Practical Home Theater: A Guide to Video and Audio Systems, 2009 Edition

How can an average person navigate the maze of audio/video technologies in a home theater system? Turn to Mark Fleischmann's Practical Home Theater: A Guide to Video and Audio Systems, now in its eighth edition, thoroughly revised and updated for 2009. The ultimate answer book, it tells you everything you need to know when shopping for HDTV and surround gear-including how to read a spec sheet, how to separate fact from hype, and how to get good value for your money. It weighs the pros and cons of HDTV display technologies such as plasma, LCD, DLP, and tube-based sets. It explains the differences between Dolby and DTS surround, including the new Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master standards. It dispels the confusion surrounding such topics as HDMI and 1080p. And it covers all formats under the sun including the new Blu-ray disc and anything that plays in an iPod. The book also explores often ignored topics such as buying a DTV antenna, power-line accessories, and cables. A richly detailed connections chapter tells how to hook up every component and how to solve common problems. By knowledgably guiding readers through the briar patch of video and audio, Practical Home Theater has become the standard reference work for home theater buffs. Future annual editions will continue to track changes in home theater technology.

Mark Fleischmann has been a technology writer and expert on home theater for more than 30 years. Currently Audio Editor of Sound & Vision magazine, formerly Home Theater, he has also served as founding editor-in-chief of etown.com, audio critic of Rolling Stone, senior editor of Video Magazine, and columnist for Audio Video Interiors, Premiere, and The Village Voice. His writing has appeared in Bloomberg Personal, CrutchfieldAdvisor.com, Details, DigitalTrends.com, E-Gear, Entertainment Weekly, The Men's Journal, Newsday, Spin, The Stereophile Guide to Home Theater, The Washington Post, and many other publications.