Five Technologies that Shape the Future of Home Theater

Home theater has taken a completely new meaning since new technologies and products are being developed. Here are some of the components, devices, and services that are going to shape the future of home theater systems.

HDMI

In a home theater system where so many devices are being bundled together, connecting components take on an integral role. With the introduction of high-definition televisions (HDTVs), and its acceptance as a primary component of a home theater system, it has become necessary to find the right connectors to complement the performance of HDTV and enhance the user experience.

Most systems therefore now provide HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) ports to integrate the majority of devices. Presently HDMI is the preferred connection for all types of source devices, and hence you need to make sure your unit has sufficient HDMI inputs.

HDMI versions keep changing, but the latest one includes excellent features including 3D display formats, better CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) protocol, and ARC (Audio Return Channel). The main advantage of HDMI cable is that the user can reduce the number of cables required for connecting devices. For instance, the ARC feature allows processing of audio, which means you do not require an independent cable for sending audio from your TV to speakers or sound bars. HDMI transceivers also provide replication of EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) that has the capacity to reproduce memory from a single location across multiple ports.

IR or infrared is the signal used for transmitting information between your remote control and the device it controls. This is quite convenient, but as you would have experienced the remote will not work when there is some object blocking the signal transmission. Now consider a home theater system, which has multiple devices that you need to store in cabinets behind shut doors. Your remotes are definitely not going to work in such situations, and therefore you need infrared repeaters.

Infrared repeaters enable you to control different devices of your home theater system, even when they are behind closed doors or there is an object blocking the line of sight between the remote control and the device. There are different types of IR repeater kits available in the market today, but the most innovative is the one that runs the infrared signal over an HDMI cable. Hence, the HDMI wires that are already running through your cabinet or wall are enough to send the signal and you do not need additional wires to send the extender signals.

Cloud Technology and Multi-Platform Viewing

Cloud technology has made it possible to share software, information, and resources over a network, which is usually the Internet. This has opened a completely new range of possibilities in entertainment and the way content can be delivered effectively to your home theater system. Coupled with cloud technology, the use of multi-platform viewing is also on the rise.

People now do not want to limit viewing to one screen but want the convenience of viewing content across variety of video screens such as TV, tablets, computer, their cell phone, and so on. Multi-platform viewing technology aims at making the available content work on as many platforms as possible. This means you can watch YouTube videos on your home theater TV screen, and TV serials on your tablet, and so on.

On-Demand Viewing

With their busy schedules, most people want the convenience of watching content when they want and whatever they want. This has given rise to many on-demand viewing services, where people get to choose not only the content but also the time when they would like to watch it.

OLED Technology and Curved Mobile Screens

OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) is a relatively new technology that has revolutionized the screen. The main advantage of OLED is that the display is possible without the use of a backlight, which means the possibility of displaying deeper black levels and making the screen lighter and thinner compared to the usual LCD. Secondly, it also enables curving the screen without affecting the display, and now many such curved screens are available on different mobile devices and even TVs.