With a high-definition (HD) set up – HDTV, HD DVD player and digital surround-sound speaker system – the quality of sound and image you’ll get will actually exceed that in most local kinos.

You’ve just renovated your apartment the way you’ve always wanted it… or maybe you finally bought that nice little villa outside (but not too far outside) of Prague… but something is still missing. What could it be? Well, if you’re like most people who demand complete control over their environment, you’ll soon be shopping
for a home entertainment system, better known these days as a “home cinema”.

Box office revenues have seen a marked decline in recent years (calculated against inflation) due not only to the downloading of feature films and pirating of DVDs, but also owing to the ability of would-be movie-goers to create a near-cinematic experience in their own homes. Far be it from us to advocate any illegal activity like copyright infringement, but we can offer some insight about new products on the market that can help you turn your living room into the most comfortable kino in town.

The Sound of Music

Your home cinema experience, much like that in a commercial cinema, consists essentially of audio and video (and popcorn). With a high-definition (HD) set up – HDTV, HD DVD player and digital surround-sound speaker system – the quality of sound and image you’ll get will actually exceed that in most local kinos. A 5.1 surround-sound system consists of two front speakers, two rear speakers, a center speaker and a sub-woofer. Although such systems are available from just about every electronics manufacturer you can think of (and some from Southeast Asia you probably can’t even pronounce), it’s best to spend the extra crowns for products made by longestablished names in the audio arena. It appears as if Onkyo may have struck a balance between cost and performance with their recently introduced S990THX, touted as the world’s first home theater package.