Surprised at the title? Don’t be; many people assume the speakers or the projector are the most key component of the home theatre but it is the humble A/V receiver which functions as the heart of your home theatre.
Not So Simple? The back of a typical A/V receiver available in the market today
A/V receivers started off with the basic functionality to receive & amplify an audio signal, provide power to the speaker system, and connect the corresponding video signal to a display device such as a projector or a television. As home entertainment options have expanded, so has the role of the A/V receiver, which now house more amplifiers for surround-sound playback, Video switching capabilities from one device to another, video processing, wireless streaming, Bluetooth and a gazillion other things (check the photo if you think we’re exaggerating).Some terms you should be familiar with are:
- Preamplifier (or Preamp) – A/V receivers have a preamplifier section, which lets you select which source you’d like to listen to or watch. The options nowadays are almost limitless; from DTH, radio channels, your smartphone, wi-fi router, entertainment console or gaming device. The preamp section processes incoming audio and video signals from all your different sources, allows you to switch from one source to another, and ready the signal ot be boosted by the Amp.
- Amplifier (or Amp)- Simply put, an amplifier delivers thepower torun your surround speakers.Your A/V receiver contains multiple outputs, each linked to the corresponding speaker unit in your theatre, and the amount of power needed usually depends on the size of the room & the sensitivity of the speakers. Most manufacturers typically compete to provide maximum amplifier power in their products.
To further know about which A/V receivers to choose, do speak to our experts in any of our experience demo centres in Bangalore. Or write to us at queries@thasmai.com with your questions and we will put our experts on the case!
