{"id":1328,"date":"2009-06-29T20:57:56","date_gmt":"2009-06-30T00:57:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theaterseatstorec1.nextmp.net\/wordpress\/?p=1328"},"modified":"2025-04-28T03:21:53","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T07:21:53","slug":"a-brief-history-of-home-theater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theaterseatstore.com\/blog\/a-brief-history-of-home-theater","title":{"rendered":"A Brief History of Home Theater"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” centered_text=”true” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ css=”.vc_custom_1618593983804{padding-bottom: 50px !important;}”]\n

Our ears<\/strong> are built to listen to the sound coming towards us from all angles. This sound is used by our bodies to even decode dimensions and distance<\/strong> as well as directional information.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ css=”.vc_custom_1481056616199{padding-bottom: 50px !important;}”]\n

The Good Old Days of Stereo<\/h1>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ css=”.vc_custom_1545167970739{padding-bottom: 50px !important;}” el_class=”.blogpostfont”]\n

Traditional home theater setups included two speakers placed in front of us to the left and to the right to try and simulate all the complex special and directional data that we hear in a real world situation. For obvious reasons, there are limitations to this kind of setup. Early Bell Telephone scientists had concluded that it takes a minimum of 3 channels to covey reasonable simulation of a musical event \u2013 two channels at the left and right and one channel in the middle.<\/p>\n

For obvious reasons, there are limitations to this kind of setup. Early Bell Telephone scientists had concluded that it takes a minimum of 3 channels to covey reasonable simulation of a musical event \u2013 two channels at the left and right and one channel in the middle.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][image_with_animation image_url=”4622″ image_size=”full” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”Fade In” animation_easing=”default” animation_movement_type=”transform_y” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”center” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” centered_text=”true” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ css=”.vc_custom_1546018779684{padding-top: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 50px !important;}”]\n

The Birth of Multi-Channel Sound<\/h1>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ css=”.vc_custom_1553195982349{padding-bottom: 50px !important;}” el_class=”.blogpostfont”]\n

As the movie industry progressed here in North America during the 50’s and 60’s, audiences became more and more receptive to a multi-channel experience. What the movie industry found was that the more channels they added, the better the audience response and enjoyment. The more the visual experience is complemented by a real-life experience, the more successful the end result. As a result, speakers were added behind the audience for the more ambient sounds and the left and right were used for music.<\/p>\n

It is only in the last 10 years that home theater has been able to duplicate this in the living room to some extent and it is improving dramatically by the day now as technology advances and the cost of having this type of setup declines. The 1980’s brought Dolby Surround, with four channels, and now we have Dolby Digital 5.1-channel sound<\/a> on all newly released DVDs. That’s six separate channels of sound: left and right front main channels (like stereo), a dedicated center channel speaker for dialogue to anchor the actor’s voices at the TV screen no matter where you’re sitting, two left and right surround speakers<\/a> at the sides of your listening area for all those ambient environments sounds, and a sixth deep bass subwoofer channel. The subwoofer is the “.1” in 7.1–which contributes heavy bass effects such as thunder and vibration.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” centered_text=”true” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ css=”.vc_custom_1546018579080{padding-top: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 50px !important;}”]\n

What Does the Future Hold?<\/h1>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text max_width=”1000″ el_class=”.blogpostfont”]\n

So what is next<\/a>? Well, there is another speaker coming for handling the height dimension of sound and now a further ‘silent’ speaker<\/a> is added to the furniture so that the vibrations and interactivity are even more intense. The future holds many more exciting advances such as the more extensive use of 3D technology to change the dimension which your sight experiences are based on. Smell is the only ‘add-on’ still not represented\u2026\u2026but I am sure that is not far away<\/a> too.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” top_padding=”75″ text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/3″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

Home Theater Seating<\/h5>\n