"What is the home theater state of mind? It's the rush of emotional involvement that comes with a close-up shot on a big screen. It's the aesthetic thrill of hearing a rich orchestral score through an enveloping array of speakers. It's the quickening of the pulse that follows a gut-thumping subwoofer-borne explosion. It's about having more fun at home than you ever did at the movies. The movies come home."

Mark Fleischmann's engaging introduction to the 2005 edition of Practical Home Theater makes it clear why creating a custom home theater is so rewarding. For those who are looking to join the 30 percent of American households with home theater systems, this book offers a simple and informative guide to understanding the different audio/video components that make up home theater.

Truly practical home theater is "about a movie and music system that takes the best advantage of current technology but remains within a realistic budget," writes Fleischmann. "It starts with a big screen display, coupled with a surround sound system. Movies, music, and other programming arrive on disc, tape, via satellite or cable, over the air - and fill the past or future format of your choice. The right cables, remote and other accessories tie the system together."

Practical Home Theater is broken up into convenient topics of television, surround sound, picture and sound sources, accessories and connections, making it easy to answer your questions, using the index as a guide.

Several technologies are discussed including: HDTV, DTV up- and down conversion, copy-protected DTV interfaces, DVD-Video, Surround EX, DTS, Dolby Pro Logic II, DVD-Audio, SACD, HDCD, and MP3 and the Pros and cons of new digital TV technologies are weighed.

Often ignored topics such as buying a DTV antenna, programmable remote controls, speaker mounts, power-line accessories and cables are also covered. The detailed connections chapter discusses how to hook up every component, solve common problems and offers useful advice on intelligent upgrades. There are even chapters on how to use manufacturer technical support and how to hire a custom installer.

After reading Practical Home Theater, the seemingly overwhelming task of building a home theater system starts to make sense, while the excitement of visualizing the possibilities begins to take over. This book will answer all of your questions and make you realize how staying home on a Saturday night could be the highlight of your weekend.

About the Author

Mark Fleischmann has been a technology writer and expert on home theater for more than 20 years. His writing appears regularly in Home Theater, E-Gear, Custom Retailer, CrutchfieldAdvisor.com, and DesignTechnica.com. He has served as founding editor-in-chief of etown.com, senior editor of Video Magazine, audio critic of Rolling Stone, and columnist for Premiere, The Village Voice, and Audio Video Interiors. His writing has appeared in Bloomberg Personal, Details, Entertainment Weekly, The Men's Journal, Newsday, Spin, The Ultimate AV Guide, The Washington Post, and many other publications. He has lived in New York City since 1975.