I know that I’m Home Theater Systems Sarah. I know that I’m supposed to be blogging all day errry day about these various systems to pimp out your houses. And I am, it’s just that researching as Couch Potato Sarah all day for you guys can make a girl gain some serious winter weight. I’m justifying it to myself by saying that it’s all in the name of research. But I have to admit that it hurts when my best friend ever, Natasha from Russia, is sitting next to me in pottery class and tells me that “This has got to go”, while pointing to my love handles. Not very nice Natasha. But I’m glad she tells it like it is. I hate when friends lie to you & just tell you what you want to hear.

All I’m saying people is this: Get your home theater systems, whichever one you want, and even spend all your money on surround sound. Do what you gotta do. But throw in some exercise in between that new Net Flicks movie and the latest episode of The Office. You’ll thank yourself that you did when it’s summertime again and you have to wear that bikini. “Uh, okay, I know it doesn’t look that good. But I did watch 4 seasons of 24 all in the month of January. That’s 96 hours of solid Jack Bauer. Doesn’t that count for something?”

This working thing might be for the birds. Let me just say that working at Best Buy is not as glamorous as it sounds. Although, I did see the bomb a** Samsung wireless home theater system that just came in last night. You see, we get first dibs on everything that comes through the store. I’m definitely going to put it on my wish list. Along with another pair of Ugg boots. My latest pair just came in the mail, a Chanukah item that took about three weeks. The gifts keep on coming! Now, I feel like I’m wearing slippers every day to school. I seriously sometimes think that I’ve forgotten to change from my slippers to regular school-acceptable shoes. Then I look down and see Ugg one & Ugg two and I smile. They should make these for men. Man Uggs. They could call them Thuggs. Just an idea.

Why do I keep getting off track from what this blog is about though? The best home theater systems. Focus, Sarah, focus. My latest muse is that Samsung Ht-P38 I saw last night. You should definitely check it out. Don’t sleep on Samsung. It’s the new hot thing. You heard it here first.

Sorry that I went off on my little tangent about 24, but I just can’t help myself. SO GOOD. So yeah, we watched it at Ben’s house. His dad just replaced their panasonic sc ht70 home theater system with the new Bose one. They get a new system every year, I swear! I guess they just have it like that. Anyway, I’m totally into 24 this year. As opposed to every other year, I know you’re saying. But no, this year is special. Thank god they got to poor Whalid in time. Just trying to do something right for his country, and look what happens. I couldn’t watch as they were beating him up.

And how about how they were trying to racially profile the Muslim woman at CTU. Just terrible. I can relate, as a Persian-jewish girl, that sometimes I do get treated a little differently by my white friends and their families sometimes. They think that just because I’m Iranian that we have terrorist connections or something. The other day, my friend asked me if my family came from Persia. I kid you not. Anyway, I think my time is up. I’m in typing class as we speak, and instead of learning about how to type I’m scouring the Internet for different LCD Home Theater Systems and blogging away like nobody’s business.

See you tomorrow!

Yes, that’s right. Unfortunately, (or fortunately for some), you can pretty much guess that all of my Tuesday posts will be about the night before’s 24 episode, a.k.a the best show ever a.k.a my cheap thrill. I get so excited I can hardly stand it! Especially because I watched it last night at my friend Ben’s house. His dad just bought a brand new Boss Wireless Home Theater System, and we were all over that. In case you’re wondering why a 16 year old girl is so knowledgeable about matters of the home sound system nature, well it’s because I just got my first job at the Best Buy off of Pico. It’s kind of like a big deal in my family that I got my very own job all by myself. You see, I live in Beverly Hills, 90210, where people don’t really work. Their parents don’t really work either, and pretty much collect royalties from past movies they were involved in or rent checks from buildings they own. But I want to earn my own money. After all, like Wu-tang says, Cash Rules Everything Around Me, C.R.E.A.M. get the money, dolla dolla bill y’all.

Yes, you’ve heard correctly. This blog has been effectively taken over by none other than Home Theater System Sarah. Apparently my dad, Home Theater Systems Sam, has exhausted his comments and searches about wireless home theater sound systems . He bit the bullet and finally settled on a Sony Dream System, the Sony Dav-Dx375 to be exact.

You should have seen my dad as he researched night and day. I’m happy he got what he wanted though. Now we can return to some semblance of a normal life around here. Finally, the endless Googling and researching will stop. Although I’ll be doing my fair share no doubt. I AM really into sound, and also into making the neighbors crazy. You know that song “The cars go by with the booming system..”? Well, that’s me.

Anyway, I’m sure you’ll learn the intimate details of my home theater preferences as well as my favorite movies and TV shows. The exciting world of home theater awaits us! I can’t wait to discuss the things that I NEED to pimp out my room with all y’all. I simply MUST have the proper tools if I’m every going to be the shining star of Class of 2010. My birthday IS coming up after all Mom (aka probably the only one reading this). Stay tuned…

For some mysterious reasons I thought that a home theater system has to be installed at home. Apparently I am wrong. As I just read on the website of Businessweek, car manufacturer Suzuki presented a “movie-theater-style concept vehicle” that offers film enthusiasts the ultimate mobile movie experience. The “XL7 Flix” - that’s how it’s called - is kind of a crazy thing. After you parked it at the optimal film-viewing destination, Flix’s clamshell roof can be opened, revealing a maximum-size moonroof that serves as a 40-inch movie screen. Businessweek writes:

“The Flix concept is also equipped with a next-generation, high-definition DVD player with integrated hard drive for maximum AV storage, a professional THX/SDS-theater quality sound system, pivoting quarter window speakers and red door/floor strip lighting to complete a professional theater like experience. The interiors of the car are equally fascinating with four individual bucket seats that pivot 180 degrees to view the elevated giant screen.”

I mean. Who would want a Bose Home Sound System Theater when you can have this personal mobile movie theater? I am sure it’s not cheap. But what the heck - you only live once!

I swear. This is the last post about stuff I read on the web about the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. But the Philadelphia Enquirer summarized the latest trends in a great way:

-A new 108-inch liquid crystal television. Sharp introduced it as the world’s largest flat-panel home screen.
-Something better that Sensurround is available now. EarthQuake Sound Corp. boasts that its new 10.0 Home Theater system ($599, sold through distributors) rattles gamers’ teeth and causes war-movie buffs to run for cover.
-High-definition camcorders. Most camcorders can’t quite catch the beads of sweat as your wedding singer belts out “Night Moves.” New high-def models solve that problem.
-High-definition DVD players. Anyone who lived through the Betamax vs. VHS video-format battle may be reluctant to commit to either of the latest high-definition video formats, Blu-Ray or HD DVD. LG comes to the rescue with its LG BH100, a high-def DVD player that plays both Blu-Ray and HD formats.
Personal Tasers. For $300 each, consumers can now buy a model that delivers 50,000 volts to temporarily stun an assailant. (…) At the Consumer Electronics Show, people volunteered to be Tasered.”

A 108-inch TV? “Earthquake Sound”? Volunteers for being tasered? Well, I don’t know exactly what the mental condition of this people are. I only know that I would volunteer to get a home theater sound system for free….

Men, I want to go to the movies and see a great flick on the big screen so bad! The best home theater equipment in the world can not replace this unique experience! Andrew called and asked me which my favorite movies of last year were. I didn’t really have to think hard to tell him that my favorites were “Babel” , “The Departed” (Scorsese is so overdue with a “Oscar” award!), “Science Of Sleep” (great performance by Gael Garcia-Barnal) and “Scoop” (Woody Allen’s wonderful murder mystery). He also wanted to know if I agree with the Top 5 list of the website BigPictureBigSound which listed the following movies:

Volver
It’s appropriate that the title of this Pedro Almodóvar film translates as “to come back” since it signals a return to form for the famously female-centric director.
Letters from Iwo Jima / Flags of our fathers
A rare tie, but a well-deserved one for Clint Eastwood’s epic meditation on war from both sides of the battle lines.
The Queen
Helen Mirren’s flawless performance in the title role is the crowning glory of director Stephen Frears’ piercing portrayal of the British monarchy in the wake of Princess Diana’s death.
Little Miss Sunshine
A family is off in search of a beauty contest victory for their youngest member and it’s a trip you don’t want to miss.
Pan’s Labyrinth
Beautiful but relentlessly grim fairytale about a young girl who finds refuge in a world of mythical creatures at the end of the Spanish Civil War.

I agree with most of the choices, but a lot of other great movies are missing! Andrew told me that his neighbor also got an injury and has to stay home - and he enjoys watching his favorite movies on his brandnew Denon S-101. Good for him!

My postman showed up at my door this morning. There was no reason for it, he just wanted to deliver my mail personally and chat a little bit. When he rang, I was just in the middle of my research - and it occured to me that I didn’t know which component of a home theater system is the most important. So I asked the postman. “The speakers - without a doubt”, he replied without hesitation. He told me that without his high-quality speakers, the experience of watching a cult movie like the ‘The Third Man’ and listening to a great jazz songs by the legendary musician John Coltrane on his brandnew Pioneer home theater system would only be half as great.

We continued to talk a little bit more about gadgets and other stuff we would buy if we would have all the money in the world. After he left, I wanted to verify on the web what he said about speakers and found indeed a little of websites which stressed the importance of the home audio component. I learned that it’s key is to maximize the budget and that the speakers will have the greatest impact on sound quality. “So spend most of your budget there”, was the most common advice I read. Will do!

I don’t know what it is - but surveys are very weird sometimes. Their outcome often is a given (”95 percent of Americans dislike terror attacks”), useless (”78 percent of consumers think that frog legs can be recycled on the moon”) or manipulative - like this one.

According to a December 2006 survey by Best Buy Omnitel, “women are clearly paying attention to the details of technology today and are taking an active role in the selection and performance of their home theater system”. Wow! How modern these woman are! And full of surprises, because “74 percent of women list sound quality as a very important aspect to consider while only 54 percent of men feel the same.” And: “more women than men feel ease of use, price, and installation services are very important.”

What kind of retarded men were interviewed in this survey? Sound, ease of use, and price were not considered important? Hard to believe!

But both sexes feel that emotions are in the air when purchasing electronics. “Deciding on an HDTV is an emotional purchase – we’ve heard from many couples that it can be as complex a decision as deciding on a car or even a house,” said Mike Vitelli, senior vice president of consumer electronics at Best Buy. And apparently aesthetics matter as well. Both men and women flat-panel TV owners agree that they even like their flat-panel TVs when they’re turned off.

Now I understand. For me as a man quality doesn’t have to matter. It just has to look pretty. Well, this Samsung HT-P38 looks great! Or shall I ask my sister first for her expertise about the Theater Logic Home Cinema?

I guess am getting a little bit ahead of myself. But I was still curious how I would proceed IN CASE I would have found my dream home entertainment center. I found a great website called Soundmoneytips which offers some great advice how to set up a home theater system and save money:

1. Room Shape – No matter how advanced your system, the single most important element of successful sound is the dimensions of your room.
2. Equipment – At minimum, you need five speakers to fully experience surround sound: two large front speakers, a smaller central channel speaker and two small rear or side speakers.
3. Speaker Positioning – It is by virtue of speaker arrangement that the audience receives a combination of signals from different parts of the room.
4. Factors of Distortion – The reflection and absorption of sound waves take place not only according to room symmetry, but also according to items in the room – some of which absorb, and others of which reflect, sound waves.

These are useful tips! Now I feel much more confident to continue my search for a home theater stereo system.

Sunday night I had a weird dream. I dreamt that I my grandparents invited me for a vacation at their house in Missouri. In the first couple of days, everything was relaxing and beautiful. I enjoyed their beautiful garden, went for walks along the river and read all my favorite book under a old oak tree. Then one night my grandfather suggested to watch “I Love Lucy” on TV. I was stunned when I entered their ‘entertainment room’. I was a huge room with a fabulous home theater system with all the bells and whistles. One of my first thoughts was - it is a Sony Dream System? But then I checked again and I noticed that everything looked like the seventies. The colors of the walls, the chairs, the entire room - everything had this old-fashioned style - like on the picture above. My grandfather started to watch the show. After a while he got up in order to go to the bathroom, as he said. Then I heard how he locked the room from the outside. The lights when off, and suddenly the whole thing became very scary. The episode of “I Love Lucy” started all over again, and again, and again. I was stuck in this entertainment room of my grandparents, all my attempts to open the door and escape were in vain. In screamed - nothing. I knocked - nobody answered. The show became louder and louder, Lucy’s laughter became unbearable. A door was slammed somewhere, I screamed - and then I woke up.

Today I have my doubts if I really want to buy the best home theater system - or any home theater system at all.

What do ‘Ugly Betty’ TV star America Ferrera, Queen of England impersonator Helen Mirren and ‘Borat’ comedian Sacha Baron Cohen have in common? They all won a ‘Golden Globe’ last night. Usually I don’t like award shows. But I desperately needed a distraction last night, so I was glued to the TV and followed all the Hollywood stars receiving their awards from the Hollywood foreign press. Men, I wished I would have had a better and bigger televion for this occasion. The picture quality of my old RCA was really crappy. I should have accepted the invitation of my neighbor to come over his place to watch the show. He just bought a brandnew Panasonic SC HT740 and can’t stop surfing the channel since he got it. For once I wouldn’t mind being a total couch potato. Can you blame me?

Who said this? “Well, you can forget your troubles with those Imperial slugs. I told you I’d outrun ‘em. Don’t everyone thank me at once.” If you don’t know - you really don’t know what’s important in life. If you do, you’re cool and you’re a great ‘Star Wars’ fan. Andrew sent me the links to a great story he discovered on the Scifi blog. Apparently there is a new projector available which probably will make every die-hard ‘Star Wars’ fan swim over the atantlic in order to get it. But read yourself how the Scifi blog describes it:

“If there’s a normal, unpretentious home theater projector out there in the universe, this is the projector it’s farthest from. Star Wars fans will be knocking each other over to get to Nikko’s R2-D2 home theater projector, which shoots video out of its eye (it would have been perfect if it used the hologram-projector port, though). The resolution is only 800 x 600 (south of high-def), but speakers are built in, and so is a DVD player as well as an iPod dock. And it wouldn’t be R2 if he didn’t move — you can make him follow you anywhere in your house via the remote control. And have we mentioned the remote control? A replica of the Millenium Falcon, it’s a riot in its own right, with controls that pop out of the engines in the back. “

I am positive this projector would be a perfect match this Yamaha Home Theater System Andrew just told be to buy. “Today”, he said. May the force be with me.

I am kind of hooked to YouTube and its endless archive of videos. Everybody is there, it seems: regular Joe’s, artists, exhibitionists, nerds, weirdos - but also entertainment companies, record labels and all kind of consumer products manufacturers, trying to sell their latest gadgets.
Among other I discovered a interesting video from Philips promoting its latest innovations at the CES in Las Vegas. Its new technology promises to revolutionize how people experience their favorite movies, programs and video games by drawing them deeper into the action. Two attractive and young ‘reporters’ hired by the company introduced a brandnews Philips’ HD FlatTV, which comes - as I read in the video description - “in 42-inch and 52-inch models, not only boasts high-definition picture quality, but also features Philips’ proprietary Ambilight technology. Ambilight expands the viewing area and produces dramatic color and light effects to the sides. This also helps relax viewers’ eyes and provides a glow that reduces eye strain.” I also learn that “video game enthusiasts can take advantage of amBX, technology that immerses the user completely in the video gaming experience by using light, wind and vibrating effects. With amBX, players will be engulfed by the sights, sounds and sensations - so they live the game instead of playing the game.” Mmh…sounds cool. But if Santa Claus would show up today and give me a regular Philips Home Theater System - I already would be totally happy with it.