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Home Theater

Home Theater Links


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Movie Studio Home Video Web Sites

Warner Bros. - The High Definition Experience
Want to find out more about the movies that are being released by Warner Bros. to high definition HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc? This web site will show you the complete list of movies they have on the two formats, as well as some information about what makes the new formats special.
Universal Pictures Logo Universal Studios Home Entertainment Hi Def
Universal has been a big supporter of the HD DVD format and they have been doing some of the more inventive features, like their U-Control feature which provides photos and videos while the movie is playing, U-Shop which allows you to shop online right from your HD DVD player, and more. Check out all the details on their web site dedicated to the high definition experience with their movies on HD DVD.
Buena Vista Home Entertainment - Disney Blu-ray
Disney releases their movies exclusively on the Blu-ray high definition disc format. Visit their web site for information on their high definition releases and the extras included on them.
Paramount Blu-ray Support and Information
Paramount Pictures is offering a support and information site for the Blu-ray format that provides information about movies on the high definition format, and it appears that they will be offering support for people registering for accounts (probably via BD-Live?) and other information as well. The site is brand new as of June 12th, so its full functionality will probably be appearing in the near future.

Other Movie Studio Home Entertainment Web Sites

Equipment Manufacturers

Toshiba HD DVD Resource Site
Toshiba is the leading hardware manufacturer of HD DVD players. They have created a resource site for the format and their players, including information about promotions and rebates that they are running, product reviews, press releases for new products, and a "find a store" link for authorized retailers and online merchants where you can pick up your own player.

Related Links

Microsoft Xbox 360 HD DVD Player Add-On
Microsoft has an add-on for their Xbox 360 gaming system that provides the ability to play HD DVD's through the Xbox 360. Check out their site for more information.

Other Manufacturers

  • Boston Acoustics - Speakers, Home Theater Systems, Amplifiers
  • Denon - A/V Receivers, Home Theater Systems, DVD Players, CD Changers and Players, Amplifiers, Speakers
  • Pioneer - A/V Receivers, Plasma TVs, Blu-ray Disc Players, DVD Players, CD Players, Home Theater Systems, Speakers
  • Yamaha - A/V Receivers, Home Theater Systems, Video Projectors, Plasma Displays, DVD Players, CD Changers and Players, Amplifiers, Speakers
  • Samsung - Televisions, Blu-ray Disc Players, DVD Players, CD Players, Home Theater Systems

Enthusiast Community Sites

  AVS Forum
Probably the most popular community for all things related to home theater. They have separate forums for just about every aspect of home theater and every product category, including very useful how-to forums for building your own high-performance home theater. Industry representatives are known to frequent the forums, and many industry professionals also share their love of home theater and will engage in discussions on topics that interest them. If you're looking for help with a project or with understanding some new piece of gear or technology, this site should be one of your first stops!
  Home Theater Forum
While not as comprehensive as the AVS Forum, the smaller community here tends to be a little less varied in experience and behavior. Where the AVS Forum can attract an element that isn't interested in constructive discussions, almost every discussion in the Home Theater Forum is kept civil, with separate forums for "smack-down" discussions so that people interested in one-upsmanship can have their fun too while keeping the other discussions free of such noise.

Reference & Information

HD DVD Logo The Look and Sound of Perfect - The Official HD DVD Promotion Site
Interested in finding out more information about the HD DVD high definition disc format? This site provides lots of information about HD DVD, a list of movies currently available, and the players that can play them.
Blu-ray Logo Blu-ray Disc - The Official Blu-ray Promotion Site
The Blu-ray equivalent to the official HD DVD web site. Find general information about the format, related news headlines, and hardware-related information.

Related Links

  • Product Updates - Firmware updates to Blu-ray players, PC software player updates, and title-specific update information.
Internet Movie Database Internet Movie Database
By far the BEST general movie reference you will find. Supported by the Internet community, the information here is more up-to-date than any book, and you can even submit information to make it better! When it comes to home theater-specific information, like DVD details, etc., the site is a little lacking, so you may want to look at the other sites we have listed for details about specific DVD's, HD DVD's, and Blu-ray discs.
DTS DTS Digital Entertainment - Consumer Information
DTS audio tracks started appearing in commercial movie theaters in 1993 with the release of Jurassic Park. DTS offered a soundtrack that was technically superior to Dolby Digital (although whether differences could be heard in theaters is a matter of debate). As more movies contained the soundtrack, DTS naturally migrated to DVD's as an optional soundtrack available to enthusiasts looking for a little extra performance.

The DTS web site highlights their technology and provides information on which movies contain DTS soundtracks (as of 7/30/2007, they listed 7,180 DVD's, HD DVD's, and Blu-ray discs that contained a DTS track).

For detailed information about DTS Digital Sound on HD DVD and Blu-ray high definition discs, please see our Help Document "DTS Digital Sound on HD DVD and Blu-ray Explained"

Dolby Digital Dolby Labs - Home Entertainment
One of the most recognized names in movie technology, the work of Dolby Labs can be found just about everywhere you look in home theater equipment and the movies we play on them. The most evident product in home theater is the Dolby Digital 5.1 sound system that is present on almost every DVD produced. Most HDTV broadcasts are also done in Dolby Digital sound.

This web site will provide a wealth of information about the differences between the various sound formats and it also provides advice for room layout and speaker setup, which you may find useful when tweaking your home theater for the best performance.

For detailed information about DTS Digital Sound on HD DVD and Blu-ray high definition discs, please see our Help Document "Dolby Digital Sound on HD DVD and Blu-ray Explained"

THX THX - Home Entertainment
The THX brand has been around since the mid-80's, when George Lucas decided that movie theaters weren't up to the task of showing his movies with the sound and picture experience he would like. Therefore, he created the THX Certification Program for movie theaters which involved design specs for theater construction, sound isolation, viewing angles, equipment, and other aspects of the movie-watching experience.

When home theaters became popular in the 90's, it made sense to extend a certification process to home theater equipment and for some standard guidelines to be present in how home theaters should be designed and deployed. THX certifies home theater equipment, such as A/V receivers and amplifiers, and cables, using performance, reliability, and other criteria. You can even go so far as to have your home theater certified by THX!


Printed from The BigScreen Cinema Guide (www.bigscreen.com) on Apr 16, 2024

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