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Peter J. Carian
has been the Chief Engineer for product development and support at Dancraft Enterprises
since 1990. His design responsibilities include InfraRed receivers, signal processing
circuitry, and pulse power emitters. He is an applications expert on sensor design &
implementation for Home Theater and Home Control environments. His Patented work
includes Co-invention of a Passive range-of-motion therapy device, a new Solar Peak Power
Tracker, and various sensor and control schemes. |
The term "Home Theater" denotes a certain touch of luxury and class. And if
we look around, we can all identify a place waiting to fulfill that destiny. But a few
pieces may still be missing. So let's step back and try to define the major elements of a
typical "Home Theater" experience and what it takes to put them in our place.
SCREEN The word Theater implies a link to those grand caverns of times past, or at least a
similarity with the multi-screen complexes of today. The size of the picture is important
only in that it fill the proper "look angle" from the viewer's seats. A 19"
tube is perfectly acceptable in a small apartment space; a 60" screen will strain the
viewer's peripheral vision, just as sitting in the front row of a theater would not be
pleasant after the first few days.
SEATING Your theater must be able to seat each viewer comfortably.
And all must have an adequate perspective on that screen. A ratio of about 3:1 is about
right - this translates to putting your eyes about 5 feet away from your 19" TV. A 2:
1 ratio is OK for immersing yourself into a movie, but it's a bit close for Tom Brokaw.
And 5:1 is the outer limit - after that, you will find yourself leaning forward to see the
details. As for seating off the center line, about half the distance to the screen is
about it. So for seating spread, that's 5 feet of couch space for your 19" set.
SOUND The audio for your theater can range from simple to sublime, but a few simple
features will it make it sparkle. First, the sound image should be centered around the
screen. Additional channels and speakers can add depth, but should not detract from this
main concept. Second, your Stereo should always be in the loop, since it is designed for
the task, and its speakers will produce the clearest image. This also keeps the sound
quality consistent, whether watching the news, playing a movie on the VCR or DVD,
listening to your favorite tunes, or just providing background fill.
LIGHTING The management of ambient light can enhance your viewing experience - too much
and it's a wash out, too little and you're stumbling around in the dark. Simple X10
lighting control modules and the addition of drape (and drop-screen) actuators can add
this layer of integration without costly and time-consuming rewiring.
CONTROL The key to enjoying every day and taking full advantage of each aspect of your
Home Theater is to be able to control it simply. One small set of buttons should be
capable of bringing it up, changing modes, channels & volume, and shutting it down.
And it should work intuitively and correctly even after that fourth martini. Since the
tasks at hand are well defined by the equipment you have and your modes of operating it,
it is not difficult to script out each button's function. The difficult part is that each
piece of your gear was purchased with price and performance - not compatibility - in mind.
And don't expect the OEM manufacturers to help! They wanted you to buy only their gear
(but they don't even make a cable box) so don't look to them for anything other than
limited, vertical solutions.
Here's where an independent control system comes to the rescue. It will control all your
gear- whether it was purchased 15 years ago or tomorrow. This means that it must be able
to learn all (not most) of your gear since there is no standard IR format, and even a vast
library will quickly go out of date. It also requires a one-into-many capability to send
the proper sequence of commands to each Home Theater component at the touch of a button.
It must compensate automatically for existing conditions so that the VCR Power command is
sent only if the VCR is not already On before sending the Play command. And the
"Channel Up" button must send different Commands if you are watching TV or if
you're listening to the Stereo. X10 powerline commands added in the proper places also
allow lighting levels, screen and drapery actuators, and other appliances to be seamlessly
integrated into that single "Theater On - Channel 9" button.
And finally, does the budget allow for a $30,000 professional controller installation or a
$1000 do-it-yourself system? If it's the latter, the setup should be point & click
easy, so you can concentrate on your features and not on learning a new language for the
control program. With a few iterations, your individual pieces will be operating in unity
and you will be proudly showing off your very own "Home Theater".
