http://www.audioholics.comWhere audio and video equipment undergoes rigorous objective and subjective tests by our staff, ensuring that marketing slogans aren't the only guidelines for your home theater choices.Thu, 27 Dec 2012 11:05:00 -0000http://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/connecting-your-system/recessed-tv-outletsLots of people are starting to wall-mount their televisions, but with TVs getting thinner and thinner there are some challenges. One of the most common problems I've experienced has been power cord clearance. While HDMI cables can be made quite thin, often it's the power cord that obstinately sticks out of the TV and prevents you from tilting it properly or otherwise utilizing that new "ultra-slim" wall mount you just purchased. For many, the solution is to use a recessed power outlet when you (or your electrician) run the power for your TV. Thu, 27 Dec 2012 11:05:00 -0000/tweaks/connecting-your-system/recessed-tv-outletsSystem ConnectionsAV Setuphttp://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/connecting-your-system/tip-of-the-day-keep-your-system-coolAs most people are probably aware, the lifespan of electronics can be greatly improved by keeping temperature under control. Unfortunately, many of us are content to place a receiver/amp where it is convenient as opposed to where it can receive adequate ventilation, at least until it fails. Assuming you want your receiver in a cabinet, ensure that air flow is sufficient. While many so called home theater cabinets make little or no provision for ventilation, there are some models that take this factor into account. If you already own a cabinet that lacks proper ventilation and are concerned about heat buildup, a drill can come in quite handy; an inexpensive but good quality 120mm fan set to low speed can also improve air flow without adding significantly to background noise. Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:05:00 -0000/tweaks/connecting-your-system/tip-of-the-day-keep-your-system-coolSystem ConnectionsAV Setuphttp://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/connecting-your-system/tip-of-the-day-short-circuitsA guaranteed way to make a receiver or amplifier fail is to create a short circuit by improperly connecting speaker wire to your speakers or receiver. It could be as simple as a stray strand of wire which has come loose from the binding post (on either receiver/amp or speaker) and touched the other terminal. It is critical to make sure that the bare wire of the positive speaker cable does not touch the bare wire of the negative speaker cable. Wed, 12 Dec 2012 10:20:00 -0000/tweaks/connecting-your-system/tip-of-the-day-short-circuitsSystem ConnectionsAV Setuphttp://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/connecting-your-system/power-offWhen making connections to receivers and amplifiers (especially when working with speaker wires), make sure that the equipment is turned off first. It's not required, but it's a lot safer for you and the equipment in the event that you accidentally touch two speaker wires together. A couple of seconds to hit the power button can save hours of shopping for new equipment.Sat, 08 Dec 2012 22:30:37 -0000/tweaks/connecting-your-system/power-offSystem ConnectionsAV Setuphttp://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/connecting-your-system/tip-of-the-day-owners-manualNeed help with setting up or configuring your new A/V receiver? A lot of manufacturers offer electronic copies of owners manuals, setup addendum's and tips on their websites to help you in case you lost yours or want to do some research. Often in PDF form, they make searching for key words easier than flipping through the manual that came with your new product. Doing a web search (such as Google) will generally find them quickly. Don't stay in the dark. Use these tools to ensure you will get the most out of your new A/V receiver.Tue, 04 Dec 2012 12:00:00 -0000/tweaks/connecting-your-system/tip-of-the-day-owners-manualSystem ConnectionsAV Setuphttp://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/connecting-your-system/basic-home-theater-setup-guideSo, you bought a home theater system? Great! Watching a movie on a properly set up surround sound system, or listening to your music through a new set of speakers can be an amazing experience. But, the key to a great home theater isn't just spending a lot of money. Setting up the system correctly is just as important as what you buy. This guide, very simply, walks through the basics of speaker placement, bass management setup, how to hook everything up, and how to change a few settings to really make your system shine. Throughout this article are links to other more advanced articles that go into more depth on each topic.Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:00:00 -0000/tweaks/connecting-your-system/basic-home-theater-setup-guideSystem ConnectionsAV Setuphttp://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/connecting-your-system/how-ir-repeater-systems-workAn IR repeater system takes Infrared (IR) light coming from your remote controller and converts it to an electrical signal that can be easily distributed over electrical wiring to one or more IR remote controllable components. How this can help improve your system and allow you more flexibility in multi-room applications is something we'll attempt to answer and explain.Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:44:49 -0000/tweaks/connecting-your-system/how-ir-repeater-systems-workSystem ConnectionsAV Setuphttp://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/connecting-your-system/connecting-home-office-theaterThousands of words have been written about, and thousands of hours of labor devoted to, marrying our computers with our home theater and audio installations. On the Audioholics site alone there are 78 results from a search for "HTPC" (home theater personal computer). The problem with the concept of the HTPC is that, at its core, it’s a dedicated computer for multimedia applications. What happens if your computer is in your home office and your theater is elsewhere? What if you don’t want an HTPC? How do you combine your home office with your audio/video installation? It’s a question that’s seldom discussed in this industry.Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:12:19 -0000/tweaks/connecting-your-system/connecting-home-office-theaterSystem ConnectionsAV Setuphttp://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/connecting-your-system/get-high-definition-hdtvMany people bring home a new HDTV and look forward to the excitement of viewing a true high definition picture. But is it really that simple? Well it can be - if you follow a few guidelines and understand the nature of real HD content and where it comes from. An HDTV doesn't give you high definition content - it simply means that you have the pixels to display high definition sources in all their glory. We'll take a look at four types of high definition sources most commonly received by HDTVs...Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:19:31 -0000/tweaks/connecting-your-system/get-high-definition-hdtvSystem ConnectionsAV Setuphttp://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/connecting-your-system/connecting-a-cabletv-or-satellite-systemOver-the-air (OTA) broadcast television may be making a comeback with major networks now sending HDTV signals capable of being picked up by the humble rooftop antenna. But subscriber TV services from cable and satellite providers are here to stay. Sat, 23 Jul 2005 01:00:00 -0000/tweaks/connecting-your-system/connecting-a-cabletv-or-satellite-systemSystem ConnectionsAV Setuphttp://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/connecting-your-system/tips-for-building-a-home-theater-in-an-apartmentYou load up the latest and greatest action DVD into your home theater. You sit down with remote in hand and turn the volume up a bit so you can hear the wonderful special effects the movie sound track has to offer. All of a sudden you hear the familiar rapping on the wall of the elderly person that lives next door. This is your cue to turn the system down, being the polite individual that you are. You comply.Mon, 07 Feb 2005 01:00:00 -0000/tweaks/connecting-your-system/tips-for-building-a-home-theater-in-an-apartmentSystem ConnectionsAV Setuphttp://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/connecting-your-system/ground-loops-eliminating-system-hum-and-buzzYou've just connected your system and there's a buzz or hum that won't go away. You're beating your head against the wall trying to figure out what's up. Congratulations - you've just entered The Ground Loop Zone...Sat, 20 Nov 2004 01:00:00 -0000/tweaks/connecting-your-system/ground-loops-eliminating-system-hum-and-buzzSystem ConnectionsAV Setuphttp://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/connecting-your-system/basic-audio-video-set-up-guideWe have other articles which will help you actually connect your home theater system. This article assumes that you are indeed getting sound and video through the components and that you are ready to move on the the next phase of configuring and tweaking the many settings and physical options associated with all of that AV gear.Sun, 07 Nov 2004 01:00:00 -0000/tweaks/connecting-your-system/basic-audio-video-set-up-guideSystem ConnectionsAV Setuphttp://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/connecting-your-system/receiver-setup-and-connectionsThe back a of a Home Theater receiver can be confusing for a beginner, but as you learn what all the connections are taking a look at the back becomes the fastest way to assess the options and whether or not the unit will fill your needs. We'll break it down section by section.Wed, 22 Sep 2004 01:00:00 -0000/tweaks/connecting-your-system/receiver-setup-and-connectionsSystem ConnectionsAV Setuphttp://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/connecting-your-system/dvd-player-setupLet's dispel the mystery about the back of your DVD player by using the most complex type of DVD player available as our example, the Universal DVD player. Universal DVD players like Onkyo's DV-SP1000 has more connection options than most DVD players; if you can hook up a Universal DVD player to an A/V receiver you'll have the fundamentals to make any DVD player connection.Fri, 17 Sep 2004 01:00:00 -0000/tweaks/connecting-your-system/dvd-player-setupSystem ConnectionsAV Setuphttp://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/connecting-your-system/setting-up-your-home-theater-system-basicsYou got all your brand new Home Theater gear home and you're unpacking boxes and wires and about to embark on hooking everything up. Here are some basic tips:Sat, 04 Sep 2004 01:00:00 -0000/tweaks/connecting-your-system/setting-up-your-home-theater-system-basicsSystem ConnectionsAV Setuphttp://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/connecting-your-system/dvd-audio-setup-tip-1DVD has truly changed the Home Theater realm by providing the home audio enthusiast with audiophile and videophile quality as good, or even better than the Cinema. However, many neophytes may not always recognize how to properly configure the DVD player before viewing a movie.Thu, 26 Aug 2004 01:00:00 -0000/tweaks/connecting-your-system/dvd-audio-setup-tip-1System ConnectionsAV Setup