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"Home Theater Hacks": The Insider's Guide to A Great Home Theater Setup (23/12/2004)

Perhaps it's the inconvenience and discomfort of waiting in long lines at the theater, or the four-dollar price tag on a small bag of popcorn. Or perhaps it's the lure of the latest technology that promises to deliver the ultimate cinematic-quality experience directly to your living room. Whatever the reason, the home theater market is thriving. And, although the price tag on a home theater setup is still not what you'd call cheap, good quality systems have become more affordable, especially if you know where and how to buy them. In fact, one of the biggest deterrents to installing a home theater system is knowing where to turn for reliable information.

Home Theater Hacks (O'Reilly, US $24.95) by Brett McLaughlin distills the knowledge, techniques, and experiences of home theater gurus in one handy volume designed to boost the confidence of novices while adding to the expertise of the more advanced. The book covers home theater installation from start to finish, from purchase to experience, providing the sort of information that could previously only be found through laborious web searches, stacks of magazines, and water cooler conversations.

"This collection of advice, tips, tricks, warnings, and screaming admonitions reflects the best wisdom in the rather significant home theater community," says McLaughlin. "Just getting started and want to know what TV to buy? We cover it. Comfortable with computers and want to use your home PC for playing DVDs? We'll show you how to get resolutions better than $1,000 commercial DVD players. Seasoned pro looking for a new challenge? Learn to wire up your own super-high-end power and speaker cables. Whatever your experience and whatever your interest level, you'll find something to pique your interest and push the envelope of even the highest-grade home theaters."

Imagine no frustrating trial-and-error process, or better yet, no expensive appointments with installation experts. Home Theater Hacks will help readers prevent both those scenarios with practical techniques not found anywhere else. Readers learn how to:

* Master the jargon. The home theater scene has its own lingo, which, when mastered, makes everything that follows much easier. * Buy without fear and get the best price, whether buying online, in a chain store, or a boutique store. * Take control of sound. From speaker cables to placement, the book covers everything that can be done to improve sound quality. * Tune in to HDTV. Whether the signals come through a rooftop antenna, satellite dish, or cable hookup, readers learn everything they need to know about high-definition TV. * Try out TiVo. What good is television if you can't watch it on your own terms? These great tips will help readers bend TiVo to their will.

The book presents insider tips and tools in a concise yet entertaining style. A seasoned veteran with numerous O'Reilly books under his belt, author Brett McLaughlin presents an exhaustive wealth of knowledge to help readers customize and maximize their home theater experience.

Additional Resources:

* Several sample hacks, including "Fix Panasonic's Picture Glitch," "Remove Subwoofer Hum," and "Annual Home Theater Tune-up"

www.amazon.co.uk
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