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Major movie houses, theatres, home entertainment environments, gaming, arcade and other public and in-house presentation areas today use surround sound systems for enhanced audio entertainment. Surround sound is basically when you increase the dimension of your sound (or sound waves), sort of like on the Twilight Zone. In other words you take the standard one dimensional audio production, referred to as mono / Left-Right, and turn it into multiple dimensions; two or three.

Sound Systems

To create surround sound, you can go any one of several different directions. The simplest and probably the oldest way, would be to set up a bunch of speakers surrounding the audience, so that the sound comes in to the listeners from all over, from the different directions.

A different method is to combine the use of headphones with localized audio production with psychoacoustics. The result is a simulated three-dimensional effect.

And another way to create surround sound is with ambisonics where you reconstruct the sound at a central point. However, you get a gradual decline in quality as you move outward.

Still another way is to use wave field synthesis (WFS), with multiple loudspeakers and a computer aid.

Popular today are everyday devices like stereo, PC soundcards, some camcorders and AV receivers. These feature digital signal or audio processors that create surround sound via stereo sources, or have add-ons, as in some camcorder cases.

Formats

Just as nothing stays the same, ditto with sound formats. Top ones have included
discrete 5.1 Surround sound format with DVD-Audio, also known as DVD-A and SACD which stands for Super Audio CD. Moving on you have ambisonics, quadraphonic then Dolby 5.1 Surround sound. And later are: DTS, DVD-Video or DVD-V and the latest MP3 Surround.

Surround Sound Specs

3.0 Surround (matrixed):
3 audio channels: 2 for speakers front – left, right; 1 rear

4.0 Surround (matrixed Quadraphonic):
4 audio channels: 2 for speakers front – left, right; 2 rear

4.1 Surround (matrixed Prologic):
4 audio channels: 3 for speakers front – left, center, right; 1 rear (.1 = subwoofer)

5.1 Surround (matrixed Prologic II):
5 audio channels: 3 for speakers front – left, center, right; 2 at rear or side (.1 = subwoofer)

5.1 Surround (discrete Dolby Digital, DTS):
5 digital audio channels: 3 for speakers front – left, center, right; 2 at rear or side (.1 = subwoofer)

6.1 Surround (discrete Dolby Digital EX, DTS-ES):
6 digital audio channels: 3 for speakers front – left, center, right; 3 for the rear / side (.1 = subwoofer)

7.1 Surround (discrete SDDS):
7 digital audio channels: left, right, center, left surround, right surround, left rear, right rear positions (.1 = subwoofer)

Hyun Kim is a freelance writer who writes about loudspeakers, home audio and home theater related topics. He loves to visit Stereo|411 to discuss stereo411.com home theater audio and read about stereo411.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=18 turntables.

Silk palm trees can bring a wonderful change to your environment. Whether it is the outdoors or indoors, silk palm trees have an everlasting beauty that stays in the mind. Knowing how to make a artificial palm tree flow with your environment is important to guarantee success in your decorative endeavors. This page will show you how to make sure your silk palm tree flows with and does not contrast with your environment.

The first thing you should do is stand back from the area where you want to place the palm tree. Look at the colors in the area. What color will your silk palm tree have to be to blend with the environment? Also, note that palm trees have prominent leaves. If your garden of environment doesn’t have plants with prominent leaves, your palm tree might look out of place.

Secondly, you must know that palm trees have a tropical character. Remember that the silk palm tree you choose may be beautiful and elegant, but if it doesn’t flow with your environment, its beauty will not be that much appreciated. Your environment must be willing the tropical look of a palm tree. Imagine where the tree will be, make a sketch of it if you have to. Can your environment take the palm tree’s tropical appearance?

After you’ve determined that, decide what story your environment will tell. What mood will people get by seeing the environment? Will it be as lively a mood as that of a party under the midday tropical sun? Or will it be more relaxed and calm like a warm tropical sunset? You need to decide that. Every decoration has a story to tell. What will yours tell? Let it be an extension of your personality. Let the palm tree bring out who you are and let your decorations be your signature.

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Indoor lighting plays an important, obvious role throughout your home - it is used for general light for reading, watching television, for computer work, for dining and so forth. However, there are certain rooms like the dining room, in which the lighting can play a large part being both functional and in helping to set a relaxed and intimate mood.

Dining, whether with friends or family, is an enjoyable activity and meals which have been specially prepared for special occasions such as Christmas, birthdays, inviting friends over and anniversaries, amongst other occasions, are made all the more enjoyable and memorable because of the great food cooked, the fantastic company and, believe it or not, your lighting plays a subtle but vital element to this festive occasion, whatever it may be.

Accessories such as tableware, flowers and your crockery all emphasize the importance of the meal you are sharing on this particular occasion. And just as significant as these factors is how you have set up your lighting.

It is quite common at dining tables, to have candelabra or other candlestick holders, or just plain free standing candles, to provide subtle lighting which sets an intimate mood. Nowadays, there are many other alternatives available that will provide the same level of low lighting and are much safer than
candles. The slight disadvantage to having candles is that unless they are kept in glass goblets, there is a risk of your diners singeing their sleeves or knocking candles over accidentally and hence scorching the tablecloth. In any case, there is always a worry with a naked flame.

Instead, why not complement candle light with other extra lighting in the room? Whilst it is ideal and stunning to have glass candleholders and glass goblets to hold your candles on the table, you can set the mood by using low voltage lighting in different parts of the dining room. Recessed downlights are very effective at directing a beam of light downwards onto an small area or object, so they do not
provide much in the way of general light, but subtle streams of light where needed.
A very effective solution is to have no lighting on the table itself but use just downlighters situated above the dining table.

Another style of lighting becoming increasingly popular in the kitchen and dining areas is the hanging pendant light. This is a low hanging single source of light, usually suspended by one rod or chain from the ceiling and the light bulb itself is surrounded by a decorative lampshade. Tiffany style stained glass lampshades are quite popular as they are decorative and colorful and conducive to setting a warm, intimate mood at the dining table.

When selecting the light source for your dining area, remember that the focus of the whole room should be the table as this is the area that will be decoratively laid out with your best tablecloth, cutlery and china and not forgetting the sumptuous feast itself.
Not only that but your table is the main area where you and your guests will gather for an hour or more to enjoy a long, leisurely meal, so you want the atmosphere to be relaxed and comfortable and
to encourage free flowing conversation.

Pendant lighting is very effective for dining rooms because it focuses light on the one area that is vital - the dining table. The ideal height to hang a pendant is not too high but to have it just above the eye-level of the diners. The choice of pendant is also dictated by the size and type of your dining table. A circular dining table will usually require just one pendant light whereas a long rectangular table will require two lights, one at each end.
Also, try to install a pendant light that uses dimmers as it is very handy to be able to turn down the light at will.

There are a lot of options available when it comes to lamplightworld.com/ home lighting for dining areas, whether it is lamplightworld.com/lamp-world/pendant-lighting/ kitchen island pendant lighting for work areas or using hanging pendant lights for an intimate meal.

Lauren Tyler is a writer for lamplightworld.com LampLightWorld.com.

“There are a number of factors that must be taken into account when installing a wood stove. It is important to make sure that the stove is set on a proper type of flooring. Wood stoves must have a stovepipe or chimney that channels smoke or exhaust outside. Finally, wood stoves must be a safe distance from all walls made of combustible material. Wood stove installation is a complicated process. It is usually a good idea to hire a professional for wood stove installation.

The first step of wood stove installation is to find a proper place for the stove. It is vital that the stove is not placed on flammable or combustible material like carpet or hardwood. Materials like ceramic tile and concrete are much better options since they do not catch fire easily. The law states that the stove must be placed in an area with at least 12 inches of acceptable material surrounding all sides of the stove except for the side used to load the wood, which must extend for 18 inches. This insures that it will not be possible for any sparks to land on wood or carpet and start a fire.

Not only should the wood stove be placed on appropriate flooring, it should not be closer than twelve inches from any combustible wall. The stove can be placed closer, if the wall is covered with a flame-resistant shield.

The stovepipe is one of the most important parts of a wood stove. The stovepipe should be made of double wall steel. This means that there is a larger stovepipe at least two inches larger around the pipe carrying the smoke. The stovepipe should not be closer than nine inches to an unprotected wall, and it should not pass through any combustible materials through the roof.

Wood stove installation is a complicated, time-consuming process. There are a number of trained installation experts who can save stove owners the trouble of installing it themselves.”

e-woodstoves.com Wood Stoves Info provides detailed information about outdoor and antique wood stoves, wood-pellet stoves, and wood cook stoves, as well as wood stove inserts, installation, and manufacturers. Wood Stoves Info is affiliated with growthink.com Business Plans by Growthink.

Among interior design circles, the power of color is no secret. It has a profound effects on mood, and reflects personality and style, as well. Interior designers utilize this powerful connection to design beautiful rooms every day. However, you don’t have to be a professional to unlock the mysteries of color to decorate your home. The secret lies in finding the perfect color scheme that will bring out your unique design style.

Get Inspired!
Home décor magazines are a great place to get inspired by color combinations. There are a variety of online color tools that will also help you as you choose the perfect colors. BlindCrafter.com has a Virtual Decorator, which allows you to mix and match colors to find a style and color combination that is right for you. Use your own unique design style as a guide. Not sure of your design style? Check out BlindCrafter.com’s MyStyle, an online guide to design styles, complete with color recommendations. You can figure out what your preferences are, and make future design decisions based on your style.

Trends
While it is important that your home reflects your unique personality, it’s always important to consider current color trends. Browns, oranges, and other warm colors are resurfacing right now, after a long period of absence in home decorating. Greys, blacks, and other darker, more mineral-like tones are also popular, as well as jewel tones with deep hues of teal, navy, green.

Consider the Room’s Natural Qualities
Work with each room’s natural space and function. Is the room small but you want it to feel larger? Or is it a family room that you want to have a cozy feel? Colors can help you achieve both of these: light colors can make a room appear larger, while darker colors can exude warmth and intimacy.

Specific colors can foster specific feelings, as well. Oranges and reds are warm, inviting colors that can enhance social interaction and even improve appetite (think about the success of McDonald’s red and yellow decor)! These are great color ideas for your kitchen or dining room, where you want to bring people together. Of course, the right color combinations can be used to avoid giving your home “fast food” feel.

Cooler colors, like blues and greens, are ideal for rooms with less activity and more relaxation, like bedrooms and bathrooms.

Using a Not-so-Blank Canvas
You may be ready for big changes, but some colors are already established, like the colors in your furniture. Unless you want to buy all new furniture, you can make this work for you by pulling your new colors from the patterns and colors that already exist, whether from your upholstery, or other “anchor” items in your home.

Go Bold (even if just a little)

So you’re not ready for red walls. It’s okay to go neutral. When you do, try throwing in a few vivid shades to keep things interesting and liven up your room. Add teal throws, pillows, and decorative accents to a room of neutral tans and off-whites, and you’ll find the new bursts of color will bring the room to life!

Think Outside the Paint Can
Paint is the quickest, and often least expensive way to change the look and feel of your home. But it’s not the only way to change your colors. Accessories, throw pillows, candle holders, picture frames, lampshades, any other decoration can be a key part of your color scheme. Of course, accenting window treatments can also offer the perfect home makeover accessory, by adding new color and style to the room.

You are what you wear
A new trend in color selection? Looking to your wardrobe. People are naturally attracted to colors they like and think are flattering. Look in your own closet; you may be surprised to see definite personal trends and preferences. Why not decorate with that same color scheme in mind?

Factor in the Light and Test your Ideas
So you’ve picked out the perfect deep wine color for your walls, only to find out it looks more like a bright purple when the natural sunlight shines into the room. To avoid this situation: be sure to look at your color choices in different lighting, over the course of a day and night. This is important because the artificial light from your indoor lighting that is used in the evening and at night can make some colors appear completely different.

Stacey Wiktorek is a member of the in-house professional home design team at BlindCrafter.com, where she provides expert decorating and design advice for anyone looking to beautify their home. For tips and home design ideas, or to receive their monthly Customer Club newsletter with trends, advice, and exclusive coupons, visit their website at blindcrafter.com/kristinasdesignstudio.cfm blindcrafter.com/kristinasdesignstudio.cfm

Get healthy-bring home a mist fountain or lamp!!

Indoor mist fountains are one of the hottest selling items in home decor. Myfountaindesigns.com provides a wide variety of designs and colors suiting according to your taste. The selection is simply incredible. You can also get mist fountain lamps which are quite unique. These fountains can change the whole look of any room and create a dramatic effect to it. Mist fountains provide a gorgeous glow as soft light dances and plays through the mist. You can even turn off the lights in your room and enjoy the mist, or turn off the mist, and enjoy the lightshow. Getting the right mist fountain lamps, you can create a visually stimulating effect with the room space. The good thing about these lamps is that they can go with all type of furniture’s both antique and modern.

Benefits of Mist Fountains:

As all heating appliances and aircontitioners take moisture out of the air, these mist fountains help to put the moisture back. The replaced moisture is very beneficial for people suffering from allergy, asthma, bronchitis and colds. These enchanting misting fountains and lamps help to remove dust, pollens, smoke, pet hair and mold spores from the air. They naturally generate negative ions into the air thus humidifying, cleaning and purifying the air you breathe. Create an enchanting mood by adding a few drops of aroma oil to fill the room with fragrance while you enjoy the pleasant sound of the fountains lingering in the room. They are also considered to generate harmony and feng shui for your house or office.

Given below are some of the health benefits of Misting Fountains and Lamps:

1.Cure headache, insomnia and air-conditioning sickness.
2. Help to Increase endorphin levels in the brain.
3. Help to reduce stress.
4. Good for moisturizing dry skin and prevent wrinkle.
5. Relieve breathing problems like sinusitis, bronchitis and asthma.
6. Help to calm your emotion and feed your soul.
7. Help plants in production of oxygen.
8. Increase your immunity & antiseptic ability.

Good for outdoors:

The mist fountains and lamps are very easy to set up. As you do not have to use dry ice or chemicals they are healthy for people, pets and plants. You can use ordinary tap water to create the mesmerizing lightshow and achieve natural and healthy healing.

Having these mist fountains in your garden help to create a clean environment around your house. Thus by cleaning the air, they provide more oxygen resulting in healthier plants and flowers, and a healthier family as well. You also have the option to have a misting unit which allows you to choose your color setting and speed of the flow of the fountains as there are 17 programmable choices of colors and speeds, 8 solid colors, 8 different colors, and 3 speeds-slow fade to fast strobe. These mist fountains and lamps are perfect for gifting for their unique and pleasant features.

So, why wait now! Bring home a mist fountain, waterfall or lamp and enhance the beauty of your house.

Sandara Blanton

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When you choose to remodel your kitchen with a custom kitchen cabinet, you are opening the door to a world of style, color and wood choices to name just a few. You can literally draw a picture of the cabinet that you want, and a craftsman will be able to construct our custom kitchen cabinet.

You will have many convenience options available to you as well, when you opt to use a custom kitchen cabinet. Do you want a cabinet with a pull-out spice rack; perhaps you would like a waste paper basket cabinet. You can have your custom kitchen cabinet with a mixer cabinet or even a home recycling center. The possibilities are restricted only by your imagination and your requirements when you are shopping for a custom kitchen cabinet team of craftsmen.

You don’t necessarily have to replace your cabinets, there is always the less expensive alternative of a custom kitchen cabinet refacing with all the advantages of a custom kitchen cabinet. Not only will this be lighter on your pocketbook, it will take less time to install than if you replace your old cabinets.

You will be offered the same wide range of choices if you decide on refacing instead of replacing. You or a trained draftsman will take measurements of your kitchen and present you with a design plan for your approval. You will be able to customize your choices at a fraction of the cost of a conventional remodeling job.

Your existing doors and cabinets will be removed and then the veneer to the outside of your cabinets is applied. Then your brand new cabinet doors, drawers and complete hardware are installed, and you have a brand new kitchen. Refacing is not the same as kitchen cabinet staining or refurbishing. But refacing will give your kitchen a new personality in less time than traditional kitchen remodeling.

If you like the way it looks, you might think of adding more features. You can include new countertops, extra cabinets; roll out shelves or even a kitchen island. This will help to increase the value of your home and your enjoyment of spending time cooking and cleaning in your brand new kitchen.

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Have you been wanting to build a gazebo in your backyard and don’t have the skills or the time to do it yourself? Is a professional builder way out of your budget? You can still put up your own gazebo with little or no skill in artisanship or building. A gazebo kit will provide you with all the materials you need and instructions for you to erect a gazebo with a friend in a few short hours with little or no trouble. A gazebo kit was designed for people who are not familiar with building and is an easy way for the layperson to erect their own customized gazebo for their outdoor landscape.

A simple gazebo kit is either a metal or a vinyl gazebo kit. These are easy to construct and you will use tools you normally use around your house. There will be no measuring, no cutting and less chance of making a mistake when you decide to make your outdoor project from a gazebo kit. Gazebo kits come in all shapes and sizes. You should visit a store that has gazebos set up so you can get a sense of the kind you want in your yard and see how it will look when it is fully erected so you will know where and how to place it in your yard.

It is easy to find a gazebo kit too. Once you have decided on the shape and design you want from your gazebo kit, you are ready to shop in earnest. You can find many web sites that have all the information you will need in order to choose the gazebo kit that is right for you and your family. Even if you were unsure about gazebos before, after doing your research on the internet, you will feel like a pro.

You can find terrific deals for a gazebo kit online as well. You may be able to find your gazebo kit at a price you would have never thought possible. You may find you save so much money that you can afford to hire a team to put your gazebo up for you.

A gazebo kit can be more complex than we have talked about, but they are still a fast and simple way for you to get a gazebo in your yard. A gazebo kit project is sure to talk less time than any other gazebo construction, so you may want to keep that in mind when you are planning your outdoor recreation areas.

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Everyone loves their homes and most families, including myself, enjoy spending time and money on home improvement projects to make their houses look better and more comfortable. If you have just decided to start a home improvement project on your own, here are some things you should consider to make sure that your project would be completed perfectly.

In every home improvement projects, big or small, planning is of utmost importance. It is very important to come out with a detailed plan for achieving your goals. This is to ensure that your project will proceed in the right direction and end up as what you have in mind.

Whether you are adding a room, building a deck or simply installing new cabinets, you should always cater some time to plan what you want in mind first before you start to work on your project proper. By doing so, your progress would definitely be smoother and end results more successful.

To help plan a home improvement projects, there are the three main things that you need to consider:

1. Set your priorities before you begin
You should have an idea of what you want and get your priorities right first. There are generally 3 elements of priorities where one can choose from namely: Speed, Cost and Quality. As a rule of thumb, most people can only achieve 2 out of the 3. It would be wise for you to choose what priorities you want first before you start your project.

For example, if you deem cost and quality as important priorities, one would usually need to spend more time in choosing the right material and working on the project itself and vice versa.

2. Cost Estimation

You should have a general idea of how much you want to invest into your home improvement project and work on that budget. Nothing is worse off than not having enough money to finish the whole project. To get a good feel of material cost, do some homework online or simply walk into your neighborhood home improvement center.

3. Gather your tools and resources

Make sure that you have the right tools and resources to do the job in advance. If your current toolkit does not have certain specialty tools to do the job properly, you might have to explore buying, borrowing or renting them. Some jobs might also require two people for safety reasons; you might want to get additional help before you work on that part.

Remember that most home improvement projects require a variety of different tasks, and more often than not, these tasks would require different skills and expertise ranging from design, construction, plumbing, and wiring to finishing. You might not have all the skills set to perform all of them. You can actually engage the help of a professional for certain tasks so that your progress would not come to a standstill.

Go on. Start planning your home improvement project today. With the correct planning and effort, your dream home would not be too far way!

Moses Wright is a webmaster of many sites. He offers more useful information on homelyfamily.com/home_improvement/project/index.htm Home Improvement Projects, homelyfamily.com/home_improvement/help/index.htm Home Improvement Help and
homelyfamily.com/home_improvement/loan/index.htm Home Improvement Loan that you can find online on his website. You can reprint this article if you keep the content and live link intact.

A toilet seat is the chair and lid of a toilet, although technology-driven toilet seats in Japan may include a number of built-in features including a bidet, a blow drier, and a heated seat. As you can see, the level of sophistication in a toilet seat ranges everywhere from simple and basic to practically futuristic. There are a great many to choose from in al categories and price ranges.

When shopping for toilet seats, make sure it matches the decor of the bathroom. Also make sure you decide whether to get a decorative toilet seat cover; some people like them, and some do not. See to it that the connections to the toilet bowl are sturdy and properly measured, as well as good-looking. Yes, even a toilet design can be good or bad, aesthetically. Finally, shop within your budget. A light plastic toilet seat with no cushion or reinforcement can be as cheap as a few dollars, while a classy bronze or wood one may cost dozens or even hundreds of dollars.

Even the best toilet seat is bound to crack or get stained, and to require replacement. Replacing the seat professionally is costly and most homeowners attempt to replace it themselves. To determine the kind of toilet seat required to replace the old one, the seat has to be lifted and measured, from the front of the bowl to the center of the bolt holes. On toilets that require a round seat, the dimension will be approximately 16 ½-inches. If it measures over 20-inches, the toilet requires an elongated seat.

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