| | |  | Keyword Search: O’Reilly Security | Home » Home Theater Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools | | | | | | | Description: | | It might be the long lines at the theater, the $4.00 for a small bag of popcorn, or the cutting-edge technology that's now so readily available to the home market. Whatever the reason, the home theater market today is booming like the soundtrack to Star Wars! Want proof? A Google search for home theater reveals over three million results. Yikes! It's simply undeniable: More and more people prefer watching their favorite movies, television shows, and videos from the comfort of their own sofas and couches. What's also undeniable is the inexperience of most people who choose to install or upgrade their home theaters. Until now, the knowledge, technique, and experiences of those who've encountered similar conditions to yours could only be accessed through laborious web searches, stacks of magazines, and water cooler conversations. Home Theater Hacks from O'Reilly is the perfect remedy for this group. A smart collection of insider tips and tricks, Home Theater Hacks covers home theater installation from start to finish, purchase to experience. Just imagine: no frustrating trial-and-error process and better yet, no expensive appointments with installation experts. Home Theater Hacks prevents both by imparting down-and-dirty technique not found anywhere else. The book begins with a quick glossary of terms so you can speak the lingo when you go shopping, and then dives right into hush-hush, insider tricks. It's all covered where to find the right audio and video components, how to deal with speakers and wiring, understanding cable connectivity, mastering remote controls, how to fully grasp TiVo, and so much more. And to top it off, each of these insider tips is presented in a concise yet delightfully entertaining style. Bringing the Jurassic Park dinosaurs into your living room has never been so easy! A seasoned veteran with numerous O'Reilly titles under his belt, author Brett McLaughlin leaves no stone unturned in helping you customize your home theater experience to your own personal environment.
| | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Brett McLaughlin | | Paperback:
| 416 pages | | Publisher:
| O'Reilly Media | | Publication Date:
| November 22, 2004 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0596007043 | | Package Length:
| 8.8 inches | | Package Width:
| 6.0 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.0 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.2 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 9 reviews |
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| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
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Very good, but had some not a chance hacksJul 14, 2010
Great for the nub who is just starting out, and has 10-15 pro hacks but is really getting out of date.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 "Cabling" A/V systems.Dec 12, 2009
Modern A/V systems are adding new widgets every day. One of (or the) most challanging tasks for a new A/V system owner - (or an owner with major additions or changes to make), is the nightmare of "quantum CABLING"!
'Cabling' implys the input-and-output of *signal*-carrying cables, (in back of every multi-component A/V system).
Scores of "Outputs" from unit 'A,B & C' to "Inputs" on units 'D,E & F' were bad enough... on we have *INputs* *OUTputs* to deal with on 'D,E & F'!
First came Video Cassette RECORDERS, VCR's - then, DVD Players & RECORDERS and now Hi-Def players & RECORDERS. The information in most publications on the subject of A/V systems tends to be 'dated', which on some subjects is to be expected. But, "CABLING" should not be one of them.
As new products & technoligies arrive there is sure to be new info to be "added" to the "Cabling" discussion. But, input-output fundamentals of 'cabling' change very little if at all. One of the 'little' changes that began way-back with VCR players-&-"RECORDers" was the need for both sound+video OUTputs from the TV/A/V Receiver - plus audio+video siginal 'cables' back, (from the VCRecorder), to>> the TV/A/V Receiver! And then, DVD players+'RECORDERS' were "added"... OH MY!
It is true that some brand names & models (of various A/V products) do have built-in (signal path) restrictions or limitations (which are far to frenzied to cover here). SHAME on the products Manufacturer Standards Association for not requiring a planely visible label on every product box, (and in manuals), listing any-&-every Play-Record 'signal path' or 'format' limitation built into their product or circuitry.
All the above combined has lead to a preverbal "train wreak" in "cabling" confusion. Few, very few, "all about A/V" books offer any new information or 'latest solutions' to help with the explosion of new 'stuff' to interface into our A/V systems. Worse yet. The book(s) introductions seldom mention whether the subject of "cabling" is even discussed. Lame cabling can lead to a myriad of unintended problems, even system damage. 'Cabling' has expanded into a 'hydra' that calls for a well illustrated chapter, all to itself, in any book worth buying.
Fairly highly technical for those with big bux to spendSep 12, 2008
I was excited to get this book since while being fairly technical (mechanical engineering), I really did not know that much about home theatre. It's a very in depth collection of general, specific and ecclectic tips and tools from which the novice will glean about 20% useful information. Those more experienced A/V hobbyists will relish in this comprehensive industrial-strength expose of information that ranges from the practical to the sublime. Like many other technical subjects, this book let's you take your home theatre system as far as you pocketbook is deep, but does offer practical advice as to how to get the best bang for your buck. But be prepared to understand a lot of technical mumbo-gumbo that the mainstream installer would probably fair better using the services of a pro. If you found your self wanting from "Home Theatres for Dummies", this book is for you.
The best advice the book had to offer for me was to visit your local big box A/V retailer and talk shop with them, something I was reticent to do without some intellectual backup. This book makes that visit less challenging, you can walk in the door and communicate and understand things better, and get a chance to see and hear what the book is talking about. As with many books in this field, info is a little dated (true with the Dummies edition too). Certain advances in technical quality that the book warns of (e.g., burn-in on plasmas) have been on the large part addressed by the manufacturers in the three years since this book was published. It's a good text for those prepared to do their homework. Considering the cost of the book versus what you could spend finding this stuff out the hard way, it's a very small investment (<0.1-1%). That is to say, you'll save this much buying your first cable.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
One of the Best Books on Home TheaterFeb 20, 2007
Saw this at my local bookstore and checked with Amazon.com and was happy to purchase it online for a substantial discount here. This book is great for anyone beginning to setup their own home theater and for those that really like to get into the meat of this hobby. The pages are easy to read with good, clear black and white photos spread throughout.
What this book offers are those uncommon tips and tricks that big name electronics stores don't want you to know about. This book alone will save me hundreds of dollars from all the information provided inside. It's doesn't have too much techno-babble but it won't feel like a crash course booklet leaving you wanting more. Intelligently laid out and highly recommended.
17 of 18 found the following review helpful:
Good book, but some weaknessesApr 15, 2006
This is a good choice to learn about home theater, and the author has a number of great ideas to get you started. I recommend the book, but I was disappointed with several aspects. 1) It seemed to be aimed more to the high-end user; no information about home-theater-in-a-box or virtual surround sound was given. I can imagine the author's opinions on these subjects, but he should have at least addressed them. 2) Some information is rapidly becoming outdated, especially in the video processing and connectivity sections. This book should probably be updated once a year. 3) Too much unnecessary detail in some areas. For example, a large section on antenna construction should be shortened, since most people probably use either cable or satellite anyway. And while the long section on user service codes is good, most of it will be out of date by the time the book is published. 4) Too much emphasis on projection displays, and not enough detail on flat panels (e.g., mounting issues, care/maintenance issues). 5) I would like to see more information about wiring strategies: different ways to hide wiring, the status of wireless speakers, etc.
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