What is home theater?

Home theatre is the combination of video and sound presented in your home. The sound is the element that enhances the experience of a home theatre design. After years of watching movies on television, and listening to the sound track through one or two small speakers, you can now enjoy much larger, richer sound. Home theatre systems deliver the sound track through 5, 6, or even 7 speakers positioned within the room. Great Lakes Entertainment Services can design and install the perfect solution for your home theater needs. We are conveniently located in Orion Township, Michigan.

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What is the difference between 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1 surround sound?

Surround sound debuted in 1977 when Star Wars was released into movie theaters. The sound track was encoded in Dolby Surround® to send signals to a left, center, right, and two rear speakers in mono. In 1996, Dolby Digital® hit the scene and had the ability to deliver 6 discrete auio channels instead of 4. DTS or Digital Theater Systems offer higher audio quality than Dolby Digital® and allows you to add another 2 surround speakers. The ".1" denotes the low frequency effects channel. The output from the .1 channel is connected to a subwoofer which add the exciting booms and rumbles that are often experienced in movie theaters.

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Can I install a home theater in my living room or does it have to be a specially dedicated room such as a basement?

The components that make up a home theater system often include a pro-logic receiver, DVD player, VCR, speakers and a subwoofer. These can be installed and enjoyed in any room in the house. There are important factors to consider when selecting the best room for a home theatre system. Understanding that not every has the ideal space or budget for a custom designed home theatre, you must consider existing factors such as existing flooring, ceiling height, windows, fireplaces, room size and a host of other features. Great Lakes Entertainment Services can install your home theatre system in your living room or any other suitable space and ensure that it delivers the best possible performance. Although it is ideal to install a home theatre system in an empty space that is built to deliver the best quality sound and video experience, our trained consultants will design a system that delivers the best quality and aesthetics. Contact GLES for more information about home theatre design & installation.

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How does a multi-zone or distributed audio system work?

A multi-zone audio system allows you to listen to music through your home or business using one, or even a choice of sources such as a compact disc, AM/FM radio, satellite radio, Internet of hard drive based audio devices.

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Can I control the music from more than one area in my house?

GLES offers a range of devices that range from limited control options to devices that offer complete control of every device attached to your music system. An entry level system might allow you to control volume only using a wall mounted dial control, which looks similar to a light dimmer. More comprehensive audio control systems provide a keypad for each room where you can control power, volume and other functions. Contact us for the best solutions.

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Is it better to put speakers in the ceiling or wall in for my sound system?

Every room in a house is different and rarely is a room acoustically engineered when a home is built. The dimensions of a room will affect sound as it bounces off the floor, ceiling and walls depending on where the speakers are placed. Wall and floor coverings also dramtically affect the quality of sound. GLES recommends speaker placement based on 2 main criteria including the desired audio performance in relation to the seating, and the aesthetic concerns. We will provide the best solutions for a high quality audio experience. Contact Great Lakes Entertainment Services for your audio installation needs in Michigan.

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Is there a difference between cable and DirecTV®?

Both DirecTV® and cable are actually broadcast signals sent via satellites in orbit. The main difference is that cable sends its signal to a central ground location where a large dish captures the signal and then relays that signal to your home. With DirecTV®, the signal is beamed directly to the oval dish located at your home.

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Which subscription based television service provides the best broadcast?

There are many factors to consider when determining the best choice of television signal formats. Both cable and DirecTV® provide digital broadcasts and a limited number of high definition channels. Great Lakes Entertainment Services has installed over 40,000 DirecTV® satellite dishes throughout Michigan. Our customers have often cited 3 reasons for choosing DirecTV® over cable: price, programming choices and customer service. Contact GLES for expert installation of your DirecTV® sattelite dish.

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What is the difference between LCD & plasma tv technologies?

LCD, or liquid crystal display, uses a bulb that shines through a grid of crystal elements. When the crystals receive an electrical charge, they will either pass or block light depending on what part of the screen should be light or dark. The image of an LCD television is much brighter than a plasma TV. Plasma television technology works much like an older picture tube (CRT) television. A local electrical charge excites the phosphors, as if it were a mini-flourescent light bulb. The better plasma displays utilitze higher processors to create a smooth transition from light to dark.

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Are plasma televisions prone to burn in effect?

Early versions of plasma televisions were subject to burn in effect. Today, manufacturers have improved the resilience of today's plasma techology to surpass the levels of a picture tube TV.

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Is it difficult to hang a plasma television on a wall?

With the weight and size of many plasma, LCD and other flat panel televsions, mounting the unit on a wall can be very challenging. If an electrical outlet is not located near the area that the television is to be mounted, an electrcian will be required to add an electrical outlet. An important consideration is the mounting location, relative to the location of the cable box, satellite receiver, DVD, VCR or other home entertainment components. Because of the wiring involved, fishing wires through walls is often required for the best look. Contact GLES for professional television mounting . We offer creative solutions to provide the best home entertainment experience.

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What is structured wiring?

Structured wiring combines all of the cabling in your home or office including data network, telephone, audio, video, security, lighting, heating and cooling into a single system. All of the wires are installed as a "home run" from any room in the house back to a central distribution panel. Having your home or office pre-wired during construction offers the flexibility to add conveniences at any time in the future. For example, pre-wiring speaker wire throughout a home will allow for the later addition of a whole house sound system. Great Lakes Entertainment Systems offers excellent service for the design and installation of structured wiring.

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When is the best time to install structured wiring?

Structured wiring should be installed after the builder has installed plumbing, electrical and HVAC, and prior to the installation of insulation.

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