If everyone you know is watching high-def TV shows and movies, but you’re not sure how to get high definition signals of your very own, it’s not hard. Once you have the HDTV, you just need a Blu-ray player and a streaming media player – and an Internet connection – and you’ll have more high-def TV and movies than you’d ever be able to find time to watch.
“Home entertainment system” is an interesting term, because it could mean just about anything. In fact, “home entertainment center” was a name commonly used in the 1970s and 80s to describe a 30- or 36-inch television placed into the same cabinet that held a stereo (or quadraphonic, if you were on the cutting edge) receiver, two speakers and a turntable or cassette recorder.
Obviously, that doesn’t describe the audio and video system in a 21st century home – but it makes an important point. A “home entertainment system” can’t automatically play high-definition video; you must have a high-def television or monitor, and video sources which deliver high-definition signals to your home. The sources won’t be a problem, as you’ll see shortly. But if you’re still using an old-fashioned, standard definition TV, there’s no way to watch high-def signals on it. You’ll have to buy a new TV first.
On the other hand, if “home entertainment system” means a modern home theater, then you’re all set.
Now that we’ve played semantics, let’s talk high-definition video.
TV Shows
Do you know anyone who still has an antenna attached to their TV? You’re definitely in a small minority. Almost everyone gets their local channels and what we commonly call “cable channels” (like ESPN, CNN and USA) by subscribing to either cable or satellite services. And the good news is that all major cable and satellite providers already deliver your favorite TV shows in high-definition. A few still have separate tiers of channels for standard and high-def signals (for example, ESPN might be on channel 29 and ESPN HD would be on channel 1029), but for the most part, all cable and satellite signals show up in high-def automatically.
So all you have to do is hook your cable or satellite box up to your HDTV with a modern HDMI cable, or component video connectors if necessary, and you can watch CSI, NFL games, or any of your other favorite TV shows in high-def. If your “home entertainment system” is really a home theater, just make the connections to your receiver instead. And if you’re really one of those people with just an HDTV and no cable or satellite, you can use a high-definition antenna to pull in your local channels in HD.
However, if the “TV shows” you’re interested in watching are the newest buzzworthy programs on video sources like Netflix or Hulu, we’ll address that in a moment.
Movies
You have a cable or satellite service and an HDTV? That makes an enormous range of high-def movies available to you on basic and premium (pay) channels as well as video-on-demand. We’re guessing, though, that you already know that – and that you’re interested in other HD movies sources.
The way to play those movies at home is with a Blu-ray player; old DVD players don’t deliver high-def signals, but Blu-ray was designed for HD. (If you’re wondering about “HD-DVD,” it was a format that consumers never adopted and has been abandoned.) Blu-ray players can be picked up for about 50 bucks, and connected to your HDTV or receiver as we’ve described above. DVD players can be hooked up to HDTVs, but the video displayed will not be in true high-definition.
The other major sources for high-def movies, as well as the buzzworthy TV shows we mentioned earlier, are companies that stream HD video over the Internet. To access them, you’ll need to purchase a subscription to any service you’re interested in (Netflix is the best-known, but Hulu, Amazon Prime and many others are also worth considering), and you’ll need Wi-Fi availability in your house. Then, you’ll have to connect the Internet streaming signal to your high-def entertainment system, unless your HDTV is a “smart TV” which connects to the Internet directly.
Many Blu-ray players and gaming consoles let you receive streaming Internet signals; if yours does, that’s the simplest way to watch the movies and TV shows available from Netflix or your provider of choice. Otherwise, you’ll need a streaming media player which can be a set-top box (Roku 4 and Apple TV are among the best) or a stick or “dongle” (like a Fire Stick or Chromecast). They plug into an HDMI connector on your HDTV to feed the streaming video into the television, and are controlled by smartphone or tablet.
It may sound complicated – but it really isn’t. And once you have an unlimited supply of high-def movies and TV shows available on your home entertainment system, you’ll wonder how you lived without them.
What Is a Smart TV, and What About Google TV?
If your HDTV connects directly to the internet without any extra box, it’s what’s known as a “smart TV.” Smart TVs come with built-in apps for services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, so you can stream HD content without any additional hardware.
If your TV isn’t already smart, or if you want more streaming power, a dedicated device is the easiest upgrade. Along with the Roku and Fire TV Stick options mentioned above, Google TV (Google’s newer streaming platform, available as its own streaming device or built into many modern smart TVs) is one of the most popular choices. It organizes content from all your streaming apps into one interface, supports 4K and HDR playback where available, and works well alongside voice control through Google Assistant. Whether you go with Google TV, Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire TV, each one plugs into an HDMI port and gets you streaming in high definition within minutes.
Setting Up a Home Theater for the Best HD Experience
Watching HD movies and shows is about more than just the TV. The way your equipment is set up matters too. A proper home theater setup typically includes your HDTV or projector, an AV receiver to handle audio and switch between HDMI sources, a Blu-ray player or streaming device, and a sound system to match the picture quality. Positioning your screen at the right distance and height, minimizing glare from windows or lighting, and running all your devices through the receiver instead of directly into the TV will give you the sharpest, most immersive HD viewing experience, and make switching between cable, streaming, and Blu-ray effortless.
Whole-Home HD Entertainment Distribution
If you want HD movies and TV shows available in more than one room without buying a separate streaming box and cable line for every television, a whole-home entertainment distribution system is worth considering. These systems distribute a single HD signal from cable, satellite, or a media server to multiple TVs throughout your house, all controllable from one central point. It’s a more seamless setup than juggling individual devices room by room, and it’s exactly the kind of system a professional AV installer can design around your home’s layout.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Google TV?
Google TV is a streaming platform from Google that organizes content from apps like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube into a single interface, supports HD and 4K playback, and can be built into a smart TV or used as a standalone streaming device.
What is a smart TV?
A smart TV is a television with built in internet connectivity and streaming apps, letting you watch HD content directly without needing a separate streaming device.
Do I need special equipment for a home theater setup?
At minimum, you’ll need an HDTV, a way to receive HD content such as cable, satellite, a streaming device, or a Blu-ray player, and an HDMI connection between them. An AV receiver and dedicated speakers improve the experience but aren’t strictly required.
Can one system deliver HD content to every TV in my house?
Yes, a whole-home entertainment distribution system can share a single HD signal across multiple rooms, eliminating the need for separate boxes or subscriptions at each TV.
