Knowledge Center

By Ken Cranes Sales Associate Chuck Radar from the Torrance Showroom

When you have all four required elements, 3D theater in your house is quite impressive.  But do your homework to set a realistic expectation.

You need 4 elements to deliver 3D to your TV:

This can be as simple as connecting your computer to your HDTV with just a single HDMI cable.  If your laptop or computer has an HDMI output (shown) - you're in luck.  Just attach the cord from the HDMI output on your computer, to the HDMI input on your HDTV.

1. To hook up home theater and audio components to your A/V receiver, click here. 

2. To hook a receiver, cable or satellite, or other components to your HDTV, click here.

3. To hook up your HDTV or A/V receiver to a satellite receiver or digital cable box, click here.

 The objective of home theater is to recreate the experience of being in a movie theater or at the big game.  It is the combination of both large format HDTV and surround sound.   

At Ken Cranes, we know that the cheapest price will never be the best value.  We are a 60-year-old company that takes pride in the products we sell, so we simply do not sell products that we would not be proud to own ourselves.  Over the years we have seen many low-priced brands come and go.  Because we did not sell these low-performing products, our customers have learned to rely on the products they find in our stores.  We strive to only sell products from reliable manufacturers that will be there for customer support.

Both LCD and Plasma TV’s are great formats with high definition. However the two technologies differ and depending on your viewing habits, one technology can be more beneficial to your home. Typically, flat panel Plasma TVs are less expensive and can be a better value than LCD in large screen formats.

As our Executive VP Steve Caldero likes to say, “Video without superior audio is just surveillance.” Sound is so important to directors like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, that Lucas himself founded THX Ltd.  In fact, Star Wars was one of the first films to utilize surround sound.

Unlike the sound built into the TV monitor, surround sound gives you the full experience of the program by allowing you to feel the sounds around in 3-D and beyond.  In fact, DVD concerts filmed in 5.1 Surround Sound decode where sounds should come from: instruments out to the sides, voice directed at you, and the audience behind you.  It is like seeing something live. 

For high definition TV you need a high definition receiver – cable or satellite – or a proper HD Antenna for off air viewing and a proper cable to fully utilize the TV.  While you can view HD, you will not get the full effect without a home theater system that completes the picture.

HDMI cables get the maximum amount of audio and video information to the components.  For example, Blu-ray players broadcast images in 1080p, providing much more detail than standard cables can deliver to your TV set.  Your Blu-Ray system can achieve optimal performance, if you have the cables to deliver it to your system but the information will not reach your system using standard cables.  In essence, every system can be enhanced by high end cables, your final result will only be as good as the weakest link in the chain.