Sony DTH Theatre: Your own privatetheatre

[Thakur]

Sony has introduced a new DTH Theatre that
has been specifically designed to meet the
needs of DTH viewers for superior sound
quality.
Good movie theatres always make the movie
better. If you have seen Avatar, Broken
Arrow, Gladiator, the 2001 American epic war
film Pearl Harbor or the James Bond film
Quantum of Solace in a decent cinema hall,
chances are the action scenes are still fresh in
your mind. Of course, the buttery popcorn or
the sound system that feels like its channeled
directly into your temporal lobe—make viewing
a great experience and chances are that
you’ll come out feeling like you had a good
time.
How about recreating a similar movie theatre-
like experience within the walls of your home?
After all, nowadays we catch up with a fairly
large number of movies on our television sets,
via our satellite connection, don’t we? Well,
the Japanese electronics firm Sony has
introduced a new DTH Theatre that has been
specifically designed to meet the needs of DTH
viewers for superior sound quality. The
system is compatible with leading DTH
providers like Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, Sun
Direct, Dish TV and Big TV. Most important, it
is decently priced at R19,990.
Come to think of it, we are besotted with
bringing in big screen televisions into our
homes. While high definition televisions hog
the spotlight in home entertainment (at home
or in the TV showroom, we are mesmerised by
the spectacular images these systems deliver),
leaving audio as an afterthought for many
people. But sound is just as essential as sight
to an involving home theatre experience. This
is precisely what the Sony DTH Theatre is
trying to achieve; it promises to produce
audio that brings your TV’s spectacular
images to life. Does it actually deliver, let us
find out.
At a personal level, I am always trying to re-
create a movie-like experience in my
entertainment zone; my TV room has a wall-
mounted Sony TV, there’s a seven-year-old
music system from the same brand, and I
have connected the two Sony systems
together with a lot of loose cables strewn
around. A Tata Sky set-top-box brings to the
table its own set of wires, making the entire
area look pretty untidy. And to be very
honest, while the images on the giant screen
dazzle you, the missing link in my efforts to
create a cinema experience is an audio
system; despite my best efforts, the home-
configured system disappoints.
Enter the Sony DTH Theatre system. Out of
the box, Sony has really packaged this system
well, especially considering the number of
parts involved. It has a compact body which
is 40% smaller than a conventional home
theatre system. In physical appearance, this
Sony system’s stylish design brings alive any
corner of the room. Its compact size avoids
any clutter, and its sleek, multi-angled
speakers can be placed in any manner for the
perfect sound.
With a 5.1 channel, this 1,000 watt system
(model: HT-IV300) delivers a powerful and
immersive sound; the best sound for a theatre
like experience at home that I have seen till
date. Further, owning to the direct DTH
connectivity as well as the plug and play
feature, the users can enjoy a crisp immersive
sound, free from the humming noise of DVD
players.
The two way HDMI connected DTH Theatre
system ensures an easy connection between
the television and DTH system. One just needs
to connect the satellite cable with DTH
Theatre and then LCD/LED with DTH Theatre,
thus ensuring picture in TV and sound through
the DTH Theatre. The available inputs
are—HDMI Input 2, Optical Input 1, Audio
Video In 1.
The model features Sony’s one-touch
functions with NFC technology that lets you
easily view all the content on your phone or
other Bluetooth enabled devices with your
television. It supports multiple formats like
MKV, MP4, AVC, WMV, VOB, Xvid HD and
AVCHD through its USB port for plug and play
devices.
In real use, I plugged the DTH Theatre system
with my Sony Bravia and the Tata Sky with
relative ease. Set up is simple and straight
forward and you need not refer to the
products guide over an over again. The
powerful 1000 watt output and 5.1 channel
surround sound will turn your home into your
personal theatre.
Essentially this means that you can watch your
favourite shows and movies like never before
with great surround sound and crystal clear
picture. The whole system is very dynamic,
delivering high-energy scenes with big swings
in volume with agility, clarity and punch.
If you wish to give rest to your eyes by
shutting the TV, you can listen to your
favourite music via USB or even your
smartphone; Bluetooth wireless technology
makes this possible. You can also connect it
with the PlayStation, or connect your Blu-ray
player with it.
My takeaways: The Sony DTH Theatre is easily
one of the most user-friendly systems I have
evaluated in recent months. Its design is neat
and it is a respectable audio system in
general. If you’re the type of home theatre
buff who craves the lavish audio performance
that you believe only large tower speakers can
deliver; but don’t want those oversize
cabinets diverting your audience’s attention
from your sleek TV or video projection
screen, you must arrange for a personal
audition of the Sony’s DTH Theatre speaker
system. Believe me, it will really make you sit
up and I have no qualms in strongly
recommending it.
Estimated street price: R19,990