Mission Statement

The Home Theater Forum is a place where those who enjoy watching movies in their homes can discuss all aspects of (re-)presenting films the best way they can. These discussions concern the film art itself, its products as well as the technical ways to create a theater-like experience inside a home.

We the members of the forum are interested in the film product to be recorded and reproduced as closely as possible to the way the original creator(s) of that particular film intended. We respect the integrity of all artists involved in creating the original film as well as those who helped bringing the product to a form suited to be used in a home theater environment.

The main goals of the discussions on the Home Theater Forum are to learn and to share: to learn more about the cinematographic art-form and the best techniques to present the films, and to share our knowledge with anyone who sincerely wants to benefit from the knowledge of his or her fellow members.

Discussions on this forum are polite, cordial and respectful. We do not hesitate to express our opinion on matters involved, knowing other members may or may not share those opinions. We will always respect opinions of other members, even if we do not share a particular opinion ourselves. We will not verbally attack other members in a personal way, but instead try to contribute to the common knowledge about, and understanding of all applicable topics discussed.

Currently we acknowledge DVD and Blu-ray as the main, most advanced and most important media for films and TV shows to be (re-)presented in our homes. We certainly will not exclude other suitable media from our discussions, however. We strive for the highest achievable quality (video and sound) to be recorded on disc, to be sold and/or rented in a form free for consumers to use in their homes. We want to advance films and TV shows to be represented as complete as possible and with their full image and soundtrack, as intended by the original creators, intact. We want the best soundstage obtainable in a home environment.

We strive for as many films and TV shows as possible to be available on such high quality discs for both sale and rent. Therefore, we loathe infringements on author rights and oppose the existence, promotion and sale of bootlegged and other infringing product.

We like others to take pleasure in what they apparently do like. We will never post with the sole intention to spoil other's pleasure. On this Forum, we want to feel at home and make each other feel at home.


In summary:

• We're about community. We are a like-minded but diverse group of individuals who share a common passion for all things relating to Home Theater.
• We're about movies. Our goal is to enjoy the movie-going experience at home, without sacrificing artistic integrity. We expect the original film and sound formats to be preserved on home video, and embrace the home video formats (like DVD) that allow this to be possible.
• We're about hardware. Do you have the latest new piece of equipment out on the market? Do you want to compare your products against others? Do you want to ask information on a product before making that big purchase? Here is the place to do so and more.
• We're about courtesy. We are not a "no holds barred" news group. You are expected to conduct yourself in a courteous and professional manner on Home Theater Forum. Administrative staff works 24/7 to ensure this.
• We're about family. You are as likely to read about someone's new baby, job, or house as you are their new satellite dish, television, or DVD purchase. We have designated areas where you can talk about a wide range of topics. But our focus is--and always will be--Home Theater.

Forum Rules

The Rules of Home Theater Forum are intended to ensure a friendly and professional atmosphere for all members. Please take a few minutes to read through them. Most are straightforward, and none of them should impose any burden on people who are here to relax and enjoy discussing their favorite hobbies. They are important, though, and we do enforce them. Violations may result in any or all of the following: public or private warning, removal of the offending post, thread closure and/or temporary or permanent suspension.

Membership

1. Real first name. We ask all members to register with at least their real first name. This makes communication among members more personal. Every member also has a unique "username", which may or may not be the same as your real name. The username can be anything as long as it is not profane or obscene, an email address, a celebrity name other than your own or otherwise objectionable. Your username will appear on every post, and your provided real first name will be listed immediately below. Obviously we have to trust people when they provide us their real first names at sign-up time. It's an honor system, and we do not go out of our way to check on people. But if circumstances indicate that a member has given a false first name (e.g., if the member publicly discloses that his listed first name is false), then we are obliged to take appropriate action. Historical note: You may notice that many members with join dates of 2006 or earlier have only a username. This is because, for the first nine years of HTF's existence, members had only a username, which was required to be their real name. However, as the forum grew, it became increasingly difficult for new members to create a username that was both real and not already taken. The current system was designed to address this problem. During the transition to the current system, existing members were offered the opportunity to change their username, and that is why you will see some members with join dates of 2006 or earlier who have a separate username and real name. But regardless of whether they changed their username, all existing users were "grandfathered" in at the time of transition to the current system. Other than the transition to the current system, which has been completed, changes to established names are not permitted except in extraordinary circumstances, at the sole discretion of the owners of HTF.

2. Valid email. All members must supply a valid email address when they register. Your email address will not be visible to other members, and we will not share it with anyone, but it is essential that we have a reliable method of contacting you. It is each member's responsibility to keep the email address associated with his or her HTF account valid and up to date. If we try to contact a member by email and the email is returned as undeliverable, the account will be suspended until the member contacts us.

Topics

3. Topic areas and sections. You will notice that HTF is divided into specific topic areas (such as "Home Theater Hardware") and sections (such as "Receivers/Separates/Amps"). Please post your topic in the appropriate area and section. If you're not sure which area and section are appropriate, review the forum descriptions within the FAQ. If you start an off-topic thread, don't be surprised when one of the moderators moves it to the appropriate area and section.

4. No politics or religion. We do not permit the discussion of politics or religion at HTF. However, there is a narrow exception to this rule. If the subject matter of a movie or television show includes politics and/or religion, then they may be discussed insofar as they pertain to that specific movie or television show. We stress, however, that such discussions are carefully monitored and will be moderated if it appears that any participant is using this narrow exception to introduce a broader political or religious discussion than is warranted by the movie or television show under discussion. Also, anyone who has not seen a particular movie or television show is disqualified from discussing its political and/or religious content under this rule.

5. Respect for copyrights. Home Theater Forum has a strict policy of respecting the rights of copyright holders. We do not allow discussion of bootleg material or where or how to obtain it, and we immediately delete all links to sites that deal in bootleg material. If you have any doubt whether a source is legitimate, please check with a moderator before posting any links. We also do not allow discussion of (a) how to make unauthorized copies of video or audio materials, (b) how to defeat any form of copy protection (including, for example, how to make "personal" copies of commercially produced DVDs), and/or (c) how to obtain equipment that can only be used for such purposes. In one form or another, this rule goes back to the very origins of HTF. We are serious about it, and it is not going to change. Please do not try to debate copyright law with us. We're not interested in discussing what the law should be. We believe it is in the best interest of HTF to enforce this policy strictly, and members test it at their peril.

6. No dealers or promotions. If you want to advertise something on HTF, we would be delighted to talk to you about it. Please email advertising@hometheaterforum.com for our rate card or details on becoming an Industry Insider. But if you have joined HTF under the impression that it's an opportunity to promote something at no charge -- whether it's a product, a website or your own personal blog -- please think again. Unless you have explicit prior permission from the owners of HTF, you may not post links or any other type of promotion anywhere on this forum, in the product reviews, or within Wiki articles. Promotion takes many forms, but it's like pornography; we all know it when we see it. The following is a list of the kinds of things we don't permit; it isn't meant to be exhaustive, and just because something isn't on the list doesn't mean we'll allow it:

• a. Dealer advertisements
• b. Referrals to e-commerce sites
• c. Links promoting a personal for-profit website
• d. Links by staff affiliated with other DVD review sites to their reviews elsewhere (again, this will be permitted with prior permission from HTF's owners)
• e. Links to eBay or any other auction site
• f. Referrals to ebates or any similar site
• g. Links to personal items for sale (except in the designated areas). We don't want to prevent all links to other sites, but please use good judgment. References to information relevant to an ongoing discussion are helpful and appreciated. Using HTF to promote another site is not.

7. No breaking "street date". Please do not post information about retail or other sources that have DVDs or other video releases available for sale before the official "street date".

8. No group buys. We do not allow "group purchases" without prior permission of the forum's owners.

9. For sale areas. We have specific areas reserved for the sale or trade of home-theater-related merchandise only. Those areas have their own posting guidelines and rules. They are the only areas where items may be offered for sale or trade. Please do not include references or links in your signature to items being offered for sale or trade.

Conduct

10. No personal attacks. We expect all members to treat each other with consideration and respect. While we encourage lively debate, we do not allow personal attacks. This includes direct attacks, such as name-calling, as well as indirect attacks, such as repeated baiting of a member in a provocative or belittling manner. If you believe that you have been subjected to a personal attack, or have witnessed one on another member, please see the section on Dealing with Problems for instructions on how to proceed.

11. A site for adults. We assume that everyone here is an adult, and we expect everyone to act like it. This also means that we do not screen or remove content to prevent minors from being exposed to mature subject matter; that decision belongs to their parents or guardians. Nevertheless, we want HTF to remain professional in both tone and appearance. So please do not use profanity to excess, and please do not use any profanity (whether mild or harsh) in the TOPIC/SUBJECT header of a post or thread, because those may appear on the Main Forum Page or on other featured pages. Also, we strongly discourage any use of profanity directed against either another member or someone who may be reading this site (such as a studio executive or movie director). Remember: This is the internet. You never know who may be "listening".

12. No quoting entire articles. We do not allow the copying and pasting of entire articles from other sites or publications, even if proper credit is given, unless you have express permission from the copyright holder. Please quote only relevant excerpts, and provide a link back to the original in its entirety.

13. Pictures within limits. We allow pictures to be included in messages as well as used as user avatars, but please be careful when referring to pictures on other sites. Many of these images are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere without express permission from the rights holder. Any images that are considered distasteful or inappropriate for the HTF audience may be removed. Also, excessive use of pictures may be taxing on members whose internet connection isn't as fast as yours.

14. No "bumping". We do not allow "bump" or "to the top" posts, even in the "For Sale" areas. Please do not post unless you have something new to say. This rule also applies to successive posts by the same poster. If you want to add something, use the edit function to add it to your existing post.

Dealing with Problems

15. Reporting a problem. If you have a problem with another member's post, or if you believe a rule has been violated, please send a report to the moderators using the "Report Post to Admin" icon that appears on each post. This will automatically generate a private report identifying the member, the thread and the post. These reports are treated as confidential and are not available to anyone outside the moderating staff.

16. Don't get into fights. If you believe that you have been the victim of a personal attack, please follow the procedure outlined in Rule 15 "Reporting a problem," but do not respond in kind. Responding to a personal attack as if you've been "called out" only aggravates the situation, and it puts you as much in the wrong as your attacker. Let the moderators handle it. If you absolutely must say something to your attacker, do it privately in email.

Moderators

17. Moderator instructions. HTF moderators (also known as "administrators") are responsible for running the forum on a day-to-day basis and enforcing these rules. Please comply with any instructions from a moderator, whether those instructions are general or specific. Failure to comply with a moderator's instructions will have serious consequences.

18. No public disagreements. Anyone arguing with a moderator regarding enforcement of forum rules and guidelines or disciplinary action will be immediately removed. This includes "indirect" argument, where a member vents about a moderator's action being "unjustified", "excessive", etc.

19. Contacting a moderator. If you have an issue with or complaint against a moderator, raise it privately in an email or private message with the moderator in question. Do not, under any circumstances, raise such issues in public postings. In addition, before contacting the forum's owners with a complaint about a moderator, remember that the owners have personally selected and place great trust in their moderators and are unlikely to be swayed by someone who complains about a moderator without even bothering to contact him or her directly. Please remain civil when dealing with moderators, whether in their official capacity or in their ordinary postings as members of HTF. Abusive or disrespectful conduct toward a moderator will not be tolerated, regardless of whether it occurs in public postings or in private communications. 

General

20. We make the rules. Forum rules and guidelines are not up for debate. This is not a democracy, but rather a private forum. Anyone openly debating these rules will be removed. In addition, anyone publicly challenging or "calling out" the forum's ownership or administration on the policies or conduct of the forum will be removed.

21. Each member is responsible for own posts. The opinions expressed by posters at HTF are their own and cannot be imputed to HTF, its moderators or its owners. Every poster on this forum accepts full legal responsibility for the contents of each posting by him or her as well as for the fact that it was posted. You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use HTF to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violative of any law, and you agree to indemnify and hold harmless HTF, its moderators and its owners with respect to any claim based upon transmission of your post(s) or message(s). HTF, its moderators and its owners shall bear no legal responsibility for the mere presence of a certain post or message on this forum, any failure to delete it and/or any opinion expressed therein.

22. Advertisers responsible for ads. Advertisers on HTF are solely responsible for the content and truth-in-advertising of their respective ads.  In addition to occasional direct ad sales, we use a third-party advertising company to serve ads when you visit HTF. This technology uses information about your visits to this website and the sites upon which we advertise, to serve our ads to you. In the course of serving our advertisements to you, a unique third-party cookie may be placed or recognized on your browser. In addition, we may use Web beacons, provided by our third-party advertising company, to help manage our online advertising. These Web beacons enable our third-party ad serving company to recognize a browser's cookie when a browser visits this site and to learn which banner ads bring users to our website.

23. Personal information. You agree not to use any personal information regarding any member of HTF for any purpose other than personal communication with that member.

24. Reservation of rights. We reserve the right to delete any message or portion thereof, to suspend posting privileges, and/or to delete member accounts, with or without explanation and with or without prior warning. We also reserve the right to refuse to delete any member account, at our discretion.

25. Amendment of rules. These rules may be revised from time to time. Members are responsible for periodically reviewing these rules to ensure compliance. If you have any questions about any particular rule(s), please email any one of the moderators or the owners of HTF.

 
 

Terms of Service

Privacy Policy

This privacy policy describes how HTF treats the personally identifiable information that is collected about you when you visit the web site to which this policy is linked. What is Personally Identifiable Information "Personally identifiable information" is information that we can use to identify you as an individual. Personally identifiable information includes your name, address, telephone number and any other information that is connected with you personally.

Information This Privacy Policy Does Not Apply To

This privacy policy does not apply to information collected about you by anyone except HTF and only applies to the web sites to which this policy is linked. Any information you provide when you visit web sites other than those covered by this policy or when you purchase any products or services, or enter contests, that may be linked to or advertised on our web site by companies other than HTF is subject to the privacy policies posted on those sites. Except as may be otherwise specified herein, this policy also does not apply to information you may provide to us offline.

Collection of Personally Identifiable Information

HTF generally collects personally identifiable information with your specific knowledge and consent. When you register on HTF, we collect your email address, username, password. These are required for users to store and modify bookmarks and other content on the site. We will also collect your bookmarks and associated content, messages, IP address, and information from browser data and cookies.
 

Your User ID, bookmarks, lists and associated content and any postings you make to the forums and wikis are displayed throughout the Site. Therefore this data is available to the public and will be identifiable to your User ID.  

This information may sometimes be collected by third party service providers with whom HTF contracts to host the web site or to fulfill requests for services; in that event, HTF asks such service providers to make the personal information available only to HTF for HTF to use in accordance with the terms of this policy and not to use the information for any other purpose. HTF uses this information to allow you to enjoy the functionality of the site, to troubleshoot and to provide customer support. In addition, HTF may use your bookmarks to improve our marketing and promotional efforts by providing targeted advertising based on the content of your Product Profile.  

We do not sell or rent any of your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes. If you send an email using the service to an email address that is not registered in our community, we do not use that email address for any purpose other than to send your email. We do not rent or sell these email addresses, nor do we send them marketing messages. Other users may send emails and in-system messages to you via the HTF service. HTF does not review these messages before they are sent to you. If you are receiving inappropriate private messages or any form of spam, contact a HTF administrator and swift action will be taken to ban the offending user's account. On an aggregate, non-personally identifiable level we may also use this data to analyze site usage, customize the site's content, layout, and services, and for disclosure to advertisers and other third parties for their marketing and promotional purposes and to demonstrate to them the value of our own site. However, we do not sell or rent any of your personally identifying data to third parties for marketing purposes.  

When you register for the first time on HTF, you will be automatically opted in to receive email notices, which may include notification if someone sends you a message, HTF newsletters and announcements, and notification of new activity on your subscriptions.
 
When you transfer to the site of a retailer, your shopping activity will be conducted on their site, and in accordance with that retailer's own privacy policy and terms of service. HTF has no control over those policies, so you should carefully review them before you conduct any business on a third party site. In the unlikely event that we believe that the security of your personal information in our possession or control may have been compromised, we may seek to notify you of that development. If a notification is appropriate, we would endeavor to do so as promptly as possible under the circumstances, and, to the extent we have your e-mail address, we may notify you by e-mail. In addition to the foregoing, HTF may share or disclose personally identifiable information about you to other companies or individuals when:

• we utilize third party service providers to provide products, services or functions on our behalf (such as sending emails or processing credit cards or fulfilling subscriptions), and ask these service providers to agree to maintain the confidentiality of your personally identifiable information and not to use your personally identifiable information for any reason except to carry out the purpose(s) for which we hired them;
• you have entered a contest or sweepstakes sponsored by a third party, in which case the information may be shared with that third party for their use in their discretion, including direct marketing. (Some of our contests and sweeps will ask you at the time of entry whether you would like your personal information to be shared with the sponsor. Other contests will not give you that option and in that event, if you do not want your information to be shared, you should not enter the contest);
• you have furnished us personal information with the intent that it be forwarded to a third party for use in connection with a specified service you are electing to participate in (examples include, without limitation, e-commerce partners, services to help old friends locate you online, etc.);
• we need to protect our legal rights
• we must comply with applicable laws, regulations, or legal or regulatory process;
• we have reason to believe that someone may be causing injury to or interference with our rights or the rights of our users, or general public, or using our services in violation of a legal or personal right

 

Cookies

HTF (or third party service providers on our behalf) may set and access cookies on your computer. A cookie is a small amount of data (often including a unique identifier), that is sent to your browser from a web site's computers and stored on your computer's hard drive. HTF uses cookies to understand site usage and to improve the content and offerings on our site. We may use cookies, IP address and browser data to control the display of ads, to track usage patterns on the sites, to deliver editorial content, and to personalize information. Our cookies may contain personally identifiable information and such cookies may be shared with others to the same extent indicated above.

HTF (or third party service providers on our behalf) may also use cookies to collect aggregate information about web site users on an anonymous basis. We may share aggregate demographic and usage information with our prospective and actual business partners, advertisers and other third parties for any business purpose. Some of our advertisers may serve you cookies as well. We do not have control over cookies placed by advertisers. If you don't want cookies, most Web browsers include an option that allows you to not accept them. However, if you set your browser to refuse cookies, some portions of our sites may not function efficiently.

IP Address

Your Internet Protocol ("IP") address is usually associated with the place from which you enter the Internet, like your Internet Service Provider, your company or your university. Our server may also record the referring page that linked you to us (e.g., another Web site or a search engine); the pages you visit on the sites, the Web site you visit after our site; the ads you see; the ads you click on; other information about the type of Web browser, computer, platform, related software and settings you are using; any search terms you have entered on this Web Site or a referral site; and other Web usage activity and data logged by our Web servers. We may use your IP address to help diagnose problems with our servers, gather broad demographic information, and administer our website. We may also link this information with your personal information when we feel that it is necessary to enforce compliance with our rules and policies or terms of service or to protect our Sites, customers or others.