Continued From Page 2
On the previous pages, I discussed six hot home theater products for this holiday season: Blu-ray Disc/HD-DVD Players, LCD TVs, DVD Recorders, Home Theater-In-A-Box Systems, Video Projectors, and HD-Compatible DVD players. On this page, I discuss two more hot home theater products: XM-Enabled and iPOD compatible Home Theater Receivers.
In addition to home theater audio and video features, a hot new twist is being incorporated into a growing number of new home theater receivers and systems.
In addition to the standard AM/FM tuners in present in almost all home theater receivers, XM and Sirius satellite radio tuners are now being added. XM and Sirius radio are paid subscription listening services, the consumer must both purchase a special XM or Sirius -radio tuner/antenna, as well as pay a monthly fee for the service.
Despite this aspect, setting up the XM or Sirius feature is fairly straight forward. There is a special input on the back panel of the Home Theater Receiver to which you connect the XM or Sirius antenna. In addition, the antenna has an extremely long cable as it must be placed near a window facing south. This may restrict some installations.
After the antenna is set up and connected, the AV receiver will display a serial number from the antenna on its LED display from which you call or activate your service via the XM or Sirius website.
The result is a listening experience that will make you actually use the radio tuner functions of your home theater receiver more often. The extensive program offerings in terms of niche music channels and cable news services adds a lot of listening flexibility and is a great complement to home theater.
In addition, the sound quality is consistently good (depending on the original programming source) and free of pitfalls of traditional AM and FM radio signals. The only glitch is making sure you position the antenna correctly.
With the addition of a compatible XM and/or Sirius Satellite Radio tuner/antenna, and the required subscription fee, the consumer can enjoy an extensive offering of specialized music, news, and information channels. XM radio definitely has the potential to increase the flexibility of a home theater setup.
For more information on what you need to know about XM and Sirius Satellite Radio Service, check out the XM and the Sirius Radio Website. In addition, for examples of currently available XM and/or Sirius Radio Enabled Home Theater Receivers, check out the offerings from Yamaha, Pioneer, Onkyo, and Denon.
8. The iPOD Invades Home Theater
The growing popularity of the iPOD has given rise to a whole new accessories market, from designer cases to dockable external speakers. However, one of the biggest developments involving the iPOD is the growing number of Home Theater Receivers that include special connector that will accept an iPOD docking station. This means that you can play your personal music collection right through your big home theater system. If you are an iPOD enthusiast, make sure you check out this option when shopping for a home theater receiver.
Proceed To Page 4 - What's NOT For The Holidays - VCRs, CD Recorders, Analog Televisions
| 