Breaking Out of the Box Page 11

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10.TAKING CONTROL Once everything is up and running, it's time to sit back and enjoy those sweet, sweet sounds. But as you go to fire up your new system, you'll likely notice that your coffee table has sprouted a fungus-like population of remote controls. While this pile is impressive in a "Look how big mine is!" sort of way, juggling multiple remotes to watch a DVD gets old. Fast. And believe me - you don't want to get a phone call from your significant other when she can't figure out how to get her daily fix of Oprah!

There's a simple solution to this madness: buy another remote. I know it seems illogical that the solution to having too many remotes is to get a new one. But once you've got your hands on a good universal remote, you'll be like a Jedi with his lightsaber.

A decent universal remote runs $150 to $400 and will turn using your system into a one-button affair. For instance, pressing a Watch Movie button turns your TV on and selects the proper input; turns your receiver on, changes it to the proper input, and engages the surround processing; and turns your DVD player on and issues the play command. If your lights are remote-controlled, it can dim those as well. A good remote might turn out to be the best component you buy. I'm a big fan of Logitech's Harmony remotes - they're easy to use and simple to program. (For more on finding the right remote, see "No Problem".)


Comparing a home theater in a box to a well-designed home theater system is a bit like comparing a Honda Civic to a Porsche Carrera. Sure, they're both cars, and they'll get you from Point A to Point B, but that's pretty much where the similarities end. While an HTiB can be a great starter or secondary system, to take your home theater experience to the next level, you need to break out of the box and assemble a system designed with performance in mind. After you upgrade, movies will virtually explode into your living room and music will sound so realistic, you'll think you're in a concert hall. Why would you want to settle for less than that?

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