less power so it operates at a Cooler temperature.

3. No problems at higher altitudes use.

4. There is an increased image brightness.

5. Longer screen life (about 60,000 hours – Most likely all you will need to do is replace the light source, not the whole thing).

6. Weights less than a Plasma TV so it is easier to mount on a wall.

DISADVANTAGES of LCD vs Plasma televisions include:

1. Less of a contrast, you don’t get the deep blacks of a Plasma for that crisp clear picture.

2. Doesn’t track motion well (fast moving objects may be a little jittery) – But, this is getting better with the new design of the 120Hz screen refresh rates in top-end LCDs.

3. Hard to find the larger screen sizes. But they are starting to show up on the market at the higher prices.

4. LCD TVs usually cost more than same-sized Plasma TV, However the price of the LCD is coming down due to increased production.

In case you hadn’t figured it out by now, surround sound is named as it is because the sound literally surrounds the listener. While there have recently been significant leaps and bounds in this technology there was a huge gap in time between the introduction of this technology and the significant improvements we have seen in recent years. This is especially true when the evolution of sound technology is compared to how fast the world of video has evolved over the last three decades.

There are many different formats on the market today. This can be confusing for many consumers though the good news is that most devices that interpret the formats do so automatically. In other words, you won’t need a PhD in terminology in order to enjoy the latest blockbuster hit to come out on DVD with your surround sound system. You will however need a good AV receiver and even better speakers in order to get the maximum enjoyment from your home theater and surround sound system.

If you are simply curious or like to know a little about a lot, then you just might find some of the following explanations for common surround sound formats to be useful. Dolby Digital AC-3 is by far the most commonly seen surround sound format. It is a 5.1 channel format (this means five speakers plus one subwoofer). This is what most DVDs will include and some programs that are found on digital cable or satellite channels will have this type of surround sound as well. You can use Dolby Digital for older mediums that do not include surround sound in their format, as surround isn’t required in order to use the system.

Pro Logic is a system used by Dolby in order to translate or decode the signals from other mediums such as old videocassette tapes or television broadcasts. This is becoming widely known for its ability to take two speaker sounds and turn them into shockingly realistic surround imitations.

DTS is the largest competitor for Dolby when it comes to sound. DTS is this company’s answer to Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. This is mostly seen only on DVDs.

DTS-ES is the above-mentioned company’s answer to Dolby’s 6.1 surround system (this is 6 speakers plus 1 subwoofer). Of course DTS is also going to have their own answer to Pro Logic and that answer would be DTS NEO:6, which is said to produce great imitations of surround sound from existing 2 channel mediums very much like Pro Logic.

You may be wondering why we went through all of this information and the primary reason is so that you know there is a difference and you purchase equipment and DVDs that are compatible with one another. Failure to do so could result in a sound that is less than desirable. Most systems will at the very least support both Dolby Digital and DTS, however, you should make sure that you are aware of the format your system requires from the start in order to make the proper decisions when purchasing.

Much like anything in life the proper formats and surround sound system comes down to a matter of choice. The more speakers (such as you would find in the 6.1 or 7.1 surround systems) will present a great quality of sound than fewer, however poor quality speakers can completely ruin the beauty of the sound of your surround sound system. Your speakers should be your single largest investment when it comes to building your ideal surround sound system.

There are many things that go into creating not only the perfect surround sound system for your home but also the perfect surround sound set up. Do not get so caught up in researching these systems online that you neglect to walk into your local stores and actually hear the sound systems you are considering for purchase. There is noting like hearing the quality of the sound to help you make your final selection.