Definition: home theater

An audio/video entertainment center that includes a large-screen TV and several high fidelity speakers (see below). Compact installations use a single speaker enclosure (see soundbar).

The A/V Receiver
Video was added to stereo receivers in the early 1990s, making the A/V receiver the essential hardware in a home theater (see A/V receiver).

The sound system is very important in a home theater. Realistic sound greatly enhances movie watching, and in many home theaters, the audio is the more elaborate part of the system, costing from two to four times as much as the TV. In super high-end installations, the audio can cost 20 times as much. See home theater in a box, digital media server, videophile and audiophile.

The Typical 5.5 Home Theater

Except for the subwoofer, which is always on the floor, speakers range from tiny, wall-mounted units to floor models. See home theater speakers.

Home Theater Control

Anyone would be happy to have these high-end McIntosh units in their home theater. The processor is the control hub for selecting video source, decoding surround sound and streaming music from the home network or Internet. (Image courtesy of Audio Video Synergy.)

Big Screen Home Theater!

This 16" monochrome Zenith TV was just as exciting in 1951 as a 75" OLED TV is today. Perhaps even more so because having motion pictures in your living room was a miracle. (Equipment courtesy of World Wide Stereo.)