But I don't really know, so I'm asking you—is your flat-panel TV wall-mounted? If so, is it close to seated eye height, or do you have it mounted higher—say, above the fireplace? Did you do it yourself, or did you hire someone to do it? How did you hide the cables? Let us know in the comments.
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If this technology was available to you, would you want to play around with the mix, or would you prefer to simply sit back and enjoy the audio passively? Do you think many content creators will opt to allow consumers that much control over their material?
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On the other hand, I do consider myself a videophile—I spend hours calibrating my displays to meet the standards established by the industry, and I can't help noticing the smallest faults in a visual image. Of course, I also want my surround system to sound as good as possible—audio is at least half the home-theater experience, after all—so I carefully select and set up the audio components as well. But home theater is a fundamentally different experience than 2-channel music with no accompanying video.
What about you? Are you more of a 2-channel audiophile or home-theater videophile? Or do you pursue both hobbies about equally?
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These musings lead me to wonder, how much have you invested in your home theater, including display, sound system, and source devices? If you've built a dedicated room, please include furniture, acoustic treatments, ambient-light control, décor, and construction as well. What proportion of your budget has gone for video, audio, and environment?
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Last week, I asked how much you have invested in your home theater. Among the many interesting comments was one from willieconway, who proposed a related question: How much do you plan to invest over the next few years?
I realize that, in an uncertain economy, it's difficult to predict how much you might spend on your home theater. But assuming your circumstances remain as they are now, do you plan to upgrade your system in the next, say, two years? If so, how much do you think you might spend? Will you concentrate more on the video, audio, or environment?
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With any new technology, the only way to gauge its importance is to experience it for yourself. On the other hand, new technologies are often not widely available at first—Atmos has been installed in only 14 theaters around the country—making it difficult for most moviegoers to hear it firsthand. But for those who live near one of these theaters, this is an opportunity to hear what could be the next generation in movie sound.
Do you live near an Atmos theater? (Click here for a list of theaters and locations.) If so, will you make an effort to see Brave there? How far are you willing to go? HT reader Jarod and his wife are driving four hours! Or do you plan to skip the movie altogether? If you do see it in an Atmos theater, let us know your impressions of the system in the comments.
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This typically gets you relatively close to the display's best performance, but to get even closer, you must calibrate the display's grayscale and color gamut if the necessary controls are available in the menu system. You can hire a professional to perform the calibration at a cost of several hundred dollars, or you can do it yourself if you have the required equipment, software, and training, which can cost thousands of dollars. But for those of us who want to wring every last drop of performance from our displays, it's money well spent.
Have you had your display's grayscale and color gamut fully calibrated? If so, did you hire a pro to do it, or did you do it yourself? If not, why not?
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How many separate subs do you have in your system? Or do you use full-range main speakers without a sub? What led you to your decision in this regard?
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Streaming services provide content using one of two business models—a flat subscription fee for unlimited access to their entire library (e.g., Netflix and Hulu Plus) or paying for each title you watch (e.g., Vudu and iTunes). Which approach do you prefer, and why?
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I'll be watching the 3D coverage—will you? If not, is it because you choose not to or that you don't have a 3D display or broadcast source?
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