{"id":521,"date":"2016-11-22T23:18:59","date_gmt":"2016-11-22T23:18:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/live-thx-www-0.pantheonsite.io\/?p=521"},"modified":"2020-05-31T03:55:00","modified_gmt":"2020-05-31T03:55:00","slug":"black-friday-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thx.com\/blog\/black-friday-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2016: THX Home Theater Shopping Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.thx.com\/assets\/uploads\/2017\/01\/1-NKqVMEZHGstjKG-JBvQzTA.jpeg\")
\n\nThe busiest shopping weekend of the year is upon us, and home theater enthusiasts are licking their lips at the hottest deals on audio and video equipment. But you might want to hold off before you start throwing items into your shopping cart.\n\nThere are lots of factors to consider when purchasing home theater components\u200a\u2014\u200awhether it\u2019s for you or a special someone on your list. Lucky for you, THX has you covered. Here are some general guidelines to think about when evaluating home theater equipment this holiday season.\n\nTVs: Size does matter<\/strong>\nWhen it comes to TV screen size, bigger is always better, right? Not so fast. If your living room isn\u2019t big enough to handle a large TV, you might wind up compromising your viewing experience.\n\nMake sure you get a TV that\u2019s just right for your space. For a standard HDTV, measure the distance between your couch and your future TV\u2019s location, in inches. Then multiply that number by .835. The result is your perfect screen size.\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.thx.com\/assets\/uploads\/2016\/11\/1-d5sJ2SONRaEysbLNBppfSw.jpeg\")
\n\n \n\nThe rules are a bit different for 4K or UHD sets. The images on these TVs are so detailed that you can sit very close without your eyes getting tired. Take a look at the chart below to find your ideal screen size. You\u2019re welcome to sit further away, of course, but you\u2019ll be missing out on some of the detail you\u2019ve paid for.\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.thx.com\/assets\/uploads\/2016\/11\/1-DQ4tish7UgaJXsFoHJrHTw-1.png\")
\n\nHDR: Where color is king<\/strong>\nThinking about an HDR TV? You\u2019re not alone. HDR was the talk of CES 2016, and every major manufacturer is now on board, with many surprisingly affordable models available for the holiday season. But be careful\u200a\u2014\u200anot all HDR TVs are created equal.\n\nWhen evaluating HDR TVs, look for RGB LED or the \u201cQuantum Dot\u201d label on the box. These technologies give you the widest palette for the best possible color. Beware of imitators\u200a\u2014\u200awe\u2019ve seen some models that say simply \u201cQuantum\u201d, meaning \u201cbigger\u201d and that\u2019s not the same thing.\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.thx.com\/assets\/uploads\/2016\/11\/1-8mcXcyj75ZPxMwAH_6-Atg.jpeg\")
\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.thx.com\/assets\/uploads\/2016\/11\/1-Xz3X81MRD1AVX6eOpsldeQ.jpeg\")
\n\nIf you do decide to go for a simpler audio solution like a sound bar, purchase one that comes with subwoofer. Small speakers don\u2019t produce low frequencies well, and a subwoofer can fill that gap to provide the bass and impact needed for the best audio.\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.thx.com\/assets\/uploads\/2016\/11\/1-1G_RUlIbQTBt9khE7WJbuQ.jpeg\")
\n\nOk, so\u2026how do I hook all this stuff up?<\/strong>\nFor even the most hardcore home theater enthusiast, setup can be tricky. Maybe that\u2019s part of the fun for you, or maybe it\u2019s something you dread\u200a\u2014\u200aeither way, here are a few tips to make the process a bit less painful.\n\nMake sure all the products you purchase feature \u201cHDMI pass-through.\u201d This label can be found on the packaging. HDMI pass-through provides an easy, single-cable method of sending HD audio formats such as Dolby True HD and DTS Master Audio from an HD source to your receiver or sound bar.\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.thx.com\/assets\/uploads\/2016\/11\/1-JSOGGohth3zvaUjwOa2v0g.jpeg\")
\n\nIf you\u2019re considering a new receiver this holiday season, be sure that it has HDMI 2.0a or HDMI 2.0b to ensure HDR compatibility. Again, you\u2019ll find these interfaces on the packaging. This ensures you can hook up to any media source, like the new Roku Ultra<\/a> or Amazon Fire TV<\/a>, and receive 4K quality.\n\nLook to the future<\/strong>\nWant to future-proof your investment? Here are a few tips to help you keep your home theater on the cutting edge for years to come.\n\nPay attention to which inputs on your receiver are HDCP 2.2 compliant. Even the newest models may only have one HDCP 2.2 input, and that could come back to bite you as the HDCP 2.2 standard becomes more widespread.\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.thx.com\/assets\/uploads\/2016\/11\/1-tYIpiGTxmJYeZ5dXvxiiFA.jpeg\")
\n\nDolby Atmos<\/a> and DTS:X<\/a> are other qualifications to look for. This is especially important if you plan on expanding your home theater system later on.\n\nAnd for you Spotify fans, good news\u200a\u2014\u200aa lot of the latest receivers feature Spotify<\/a> built in. Having the app running natively on your receiver can save you a lot of hassle down the road.\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.thx.com\/assets\/uploads\/2016\/11\/1-cEDcMMN8kQsk9y9o65n97A.jpeg\")
\n\nHappy Black Friday\/Cyber Monday shopping!<\/strong>\nWe hope you found these tips helpful. Did we miss anything? Sound off in the comments section to let us know. And as always, when purchasing audio or video equipment, be sure to look for the \u201cCertified by THX\u201d label to ensure the ultimate home theater experience!\n\n ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The busiest shopping weekend of the year is upon us, and home theater enthusiasts are licking their lips at the hottest deals on audio and video equipment. But you might want to hold off before you start throwing items into your shopping cart. There are lots of factors to consider when purchasing home theater components\u200a\u2014\u200awhether […]","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":522,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n