How many of you would be interested in a book on Home Theater? (1 Viewer)

[Brian Harnish]

I'm posting here to gauge the interest level of a book project I am working on. I am currently in the research phase (marketing research, information research) right now, and any info. anyone can provide would be awesome. Anyways, I have a few questions for everyone:
How many of you would be interested in a book with information detailing many aspects of home theater? From beginner - advanced? I intend for this to be the most comprehensive book on Home Theater in existence.
What would everyone like to see covered in this book that's not covered in other books on home theater? What are the most important aspects that you feel should be included that isn't covered elsewhere?
What questions do you want to answer that I haven't asked yet?
Looking for quite a few responses on this. The more responses, the better.

 

[Bill Balcziak]

Don't try to cover the whole beginner-through-advanced spectrum in a single title. First, you're biting off more than you can chew in one title. Second, you're trying to please two different audiences, and the odds are you'll leave them both disappointed. Third, by publishing two separate editions, you increase your chances of making a profit (the production costs on the advanced title will be minimal since you will wisely use the work you did on the beginner title as the foundation).

Good luck. Yeah, surre.

 

[felix_suwarno]

me! me! me!

 

[Bjorn Olav Nyberg]

I'm so interested, I've already bought one book (in the norwegian language) This book was so technically minded and delvded so much into descriptions of formats etc that I actually lost interest quickly.

But the interest is there, so I might pick up such a book. The possibility of me picking up such a book would increase significantly if you keep in mind that it would probably be used more as a reference book, and I also see no problem in having it be directed to beginner and advanced users both, as long as there is some kind of separation between the regular text and the advanced text, if you get my drift.

 

[KeithH]

Sounds like an interesting project. There are at least a couple out there now. Robert Harley's book is pretty good, but it is a few years old now. You might want to refer to his book as a starting point, if you haven't already. I'm not suggesting that you follow Harley's model, but his book could give you an idea of what you like and don't like; in other words, what you do and do not want to cover.

 

[RobertR]

The problem I have with books on consumer electronics is that they rapidly become outdated because of the advances that are always being made. I also think that the Internet is such a useful resource (this forum is a prime example) that it makes a book ratber pointless.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Yep- while I think a book is a neat idea- it's tought to be remotely current. IN addition- it's tough to decide what to cover and what not to cover- since there are many many options.

Heck, I was considering writing a short piece about Bass Management and calibration of systems-- I did an outline, and just that small element I probably would have written 50+ pages!

-Vince

 

[DanaA]

I'd be very interested, but if I buy it, will you autograph it for me and other HTF members?

 

[Paul O]

I had a brief fling with high end audio and bought Robert Harley's book a year ago - i got thru the introduction and was bored out of my mind - trying to cover the technical aspects of Audophilia (?)and making it enjoyable to read in 300 pages of black and white text is a challenge Shakespeare isnt even up to. I think magazines and the Internet are better sources of technical information and have a sense of community and immediacy that books can't touch. Without speaking to the financial aspects of publishing such a book I would be skeptical of such a venture.

 

[Rob Speicher]

Not that I've ever read a book on HT - we've got the bible of HT right here, after all - but I think it'd be interesting.

Things to cover:
• Why widescreen is absolutely better. Explain it first in the most simple method possible (pictures, probably) and go into more technical details for those that are interested still.
• Advice on cabling. In your opinion, of course, do people need to spend more money on Monster cables or can they just buy Radio Shack, Acoustic Research, etc.
• Speaker placement and levels, how to get them. Explanation on how to use Radio Shack SPL meters (both analog and digital if it's appropriate)
• Calibration (sorta falls into the above)
• Demoing - different movies/discs, scenes, etc. for different demos.

There's so much you can cover. Quite an ambitious project.

 

[Peter Yee]

I would be interested in a book on home theater, but only if it's made into a movie, available on DVD.
-Peter

 

[Jim_C]

As Robert and Vince have said, it's tough to stay current with the ever-evolving technology in the A/V world. I have Harley's The Complete Guide to High-End Audio and Home Theater for Everyone. Both are very good but you can find most of the info online and it's almost always more current than Harley's info. I'm still glad that I bought the books but I find myself looking online for info more than reaching over to the bookcase.

Having said that, I'd probably buy another HT book if it was well organized and covered certain things in great detail. I agree with others, it's better to focus on a couple of things rather than covering a whole bunch of stuff.

Good luck.

 

[Brian Harnish]

That is a very good point -- it is tough to stay current when technology evolves at such a rapid pace. I'm positive that there's a way to keep previous readers abreast of recent changes in technology while not alienating new readers. Of course, all of this will come to pass once the book is completed. By then I'm sure I'll have figured out a few different alternatives.
Thanks to all for the ideas and things to think about. For anyone else that is interested: please don't hesitate to add your ideas and comments. I'm looking for as much feedback as possible.

 

[AaronNWilson]

I would be interested in something similar to Audio Video & Interiors but is actually worth reading

 

[MickeS]

I'd get something that was "hands on" and less equipment oriented (equipment is best left to magazines and Internet, IMO), like how to best construct a HT for various price levels and rooms, and DIY instructions for wiring, construction (seats, screens, projector mounts/stands, racks, walls, window coverings, sound absorption/reflection materials, lighting fictures and so on) and related areas. Sort of like a much more in-depth version of Crutchfields free "Guide to Home Theater".

Part of the book could be a "AV Interiors" type thing too, to give ideas. I wouldn't mind if it was co-written by a professional architect and/or interior designer, but of course aimed for the consumer market.

I've seen some books like these, but they weren't so good.

/Mike