The Best Way to Upgrade the Home Entertainment and Television Experience

Even with the reopening of the U.S. economy, you might not be ready to head out to the theaters just yet. Instead, you and your friends have gathered around your 77-inch OLED TV to watch the newest blockbuster movie streaming on a premium channel. As the background music pulsates with tension and builds up to a crescendo, you brace for the first fight scene. It's a visual feast of acrobatic combat that's perfectly choreographed and executed. The story continues to unfold and unleashes another flurry of fist punches followed by dazzling swordplay. You can see and hear all the action as fireballs and blades of ice materialize before your very eyes, and yet, you don't feel the same rush that you get when you're in the theater.

What's missing? Quite possibly, you're not sitting in the "sweet spot" in the family room where the audio experience is optimal.

Moviegoers often rave about films without realizing the degree that sound contributes to the cinematic experience. Without immersive sound, all of the scenes lose their impact. Imagine watching “Fast & Furious” silently without the roar of the engines, or the stampede in “The Lion King” without the pounding of hooves. Now dial up the volume halfway, and that's what most people are experiencing when they watch a movie on a flat-screen TV. The soundtrack shouldn’t be flat, too.

Fortunately, we can change all this without leaving the safety of our own homes. With Father’s Day right around the corner, think about upgrading your sound system and the chance to enjoy watching that blockbuster movie as a fully immersive theater experience again.

Once you’ve decided that you want to upgrade your sound system, it’s time to start looking at specifics. Should you choose a surround sound system or add a sound bar?

Consumers have been gravitating toward sound bars because they’re easy to set up and have lower price tags. In fact, there are a number of sound bars that can overpower and outperform run-of-the-mill surround sound systems. They often sport a sleek, modern look to them that allows them to be unobtrusive to the overall design of the living area. While sound bars are an upgrade to the TV built-in speakers, there are two unavoidable shortcomings. To get maximum bass, you would need to purchase a separate subwoofer. And to simulate surround sound, you have to find "sweet spots," which works if you're watching alone or with a friend, but not in a big group.

To give everyone that fully immersive movie theater experience, a home theater system with five speakers and a subwoofer is the way to go. Start with a dedicated center speaker to pair with the TV for better dialogue comprehension. Next, add two front speakers set to the left and right of the TV. The farther apart, the better, since you’ll be able to hear the action move from one side of the room to the other. Compared to 30 to 40 inches of a soundbar, speakers set 10 to 12 feet apart will create an action sound field of 12 to 14 feet across the front of the room. You’ll hear those jets ripping across the whole room fighting Godzilla. When you place two rear speakers in the back of the room, jets will be whirling all around you.

Finally, the subwoofer is positioned in the corner to give you those bangs and booms that a unidirectional soundbar just can’t. You are now seeing and hearing the movie the way the director wanted you to experience it: big and immersive with sound coming from all around.

Now, do you go wired or wireless for your home theater? For a long time, wired was the only option. Fortunately, there is a new wireless standard, certified by the Wireless Speaker and Audio (WiSA) Association, which makes installing a home theater system as simple as a soundbar. The most popular TV brands have already adopted it and high end speaker brands have as well. Like a soundbar, you plug an HDMI cable into your TV and into a WiSA SoundSend transmitter and any WiSA-certified speakers in the room will automatically connect. Going wireless means you will not have to pull speaker wires all over your living room. No wires, no hassle.

And if you’re thinking about price, systems from Platin Audio and Enclave Audio will cost hundreds of dollars less than other high end soundbar system.

To learn more about WiSA-certified wireless home cinema surround sound and get access to promo codes to free accessories, please visit WiSA and the 70-plus brands supporting this exciting new technology or check out Platin Audio’s Father’s Day promotion for the whole family.

“While we represent over 70 TV and wireless speaker brands worldwide, we are especially proud of this month’s featured member, Platin Audio, for stepping up with a Father’s Day gift for the whole family,” said Tony Ostrom, president of WiSA. “Platin provides great surround sound solutions for family movie and date nights, and Sunday game days for dad and his friends.”

Equipped with WiSA-certified cinema sound, your TV will transform your living room into a home theater worthy of playing the must-see blockbusters. So, cue up the movie to those pivotal scenes. With the soundtrack bursting with pounding drumbeats, staccato strings and epic choral chants, brace yourself for edge-of-the-seat excitement as the action soars to the next level. This is the power of surround sound. Upgrade your sound system to have the most optimal movie-at-home experience. At this rate, you’ll never need to go to the theaters again.

Learn more about WiSA-certified products, and Platin Audio’s Father’s Day promotion, at wisaassociation.org.