Leben Heinrich Stahelins, Gewesenen Decans Zu St. Gallen, Von Dessen Sohne (1792)

How can an average person navigate the maze of audio/video technologies in a home theater system? Turn to Mark Fleischmann’s Practical Home Theater: A Guide to Video and Audio Systems, now in its 10th edition, thoroughly revised and updated for 2011. The ultimate answer book, it tells you everything you need to know when shopping for HDTV and surround gear – including how to read a spec sheet, how to separate fact from hype, and how to get good value for your money. This year’s edition includes a new chapter on 3DTV: how it works, and is it worthwhile? The book weighs the pros and cons of HDTV display technologies such as LED-backlit LCD, regular LCD, plasma, DLP, and projection. It dispels the confusion surrounding such topics as HDMI and 1080p. It explains the differences between Dolby, DTS, and THX surround standards, including lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master. It covers the new height-enhanced listening modes, Dolby Pro Logic IIz and Audyssey DSX. And it covers all formats under the sun including Blu-ray and DVD, proliferating streaming devices, and anything that plays in an iPod. The book also explores often ignored topics such as buying a DTV antenna, power-line accessories, and cables. A richly detailed connections chapter tells how to hook up every component. By knowledgably guiding readers through the briar patch of video and audio, Practical Home Theater has become the standard reference work for home theater buffs. Future annual editions will continue to track changes in home theater technology.