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The Home Theater

Big-screen home theater usually means a bulky entertainment center protruding 3 feet out into the room, a hulking tube TV that qualifies as furniture in its own right, or a front-projection system that requires custom installation and strict control of ambient light. But plasma TV has changed the rules. With screens that range from 32 inches (diagonal) to as large as 63 inches, these ultra-thin panels can deliver performance approaching that of the best tube TVs while occupying a fraction of the space. Pioneer Elite PRO-1000HDi 50-inch plasma TV ($14,500) with Bang & Olufsen Beolab 8000 L/R speakers ($1,800 each) and the Beolab 4000 center speaker ($975)

Since 42-inch plasmas rarely cost much more than 32-inchers, most people start at 42 inches. At this size, you'll have to decide between enhanced-definition (EDTV) panels with 852 x 480-pixel resolution, such as Philips's $3,999 42FD9935 and Panasonic's TH-42PA20U/P ($4,500), and higher-cost HDTV panels with 1,024 x 768 pixels or more, like Toshiba's 42HP83 ($7,500, tacp.toshiba.com). The price difference between 42-inch enhanced- and high-def plasma monitors usually ranges from $1,500 to $3,000. All plasmas can display a picture from an HDTV tuner or satellite receiver, but more pixels provide more detail. Go for higher resolution if you're going to watch a lot of HDTV, connect a computer to the panel, or sit up close to the screen.

Every 50-inch panel, on the other hand, has at least 1,024 x 768-pixel resolution. The bigger screen means you can sit farther away, but you'll pay dearly for the privilege - the displays start at $6,000, but most cost considerably more. The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers' recommended viewing distance for a 50-inch 16:9 screen is about 7 feet. While most people don't sit that close to the screen, that distance is an accurate indication of what provides a truly immersive movie-watching experience. Since rear-projection sets cost thousands less than plasma and offer significantly larger screen sizes, home theater aficionados who want the most screen for their buck still don't consider plasma a viable option.

For everyone else, Pioneer's strikingly beautiful Elite PRO-1110HD (pioneerelectronics.com) costs a cool $15,500. It comes with an outboard media console, including a built-in over-the-air HDTV tuner, to which you connect your video sources. Then you run a single cable from the console to the panel. Another 50-inch example is Hitachi's 50HDT50 at $11,000.

You'll also need to think about digital inputs. The newest plasma panels, like the Pioneer Elite mentioned above and Panasonic's TH-42PX20U/P ($6,500), have HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) digital inputs, which improve on DVI (Digital Visual Interface) jacks by also carrying audio signals. If you're not going to route sound through the panel's speakers, you don't need HDMI. But every new plasma TV meant for home theater use should have a DVI jack with HDCP copy protection so it will work with copy-protected high-definition satellite and cable receivers as well as outboard HDTV tuners. A digital video input also allows connection with newer DVD players that have DVI outputs. And going digital with plasma connections can improve picture quality with some sources since it eliminates a cycle of digital-to-analog-to-digital conversion.

Most plasma sets now include regular TV features like built-in tuners and speakers, but they're next to useless since most home theaters use external cable or satellite boxes and dedicated audio systems. If you aren't going to use the built-in speakers, look for a speakerless display or one that allows you to detach them.

The simplest way to install a plasma panel is to place it on a stand atop a low bench, table, or pedestal. Nearly every plasma TV includes a stand, and many swivel so you can turn the panel to face different areas of the room. Floor stands from manufacturers like Bell'O (bello.com), Premier (premier-av-furniture.com), and StudioTech (studiotech.com) lend a high-tech look and bring the panel to eye level, and most include shelves for components. Affixing the plasma to a pole lets you angle the screen to either side, but you might have to find another place for the components.

It almost seems like a waste, though, not to put your new flat-panel set on the wall. Wall-mounts are available from the manufacturer or from mount specialists like Peerless, Chief, and Premier Mounts (premiermounts.com). Prices begin at $200, and the more expensive models will even let you tilt the panel down. That's important since mounting the panel on the wall usually means placing it higher than you would on a stand. For example, a lot of people want their panels installed above a fireplace. If you're watching from a couch, an angled wall mount lets you enjoy the image head-on, although the panel won't sit flush against the surface.

If you crave a completely stealthy home theater, there's nothing quite as cool as a flat panel that only appears when it's time to watch TV. Vision Art frames from Solar Shading Systems (solarshadingsys.com) fit around the panel and contain a motorized retracting canvas that slides down to conceal the screen. On the canvas is an actual painting of your choice. Prices start at $3,500.

If you can swing the expense, motorized plasma lifts from companies like Lift-Tech (televisionlifts.com) are another futuristic option. But they don't come cheap, starting at $2,295. Some are cabinets that look like any other piece of furniture, but press the button on a remote control and the plasma screen rises majestically out of the top. Components can be hidden in the cabinet. More ambitious custom jobs install the lift in the ceiling or even in the floor. Plasma lifts can also be installed so the set partially blocks a window, which has the added benefit of helping control ambient light in the room. Since the displays are so bright, however, this light is much less of a problem with plasma than with projection setups.

No matter where you put a flat TV in your house, you'll be saving space and making an aesthetic statement. Slim sets look great whether they're proudly on display or appear out of nowhere. Plasmas and LCDs are so innovative that they can make any other TV look like yesterday's technology.

More: Shopping Made Simple: Flat Screen TVs

The Right Sound

Whether located in the living room, the bonus room, or a dedicated media room, your home theater system is usually the last bastion of no-holds-barred sound quality in the home. And most systems are expected to handle both movies and music with equal aplomb.

Conventional wisdom says that you need large, floor-standing speakers to get true audiophile sound. But if this clashes with your home's decor, take heart - you have plenty of options. For instance, mating small, wall-mounted speakers with a good subwoofer can provide room-filling surround sound while taking up a minimum of space.

A number of fantastic on-wall speakers have appeared that are designed to complement the style of larger LCD and plasma displays. For example, the Mythos series from Definitive Technology (defintivetech.com) comes in silver or ultra-chic high-gloss black. The Mythos One ($799 each) and Mythos Two ($499 each) satellites are complemented by a Mythos Three center speaker ($499).

B&W's FPM (Flat Panel Monitors) series is designed to match the most common plasma sizes. The FPM4 ($700 each), FPM5 ($750 each), and FPM6 ($900 each) come in aluminum, anthracite, or basic black. Companies like Jamo (jamo.com), Sonance, M&K (mksound.com), JBL (jbl.com), Artison (artisonusa.com), NHT (nhthifi.com), and Paradigm (paradigm.com) also offer plasma-friendly models.

Of course, you can always go in the wall. The best in-wall speakers not only keep your theater from resembling Stonehenge but - properly installed -produce sound that rivals the best of their boxier brethren. Triad's Bronze, Silver, and Gold series ($500 to $1,300 each) make for a truly Olympian lineup, and the AMC900 ($1,000 each) from Snell Acoustics is THX Ultra2 certified. If your budget allows, check out JBL's Synthesis 4 system (jbl.com/ home/synthesis). The speaker package retails for $10,500, but $37,000 will get you processing, amplification, subwoofers, and room equalization that will put the local cineplex to shame.

If you want to keep your walls speaker-free, the answer lies just above your head - in the ceiling. Sonance's Ellipse, Speakercraft's AIM series, and Niles's DS series are designed for in-ceiling use in a home theater and run between $200 and $750 each. The Ci 200.2QT ($500 each) from KEF (kef.com) is motorized to drop down from the ceiling.

But don't think that sleek, sexy styling has passed all floor standers by. Martin-Logan's electrostatic panels ($747 to $44,950 each, martinlogan.com) are practically pieces of art, while Meridian's digital speakers ($3,823 to $25,750 each, meridian-audio.com) ooze high-tech cool and come in many finishes. B&W's Signature Series ($1,500 to $10,000 each) is finished in exotic tiger's-eye maple and trimmed with the same Connolly leather found in Aston Martin and Bentley automobiles! - J.S.