The down turn in the economy has everyone feeling the pinch. People are working longer hours, spending longer on their commutes to and from work, and finding it more difficult to balance career life, and family life. When there is time away from work, families spend a great deal of it, and a great deal of money on family entertainment. One way to offset the cost of entertainment, at least in the long run would be to invest in home theater/entertainment.

It is said that the average family spends around $200 per month in entertainment. It is not hard to see that this is an average amount, as the cost of a professional sporting event would eclipse that dollar figure rather quickly, for a family of four. The average coast of admission for a movie is $10 for adults, and $8 for kids under 12. The math on this suggests that just getting to a movie a few times a month would also pass the average monthly figure for entertainment. For argument’s sake though, lets use the $200 number and show how home theater would be a great way to entertain your family and be a great value in the long run.

$200 per month over 1 year would be $2400. Using that $2400 to invest in home theater equipment would allow for a wide range of options to choose from. Choosing the gadgets you want is a matter of budget, taste, and personal preference. Flat panel televisions are a great option. They are low to no maintenence, relatively affordable, and they produce extremely clear images. Mounting options for flat panels can range from simple fixed mounts on the wall to pivoting wall arm mounts. The lone drawback in selecting a flat panel tv as the centerpiece for your home theater would be the cost of the tv. There may not be much left over from the $2400 budget to get accessories like surround sound, or the mounting option you choose.

For the most bang for your buck, and if you have the space in your home, try the projector and screen. The advantages here are that you can have a much larger display than a plasma or lcd tv. In addition, the look and feel of a movie theater is easily accomplished with a screen and projector. Here is a great example of an all inclusive home theater package that falls well within the $2400 budget.

There are do-it-yourself options for home theater enthusiasts. You can also choose to select each piece individually. Choosing the all-in-one package leaves enough room to hire an installer as well. So, even though the economy may be challenging for all, family entertainment does not have to suffer because of it.

If you are in the market for a new television, it can be a daunting task in sifting through all of the choices in size, technology, etc.. Check out these tips in deciding what technology is best for you.

1. Projectors do not have RF cable or antenna connections the way a TV set does. However, if you have cable or satellite and the box has either S-Video, component, and/or DVI, or HDMI connections you would be able to hook them up to a video projector.

2. Video projectors have a limited lamp life. If you use your projector every evening for a few hours (or more) you’ll have to replace the lamp every 1000-1500 hrs of use, which could cost a few hundred dollars per lamp.

3. A projector requires a large screen. TV programs do not look as good on a projector screen as they do on a television. If you have HDTV-cable or HDTV-satellite, however, you will get a much better result with the projector screen. Ideally, video projection works best with DVD, Blu-ray, or HD-DVD movies. To extend the lamp life, you could use a television for everyday viewing, and save the projector for movies, gaming, or sports events.

Soon all TV broadcasts will be digital. Whether you choose a projector and screen, or a television, be sure to choose one that is HD compatible for best viewing results. Remember that television programs look a little better on a television than they do on a large projection screen.

There are a lot of great television programs available for viewing. So many in fact, that it would require one to sit and watch tv all day. Most satellite and cable tv providers offer DVR options or digital video recorders in their subscription packages.Video Capture software is available on the market, and would allow you to record television shows without a DVR.

Video Capture Software typically comes with a Video or TV Capture Card. This software is the interface between the hardware capture card or device and the computer. The Video Capture Software converts the Analog Digital or Video to a Video Format such as Mpeg-1, Mpeg-2, .avi or .wmv, etc. With this software users can edit their TV or Video - as well as burn it to DVD or Video CD.

There are a lot of circumstances in which outfitting your home theater will dictate the type of viewing method you choose for it. With television technology being what it is today, the visible difference can be almost un-measurable to the human eye, at least from a plasma vs. lcd standpoint. As it relates to projectors and screens vs a flat panel tv, the line of better or worse is even less clear. Here are a few things to consider in compairing the two.

First, the size of your home theater room will be the first indicator as to which method to use. If you are in a small room, with limited space, a flat panel may suit your needs best. Projectors, and the screens they are played on have some limitations like the “Throw Ratio”, or how far away the projector can be to still show a good image. Closer is not always better in this case, but having a projector capable of quality images and greater distances from the screen can affect the price of the projector.

Next, consider what you are watching, or playing on your equipment. Movies and general television may appear to be a bit sharper on a plasma tv, and projector/screen. It is said that plasma tv’s can produce rich and full blacks and darker colors. Movie viewing would be enhanced in this delivery method. Projectors also produce great image quality for movie viewing. If you are a sports fan, or video gamer, LCD televisions may be your best bet. LCD tv’s and projectors produce bright vibrant colors, and LCD’s do not have the “sports blur” effect like plasma tv’s occasionally do.

Last, consider the lighting, both natural and electric. Light has a dramatic affect on picture quality, regardless of the method of image delivery. LCD tv’s are a little less challenged by ambient or natural light, as well as some projectors with high Lumens output. In general, the darker the room when displaying images, the better the images appear.

One other thought, $1000 is enough to get a flat panel or a projector. Flat panels are often mounted on the wall, so plan on purchasing a mount if you chose that option. Projectors work best when the images are shown on screens, so budget for a screen of some sort as well. You may also want to mount your projector to the ceiling, and you can buy a universal projector mount for under $100. Projectors also have a renewable light source, a replacement lamp, that must be changed every 1000-2000 hours of use.

All things considered, choosing any of these options will work well for a home theater. Looking closely at the features for each peice, and thinking about viewing uses will help narrow the list of options to choose from. Follow a budget, and do your homework about each technology you are considering, you really can’t go wrong.

We go to a movie theater to see the newest release in the largest, sound amplified, sensory experience available. So when the technology is available, and affordable for home use, take advantage of it! Advances in projector screen technology, surround sound, and projectors means that one can achieve movie theater like results in the comfort of home.

Watching movies at home is a great way to save on family entertainment, but the advantages of a projector screen are not limited to movies or sports. If you, or a family member is into gaming, the experience of a video game being played on a truly large screen is awesome!

Investing in home theater equipment is no more difficult than just browsing here at Big Screen Center, or calling for expert advice.  Either way, the opportunity to get the big screen experience without the big screen price is too go

As a home theater enthusiast, this may be an early question you have to answer. Like anything else in technology, changes, upgraded tech in an item, the newest model/latest version/update dejour means there is always some other bit of info to consider before buying whatever it is you are looking for. Whew! That said, I will try to answer some basic thoughts about LCD or Plasma tv’s, and which is better.

Plasma televisions are an exciting innovation that uses plasma gas to produce the images in the pixels. LCD technology is simply Liquid Crystal Display in the pixels. The debate is over which one produces the best picture. This is a matter of individual preference, I have found. Both technologies deliver a high quality picture, with varying ranges of brightness. LCD brags about having a brighter clearer image, while Plasma is touted as the best for producing true colors, especially black.

If you are in the market for a flat panel, your choice will come down to what you watch the most on your tv. If you are a sports nut, LCD is a wise choice, as there is no “action blur” or fuzziness in the images of the players on the field. If you love to watch movies, the true black and rich colors given by plasma technology would be a wise choice. Both Plasma and LCD are available in HD formats, so that feature is a wash in comparing the two.

So the nuts and bolts of this new but age old question rests with the individual user. If you watch an equal amount of sports and movies, either technology would work for you, but the distinction between picture qualities will lie in your own eyes. There is a large selection of sizes shapes and options to choose from in Flat Panel televisions. Prices vary as widely as the opinions on which technology is better. Be sure to choose a tv that fits your budget, viewing preferences, and most of all, one that fits your own eye!

Depending on the type of presentation, you can use either a DLP (Digital Light Processing) projector or a LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) projector. For Powerpoint presentations, LCD projectors are the best choice because LCD has a sharp, bright picture and higher lumens output. For video DLP projectors give better quality. If you are looking for portable solution then LCD projector is not suitable in that case DLP projectors are best.

Brightness is another factor to consider when choosing a projector. 5000 lumens is the brightest while 1000 lumens is the lowest level projector. 6000 lumens projectors are the best for large trade shows in convention centers where you are trying to reach thousands of visitors. The most commonly used projectors are 2000-3000 lumens. For a classroom you should consider using a projector with more than 1000 lumens. If the projector will be used for larger presentations of 100 or more people a projector with more than 3000 lumens may be needed. The higher the lumens the costlier the projector becomes, however. Projectors with high lumens are also heavier.

Remember that when buying a projector you should analyze your needs first. You may not need to spend as much money as you think or you may have to spend the extra cash to get a projector that suits your needs.

So you’ve purchased a 40″ wide screen TV, a surround sound speaker system, a DVD player with DTS or Dolby Laboratories compatibility. What you now have is your basic home theater system, which is arranged to mimic movie theater environment, and make movie watching at home an enjoyable experience.

A consideration in addition to the equipment is the space because the next step is to fit all your equipment into your designated home theater space. There are certain ideals you might want to achieve. A home theater set-up is quite a bit different from the typical arrangement in a family room with a TV set. Surround sound for home theater is best achieved to be in an enclosed room. Of course, working with what you have is key, therefore a room less enclosed will still work, but may alter the sound or viewing experience.

Carpet and curtains work well in a home theater to help improve acoustics as well as keep out unwanted light. Good ventilation is important for the longevity of your equipment and reduction of dust. Consider installing a dimmer switch for the lights in the room. This will provide the ability to precisely adjust the lights for maximum viewing pleasure.

OK,.I recently upgraded my basement, which means I spent a few thousand dollars and made it into a “Man Cave”, or a full-on Home Theater. I am very pleased except that once I finished, I realized that the furnishings I had to put in my new space was an odd collection at best. I believe from a design standpoint, it would be called “Early American Garage Sale” . Luckily, the wife let me drop another pile of money to buy new furniture, so I wanted to share a few tips on my experience.

First, determine your budget. If you just spent $10k on creating the new space, your furnishings should at least be color-coordinated to match right? It’s quite ok to find bargains at retail stores, or the web, or wherever, just plan on knowing your limit. I chose this cool place.

Next, figure out who is going to use your new room, and what for. My brother has a great media room in his house, and he has awful chairs there. His wife loves them because they really go well with th drapes, but for watching the game, it is like sitting in the sanctuary of your favorite church! Point is, if his chairs or love seat was remotely comfortable, I would be at his place more, and probably never built my own.

I plan on inviting people over regularly for movies and sporting events, so I got a huge sectional sofa and some Lounge Chairs. You know, the big leather ones with the drink holders in the arm rests?! I am sleeping there for a few more days, while the afore-mentioned wife recovers from the budget overage I created, but you get the point.

In truth, there are a huge variety of directions to look in when choosing furnishings for your space, and even more places to look for them. The key is knowing what you are looking for, how you will use it, and how much to spend. Great deals are available everywhere you turn, so happy hunting!

If you aren’t pressed for time, shop around and choose a projector based on the cost of the lamp. Some of the brands with inexpensive lamps are Epson, Optoma, Sanyo and Eiki. The reason the lamps for these models are more inexpensive is because the models are more popular. A popular projector has a higher demand for projector lamps. The manufacturer can then make them in greater bulk, which is more cost-effective, and can keep the lamp in stock for many years. When researching lamp costs be sure to look at OEM lamps rather than knock-off brands.

If this is your first projector purchase you may be in for a surprise when shopping for a projector lamp. Normal light bulbs cost around ten bucks or less. A projector lamp, however, is a bit more costly. Surprisingly, this small light bulb usually costs between 200 to 400 dollars. This may sound outrageous but there are some understandable reasons for projector lamps being expensive, including scarcity, expensive materials, complex design and high quality control standards that must be met.