Do you have a general question about home theater that you’ve been too embarrassed to ask? No problem; we’ve all been there. The following is a list of FAQs about home theater basics. Scan through them, and stop on the one(s) you’re wondering about. And the best part: No one’s looking. No one’s judging you. If someone peeks over your shoulder, you can casually click to another page. And remember: Technical people don’t know everything either.

What is home theater?
Home theater can be a lot of different things. But we generally regard it to be an audio/video system with a 32-inch display screen or larger and a surround-sound system.

What’s a surround-sound system?
A surround-sound system is an audio setup designed to envelop you in sounds from movies, TV shows, even music. A typical surround-sound system has five main speakers, or channels, plus a subwoofer. The five main speakers consist of the three front ones placed near the screen and facing the audience—these are called the front left, center and right channels—plus two surround speakers positioned along the sides or in the back (to the sides is recommended). A subwoofer plays only low bass for thundering booms, explosions and deep tones in music.

What’s a center channel?
Does it go in the center of the room? The center channel is located closest to the TV or video screen. You’ll often find it beneath the screen and positioned horizontally. It carries all the dialogue in a movie or TV show, thus it needs to be near the screen so you hear the words as if they are coming from the actors’ mouths. This makes the center channel the most important speaker in a surround-sound system.

What does 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1 mean?
These numbers denote how many speakers your system uses. For example, 5.1 means full-range speakers plus a subwoofer (the .1), as described earlier. A 6.1 system adds a third surround speaker in the back so you can better hear a car or plane approaching and passing by. A 7.1 system has four surround-sound speakers.

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