Home Electronics, Part One
After the splurges of the holidays and the constrictions of the new year, it may seem teasing to write a column about sexy new consumer goods, but just as January white sales offer a good opportunity to restock the linen closet, so are home electronics often a good buy during January. The last of the holiday stock lingers while the new model year crowds the display floor, so many retailers offer sale pricing or other incentives such as enhanced service packages, extra content or complimentary delivery and set up. On the home front, many of us organize, purge and restock in January, and often, along with linens and home office, home electronics merit a second look.
If you are evaluating your home electronics, be sure it's with an editing eye rather than a covetous one. In our urban homes, we try to comply with the guideline that any item in our home must fulfill a purpose. Home entertainment and other electronics are certainly within the auspices of that. Just as telephone, radio and television migrated from advancements in lifestyle that were wonders and novelties to becoming expected items in the household, so has that happened with computers and home entertainment systems. As a writer, I need a computer just as I once needed a typewriter, and while John and I are bi-coastal, we both need a computer and a cell phone, if for no other reason than communicating. As for home theatre, as have most of us, I've been in homes with set-ups a movie theatre would envy and in those with basic cable and nothing beyond, but I don’t think I know anyone who doesn't have a tv in their home.
Consumers are sometimes intimidated by choosing and purchasing home electronics, but needn’t be. Being an expert technophiliac is no more necessary to getting a good deal in the electronics department than knowing how to prepare the food is necessary to getting a good meal in a restaurant. Plan to visit the showroom with a fundamental understanding of what you want. In order to do this, you only need to take a few minutes to educate yourself. One good source for this is the websites for electronics retailers, many of which offer guides along with the sales pages. One we like in our urban homes for both ease of use and value of information is Crutchfield. Many browsers and buyers understand just exactly what they want, often down to the serial number, but it is perfectly okay to have a sense of what you want or need an electronic to do and what you are willing to spend, and then ask to be shown your options within those parameters. Most electronics sales consultants are glad to help without exerting pressure, and if you get one who does pressure you, just ask to have a manager assist you instead.
Home Electronics, Part One
This guide is a description of basic functions and a list of suggestions rather than a comprehensive checklist. As with all guides at Urban Home, this list is based on my ongoing experience as a homekeeper and lifestyle author, and none of these is a compensated endorsement. The first part of the guide, published below, addresses the most common home electronic set-up: the television and related components. Part Two will address additional components including sound and portable electronics.
Television. The basic home entertainment configuration is a television, a cable- or satellite receiver typically equipped with DVR (typically referred to as the cable or satellite box), and a Blu-Ray/DVD player. The best televisions widely available today are flat screen LCD, LED or plasma sets that are factory ready to receive the signals transmitted by the box and the player. The terms LCD, LED and plasma refer to the technology that comprises the television screen and delivers the picture. This includes but is not limited to the light source, which is either fluorescent or diode and which you may want to consider against the light level in your room. Other than the technological specs and what some experience as differentiations in picture quality, the distinctions between the three are primarily the weight of the unit and the amount of energy the unit consumes. The other distinction is cost. As a rule, LCDs cost least, LEDs are mid-range, and plasmas are costliest. There is also a designation that corresponds to the pixels (tiny elements that comprise an image) and the aspect ratio (the relationship of the width to the height of the screen image). Aspect ratio and pixels comprise screen resolution. Screen resolution is the key element in picture quality: the higher the resolution -- identified as a number followed by i or p; often both -- the better the picture. Any resolution of 720p or higher is High Definition Television (HDTV).
The width of a television screen is measured diagonally; that corresponds to the width in inches you will see identified on the display wall and on the box. As a rule, choose screen size based on the amount of distance from the viewing area to the screen. Any number of formulae exist for calculating this. Most of them are based on the screen height or width, but that starts with the television rather than the room, so we calculate the obverse. Measure the distance in inches from the primary seat in the viewing area (typically the sofa) to where the television will be placed. Divide the total inches of that measurement by three; that number will correspond to a good screen width for that sized space. If the result of the formula seems slightly off, redo the calculation using three point five. Take both results with you to the showroom; using both for comparison, the right screen size for your room and budget should become evident.
Many will disagree, but with television sets, we recommend brand name producers of electronics whose primary business is electronics. Television sets have become so commonplace that brand names are really not that much costlier, and if you factor in durability, adaptability and service, shelling out a few extra dollars now saves more than a few dollars later. That is also why it is a good idea to shop for electronics in January, when discounts, especially for previous year models, can be significant. In our urban homes, we use smart Panasonic and Samsung 1080P LED flat screen televisions, 40 inch or greater.
Video Players. Most home theatre systems include a device for accessing and playing recorded content on the television. Once upon a time, this was the VCR, which progressed to the DVD player, which has now progressed to the Blu-Ray player and the DVR (see below). Blu-Ray is the term for advanced technology that delivers sharper picture and sound qualities than standard DVD play does. As with flat screen televisions, Blu-Ray players, which were once luxury items, have become commonplace. One can still obtain DVD players and they have gotten remarkably cheap, and it is worth keeping one on hand so that you’re not faced with replacing an entire library of DVDs. But Blu-Ray players can play DVDs, and as the new television sets arrive ready to work best with a Blu-Ray player, it makes the most sense when buying a new player to get a Blu-Ray. Not only is Blu-Ray the common release platform for content, but Blu-Ray players arrive ready to deliver the high definition content that the television is preset to receive. Smart Blu-Ray players arrive ready to access streaming content and deliver it to the television. These subscription-based services include Netflix, Vudu, Hulu, and numerous other online services.
If you subscribe to cable or satellite services, it is likely that you will be offered a DVR as part of your subscription package. DVR is technology that allows scheduled and sometimes live recording of content that is being broadcast on television. DVR is typically a part of the cable or satellite box. It is a valuable service if you are locked into programming that you can’t always watch at broadcast time or that you want to save. Providers often offer specials of discounted pricing or even no cost for DVR services, but with most cable and satellite providers, pricing deals are subject to an expiration date and then a full price kicks in. Check that before signing. If it applies and if you sign, make a note in your calendar to contact the provider in the month before the special pricing expires to see if the provider will extend the special pricing or has a new offer. In addition, you can check the streaming services noted above to see if they offer the same selections you would record.
In our urban home, we have found that, as a rule, though any Blu-Ray player from a reputable manufacturer should be able to communicate to any HDTV from a reputable manufacturer, there is some advantage to marrying brand to brand. Therefore, we pair Panasonic televisions with Panasonic smart Blu-Ray players and Samsung televisions with Samsung smart Blu-Ray players. That said, there should be no outright disadvantage to using any good Blu-Ray player. In that instance, Vizio is a good choice.
Television Peripherals. All of the components of your home entertainment system must be able to communicate with each other, and with the exception of science fiction offerings that are out of the purview of this article, components communicate through cables. It can be frustrating to install cables but for most simple set-ups, it is manageable. As a rule, the television will have a row of easily identified ports either along the side or on the back of the housing. Each port corresponds to a counterpart on the back of the components, in this instance the cable box and the Blu-Ray player. Use the plugs on the cables to match each component’s port to the corresponding port on the television. Once connected, these will be known as HDMI1 (typically the cable box) and HDMI2 (typically the Blu-Ray player). There will be additional cables should there be additional components, but once you master this simple set up, it will be easy to understand and therefore set up additional pieces such as a receiver, gaming console, DVD player, etc.
It is important to use quality cables because while the task they do is vital, their placement in the back of the units exposes them to dust and other atmospheric conditions. We use High- and Advanced High-Speed Monster Cables. These are not significantly more expensive than house brands, whose quality can vary. When it comes to cables, organization is everything, because once you get a good strong signal it will be tempting to forget the cabling arrangement as you settle in to enjoy the benefits of your labors. Once you have confirmed that the picture and all the functionalities are true, the simple act of tagging the cabling will spare you any amount of frustration in the future. This will be important if you travel, as for trips of longer than a few days, it is always recommended to power down and unplug all entertainment electronics, including the cabling that links components. We use Uni-Tags to identify cabling for all of our home electronics, and we ground those electronics with Monster’s Power Center surge protectors.
Each component will be packaged with its own remote control that any homekeeper knows contributes to a box, basket, drawer, or pile of them, each requiring that you remember its own specific set of key sequences. A great solution to this is a universal remote, which is a single remote control that is programmed to operate all home entertainment electronics. You choose a universal remote based on whether you want to manage your electronics by component or by function, but that question comes down to which mode of operation is intuitive for you to use, which you can best identify by going to a showroom and trying a few out. Not only will it become clear whether you want to engage your home entertainment system by component or by task, but from that threshold question, you can identify which universal remote does that in the way that is easiest for you to operate. For our urban homes, we engage home electronics by task, and for that, we use the Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote. Whatever we want to do – watch tv, listen to music, turn on the DVR, etc. – we press the corresponding area on the display of the universal remote. All of the necessary components turn on, while the remote displays easily understood and used menus that allow us to navigate the tasks and make it easy and relaxing to use our home entertainment system.
If you are evaluating your home electronics, be sure it's with an editing eye rather than a covetous one. In our urban homes, we try to comply with the guideline that any item in our home must fulfill a purpose. Home entertainment and other electronics are certainly within the auspices of that. Just as telephone, radio and television migrated from advancements in lifestyle that were wonders and novelties to becoming expected items in the household, so has that happened with computers and home entertainment systems. As a writer, I need a computer just as I once needed a typewriter, and while John and I are bi-coastal, we both need a computer and a cell phone, if for no other reason than communicating. As for home theatre, as have most of us, I've been in homes with set-ups a movie theatre would envy and in those with basic cable and nothing beyond, but I don’t think I know anyone who doesn't have a tv in their home.
Consumers are sometimes intimidated by choosing and purchasing home electronics, but needn’t be. Being an expert technophiliac is no more necessary to getting a good deal in the electronics department than knowing how to prepare the food is necessary to getting a good meal in a restaurant. Plan to visit the showroom with a fundamental understanding of what you want. In order to do this, you only need to take a few minutes to educate yourself. One good source for this is the websites for electronics retailers, many of which offer guides along with the sales pages. One we like in our urban homes for both ease of use and value of information is Crutchfield. Many browsers and buyers understand just exactly what they want, often down to the serial number, but it is perfectly okay to have a sense of what you want or need an electronic to do and what you are willing to spend, and then ask to be shown your options within those parameters. Most electronics sales consultants are glad to help without exerting pressure, and if you get one who does pressure you, just ask to have a manager assist you instead.
Home Electronics, Part One
This guide is a description of basic functions and a list of suggestions rather than a comprehensive checklist. As with all guides at Urban Home, this list is based on my ongoing experience as a homekeeper and lifestyle author, and none of these is a compensated endorsement. The first part of the guide, published below, addresses the most common home electronic set-up: the television and related components. Part Two will address additional components including sound and portable electronics.
Television. The basic home entertainment configuration is a television, a cable- or satellite receiver typically equipped with DVR (typically referred to as the cable or satellite box), and a Blu-Ray/DVD player. The best televisions widely available today are flat screen LCD, LED or plasma sets that are factory ready to receive the signals transmitted by the box and the player. The terms LCD, LED and plasma refer to the technology that comprises the television screen and delivers the picture. This includes but is not limited to the light source, which is either fluorescent or diode and which you may want to consider against the light level in your room. Other than the technological specs and what some experience as differentiations in picture quality, the distinctions between the three are primarily the weight of the unit and the amount of energy the unit consumes. The other distinction is cost. As a rule, LCDs cost least, LEDs are mid-range, and plasmas are costliest. There is also a designation that corresponds to the pixels (tiny elements that comprise an image) and the aspect ratio (the relationship of the width to the height of the screen image). Aspect ratio and pixels comprise screen resolution. Screen resolution is the key element in picture quality: the higher the resolution -- identified as a number followed by i or p; often both -- the better the picture. Any resolution of 720p or higher is High Definition Television (HDTV).
The width of a television screen is measured diagonally; that corresponds to the width in inches you will see identified on the display wall and on the box. As a rule, choose screen size based on the amount of distance from the viewing area to the screen. Any number of formulae exist for calculating this. Most of them are based on the screen height or width, but that starts with the television rather than the room, so we calculate the obverse. Measure the distance in inches from the primary seat in the viewing area (typically the sofa) to where the television will be placed. Divide the total inches of that measurement by three; that number will correspond to a good screen width for that sized space. If the result of the formula seems slightly off, redo the calculation using three point five. Take both results with you to the showroom; using both for comparison, the right screen size for your room and budget should become evident.
Many will disagree, but with television sets, we recommend brand name producers of electronics whose primary business is electronics. Television sets have become so commonplace that brand names are really not that much costlier, and if you factor in durability, adaptability and service, shelling out a few extra dollars now saves more than a few dollars later. That is also why it is a good idea to shop for electronics in January, when discounts, especially for previous year models, can be significant. In our urban homes, we use smart Panasonic and Samsung 1080P LED flat screen televisions, 40 inch or greater.
Video Players. Most home theatre systems include a device for accessing and playing recorded content on the television. Once upon a time, this was the VCR, which progressed to the DVD player, which has now progressed to the Blu-Ray player and the DVR (see below). Blu-Ray is the term for advanced technology that delivers sharper picture and sound qualities than standard DVD play does. As with flat screen televisions, Blu-Ray players, which were once luxury items, have become commonplace. One can still obtain DVD players and they have gotten remarkably cheap, and it is worth keeping one on hand so that you’re not faced with replacing an entire library of DVDs. But Blu-Ray players can play DVDs, and as the new television sets arrive ready to work best with a Blu-Ray player, it makes the most sense when buying a new player to get a Blu-Ray. Not only is Blu-Ray the common release platform for content, but Blu-Ray players arrive ready to deliver the high definition content that the television is preset to receive. Smart Blu-Ray players arrive ready to access streaming content and deliver it to the television. These subscription-based services include Netflix, Vudu, Hulu, and numerous other online services.
If you subscribe to cable or satellite services, it is likely that you will be offered a DVR as part of your subscription package. DVR is technology that allows scheduled and sometimes live recording of content that is being broadcast on television. DVR is typically a part of the cable or satellite box. It is a valuable service if you are locked into programming that you can’t always watch at broadcast time or that you want to save. Providers often offer specials of discounted pricing or even no cost for DVR services, but with most cable and satellite providers, pricing deals are subject to an expiration date and then a full price kicks in. Check that before signing. If it applies and if you sign, make a note in your calendar to contact the provider in the month before the special pricing expires to see if the provider will extend the special pricing or has a new offer. In addition, you can check the streaming services noted above to see if they offer the same selections you would record.
In our urban home, we have found that, as a rule, though any Blu-Ray player from a reputable manufacturer should be able to communicate to any HDTV from a reputable manufacturer, there is some advantage to marrying brand to brand. Therefore, we pair Panasonic televisions with Panasonic smart Blu-Ray players and Samsung televisions with Samsung smart Blu-Ray players. That said, there should be no outright disadvantage to using any good Blu-Ray player. In that instance, Vizio is a good choice.
Television Peripherals. All of the components of your home entertainment system must be able to communicate with each other, and with the exception of science fiction offerings that are out of the purview of this article, components communicate through cables. It can be frustrating to install cables but for most simple set-ups, it is manageable. As a rule, the television will have a row of easily identified ports either along the side or on the back of the housing. Each port corresponds to a counterpart on the back of the components, in this instance the cable box and the Blu-Ray player. Use the plugs on the cables to match each component’s port to the corresponding port on the television. Once connected, these will be known as HDMI1 (typically the cable box) and HDMI2 (typically the Blu-Ray player). There will be additional cables should there be additional components, but once you master this simple set up, it will be easy to understand and therefore set up additional pieces such as a receiver, gaming console, DVD player, etc.
It is important to use quality cables because while the task they do is vital, their placement in the back of the units exposes them to dust and other atmospheric conditions. We use High- and Advanced High-Speed Monster Cables. These are not significantly more expensive than house brands, whose quality can vary. When it comes to cables, organization is everything, because once you get a good strong signal it will be tempting to forget the cabling arrangement as you settle in to enjoy the benefits of your labors. Once you have confirmed that the picture and all the functionalities are true, the simple act of tagging the cabling will spare you any amount of frustration in the future. This will be important if you travel, as for trips of longer than a few days, it is always recommended to power down and unplug all entertainment electronics, including the cabling that links components. We use Uni-Tags to identify cabling for all of our home electronics, and we ground those electronics with Monster’s Power Center surge protectors.
Each component will be packaged with its own remote control that any homekeeper knows contributes to a box, basket, drawer, or pile of them, each requiring that you remember its own specific set of key sequences. A great solution to this is a universal remote, which is a single remote control that is programmed to operate all home entertainment electronics. You choose a universal remote based on whether you want to manage your electronics by component or by function, but that question comes down to which mode of operation is intuitive for you to use, which you can best identify by going to a showroom and trying a few out. Not only will it become clear whether you want to engage your home entertainment system by component or by task, but from that threshold question, you can identify which universal remote does that in the way that is easiest for you to operate. For our urban homes, we engage home electronics by task, and for that, we use the Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote. Whatever we want to do – watch tv, listen to music, turn on the DVR, etc. – we press the corresponding area on the display of the universal remote. All of the necessary components turn on, while the remote displays easily understood and used menus that allow us to navigate the tasks and make it easy and relaxing to use our home entertainment system.
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