• Home theaters have been rapidly gaining in popularity: as of December 2004, an estimated 30 percent of U.S. homes have some kind of home theater system
• Shows would-be home theater owners how to select and set up a basic system incorporating cable or satellite TV, audio, DVD, DVR, and gaming components
• Offers home theater veterans the information and know-how they need to take their systems to the next level
• Upgraded to the full-sized Dummies trim and updated to cover the latest products, technologies, and trends, including HD-DVD, Dolby Digital Plus, new HDTV developments, the latest speaker systems, improvements in wireless technologies, enhancements to Home Theater and Media Center PCs, and video and media servers

Beginning with the most basic information, this guide helps you choose what you need and put it all together. It explains DLP, 3LCD, HDMI, DTV, and HDTV so you can talk intelligently with salespeople at the electronics store. You’ll find out about Blu-ray, explore HD and satellite radio options, and see how to incorporate a Wii, Xbox, or Playstation 3 into your set-up. Learn to:

• Choose among plasma, LCD, and projection TVs
• Know the difference between digital TV and HDTV
• Assess and choose an LCD TV, a new 3D TV, or an HD radio
• Set up your audio system and TV for maximum performance
• Use a Media Center or Home Theater PC
• Fine-tune your system and add cool touches such as accessing home theater content from your cell phone
• Explore HD and satellite radio options, CD players, DVD-Audio disks, and options for old cassettes and vinyl
• Set up your system with the proper cables for each component, or learn what it takes to go wireless
• Calibrate your video with a calibration disk, an optical comparator, or a DVD containing THX Optimizer

Beginning with the most basic information, this guide helps you choose what you need and put it all together. It explains DLP, 3LCD, HDMI, DTV, and HDTV so you can talk intelligently with salespeople at the electronics store. You’ll find out about Blu-ray, explore HD and satellite radio options, and see how to incorporate a Wii, Xbox, or Playstation 3 into your set-up. Learn to:

• Choose among plasma, LCD, and projection TVs
• Know the difference between digital TV and HDTV
• Assess and choose an LCD TV, a new 3D TV, or an HD radio
• Set up your audio system and TV for maximum performance
• Use a Media Center or Home Theater PC
• Fine-tune your system and add cool touches such as accessing home theater content from your cell phone
• Explore HD and satellite radio options, CD players, DVD-Audio disks, and options for old cassettes and vinyl
• Set up your system with the proper cables for each component, or learn what it takes to go wireless
• Calibrate your video with a calibration disk, an optical comparator, or a DVD containing THX Optimizer