Sound all around

High-definition television sets are flying off the shelves at the moment ­ in fact, they’ve completely replaced bulky old-fashioned CRT (cathode-ray tube) TVs in most high-street stores.

But there’s more to home cinema than buying a high-quality screen. Sound is a crucial part of the experience too, so the ideal companion for your widescreen TV is a good quality set of surround-sound speakers.

Surround sound is a general term that can be applied to many types of speaker systems. However, the most common type of surround-sound setup is known as 5.1. This refers to a system that includes five speakers plus a subwoofer (making six speakers in total).

The first two speakers are positioned in front of the audience ­ to the left and right of your TV, just like an ordinary set of stereo speakers. However, to provide the full surround-sound effect, there’s also a second pair of speakers that is positioned on either side of the audience and towards the rear of the room. These four speakers effectively fill the room with sound so that you can hear sound effects ­ such as a helicopter flying by ­ moving around the room from one speaker to another.

The fifth speaker is the centre speaker, which is usually positioned directly underneath the TV screen itself. This speaker is used mainly for dialogue and ensures that the conversation seems to come directly from the characters you can see on the screen, rather than from the speakers to the side of the screen. Finally, there’s the sixth speaker ­ the subwoofer, which is used to provide a bass boost (the subwoofer is the .1 in the 5.1 system). You can position this anywhere, although most people tend to stick it beside the TV.

Sound advice
You can get a basic 5.1 speaker system for less than £60 from companies such as Logitech and Creative Labs. However, these low-cost speaker systems are more suitable for use with a PC or games console than as part of your main home cinema system. Look closer to the £200 mark for a set of surround-sound speakers that will do justice to films on a widescreen TV.

It’s also possible to get 6.1 speaker systems that include an additional rear centre speaker and even 7.1 systems, which feature three pairs of speakers arranged around the room along with a centre speaker and subwoofer. However, these are intended for serious home cinema buffs who insist on owning the latest state-of-the-art equipment. Most DVD films ­ and quite a few digital TV broadcasts these days ­ have a 5.1 soundtrack recorded using the Dolby Digital process, so a 5.1 speaker system is the key ingredient that you need for a good home cinema setup.