Jul 052013
Practical Home Theater: A Guide to Video and Audio Systems (2013 Edition) (Practical Home Theater: A Guide to Video & Audio Systems)
How can an average person navigate the maze of audio/video technologies in a home theater system? Turn to Mark Fleischmann’s Practical Home Theater: A Guide to Video and Audio Systems. The 12th edition has been thoroughly revised and updated for 2013. The ultimate answer book, it tells you everything you need to know when shopping for HDTV and surround gear including how to read a spec sheet, how to separate fact from hype, and how to get good value for your money. The book weighs the pros and c
List Price: $ 19.95
Price: $ 18.65
A complete novice on the subject of home theater, this book was my rescue.,
I recently bought a LCD HDTV by mail and set about to install it myself. I made the purchase after careful research, and with some head scratching was able to correctly connect the TV to my new high definition satellite receiver, and was delighted (and relieved) to see a stunningly lovely picture. However, I realized that I had managed just the “easy” part, next I faced the daunting challenge of adding enough black boxes to make a proper home theater. My knowledge of home theater was zip, nada! I did not even own a stereo music system. So, I searched home theater on Amazon and bought this book for no other reason than it said it was the “2007 Edition” and I wanted current information. I knew that an easy solution was to buy a theater-in-a-box, but which brand, and could I get a better value if I could put together a component system specifically designed for what I wanted, or thought I wanted?
The book arrived in the mail and I settled down to read. My total lack of knowledge was to test the author’s ability to explain a complex technical subject to the complete novice. I cannot say I found the book to be a delight to read, but it did just what I wanted it to do, provide a through grounding in all aspects of home theater, preparing me well to make an informed decision about what to buy to add a good sound system to my new HDTV. This book is not an easy read, but then it should not be if it is to adequately cover the subject matter in detail. I must say that not once did I find myself hopelessly lost as the author attempted to guide me through a maze of technical detail. I found that this one book brought me up to speed, from zero to 60, on home theater. I now go back and use it as a reference. My only mistake was not reading the book before buying the HD TV, as the video sections are excellent and would have saved me much research time.
Building your own home theater system requires a considerable outlay of money. Do not start the project without first reading this book. If nothing else, it will arm you to know hype from fact when you face the salesperson.
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|Excellent and Informative,
This book contains a wealth of valuable and useful information and “demystifies” the subject of home theater with clear, concise explanations. It is an excellent resource, exceptionally well-written and extremely comprehensive, and as the book’s title indicates, it offers a great deal of practical, real-world advice. The author clearly knows the subject matter thoroughly. I recommend this book highly to both novices and experienced home theater enthusiasts. The 2013 edition contains a lot of useful updated information that will be useful to anyone seeking to purchase or upgrade a home theater system.
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|Straight to the point, for a variety of skill levels,
Fleischmann’s book is ideal for anyone who wants to cut through the clutter of most books on the subject. Experienced high-end audio and home theater fans will certainly pick up a few new pointers on how to make the best use of their systems, but those who are relatively new to the game will walk away with plenty of information to make informed buying and set-up decisions without having to sift through pages of jargon and hyperbole.
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