Home Theater Accessories
A wide range of accessories are available to enhance your high-definition experience. Popular items include wall mounts or stands for your HDTV, a universal remote, and a calibrator video tutorial.
Wall-mounting a flat panel TV can be a space-saving (and stylish) option. For those averse to drilling holes, a free-standing panel is a good choice. A universal remote allows you to minimize clutter and use a single device to control your HDTV, receiver, and disc player. A calibrator teaches you how to set the various adjustments (contrast, brightness, color, tint, sharpness) of your HDTV in order get the best picture for your particular viewing environment. (HDTV manufacturers' default settings are intended to make the set stand out in a bright retail showroom, not to accommodate your living room.)
While none of these items are critical to getting high definition, they can still arguably improve what would already be an amazing home theater experience. Here are the extras that no HDTV should be without:
HDMI Cables
Not only is HDMI more convenient, combining compressed digital audio and digital video signals in a single cable, it produces the highest-quality picture and sound currently available. HDMI has obvious advantages and is rapidly coming down in price.
Wall Mount or Stand
A wall-mounted HDTV saves space and has a more elegant appearance. Be careful not to mount the TV too high, however--the middle of the screen should be eye level from your preferred viewing location. Any higher and you're asking for a sore neck. Unless you're a home improvement whiz, it's better to safeguard your investment by having the TV professionally mounted. If you'd rather not drill holes in your home's newly painted walls, go for a TV stand, which can also house your home theater receiver, game console, or high-def movie player. Gorgeous stands are available in a variety of materials: wood, brushed steel, and glass.
Surround-Sound System
Crystal-clear high-def images are only half the story of a truly high-def system. Audio is crucial to the high-def experience, and for sound worthy of the picture, you'll find that a 5.1-channel (or more) surround-sound system makes all of the difference. A good receiver will also support dynamic range compression, which automatically reduces the difference between loud and soft sounds in whatever you're watching. When watching movies late at night, turn the feature on--it beats having to dive for your remote whenever there's a shout, growl, or explosion.
Universal Remote
Speaking of remotes, you probably have too many already. Eliminate clutter and confusion by getting a programmable universal remote to control every component of your home-theater system.