Is high definition necessary for home theater?
This time of year makes people stand up and question the norm. For example: does Christmas require presents to be a happy Christmas? That's a tough question and there is no way I can answer that you for you but I have another question that I am asked a lot. "Is high definition necessary for a home theater?"
Let's start by defining what a "home theater" is. This can vary greatly from person to person but in general is a room that is created to simulate a theater experience by way of sound and picture. There may be dedicated seating on a raised platform or simply a couch to lounge on. This may be a room that was created with just the theater in mind or perhaps, this is a living room that plays double duty.
We all know high definition is the best picture you can get, but is it necessary for a theater?
[my answer after the jump]
No, high-def is not a requirement for a home theater. In fact, I do not believe that it is necessary at all. The theater experience is created by, yes a big screen, but moreover the sound. *ducks to avoid flying objects* A nice picture is necessary but does that mean the nice picture has to be high definition. None of what you see at the theater is not HD but rather mostly a digital picture. A nice TV, or projector, that can produce a good 480p is all a person needs to create a great theater experience. Let me explain a little more.
A picture only stimulates your eyes. There is not much that your eyes have not seen and does not stimulate them like sound can affect your ears. It is the sound that makes the theater come alive. The sound will make you "feel" the chopper blades whirling above and it is the sound that will create the suspense. The sound from the movie will stay with you longer then anything you have seen will. Take Star Wars for example. Can you still hear the metallic cling of the blaster rifles or the way R2-D2 chipped and chirped? Hitchcock is another great example as his movies were made when color was an after thought, but the effects of sound made his movies a masterpiece.
There is a great deal of detail that normal TV speakers cannot produce and it is a shame that people drop thousands of dollars on a TV only to forget the sound. The picture is great to have, do not get me wrong, but if I had to choose between getting a $3,000 TV or a $500 TV with a $2,500 sound system, I would choose the later every time. The picture above is my main home theater that does not feature a high-def set but rather a very nice set of Velodyne speakers paired with a big Onkyo receiver. This creates a great theater experience for my family.
Is high-def nice to have, yes. Would I choose it over high quality sound in a home theater, no.
That's just me though. I was raised listening to LPs as a past time so other people might view this differently. What do you think? Is HD necessary for a home theater?
