Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com

Beginning with the most basic information, this guide helps you choose what you need and put it all together. It explains DLP, 3LCD, HDMI, DTV, and HDTV so you can talk intelligently with salespeople at the electronics store. You’ll find out about Blu-ray, explore HD and satellite radio options, and see how to incorporate a Wii, Xbox, or Playstation 3 into your set-up. Learn to:

• Choose among plasma, LCD, and projection TVs
• Know the difference between digital TV and HDTV
• Assess and choose an LCD TV, a new 3D TV, or an HD radio
• Set up your audio system and TV for maximum performance
• Use a Media Center or Home Theater PC
• Fine-tune your system and add cool touches such as accessing home theater content from your cell phone
• Explore HD and satellite radio options, CD players, DVD-Audio disks, and options for old cassettes and vinyl
• Set up your system with the proper cables for each component, or learn what it takes to go wireless
• Calibrate your video with a calibration disk, an optical comparator, or a DVD containing THX Optimizer

Get the perfect home theater experience by following the expert tips and techniques presented in Home Theater For Dummies, 3rd Edition. You’ll be watching movies and listening to audio in no time!

Average Customer Rating:

Good but out of date	Customer Rating:
This book is written well and explains the technology well, and is a good reference for the basic design and set-up. However, items mentioned as coming in the future are already standard. The HD TV and Home Theater technology is changing so fast it is hard to write, print and distribute a book and keep it current.

Home Theater for Dummies	Customer Rating:
This was a well written basics type book. Definitely good for someone who knows nothing about home theater.

Very nicely written - but needs an update

Customer Rating:

This book is a bit dated. But since I am really a dummy in this area, it has been good to bone up my knowledge, as I gear up to buy and build up a audio home theater - I skipped most of the stuff on the video chapters as I don't plan a movie theater at home. It does need to be updated. PC and network information are old, so are some of the things around emerging standards. It could also do with some pictures and wiring diagrams - I am no dummy with electronics, but had difficulty understanding what was mean by a central panel, that could be placed in my basement or some place out of sight.

Must read for newbie

Customer Rating:

Three months ago, my wife suggested that we upgrade our 15 year old TV to a "home entertainment center". So off we go to the local store to look at options. Spoke to a couple of salesmen who were worse than useless. In frustration, I bought this book. After a quick and pleasant read, I felt that I had a reasonable understanding of the options one has when setting up a "home entertainment center." We now have a v-e-r-y nice component system that is a breeze to use. It isn't difficult to specify and install a system. However, now that I've done it, I realize that most people make a number of unneccesary mistakes. If you know all about this stuff then don't buy the book. However, if you have questions like I did then buy the book and you'll find that you'll end up with a system far superior to the ones owned by most "know it alls".

Great for novices

Customer Rating:

Wish I'd bought this when I first started researching home theaters. I was a novice, having purchased only a couple of 27" analog sets in the past 15 years. Rather than starting with a book like this, I researched mine the time consuming way: talking to knowledgable friends; wasting time with sales droids at electronic stores, reading home theater magazines. About two months later things reached critical mass and I could finally make an informed decision. My advice: buy this book, read it, and afterwards *still* do what I did. Only save the sales droids for last (by then you'll know more than they do), and look but don't buy. Then go home and buy what you want at Amazon.