Having a home theater can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a lot of work. Having to keep all of those cables organized and having to use numerous remotes to control those devices can prove somewhat annoying and can also lessen the movie-viewing experience.

It doesn’t have to be that way, however; following these simple tips, you can simplify your home theater setup and get back to your enjoying your favorite films and television shows with crystal-clear sound and picture.

1. Instead of connecting your devices to numerous inputs on your home theater receiver, try using a RF modulator instead. These handy devices, which can be purchased at any electronics store, can be placed on shelves, removing unnecessary clutter from your living room (or wherever your home theater is located) floor. Not only that, but it will allow you to more directly connect the receiver to your television, eliminating the need for numerous remotes.
2. After you connect each device, whether it’s a video game console or DVD player, be sure to label each input on the RF modulator, so as to avoid confusion. The last thing you need while preparing to view a movie is having to remember what you plugged everything into.
3. Be sure to connect the output of your RF modulator into a single input on the back of your home theater receiver. This will further reduce the number of remote controls you will need, since each input device will be directly connected to your television through a single input source on your television. By this time, you should only require the remotes to your television and home theater receiver.
4. Be willing to sacrifice high-tech for simplicity. Most DVD players (namely Blu-Ray players) come with HDMI compatibility, for connection on high-definition televisions. More often than not, however, people own standard definition televisions that, unfortunately, do not have HDMI connections. Don’t worry, though; the difference is so minimal that you won’t even notice the presence of a difference.

Do you have any tips or tricks on how to make the home theater experience more enjoyable? Feel free to share your tips, thoughts, and insights in the comments below!

Art/Entertainment, Featured Articles, Hardware, Television Comments October 22nd, 2009

I’m not a hardcore gamer, but I do love my Nintendo Wii gaming console. With each movement of the Wii remote, I feel as though I am part of the game. And, with the recent price drop implemented by Nintendo, I think many more will come to love this gaming console, as well.

Oh, you didn’t know about the recent price drop? Seems the console has not been performing as well this year as it has in past years, and Nintendo will be dropping the price in an effort to revitalize interest, much like Microsoft did with the Xbox 360 and Sony did at the recent launch of the PS3 Slim.

In addition to dropping the price of their Wii gaming console, Nintendo has also revitalized interested in the console by licensing a large number of their properties, including the Mii avatar system found exclusively on the console.

One that managed to catch my eye while browsing online are the wedding cake toppers, available at CustomBobble.com. These adorable, and almost life-like, renditions of your digital creations can be yours for the relatively high price of $200 (anyone else find it ironic that having a Mii on your wedding cake costs almost as much as a Wii itself?). Of course, you can also pay more and add some extra features, like a voice recorder, the ability to change the clothing color (currently available in black and white only), and making an identical matching set for collection purposes.

Even though the cost is very steep, I would highly recommend this product to anyone who wishes to celebrate both their wedding and their fanboy status on their special day.

So, my question to you is this:  could wedding cake toppers and price cuts place the Nintendo Wii back in its place as “king of the gaming consoles”? Leave your thoughts and insights (as well as links to other unusual Nintendo licensed products) in the comments below!

Featured Articles, Nintendo Wii, Shopping, Video Games Comments September 25th, 2009