With the increasing popularity of HDTV, watching a DVD at home is a great entertainment experience. The image is clear, sharp and bright. But what about the sound? In the end, this is one of the real attractions in the cinema, a stunning sound that allows you to hear every detail. So is there a way to bring that sound to our homes? Absolutely!
In fact, surround sound has long existed in one form or another, but it simply did not have a platform to bring it to the mainstream before HDTV and digital media, such as DVDs, became so common. But now, by combining the necessary equipment, a person can very accurately imitate the experience of a cinema right in the comfort of his home whenever he wants.
For surround sound, you need three things: (1) a digital source with surround sound already encoded into it, such as a DVD or HDTV broadcast, (2) equipment to decode this surround sound, and (3) at least 6 speakers, including a subwoofer to take full advantage of the most popular 5.1 surround sound format. It is called 5.1, because it uses 5 sound channels to control 5 separate speakers, and 1. means a low-frequency subwoofer.
When you have the equipment, you need to set up a surround sound setting that will be suitable for your home. Most of the seating areas will be determined by the size and type of TV that you have. If this is a 40-inch HDTV, which is a very common size, you can probably sit at a distance of 5-8 feet and not notice the deterioration in image quality. Front speakers usually cover the TV, but make sure they are wide enough to form a triangle with a seating area so that everyone is in the sound of a sweet spot.
Two rear loudspeakers are often placed somewhere around the living room and collide with either the side or the rear wall. The middle speaker should be located somewhere near the TV, and the subwoofer can be placed anywhere in the room that you like, because it produces a low-frequency bass that looks from the outside.
Each room has different listening characteristics, although due to its configuration and design, feel free to experiment until you find the combination that works best for you. Setting the surround sound may seem like a daunting task, but it's just getting the right equipment and placing the speakers where they create the best overall sound.
