Home Theater Receivers

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12 April 2010 No Comment

What is the most important part of your home theater system? If you think those are your screen and speakers then you are only partially right. The most vital part of your home theater is the home theater receiver. It may not be obvious to anyone who does not care about how the system works. Some people become too focused on the quality of the images on their screens and the sound effects in their surround sound system. However, none of this will not work without a home theater receiver.

A home theater receiver merges all the parts of the home theater package. Your audio and video components are connected to the receiver which in turn, can easily be controlled using a remote controller. The receiver functions to ensure that your equipment all work together well and give a great entertainment experience.

Home theater receivers usually come with the whole entertainment package, if you have purchased it as a home-theater-in-a-box. But if you need to buy it individually then you have to check the compatibility first with your other equipment. There are certain home theater receivers that may not be compatible with your home theater sound system or TV. Check the manufacturer’s specs first so that you will not have to waste your time and money buying incompatible equipment.

Since the core of your DVD home theater systems is the home theater receiver, you should consider parting with a little bit more money for a quality home theater receiver. As the heart of the system, you’ll experience fewer problems with the best quality receiver you can afford.

There are plenty of manufacturers for home theater receivers, so finding the right one at an affordable cost should not be a problem. Many online retailers offer great deals on either completed home theater packages or individual components, so be sure to check these out as well.

It is important to note the home theater receiver’s distortion value or rating. The ideal rating is .01%. If it goes high up to 10% then your sound will be distorted. Another factor to consider is signal-to-noise ratio and the dynamic headroom. You want your receiver to be able to parse out background noise from the film’s intended sound effects. In this case, the higher ratios are more desirable. At the same time, you want to be assured of continuous power as well as the ability to deliver extra power for those short bursts of sound effects, such as exploding cars or screeching brakes.

Keep in mind that higher wattage doesn’t always mean more power or a better home theater receiver or even better volume. Sustained output as well as factors such as the signal-to-nose ratio and distortion rating are better criteria for selecting a home theater receiver that will deliver the right decibel levels and sound quality as and when needed.