The year’s almost nearing to an end and Christmas is right at the door. With plenty of plans and activities planned out, you’ll probably be on a schedule too tight to let go and just lay back on the couch. Here’s the thing though, you do need some real quality time in Christmas with your loved ones and one of the best things you can do for that is this - Sit down with them and go over this list of top 20 Christmas movies and pick out the best Christmas movies that suit your interests. You’ll have a really wonderful time worth looking back on in the years to come.

We have picked these out on the basis of the list of movies most frequently mentioned on the web by google. They’re sorted out according to the IMDb rating they received.

Movie: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Released Year: (2005)
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
Genre: Action | Comedy | Crime
Duration: 103 min
Director: Shane Black
Writers: Brett Halliday (novel), Shane Black (screen story)
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan
Synopsis: A murder mystery brings together a private eye, a struggling actress, and a thief masquerading as an actor.

Movie: Love Actually
Released Year: (2003)
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Romance
Duration: 135 min
Director: Richard Curtis
Writer: Richard Curtis
Stars: Hugh Grant, Martine McCutcheon, Liam Neeson
Synopsis: Follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.

Movie: Bad Santa
Released Year: (2003)
IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
Genre: Comedy | Crime | Drama
Duration: 91 min
Director: Terry Zwigoff
Writers: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Bernie Mac, Lauren Graham
Synopsis: A miserable conman and his partner pose as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. But they run into problems when the conman befriends a troubled kid, and the security boss discovers the plot.

Movie: Arthur Christmas
Released Year: (2011)
IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
Genre: Animation | Comedy | Drama
Duration: 97 min
Directors: Sarah Smith, Barry Cook
Writers: Peter Baynham (screenplay), Sarah Smith (screenplay)
Stars: James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy
Synopsis: Santa's clumsy son Arthur gets put on a mission with St. Nick's father to give out a present they misplaced to a young girl in less than 2 hours.

Movie: The Holiday
Released Year: (2006)
IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
Genre: Comedy | Romance
Duration: 138 min
Director: Nancy Meyers
Writer: Nancy Meyers
Stars: Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law
Synopsis: Two women troubled with guy-problems swap homes in each other's countries, where they each meet a local guy and fall in love.

Movie: Elf
Released Year: (2003)
IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
Genre: Comedy | Family | Fantasy
Duration: 97 min
Director: Jon Favreau
Writer: David Berenbaum
Stars: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart
Synopsis: After inadvertently wreaking havoc on the elf community due to his ungainly size, a man raised as an elf at the North Pole is sent to the U.S. in search of his true identity.

Movie: A Christmas Carol
Released Year: (2009)
IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
Genre: Animation | Drama | Family
Duration: 96 min
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writers: Charles Dickens (novel), Robert Zemeckis (screenplay)
Stars: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth
Synopsis: An animated retelling of Charles Dickens' classic novel about a Victorian-era miser taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions.

Movie: Rare Exports
Released Year: (2010)
IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
Genre: Adventure | Fantasy | Horror
Duration: 84 min
Director: Jalmari Helander
Writers: Jalmari Helander, Jalmari Helander (based on the original idea by)
Stars: Jorma Tommila, Peeter Jakobi, Onni Tommila
Synopsis: In the depths of the Korvatunturi Mountains, 486 metres deep, lies the closest ever guarded secret of Christmas. The time has come to dig it up! This Christmas everyone will believe in Santa Claus.

Movie: The Family Man
Released Year: (2000)
IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Fantasy
Duration: 125 min
Director: Brett Ratner
Writers: David Diamond, David Weissman
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Téa Leoni, Don Cheadle
Synopsis: A fast-lane investment broker, offered the opportunity to see how the other half lives, wakes up to find that his sports car and girlfriend have become a mini-van and wife.

Movie: The Polar Express
Released Year: (2004)
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
Genre: Animation | Adventure | Family
Duration: 100 min
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writers: Chris Van Allsburg (book), Robert Zemeckis (screenplay)
Stars: Tom Hanks, Chris Coppola, Michael Jeter
Synopsis: On Christmas Eve, a doubting boy boards a magical train that's headed to the North Pole and Santa Claus' home.

Movie: A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas
Released Year: (2011)
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
Genre: Comedy
Duration: 90 min
Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson
Writers: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg
Stars: Kal Penn, John Cho, Neil Patrick Harris
Synopsis: Six years after their Guantanamo Bay adventure, stoner buds Harold Lee and Kumar Patel cause a holiday fracas by inadvertently burning down Harold's father-in-law's prize Christmas tree.

Movie: This Christmas
Released Year: (2007)
IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Romance
Duration: 117 min
Director: Preston A. Whitmore II
Writer: Preston A. Whitmore II
Stars: Regina King, Columbus Short, Delroy Lindo
Synopsis: A Christmastime drama centered on the Whitfield family's first holiday together in four years.

Movie: How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Released Year: (2000)
IMDb Rating: 6.0/10
Genre: Comedy | Family | Fantasy Duration: 104 min
Director: Ron Howard
Writers: Dr. Seuss (book), Jeffrey Price (screenplay)
Stars: Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen, Kelley
Synopsis: A creature is intent on stealing Christmas.

Movie: Four Christmases
Released Year: (2008)
IMDb Rating: 5.6/10
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Romance Duration: 88 min
Director: Seth Gordon
Writers: Matt Allen (screenplay), Caleb Wilson (screenplay)
Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn, Mary Steenburgen
Synopsis: A couple struggles to visit all four of their divorced parents on Christmas Day.

Movie: Fred Claus
Released Year: (2007)
IMDb Rating: 5.6/10
Genre: Comedy | Family | Fantasy
Duration: 116 min
Director: David Dobkin
Writers: Dan Fogelman (screenplay), Jessie Nelson (story)
Stars: Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Elizabeth Banks
Synopsis: Fred Claus, Santa's bitter older brother, is for
ced to move to the North Pole.

Movie: The Santa Clause 2
Released Year: (2002)
IMDb Rating: 5.5/10
Genre: Comedy | Family | Fantasy
Duration: 104 min
Director: Michael Lembeck
Writers: Don Rhymer (screenplay), Cinco Paul (screenplay)
Stars: Tim Allen, Spencer Breslin, Elizabeth Mitchell
Synopsis: Scott Calvin has been a humble Santa Claus for nearly ten years, but it might come to an end if he doesn't find a Mrs. Claus.

Movie: Surviving Christmas
Released Year: (2004)
IMDb Rating: 5.2/10
Genre: Comedy | Romance
Duration: 91 min
Director: Mike Mitchell
Writers: Deborah Kaplan (story), Harry Elfont (story)
Stars: Ben Affleck, Christina Applegate, James Gandolfini
Synopsis: A lonely, obnoxious young millionaire pays a family to spend Christmas with him.

Movie: Christmas with the Kranks
Released Year: (2004)
IMDb Rating: 5.1/10
Genre: Comedy | Family
Duration: 99 min
Director: Joe Roth
Writers: John Grisham (novel), Chris Columbus (screenplay)
Stars: Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd
Synopsis: With their daughter away, the Kranks decide to skip Christmas altogether until she decides to come home, causing an uproar when they have to celebrate the holiday at the last minute.

Movie: The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
Released Year: (2006)
IMDb Rating: 4.6/10
Genre: Adventure | Comedy | Family
Duration: 97 min
Director: Michael Lembeck
Writers: Ed Decter, John J. Strauss
Stars: Tim Allen, Martin Short, Elizabeth Mitchell
Santa, aka Scott Calvin, is faced with double-duty: how to keep his new family happy, and how to stop Jack Frost from taking over Christmas.

Movie: A Madea Christmas
Released Year: (2013)
IMDb Rating: 4.3/10
Genre: Comedy | Drama
Duration: 100 min
Director: Tyler Perry
Writers: Tyler Perry (screenplay), Tyler Perry (based on the stage play "A Madea Christmas" written by)
Stars: Tyler Perry, Chad Michael Murray, Tika Sumpter
Synopsis: Madea dispenses her unique form of holiday spirit on rural town when she's coaxed into helping a friend pay her daughter a surprise visit in the country for Christmas.

This Christmas movies list will make a sit-and-watch worth a memory in Christmas. You’ll find drama, comedy, adventure, romance, fantasy and more to make the holidays a time which marks the year off with a smile!

When it comes to creating a truly epic home theatre system that is worthy for even the most elitist cinema and audiophiles out there, nothing comes quite as close to what Jeremy Kipnis has managed to create in his home. No small detail was overlooked in this ultimate home theatre, from the construction of the room itself to the type of power supplying the components. Let’s look at some of the best features that make up this $6m dream home theatre.

Jeremy Kipnis designed his home theatre to project only the very best quality images and sound that are currently possible with today’s technology. No stone was left unturned when it comes to detail, and with the main theatre room being set on 6 inches of grounded concrete, followed by dampening materials and a solid oak floor to reduce unwanted resonance, the theatre room itself is of a higher spec than most laboratory echoic chambers.

A Wall of Sound like No Other!

As you step into this enormous home theatre, you are surrounded by speakers. With a total of 96 speakers set in an octagonal shape around the three piece luxury leather sofa, you are truly surrounded by a wall of sound capabilities. The speaker arrangement includes 10 Snell THX reference loudspeakers that made up the first ever THX system designed for none other than George Lucas.

Add in the 16 gigantic Snell 18’ subwoofers, 10 Snell full-range loudspeakers and the beastly array of 10 Murata super tweeters, your ears are in for a treat! Each loudspeaker has been finely tuned and tweaked to get the best results in accordance to the acoustic positioning in the room itself, as well as what components are driving them.

With a maximum output of 150,000 watts, Jeremy himself has said that you can listen to music so loud, with perfect fidelity and zero distortion that you can actually go deaf and fully enjoy the experience.

Power, Power and More Power!

To power this incredible amount of speakers takes yet another incredible amount of power. Jeremy kipnis has installed two separate General Electric no. 868 high voltage isolation transformers to power the two separate analogue and digital media systems he implements.

With a separate circuit breaker for each component in the system, the power system alone is NASA spec for eliminating noise, distortion and irregular frequencies supplying his ultra-spec components.

The $6m home theatre features over 72 high power film studio spec power amplifiers that power the speaker. Each speaker is powered but a single analogue amplifier that is dampened and isolated from ambient frequencies at a cost of $8,000 each. Each analogue amp is paired with a digital equivalent McIntosh digital power amp that costs a cool $18,000 each.

Select components of the most expensive home theatre in the world:

• $1,000,000 worth of top-tier Amplifiers

• $750,000 worth of studio-grade speakers

• NASA spec isolated power terminals

• Superior to Academy Award screening home theatre 4K playback

• Features a collection of 120,000 LPs, 36,000 movies, 214,000 digital media files

• A total of 12 miles of cables are used throughout the home theatre system

When it comes to video options, fidelity, quality and overall wow factor, Jeremy Kipnis’ home theatre surpasses even academy award screening standards. The main component of the Kipnis home theatre is the dazzling 24’ x 10.125’ laboratory-grade Stewart Snowmatte theatre screen.

This cinema-sized screen area is designed and manufactured to reduce image degradation and offer the finest surface for a projected image. Unlike commercial-grade cinema screens, the screen film itself isn’t perforated to let sound come through the screen from speakers located behind. The world’s most expensive home theatre already surrounds you in a wall of sound, allowing more of the image to be reflected on the screen itself, rather than letting the light bleed through the screen.

Ultra-Spec 4K, 3D Video with Discrete Up-Scaling Capabilities

As a total movie buff, Jeremy Kipnis decided to go with the Sony LMT-200 commercial grade 4K video projector to really enjoy the wealth of movies, games, videos and even web-browsing on. This top-tier movie theatre projector out-specs the majority of high street cinema projectors when it comes to resolution transparency and fidelity. Not for the average home theatre enthusiast, this 4K projector costs a cool $250,000!

The Jeremy Kipnis home theatre system not only breaks the bank at a cool $6m, it breaks world records, too. The current 2014 system hold the Guinness World Record for being the most expensive home theatre in the world, the biggest home gaming system, as well as the best audio listening room yet built. If you want to create the ultimate home theatre system in your home, why not follow in the footsteps of the Kipnis Studio Standard and create a truly epic home cinema system of your very own.

We all love to watch blockbuster movies on the big screen, but when you feel like a movie night in with the family, sometimes that little TV in the corner of the room doesn’t cut it. This is where creating a true home theatre system comes into play. With the latest and greatest flat-screen televisions, surround sound installations and high definition video games, there is something for the whole family to enjoy.

Whether you are into the latest movies or just enjoy the experience of watching your home movies on a big screen, the whole family can enjoy a great experience with a dedicated system. Re-live those old memories with the impact of a large screen and playback years of family enjoyment with your very own home theatre experience.

Setting up the perfect system doesn’t necessarily have to cost the big bucks either – many home theatre systems are truly affordable and can contain everything you need to start enjoying a little slice of Hollywood at home. For the most part, you will need at least three items to take your viewing experience to the next level.

Choosing a Big Screen

The first item on your home theatre list will of course be the television. A dedicated screen for blockbuster movies, home videos and gaming is a necessity and will allow you to be fully immersed in whatever you are viewing. Choosing an HDTV will only depend on the size of the screen, as well as the type of screen to fit your budget.

LCD TVs are one of the cheapest options, allowing you great contrast ratio to bring out a vivid image, excellent colour recreation as well as offering you a crisp digital image. OLED TVs offer power saving, as well as offering a wider range of colour to add to LCD. From there, you may wish to choose a 3D TV variant to offer you a truly immersive experience with the accompanying glasses for all the family. 4K television offers a big leap in image quality, so if you have the extra $1k or two, go for it!

Choosing a Surround Sound Installation

Audio plays a huge role in giving you the ultimate entertainment experience, so choosing the right surround sound system will allow you to fully appreciate the movies and games you enjoy most. Home audio setups have come a long way since the stereo days, and now you can enjoy multiple speakers and amplifiers to boost the volume as well as the immersive experience.

Why not hire a professional to install your surround sound system to ensure you get the best sound out of your home theatre. A professional will be able to recommend an appropriate system for your setup, whether it be a digital 5.1 system, a 7.1 system or a bespoke surround sound installation that can employ a sophisticated remote control experience for the entire home theatre.

It is important to note that many cheaper systems may offer “virtual surround” that employs a type of modulation of the sound to give you an effect of being surrounded by the audio, but doesn’t offer true digital surround sound. A proper surround sound system will employ multiple speakers that carry individual channels of audio to truly surround you with sound and give you the effect of being in the room with what’s on screen.

HDTV Receiver, Blu-Ray or HD Media Player

The third most important aspect of your home theatre surround sound device is the playback system. Many home theatre systems include a HD TV receiver such as a satellite, cable or Freeview box that is capable of playing back HDTV. This is a great way to enjoy your television on the big screen in style.

For those movie buffs, a high-definition movie playback system such as a Blu-Ray DVD player is a great way to build your collection of movies. Blu-Ray recorders are also available to record your favourite TV shows, burn DVDs of your home movies or transfer movies and music from your computer.

Another great addition would be to employ a HD media playback device to your system. These mini boxes usually contain a computer hard drive which is used to store your music, movies and home videos onto. Some devices are ‘network attached’ meaning that you can link them via Wi-Fi to your computer, laptop, cell phone, tablet and home theatre system to stream all of your media, instantly making it a great addition to any home theatre setup.

Consult a Pro for a Pro Setup

For a truly blockbuster home theatre setup, why not get a professional to help consult, plan or install your system to meet its full potential. With a professional home theatre and surround sound installation you will be able to fully benefit from the cinema experience in the comfort of your own home without the hassle and stress of a mountain of cables and connectors to get the best out of your system in a flash.

Mounting your television on a wall has never been easier thanks to the varied types of mounts available. Thanks to the miniaturisation of televisions, mounting a television not only on walls, but just about anywhere has now become possible. But what wall mount is right for my TV? Here is a quick guide to television wall mounts and what the different types are able to offer.

One of the first things you will need to do is check whether your television set is ready to be wall mounted. The majority of new flat-screen television sets such as LCD, LED or HDTV Plasma screens should already come with mounting screws at the rear of the set to allow a wall mount bracket to be held securely.

Older TV? No Problem!

If your television set is a little older, or a rear-screen projection set your television may not have these TV wall mount installation brackets already fitted. There are however, other options to choose from such as wall mounting via a television stand bracket or a special wall mount housing that fits around your set.

As much as making sure that your television set is wall mount ready is important, another important aspect is to make sure that the wall you want to mount your television on is suitable for the purpose. Thinner partition walls such as those made from plasterboard may not be suitable for wall mounting due to their reasonably fragile nature. In these instances, you may need to strengthen the wall with suitable wood to allow for mounting of your television.

Tilting, Pivoting and Ultra-Slim Mounts

Once you have found the perfect wall to mount your shiny new television, the next step is to choose a wall mount bracket that suits your television best. There are many different types of wall mount and each has their advantages and disadvantages. Some simple and usually cheaper wall mounts can only hold a small television and often do not allow much movement when it comes to viewing angles.

Some of the best television wall mount installations allow for your television to both pivot horizontally as well as tilt vertically that allows for maximum viewing angles around your room. These may be more expensive to purchase, but in the long run you will be able to position your television such that the screen is visible even if you rearrange your furniture at a later date.

Hire a Pro to Install Your TV Wall Mount

Most people enlist the services of a professional when it comes to mounting their television on a wall. Not only does this ensure that a qualified technician will be able to carry out the initial inspection of the wall and television, but will also be able to offer you expert guidance as to which wall mount is best suited to your home and your choice of television.

Many professional TV wall mount installers offer a guarantee on their work, so in the event that something may go wrong down the road, you will be covered for the work that has taken place. Working with a pro wall mount installer will also give you peace of mind that the television will be securely fitted, and in the exact spot you require, leaving you free to enjoy your new home cinema free of DIY headaches.

Back when the first prototype model of television was being constructed by John Logie Baird, little did he know the true impact of what he had created for the world to enjoy. From those humble beginnings, the television started out as an additional service to accompany radio as a means of communication. Television as we know it has been reinvented from a visual form of radio, to a multinational, multilingual phenomenon that has seen innovation in technology to bring us what we enjoy today.

Some of the first televisions on the market were simple units that in today’s terms offered appalling quality images and sound. These devices utilised the CRT or Cathode Ray Tube method of delivering a picture. Even whilst television sets were being manufactured, the system of standards that implemented broadcast and reception of the images was still not standardised.

1. Improvements in Image Quality

Early on, manufacturers saw the need to increase picture quality for those viewing, and improvements in Baird’s technology allowed the paltry 30 line system to be improved further to the standard 240 line system and later to 405 lines. This drastic improvement in image quality meant television was starting to garner the interest of the general public to buy into a home television system. The 405 line standard of CRT television was kept from 1943 all the way up until 1953 when colour television was introduced to the United States, and 625 line colour television was introduced to the United Kingdom. A missed opportunity was made after the Second World War when Baird pleaded with a UK broadcasting committee to introduce his new invention of 1000 line television that would have been on par with the high-definition television of today. Sadly, the implementation was turned down due to post-war reconstruction costs.

2. The Introduction of Colour Television

During the late 60s and 70s more companies got involved in manufacturing television panels, and with the introduction of larger sets, style was making headway in interior design and home décor. Many television sets offered a variety of colours and styles to choose from, such as wooden panels, globe-shaped sets as well as employing funky legs and stands. Television became the centre of focus for many households and with new and innovative ways to watch TV came new ways to install the sets. Many people chose television stands at ground level to watch, while others installed TV wall mounts on smaller sets in their bedrooms or offices. Larger televisions were deemed too bulky to be wall mounted, until further advancements in technology meant this was now possible.

3. The Introduction of Flat Screen Televisions

It was only in the late 1990s that large flat screens were introduced with flat CRT TVs becoming more popular. Sony’s Trinitron range was a stepping stone and advancement in technology which combined a newly incorporated RGB gun system into a single unit. These models were later superseded by Sony’s WEGA range of flat screen CRT televisions, making Sony the leader in this technology.

4. The Move to Flat Panels

It was only a few years later that flat panel Plasma screen televisions were introduced. Before this time, consumers could purchase rear-projection televisions to achieve larger screen sizes. Many of these RPTVs has focusing issues and tended to be extremely expensive to purchase. DLPTVs which are digital light panel TVs use a digital rear projection method to produce extremely large images with a price point of a much smaller television set. LCD television and later LED TV sets where introduce to give a much more stable image across all of the screen and made HDTV more popular than ever. These LCD and LED TVs weren’t extremely expensive, offered the best picture quality to date and could be put anywhere in the home thanks to its wall mount installation ability.

5. Digital Television and 3D Images

3D high definition television is the latest example of the progress that has been made in recent years for consumers to enjoy at home. The latest models offer large panels that are built to be enjoyed for the whole family with the addition of a pair of 3D glasses. The latest models available also offer 4KTV compatibility, which will offer consumers a huge boost in picture quality, definition and lifelike images that will offer you an engrossing image to enjoy your favourite movies and sporting events on for years to come.

We’ve all heard about how watching television excessively can have a negative impact on people eyesight, but how much truth is there to this? Obviously it can’t be a good thing to stare at a screen for hours on end without a break, but is this really causing significant long term damage? People with sensitive eyes are obviously more prone to harm from screens and it’s possible that in some cases this is due to TV watching habits that are picked up from an early age.

As children, we were always told that watching too much TV would give us square eyes! And in the 1960’s, people were under the impression that watching television from within 2 feet was a death sentence. These was a bit of a panic there for a moment and the negative connotation still remains to this day. While it isn’t as severe as the people of the 60’s believed, there is ample evidence to suggest that TV watching should be moderated.

Studies conducted by the American Academy of Ophthalmology established that close-up viewing of the TV screen cause a negative effect on your eyesight. There is a correlation between nearsightedness and watching television close up, however this may well be due to the fact that children who are naturally nearsighted will invariably move closer to the TV so they can focus.

The positon of the television also comes into play. Glare from the window and the angle that the television is placed can have an effect our eyes more than you might think. It can cause significant eye fatigue, however this can be negated with a proper set up.

Having your TV mounted to the wall by a professional is a potential solution to this problem. Not only does the installer review your system and set things up in the room for the best viewing experience, but a properly mounted TV can actually reduce glare also. Certain mounts have the ability to be adjusted according to the lighting so that you always get the best angle. Local Bloke Antenna Services is a provider of TV wall mounting in Brisbane and we complete all work with a 5 year guarantee.

But ultimately the best thing to do if you are experiencing excessive eye strain as a result of exposure to screens is moderation. It’s important to teach your kids that TV is not something we should be doing all day, every day, and the health risks associated with this pattern of behavior are not to be underestimated!

Having your very own surround sound system as part of your home theatre system is something to behold for those new to this technology. It truly gives an immersive experience that you can only otherwise find in the cinema. Having an extra level of depth to your entertainment can not only boost the quality of the audio you are hearing, but also offer you an added level of immersion. To find out what is the best surround sound installation for you, let us look at the different types of systems and how they work.

For those new to this technology, just having multiple speakers attached to your audio system will not give you true surround sound. Surround sound differs from conventional audio such as stereo by separating parts of the audio track of a film into several separate and distinct channels. You may have an existing stereo system, computer or television that offers a ‘virtual surround’ option in the audio settings that gives a different sound than usual.

Separate audio channels per speaker

This is not a true surround sound experience, and only uses a multi-band equaliser to increase or decrease certain frequencies of sound to give you a different experience, such as increasing the volume of speech and decrease the volume of background noise. A true surround sound system will record the speech parts of a film separately from the background noise, sound effects and other audio levels to create a new channel.

A true surround sound system decodes all of these separate audio channels from a Blu-Ray or television broadcast and feeds each individual channel to a single speaker or multiple speakers at one time. The audio of each channel is cued up to the images on screen to give you that extra immersive feel. This is the feeling you get when your ears prick up when you hear footsteps behind you, or cars passing by in a film where the audio has been sent to the speakers behind you.

Cinema quality audio at home

Modern surround sound systems employ the latest technology that has been passed down from the movie industry and directly from the cinema itself. You can pick up many surround sound systems that are Dolby Digital or THX Certified that incorporate the same audio systems you can find in most cinemas.

There are thousands of different surround sound systems to choose from on the market, and due to their popularity and advancement in technology the prices have come down to offer you cinema quality sound starting from even under $100. Of course, the latest innovations in the system as well as choice of speaker can reach $10,000 for some systems. Many surround sound systems include a media playback device within the speaker amplifier, meaning you can watch your Blu-Rays and DVDs with crisp audio quality, too.

Speaker positioning and identification

Whatever system you purchase, speaker positioning is key to getting the full experience of the sound. Position your speakers in accordance to the instruction manual to get the best out of each system. a 5.1 surround sound system incorporates 4 satellite speakers that are positioned around the room, two rear and two at the front. The fifth speaker is placed under your television to give a projected sound whilst the last speaker is a subwoofer.

Position these speakers as described and you can start to enjoy the best sound you’ve ever experienced at home. Your surround sound installation will be quick to assemble and arrange, but if you feel that the system is too complicated for you, or need to incorporate a surround sound system into a larger home theatre, hiring a local surround sound installation company will ensure that you get the ultimate sound of the cinema at home.

In the world of digital entertainment, you’ve never had it better. Compared to even just 15 years ago, the idea of having your very own home cinema was out of reach of most people. Today, thanks to the advancement in technology, paired with prices coming down for electrical items, it is possible for those even on the lowest budgets to enjoy a true cinema experience in the comfort of their own homes.

There are several aspects to creating your own home cinema and home theatre system, and with a little homework you can decide for yourself what technology you wish to buy into. First of all you simply must have a great way to watch your movies, home videos and video games on. They come in a number of different forms as well as vary widely in price, but with the cost of electrical items falling year on year, you are sure to pick up a great deal.

From plasma screens, LCD televisions, LED and the latest OLED screens all give you superb picture quality to enjoy your movies on. Choosing one will depend on your budget, so spend wisely. The latest television sets incorporate 3D technology to bring you a truly immersive experience that only a huge cinema screen used to be able to give you.

Choose the full immersive experience

Along with a great set to watch your movies on, another crucial feature of your home entertainment system has to be with a surround sound system. Surround sound installation can also come in varying forms and with varying advantages, but if you shop around you can pick up a great system for under $300. Gone are the days of stereo sound, and with crystal clear television screens, you will do your viewing pleasure an injustice not to match it up with a surround sound system.

Early on in the technology, a 5.1 system became a popular way to enjoy truly immersive sound to put you at the heart of your favourite movie. In 2014 it is now possible to pick up a 7.1 system that includes 7 satellite speakers that are positioned around your room with the final subwoofer providing the bass to your movies.

There are a number of enhanced surround sound systems that take advantage of Dolby, THX and a few others that aim to recreate that iconic theatre sound. These tend to be more on the pricier side of your budget, but buying brand names gives you confidence that the product is well made and more importantly: sounds great.

Budget to your needs

A surround sound system usually comes with its own amplifier to drive the range of speakers. Many 7.1 systems provide an amplifier and DVD or Blu-Ray player in a combo unit for ease of use as well as value for money. If you choose to, you can pick up each individual component you need to create your own surround sound installation, with custom speakers, amplifiers as well as cables.

The ideal surround sound system for you is one that fits your needs. If you have an existing Blu-Ray or DVD player, then a simple amplifier and speaker setup will be perfect for you. Make sure to choose a surround sound installation that has optical inputs to boost your video game system or music player. Shop around to find the best deal, and you could be enjoying the latest movies, games and television in crystal clear surround sound heaven.

It can be one of the most annoying things to happen when you are in the middle of watching your sports or soaps - the television reception cuts out. In most cases this means a hazy or snowy picture or even worse, your television starts to throw blocky digital artefacts on screen. Finding the solution to your reception problems can be a relatively simple one for a professional television reception engineer, but with a few simple tips to help with reception, you can narrow these down to save you both time and money.

One of the first things you can simply check right away is if the poor TV reception problem you are suffering from is a fault with the television station. Try switching channel to see if it is just what you are watching. Additionally, ask a neighbour or someone who lives close to you who also shares the same antenna for reception as you to find out if it is just you, or problematic for everyone.

Otherpoor TV reception solutions to check are if any cables and connections have become loose or damaged in some way. Making sure that all the connections to your television from your aerial are tightly connected and stable can solve many initial problems. Anoa solution is by looking outside at your aerial. Sometimes high winds can change the direction of aerials, or knock them into a black zone for reception.

A professional aerial engineer can help to resolve almost any TV reception problems Brisbane and beyond and will be available to answer any questions you may have about reception issues. An engineer will be able to test your entire system from aerial to television and recommend the next step of action. It is extremely helpful to call a professional if you wish to upgrade your aerial or television system as their recommendation could mean the difference between great reception and no reception.

Environmental factors are often a pain when trying to get better television reception. TV reception problems in Brisbane occur in many built-up areas, so it is recommended that signal boosters and high gain aerials are used to get the best picture possible.

In some very remote parts of the country, digital terrestrial television is impossible, so for a solution to getting television reception may require alternative methods of reception such as satellite or via the internet.

If you are stuck for a solution and have tried every possible fix to get better reception, it is always recommended that you call a professional aerial engineer in to help you out. Whether you need a simple upgrade of your aerial, an additional signal booster or a full coaxial cable change on your property, a professional will be able to spot the problem right away.

Most simple solutions can be found for a tiny fee, and with perfect, stable reception you will never more be interrupted by digital artefacts, poor signal and black screens every time you tune in to your favourite television programme. Consult your local engineer to solve your TV reception problems in Brisbane today.

Welcome to the Local Bloke Antenna Services blog! Be sure to watch this space because you’ll be sure to find out loads of information about our services, helpful hints for ensuring you get the best reception and things that interest us in general! To get thing rolling, we thought we’d keep it light and take a lot at the biggest T.V. shows in 2013 – what got the most hype and why! You’ve probably worked out we love relaxing in front of the telly as much as anyone and we pride ourselves on making sure you get the best viewing experience you can. And given that a lot of that comes down to what you’re watching (as well as the quality of the sound, picture and overall set up), who better to let you know about the hottest shows on the tube are at the moment.

Breaking Bad

Even if you haven’t watched Breaking Bad before, chances are you’ve heard about it. I can honestly say that the number of Facebook statuses that it has inspired has to be as much as any other T.V. show. The much anticipated final season aired in 2013 to a huge number of viewers, many of whom downloaded it illegally. In actual fact, the series finale was pirated 500,000 times in the 12 hours after the screening, 18% of which came from Australians. Nevertheless, this is the program that has headlined 2013 and with such an unpredictable and addictive final season, it’s not difficult to see why.

Game of Thrones

Another violent drama that has been hyped up like nobody’s business, HBO’s Game of Thrones was also a pirate download favourite, with fans going on a downloading frenzy to catch the final episode in June of this year. Based on the fantasy novels entitled A Song of Ice and Fire, there is something undeniably addictive about the series, even if it often seems like there’s enough characters to sink a ship. In Australia, the season 3 finale was broadcast on Showcase but very few people could wait even for that and could download minutes after it aired in the US.

The Voice

This reality T.V. series deserves a mention predominately because it was the most watched television program on commercial T.V. in Australia in 2013. Averaging 2.07 million viewers on a Sunday night, The Voice follows a similar formula to many other singing shows we’ve seen over the years including Australian Idol and X-Factor. However, fan fell in love with the contestants and judges alike and the results speak for themselves!

My Kitchen Rules

Interestingly, the season finale of My Kitchen Rules had the biggest audience of any other single episode of any show. Channel 7’s cooking program attracted a metro audience of 3.27 million, coming in ahead of The Block Sky High’s finale (3.16 million) and the AFL Grand Final (2.71 million). As we’ve seen reality television dominates commercial T.V. which may or may not indicate a changing trend where people are less likely to watch dramas and the like in a weekly time slot.