Media Wars

In an ideal home theatre, the video aspect usually involves a largescreen or a high- definition television, or a projection system with a movie screen to project the image on.

In most cases, a projection TV is preferred; however, the astronomical cost of the television is the biggest hindrance. Most households substitute the projection or plasma television with their existing CRT television. Another option is to set up your home theatre with your personal computer acting as the media centre. With flat screens and LCD displays available in the market, the computer monitor is no longer a pariah in your entertainment centre. Of course, if you really are in the mood to splurge, you can go in for the 30-inch wide-angle display by Apple - running up expenses is not a very difficult thing!

A decently beefed-up computer can munch through large amounts of data without much trouble. A SoundBlaster card, a mid-level graphics card, and a 5.1 channel sound setup - and you have a decent media centre without going in for those big screen televisions or rear-projection televisions. The fact that your computer can do so much more than just let you watch movies or programmes makes it a very attractive alternative to a complete home theatre setup. Broadband Internet and media streams such as streaming video and Webcasts are a major reason as to why the computer would score over the television as the prime component of your media centre. You might not get the big-theatre experience while watching a movie on a 17-inch LCD screen, but for everything else, it works just as fine.

Another option in solving the media centre puzzle is the IPTV, or Internet Protocol Television. Revolutions in television broadcast such as TiVo and video-on-demand has pushed IPTV to the forefront and made it a strong contender as the centre of your media hub. It has also made it imperative that you merge your data and entertainment centre. With this merger, you can now watch live and recorded TV broadcasts, movies, browse through a library of digital photos, and stream MP3 music to your audio system - all from a central location. The idea is, in effect, to create a media centre that can store all your data (television programmes, movies etc.), act as your workspace, and also as a home theatre. Electronics companies are coming up with high definition LCD TVs that can access networks via broadband. These televisions can browse and play data stored on your computer’s hard drive - this will give you the necessary freedom to separate your workspace from your entertainment needs.

So would you lean towards a 17-inch LCD or CRT monitor, a stand alone 29-inch television, or a projection TV - or would it be the new age IPTV? As of today, in India, with broadband technology yet to get to the end user and with the cable television industry unregulated, it is best to de-link your workspace from your entertainment centre. A TV with network access capabilities and one that can directly access your hard disk via a home network seems to fit the bill quite well. This ensures that the big screen television can be used in one room while you work on a presentation on your computer and yet watch movies stored on your hard disk on the big screen TV when it catches your fancy.

That is what we call the perfect media hub. Of course there’s a price you’ll pay, and we are talking hard cash. How much?

Let’s Talk About Money, Baby!

Costs of consumer electronics are falling everyday. New discounts and lower prices are making high-end televisions and audio equipment accessible to the common man. DVD players which, until a few years ago, cost well over are now available for less than half that price. So is your home theatre soon going to be a reality?

To get a grip on the real price of an entire home theatre setup, we need to scratch below the surface and all the marketing gimmicks. The first task is to identify a true-blue home theatre system. A set of five speakers and a DVD player coupled with your existing television is what masquerades as a home theatre in most cases. As mentioned earlier, the sound format and your TV or any other viewing platform are two of the vital elements in your home cinema experience. Now let us assume two scenarios, one with the computer as your media hub and the other with the television.

For your personal computer to double up as a television you would need a TV tuner card. These cards are relatively cheap and a good quality card would cost you around Rs.3,000. In addition to this you would also need a good sound card that can handle 5.1- channel sound. (This is the minimum prescribed specification for a surround sound experience). A Creative Audigy Sound Blaster would lighten your pockets by a little over Rs 12,000. Instead of this, you could opt for a midrange card that sets you back by around Rs 8,000. Of course, to get the surround sound you would also need to install a 5.1 channel speaker system.

A good quality speaker would cost you a little over Rs.5,000. Of course, we’re assuming you wouldn’t want to watch movies on a 14-inch or 15-inch CRT. For an okay-ish movie experience you would need a 17-inch screen. That would put you back by Rs 6,000. If you are in a mood to splurge, you can go in for a 19-inch or 21- inch LCD display - and don’t get us started on the 30-inch wideangle display by Apple.

A DVD player is a necessity, and most computers today are equipped with a DVD drive. So the total cost of setting up a media hub with your PC as its centre would put you back by around Rs 25,000. You would get a decent enough viewing experience with the above-mentioned system, but don’t expect that 70mm feel. For that you would have to shift from your study to your living room. A home theatre with the television as the centrepiece is what most people look for. A 29-inch television, a DVD player and a surround sound system. The entire setup could easily put you back by Rs 35,000 or 40,000. If you go in for a rear-projection television or plasma screen, then you push the price into six figures, but that would ensure you’d never miss the big picture.

The Final Cut

If you’re not a movie buff and watch one only over the weekends or occasionally, then we’d suggest you just rig up the audio setup to your existing television or even your computer, provided you have at least a 17-inch monitor.

Think about it: do you really want a wide-screen TV and surround sound for those daily soaps? Someone in your household might, and thinking a little rationally will save you a lot of trouble. On the other hand, if movies are a daily diet and you have tonnes of cash to blow, then go ahead and splurge.

Go in for a 52-inch monster and blast the living daylights out of your neighbours with a 7.1-channel sound system. For your first home theatre, though, we’d suggest you rein in your aspirations and play it safe. Go in for a mid-range system that would make sure the five-day test match and the latest Spielberg film are given their due.