Three Ingredients to a Home Theater Network

A home theater network is the idea that all in-house audio, video, and data distribution should be centered around the home theater. Adding a receiver, router, and a HTPC to your home theater system will allow them to work together and distribute movies, pictures, music, documents, and more throughout the house.

The first ingredient of a home theater network is a receiver. A multi-zone receiver has the ability to transfer audio/video from the home theater to another room. Audio/video distribution can be very useful if you are watching a DVR-saved TV show in your home theater, and you decide to finish watching the TV show in your bedroom. A click of a button on the receiver will transfer the TV show to your bedroom where you can finish watching in bed. A click of a button can also take the audio of a football game, or any music, and send it over to the speakers on the porch.

The second ingredient in a home theater network is the wireless router. A router can be placed anywhere in a house, but you might find it convenient to locate it with your home theater system. The multiple Ethernet inputs of a router can be used for game consoles, PCs, or DVRs. Also, the central location of most home theater rooms makes them an ideal location to distribute a router’s wireless signal.

Now that you can distribute audio/video with a receiver and data with a wireless router, you need an audio/video/data source. This is where the HTPC comes along as the final ingredient to your home theater network. Being a computer, the HTPC has an almost unlimited amount of abilities. Besides the basic tasks like surfing the web (with the HDTV as a monitor), the HTPC can store all your videos, music, pictures, documents, and more. This will give all the computers, laptops, and PDA phones in your house easy access to your data. The HTPC also has the processing power to be an upscaling DVD player, or a high-definition gaming console.

All three ingredients of a home theater network will morph your home theater into a audio/video/data distribution center. The central location of a home theater system creates an ideal location to add a receiver, router, and HTPC. Adding these three ingredients to a home theater will help you cook-up a home theater network.

For additional information, visit http://www.hometheaternetwork.com to view a block diagram detailing how to connect a HDTV, receiver, speakers, router, game consoles, HTPC, and more.