Setting up a home theater system for movies and music

The highest-quality movie viewing experience in the home is the DVD (Digital Video Disk). The picture and sound quality of a DVD movie is much better than a VCR tape and even better than most cable.  DVD movies usually include interesting extra material that is not available anywhere else: "behind-the-scenes" documentaries, interviews with the actors and director, deleted scenes, etc. DVDs usually have easy-to-read subtitles in various languages and sometimes even audio tracks in other languages.  In the last two years, the cost of DVD players have dropped dramatically.

1. DVD player.  Most current DVD players now being sold will play DVD movies, audio CDs, and MP3 disks, and many models will also play disks with JPG photo files and homemade video disks in VDC and SVCD format.  Some models are selling for as little as $30.  Prices are dropping, so shop around.  Look for models that play all the disk formats (DVD, DVD-R, DVD+R, audio CD, CD-R, MP3, VCD, SVCD, JPG), and that have "progressive scan" and (ideally) a volume control on the remote control. Combo DVD and VCR players are also sold. 
   A recent development is the introduction in 2006 of the first high-definition (HD) DVD players and the release of the first HD movie titles. These give much higher picture quality that standard DVD players when viewed on a high-definition TV set.  However, there are two competing standards, HD-DVD and Blue-Ray; it is not clear yet which one will become the standard in the future. Wait for the dust to settle and for prices to come down.

2. Television: You can use any TV with an external video input.  If your current TV has an extra video input that is not currently being used by your VCR player, you can use the unused input for a DVD player. (If your TV has no video inputs, you can buy a low-cost "RF modulator" that will allow you to connect a DVD player, but if your set is that old, you'll get a better picture if you buy a new set).  Wide-screen flat-panel sets, both the LCD and plasma types, are getting cheaper all the time and are available is several sizes in the $1200-2000 range.  A high-definition (HD) model is best, but you must also upgrade your cable TV service to HD, which will cost a few extra dollars per month.  And remember that most DVD movies currently are not yet HD.  
   If an HD plasma screen is too much for your current needs, you can save a lot of money by buying a flat-screen (rather than a flat-panel) model - flat screen models look great and are much cheaper that flat-panel screens: 27" flat-screen sets go for about $250 -300 at any of the local consumer electronics stores (Circuit City, Best Buys, Costco, Sam's Club, etc).  Make sure that you buy one with at least  two rear AV inputs (for connecting the VCR and the DVD).  (It's also nice to have a front AV input, for temporarily connecting a video or digital still camera to view on TV).  New models are always coming out, and thankfully quality is going up and prices are going down all the time. Hint: Ask the salesperson to show you how to switch between TV and the AV inputs.

3. Speakers.  For the best sound quality when playing DVD movies and music disks, add external speakers to your DVD player, rather than using the small speakers in the TV set itself. This also allows you to play audio CDs without turning on the TV. A good choice is a powered three-speaker system that has a "sub-woofer" (for bass sounds) in addition to small left and right side speakers. You can buy these at Circuit City, Best Buys, etc.  Altec Lansing and other manufacturers make speaker sets that sound great and that cost only $20 - $40. Hook them up to the audio outputs on the back of the DVD player. You'll probably have to buy an adapter that will adapt the male 1/8" stereo phono plug on the speakers to the pair of female RCA jacks on the DVD player; you can get one at Radio Shack for about $5.  (If you're planning to use external speakers hooked directly to your DVD player, choose a DVD player that has a volume control on the remote control, so that you will have a convenient way to control the volume when you are watching DVD movies or listening to audio CDs).

4. Hooking it up. Hooking it all up seems more complicated at first than it really is.  There are three ways to hook up a DVD to a TV.  In the order of increasing video quality, they are:

a. Composite video. This is the simplest method.  Most DVD players come with a cable that has a yellow male RCA plug at each end.  You simply hook up this cable between the video output on the DVD player (usually colored yellow) and the video input on the TV (also usually colored yellow).

b. S-Video.  If the DVD player has an S-Video output and your TV has an S-Video input, then you can get slightly better video quality by using an S-Video cable to connect these two rather than the composite video connection.  You can buy as S-Video cable for about $10 at consumer electronics stores.

c. Component video. If the DVD player has component video outputs and your TV has component video inputs, then you can get even better video quality by using a component video cable to connect these two rather than composite or S-Video connection. A component video cable has three separate cables, each with a male RCA plug at each end.  You can use three ordinary audio cables with RCA plugs.  Make sure to match the inputs and outputs: connect the "Y" output to the "Y" input; "Pr" output to the "Pr" input, etc.  Component video is required for high definition (HD).

d. Audio connections.  No matter what video connection you use, you'll also have to connect the audio separately.  On the back of the DVD player there will be two audio outputs: right channel (red) and left channel (white).  Most DVD players come with an audio cable with color-coded RCA plugs for this connection.  Use this cable to connect the DVDs audio outputs either to the TV's audio inputs (if you want to use the TVs little speakers) or to a set of external powered speakers, as described above in #3. For the best sound quality, use external speakers, and choose a DVD player that has a volume control on the remote control, so that you will have a convenient way to control the volume when you are watching DVD movies or listening to audio CDs.

5. Selecting the DVD player on the TV's remote control. Select the video input channel on your TV that corresponds to the input that the DVD player is plugged into.  The procedure differs among TVs, but it is normally done by pressing the VIDEO IN or INPUT button on the TV's remote until you see the DVD player's picture appear on the screen. On some TVs this is done by pressing the channel change button to put the TV on the correct channel for the DVD player (often a channel below channel 2) or by pressing the video selection button on the TV set itself.  Before you buy a TV set, it's good idea to ask the salesperson how to switch between regular TV and the external video inputs. If he has trouble with it, maybe you will to.
6. Surround Sound.  For the ultimate listening experience when watching movies, add a surround-sound system to your DVD movie setup.  These sell at consumer electronics stores for $100 - $500 under the name "Home Theater System" or "Surround Sound System". They consist of 5 or 6 speakers (center, left-front, right-front, left-rear, right-rear, and sub-woofer) and an amplifier that might contain also a DVD player.  These are a bit time-consuming to install, because of all the speakers and wires that have to be placed around the room. For some people, this is overkill; the difference between a surround sound system and a simpler, cheaper external 3-speaker system is noticeable only on certain movies that make good use of the surround-sound capabilities.  

Note: If your DVD movie skips, jumps, or breaks up, it might be dirty.  Eject the disk and inspect it. If it looks dirty, clean it by washing it with clean water and drying it carefully with a clean dry soft towel. Wipe straight across the disk, not in a circle. 

(c) Tom O'Haver, April, 2006