Customer Reviews
An excellent, comprehensive introduction to home theater! 
2008-05-16
It all started when I finally broke down and got the big Sony Bravia 52" LCD in anticipation of the big HD switchover. Merry Christmas! Picture was great, but the audio didn't seem up to par. Problem was, in my day we plugged two speakers into a tuner, and called it a day. What's SACD mean? What the heck is this X.1 business? And an $80 2 meter cable..are you kidding me? I needed help!
Great book! Helped me get oriented, and put a very pleasing system together. I still use it for reference. Like some others have said..read first, buy later.
Start your HT here 
2007-12-07
I was not blown away by this book but it does give you a good foundation. Of course with any industry that is changing as fast as home theater the book is a little out of date but still valuable.
A complete novice on the subject of home theater, this book was my rescue. 
2007-02-10
I recently bought a LCD HDTV by mail and set about to install it myself. I made the purchase after careful research, and with some head scratching was able to correctly connect the TV to my new high definition satellite receiver, and was delighted (and relieved) to see a stunningly lovely picture. However, I realized that I had managed just the "easy" part, next I faced the daunting challenge of adding enough black boxes to make a proper home theater. My knowledge of home theater was zip, nada! I did not even own a stereo music system. So, I searched home theater on Amazon and bought this book for no other reason than it said it was the "2007 Edition" and I wanted current information. I knew that an easy solution was to buy a theater-in-a-box, but which brand, and could I get a better value if I could put together a component system specifically designed for what I wanted, or thought I wanted?
The book arrived in the mail and I settled down to read. My total lack of knowledge was to test the author's ability to explain a complex technical subject to the complete novice. I cannot say I found the book to be a delight to read, but it did just what I wanted it to do, provide a through grounding in all aspects of home theater, preparing me well to make an informed decision about what to buy to add a good sound system to my new HDTV. This book is not an easy read, but then it should not be if it is to adequately cover the subject matter in detail. I must say that not once did I find myself hopelessly lost as the author attempted to guide me through a maze of technical detail. I found that this one book brought me up to speed, from zero to 60, on home theater. I now go back and use it as a reference. My only mistake was not reading the book before buying the HD TV, as the video sections are excellent and would have saved me much research time.
Building your own home theater system requires a considerable outlay of money. Do not start the project without first reading this book. If nothing else, it will arm you to know hype from fact when you face the salesperson.
Excellent and Informative 2004-12-17
This book contains a wealth of valuable and useful information and "demystifies" the subject of home theater with clear, concise explanations. It is an excellent resource, exceptionally well-written and extremely comprehensive, and as the book's title indicates, it offers a great deal of practical, real-world advice. The author clearly knows the subject matter thoroughly. I recommend this book highly to both novices and experienced home theater enthusiasts.
Everything You Wanted To Know About Home Theater, But ... 2004-11-18
Mr. Fleishman has written and clear and concise primer on Home Theater. Clearly, from his years as a staff writer for Audio Video Interiors and other pubs, he has an in-depth knowledge of the ins and out of HT. Certainly, everyone who is interested in HT should buy this book and read it from cover to cover. The best of all is that this volumne is updated on a on-going basis so that its always current with the latest trends and developements from HDMI to DTS 96/24.
Great job!
A Great Book Stufffed With Useful Information 2004-10-20
How can an average person navigate the maze of audio/video technologies in a home theater system? Turn to Mark Fleischmann's Practical Home Theater: A Guide to Video and Audio Systems, now in its seventh edition, thoroughly revised and updated for 2008. The ultimate answer book, it tells you everything you need to know when shopping for HDTV and surround gear-including how to read a spec sheet, how to separate fact from hype, and how to get good value for your money. It weighs the pros and cons of HDTV display technologies such as plasma, LCD, DLP, and tube-based sets. It explains the differences between Dolby and DTS surround, including the new Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master standards. It dispels the confusion surrounding such topics as HDMI and 1080p. And it covers all formats under the sun including the new Blu-ray and HD DVD discs and anything that plays in an iPod. The book also explores often ignored topics such as buying a DTV antenna, power-line accessories, and cables. A richly detailed connections chapter tells how to hook up every component and how to solve common problems. By knowledgably guiding readers through the briar patch of video and audio, Practical Home Theater has become the standard reference work for home theater buffs. Future annual editions will continue to track changes in home theater technology.
The Gold Standard of Home Theater Guides. 2004-10-19
This 2005 edition by industry guru Mark Fleischmann is the gold standard of home theater guides. It's got it all--from sound basics to advanced calibration, aspect ratio to the zen of Ohm settings. The new section on digital audio servers is thorough, specific and totally up-to-date. Technology is a moving target but Fleischmann's got tremendous aim. It's also a compulsively readable book; how many home theater guides will have you laughing out loud?
Straight to the point, for a variety of skill levels 2004-10-18
Fleischmann's book is ideal for anyone who wants to cut through the clutter of most books on the subject. Experienced high-end audio and home theater fans will certainly pick up a few new pointers on how to make the best use of their systems, but those who are relatively new to the game will walk away with plenty of information to make informed buying and set-up decisions without having to sift through pages of jargon and hyperbole.
Detailed resource for newbies or experts 2004-10-15
Practical Home Theater cuts through the rat's nest of cables, vocabulary and acronyms to clearly present the essentials of home theater. If you're seeking a single book -- packed with details -- that lays it out simply and coherently, look no further.
Clear and complete 2004-05-06
The author does a good job of explaining HDTV and surround sound clearly. Not a book you'd read cover to cover at the beach, but if you just dip into it when you need to know something, it does its job quite well.
