Madrigal Imaging Audio/Video Preamplifier manual Correct Size for Your Television Screen

The “Correct” Size for Your Television Screen

The Power Amplifiers

The Left, Center and Right (LCR) Front Speakers

Attention should be paid to the accessibility of the infrared control signal to the components. Most people instinctively aim remote controls at the screen, without thinking about the location of the equipment. It is a good idea to locate a small infrared “repeater” in the vicinity of the screen, set up to relay the signal into the equipment area and/or the PAV’s remote IR input. This is especially true if the equipment has been isolated from plain view, inside cabinetry.

Video images will often be displayed on some sort of projection system, since the increased size will give you a more film-like experience. There may be situa- tions where a 31"–35" direct-view television is appropriate (in smaller rooms, for example). But do not give in to this temptation too easily—part of the theater experience is the visual impact of having your field of vision dominated by the size of the image on the screen. A good rule of thumb is to use a

diagonal screen size of approximately 1⁄2 to 1⁄4 the planned viewing distance. Thus, if your seating is 12 feet from the screen, you would like to use a television with a 3 to 6 foot (36"-72") diagonal screen measurement. In this case, a 35" direct- view television might be just adequate. A larger screen would be preferable, espe- cially if you plan to watch many letterboxed movies. If your video system in- cludes a line doubler for enhanced resolution, take advantage of the improved picture clarity by using a larger screen (closer to the one-half-the-distance figure).

Given the dynamic range of modern soundtracks and people’s expectations of their home theater systems, at least 100 w/ch is recommended for all six chan- nels, with few exceptions. Still more power may be required in unusually large rooms.

A common misconception is that the center and surround speakers have lower power requirements than do the rest. This is proven untrue by the mathematics of Dolby Pro Logic processing. The center channel is the hardest-working speaker in a movie soundtrack’s mix. You should also be forewarned that the surrounds are working harder than your first impression might indicate. While they may re- quire less power on average, there are moments during which they are the loud- est speakers in the room (as when an aircraft seems to fly overhead, for ex- ample). Prudent system design requires that the surround channels have enough power to reproduce their signals without amplifier clipping, even under such a worst-case scenario.

The goal of the front speakers is to accurately recreate the sounds that would be coming directly at you in real life situations. It is important that they be accurate in terms of tonal balance, dynamic capabilities, and imaging precision if they are to recreate a convincing soundstage (whether of music or film soundtracks). They also need to be well-matched to one another—do not skimp on the center chan- nel speaker, as it is the most important loudspeaker in the entire system when it comes to movie reproduction.

Ideally, all three Front speakers would be at the height of the screen. Of course, the center channel speaker would then obscure the screen, so placement above or below the screen is usually required. All three speakers should be close to the same height, however, to avoid distracting changes in apparent altitude as sound is panned across the screen.

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