Plug and Play Home Theater?

We can certainly hope this comes soon…

There is hope in the video-HDTV world where a new encrypted format has just been adopted called HDMI. With this computer like connection, you can link HDTV video components together with one nifty cable. The idea is brilliant – you keep digital video signals in the digital domain all the way until they get to your digital video display device (plasma, projector, LCD etc…) The problem is practically every video monitor, receiver and AV preamp are not HDMI compatible. In a year or two this will be less of a problem but for now, you really have to work to make your video system connect digitally. The reward is a fantastically beautiful picture thanks to not having to degrade or mangle your video in conversions from digital to analog and back to digital again.

While home theater in a box (HTIB) is a popular concept at the entry level of home theater there is still a lot more connections and programming needed to have your system make you truly happy. In coming years, higher end AV companies will likely adopt the general idea of HTIB for their components with the kind of ease of use you find today with an iMac. Between now and then, consider the idea that your AV system is only as good as its installation, programming and calibration. While it can cost you fractionally more, the idea of hiring a respected local dealer or CEDIA custom installer is often an excellent idea to make your home theater jump through hoops in ways mere mortals simply can not. [AudioRevolution]

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