Connection of home theaters: the scheme, instructions

Home theaters allow you to get much more fun and functionality when watching movies than Hi-Fi stereo systems, and for their installation you do not need to be a sound technician. All you need is to perform a few simple actions, and very soon you will be able to enjoy music and movies with excellent sound quality.

Suppose that the speaker system and the projector for the cinema have already been purchased, and many large boxes and cables have been delivered. The installation process will not depend on whether they are purchased in whole or in the form of separate components.

Connecting home theater requires three steps.

Step 1: choose the right placement

Each room is not similar to the others, and the quality connection of home theaters depends on the choice of placement of speakers and other components.

Ideally, all speakers should be at the same distance from the listener. This is rarely achievable in practice, but it is already good if this condition is met, at least for the front left and right columns. If possible, you should place them approximately at the head level in 2-3 meters from the spectator seat.

Connecting the LG home theater, for example, requires the installation of the front left, left top, right, top right, center, left, left, right, top right speakers and subwoofer.

The center speaker should be pointed directly at the seated listener approximately at the head level. It would be a big mistake to put it on the floor much below the screen or somewhere above the TV, since this position will give the impression that voices are heard from the sky or from under the earth.

The rear speakers can be closer or further away from the listener, but it's best to try to put them just above and behind his head. Again, we should try to observe the equality of distances, as far as possible. Do not direct the speakers directly to the listener, but rather deploy slightly toward the front of the room.

From the subwoofers are obtained good stands for indoor plants or coffee tables. It is advisable to install them at least a few centimeters from the walls, and do not push into the corner - from this low frequencies will become distorted and inflated. The best place for a subwoofer - near the front speakers.

Cables and wires

Connecting cables and wires is the second most difficult part of installing a home theater after placing speakers. They can become an aesthetic nightmare and a dangerous foot trap, but they can not be avoided unless, of course, the columns are used only as decorations.

Wireless rear speakers eliminate the need for wires going from one end of the room to another, but they still need power, so that the wires coming from the control unit to the speakers in the back of the room can not be avoided.

The home theater can be connected to the computer via the LAN port on the rear panel or the built-in wireless module. In addition, access to the home network will allow you to replace the software of the device, access to online content, etc.

Home theaters, Blu-ray / CD / DVD-players, video recorders and other household audio and video equipment - all this can be anywhere, if the cables are of sufficient length. It is better to use HDMI wherever possible to get rid of the chaotic interlacing of wires that turns the search for the desired connection into a nightmare.

Connecting the home theater to a TV or monitor is done by just such a cable. In this case, you must select the appropriate image source on the device itself. The projector for the cinema is connected in the same way.

The best option is when the cable for the home theater is laid under the floor or hidden by a carpet. Otherwise, it will not be superfluous to purchase a fixing bracket along the skirting boards at the bottom of the wall, where they will not interfere.

Make sure that the audio outputs and the inputs of the same color are connected. Some systems come with colored wires for each speaker, in which case the speaker connection scheme specified in the manufacturer's instructions should be followed.

Where to put the equipment?

The AV receiver is the main home theater device and contains all the amplifiers that control the speaker system. It will heat up, so do not hide it in an airtight cabinet. In addition, you must have access to the rear panel of the receiver to connect the wires. And it should be placed within the line of sight of the remote control.

The TV should be close enough, it should give a sense of involvement in what is happening (the same as if the viewer was in a real theater, but not so much that he felt depressed or could see separate pixels on the screen).

The general rule for HDTV-screens is to observe the minimum distance between the viewer and the TV, equal to one and a half times the diagonal of the screen. For example, for a TV display with a diagonal of 106 cm, the smallest possible distance is about 160 cm, which is still too close. Most people prefer a distance of 2-3 m.

Step 2: Adjust the sound

The connection of home theaters continues with the tuning of the sound of the system. Although, perhaps it will be excellent and without additional intervention, but this is unlikely.

Most new systems have automatic tuning, when it's enough to install the supplied microphone in the listening position and press the button to let the theater figure it out on its own. This is normal to begin with, but do not expect too much.

If there is no automated setting, you will have to go deeper into the receiver's menu.

Most systems will show how the automated setting has calculated the room, indicating the distance from the microphone to each speaker. This information may be correct and not entirely correct. You should check the calculation data. And, if they are incorrect, fix them with the help of controls. This will ensure the simultaneous arrival of sound from the speakers, which are at different distances.

Automated systems often balance the loudness of the speakers well, but this can be done manually. Usually it's enough just to press the button so that white noise is broadcast on each column. The volume of each speaker can be leveled by ear, with the help of an inexpensive sound level meter, which is sold in consumer electronics stores, or a free application for a smartphone. The manual indicates the recommended sound pressure level, in most cases equal to 75dB.

Automatics are good, but hearing is better

Then you need to play some very familiar music or watch a movie clip. If the system sounds deaf or lacks something else, it is likely that the automated installation has suppressed some frequencies. To fix this, you need to find the equalizer or dynamic control setting. Sometimes it has its own name, such as Audessey or Dolby, but, regardless of the name, it should be simply turned off and the sound should improve.

Subwoofers can have their own volume and frequency controls, called crossovers. If they were bought with the system, then all this should be controlled by the on-screen menu. Otherwise, the subwoofer has to be set up separately.

Connecting home theater should always start with the proposed settings and change them only when there is confidence that the problem can be solved by simply moving the speakers. Sometimes even a few centimeters are crucial.

Step 3: Connect correctly

Many home theaters Blu-Ray-player connect to the head unit. There is also an audio and video receiver. To connect anything else, usually there are one or two additional HDMI ports, but the number of analog inputs can be limited.

One of the advantages of AV autonomous receivers is that they have a staggering number of inputs and outputs. In addition to speaker outputs, the most commonly used ports are HDMI ports for connecting various players and VCRs, as well as at least one home theater connection to the TV. All connectors must be clearly marked, and in the manual you can find the connection scheme.

It is usually enough to connect the PVR cable to the PVR port, and so on, but some systems require port settings through the on-screen menu to select the name of each connector controlled by the remote control. This is necessary in order, for example, that when the button of the Blu-ray player on the remote control is pressed, the video recorder is not turned on. The good thing is that this procedure should be done only at the initial setting.

The main thing to do now is listen. In addition, you should write down all the settings that will be changed to be able to return them, if the result is not quite expected.

Tips for setting up

Buying a home theater can turn out to be a big disappointment when, the owner, after going through the pain settings, will understand that his impression of buying is not as good as expected. One possible reason for this is that the room reflects waves in a completely different way from the one where the system was first auditioned. Even if the sound is satisfactory, you should listen to some tips that will help squeeze out of the system the maximum that it is capable of.

What to do when it's booming?

Too sharp a bright sound - when high notes rumble, and voices are difficult to disassemble. This is the common misfortune of inexpensive speakers, but not all is lost. If the room is hard floor or many windows, not a lot of upholstered furniture, even good speakers can be excessively bright. Adding a floor covering, such as a carpet, or heavy curtains, is likely to improve things. You can also buy special sound-absorbing materials that are attached to the wall, but they are usually expensive and probably will not be combined with the decor of the room.

And if it is too deaf?

Too pale sound, when the drums sound like a cardboard box, and the bass notes seem to be wearing wool sweaters, means either the room is extremely "dumb" or a very bad system is bought. Typically, in such rooms too much upholstered furniture, carpet on the floor and heavy curtains.

Such spaces are not suitable for home theater systems, but adding some hard surfaces can solve the problem. Sometimes it's enough just to hang a couple of pictures on both sides of the room, so that the sound is reflected toward the listener and the feeling of lack of volume disappears.

Adding or removing something, you need to balance, since the movement of sound waves like the movement of ripples on the water - reflection from only one wall will bring a sense of imbalance.

Eliminating chattering

Bass drone is a common problem that can often be solved by simply moving the subwoofer a short distance. Do not install it in the corners and against the walls. If this does not work, it may be helpful to place soft furniture in the corners of the room and even open bookcases.

Nothing makes the windows rattled like a subwoofer, but some things fluctuate at higher frequencies at high volumes.

Turning the music on maximum, you should walk around the room in search of vibrating objects. The sound of the system will improve much if the terrifying roar of Smaug is not accompanied by the noise of a child's rattle forgotten in the room.