1) Home cinema - what is that?

While a hi-fi system consists of a sound source, amplifier and two loudspeakers, a home cinema installation adds more than just the film; for cinema or surround sound is provided by at least five loudspeakers. The left and right front speakers can be compared to those of a hi-fi system, but they are not completely identical.

In a home cinema arrangement, the front speakers are assisted by a center speaker, which is placed near the screen and mainly responsible for reproducing dialogue. However, good quality surround sound also requires two rear speakers located to the left and right adjacent to or behind the viewing position.

When using smaller front satellites in particular, use of a subwoofer is recommended. This provides the proper low-frequency foundation for exciting film sequences.