homework encyclopedia

FIND OUT MORE. Cinema 346–347 • Sound 176–177 • Telecommunications 192–193

351

1 LOUDSPEAKERS

The stylish, curved

case of these music

loudspeakers, made

by Blueroom, is

shaped to give

accurate sound.

4 REMOTE CONTROL

This is for a combined system that

covers music, TV, satellite, DVD,

video, CD, radio – and room lights!

Home Entertainment

Home entertainment is how we have fun and relax at

home. Today it is dominated by technology, especially

television. Watching videos, playing computer games,

and listening to music are all home entertainment.

So are reading books, playing cards, and storytelling.

WHAT IS HOME CINEMA?

Home cinema is an attempt to bring the look, the

sound, and the excitement of cinema to the home.

A basic kit includes a widescreen television, a DVD

(digital video disc) player, and speakers positioned

around the room to give surround sound. For a more

cinematic effect, a wall-mounted digital projector and

projection screen can be used instead of a TV.

WHAT DID PEOPLE DO BEFORE TV WAS INVENTED?

People had to make their own amusement by playing

games, singing, or reading stories. The invention of the

radio and the gramophone at the beginning of the

20th century meant that people could listen to music

and programmes at home. Just as we sit in front of the

TV to watch our favourite shows, people in the past

sat around the radio or listened to the gramophone.

1 1960s HOME LISTENING
Electric record players were
popular and played two sizes of
vinyl disc, a 12-inch and a 7-inch.

Information

screen shows

which part of

the system is

selected

A tweeter is a

small speaker

for high

frequencies

Main speaker

carries the low

(bass) and

middle ranges

of sound

Control

buttons for

functions such

as volume

Arrow keys

for radio and

TV channel

navigation

SUPER MARIO BY NINTENDO 3

Since his first game, Donkey Kong

(1981), Super Mario has appeared

in more than 100 video games

and starred in his own movie.

WHAT IS MUSIC HI-FI?

Music hi-fi is recorded music. Hi-fi is short for

high fidelity, which means that the recording is an

accurate copy of the original music. Hi-fi was first

developed using vinyl records, then magnetic tape

(cassettes). It is now recorded using digital media –

CDs, mini discs, and MP3 files.

IS DIGITAL BROADCASTING HERE TO STAY?

Digital broadcasting has many advantages

over the old analogue system. Information

is compressed (made smaller), producing

more channels and better quality pictures

and sound. Digital technology makes TV

and radio more interactive for the audience.

1 MP3 player stores tiny digital music files called MP3s 2 DVDs

(digital video discs) offer crystal-clear images, as in The Matrix

(1999) 3 Digital radio produces clear, interference-free sound

4  State-of-the-art machine plays from CDs, MP3s, and radio

5  Flatscreen TVs do not distort the picture like curved TVs

1 2 3 4 5

home

entertainment