The AVIA Guide To Home Theater set-up DVD was originally released by Image Entertainment in 1999.

It is true that a lot has changed in AV technology in the home over these years. The narrations on the AVIA disc are geared mostly towards CRT video technology rather than the latest DLP, plasma and LCD video systems. Yet the detailed calibration procedures and the wide array of video test patterns and audio test tones can still serve as a valid reference material in the calibration of audio and video equipment - irrespective of technology.

The AVIA Guide to Home Theater is set for:

• Home theater owners who want to get the ultimate in system performance

• Home theater enthusiasts who are planning an upgrade or a whole new system installation

• Professionals who want to make use of the extensive array of test tones and patterns together with advanced test equipment such as spectrum analyzers and light meters in the calibration of AV gear.

As with most calibration DVDs, the AVIA set-up DVD is divided in two main sections. There is a general how-to guide that explains various home theater related topics like home theater wiring, speaker placement, etc., and the actual collection of video test patterns and audio test signals for system calibration purposes.

Navigating the AVIA Guide to Home Theater DVD is easy and intuitive. The onscreen menus give the user total control over the depth of information presented. Furthermore, the user has complete flexibility in accessing both the informative tutorials and the detailed how-to procedures related to the audio and video calibration processes.

The how-to guide on the AVIA DVD is an excellent 40-minute discussion. It covers major aspects of home-theater systems from the proper set up of a dedicated home theater room to ambient light management, speaker placement, room acoustics, etc. It is a step-by-step orientation tutorial to home theater components and system calibration.

It stretches over five chapters, starting with the very basics of home theater systems - video signal basics and video components, A/V receivers, aspect ratio management, and multichannel audio technology.

The discussion also takes you through the different types of speakers and correct speaker placement in the home theater, background noise levels, room acoustics and acoustic treatments. It further discusses ambient light and the use of background lighting with direct-view video displays.

There is an extensive section that deals with home theater connections and speaker hook-up. Special emphasis is placed on how to connect your speakers for the best possible sound.

Equally important is the section that deals with the use of sound level meters. Like most set-up DVDs, the AVIA Guide to Home Theater recommends the use of a sound pressure level (SPL) meter to set the correct sound levels in multichannel audio systems. Sound meters are relatively cheap; a suitable meter like the digital Galaxy Audio CM130 SPL Meter would not cost more than $60 and can do a great job in any home theater environment.

The AVIA DVD does not make any reference to DVI or HDMI - these digital interconnects were simply not available on consumer-level electronics in 1999. Furthermore, in the section discussing video components, the AVIA Guide To Home Theater refers to CRT and LCD projectors, but there is no reference to DLP. This in no way reduces the usefulness of the AVIA set-up DVD when calibrating video system components making use of the latest video technology. In other words, the video calibration procedures detailed in the AVIA disc can still serve as a useful reference irrespective of whether you are dealing with CRT, LCD, DLP, or plasma displays.

However... the real strength behind the AVIA Guide To Home Theater set-up DVD resides in the extensive array of video patterns and audio test tones. These are accompanied by well-detailed how-to calibration procedures that transform audio and video calibration into a simple easy-to-follow process.

Audio Calibration: The AVIA Guide to Home Theater DVD provides highly accurate and innovative audio test signals. These cater for more than just the correct setting of channel balance in a multichannel audio system through the use of reference level adjustment tones and channel phasing procedures. For example, there are several additional test tones related to subwoofer adjustment, and that are designed to assist you in getting as flat a response as possible from your subwoofer. There is also a separate section with tones to verify that your speakers are set up correctly. Detailed onscreen instructions lead you through the process; how much fine-tuning you do is up to you.

Advance and professional users can choose among additional test tones for more in-depth calibrations such as checking voice matching, frequency response, room resonance, and ambiance effects. These settings are normally accomplished in connection with the use of a spectrum analyzer or some other specialized test equipment.

Video Calibration: The AVIA Guide to Home Theater disc has an extensive selection of video test patterns; in total, there are over 180 video test patterns covering many different aspects of home theater calibration. There is no other set-up DVD we are aware of that has such an extensive array of test patterns.

Overall, the video test patterns developed for AVIA Guide to Home Theater DVD have been set specifically to increase accuracy while maintaining ease of use. In particular, some of the calibration procedures are made relatively simple, thanks to the step-by-step process adopted by the AVIA Guide to Home Theater DVD.

The live video demonstrations show you exactly what to look for while making adjustments, while patterns come with explanatory text. Though as already indicated earlier on, the explanations refer more to CRT displays than digital projectors, yet the test patterns themselves are useful for both direct view and projection systems irrespective of the video technology in use.

The AVIA disc first guides you through the basic five video level adjustments  - brightness, contrast, hue (tint), saturation, and sharpness. More in-depth tests and adjustments aimed at the advance user include tests for power supply adequacy, geometry, convergence, resolution, gamma, color decoder accuracy, color temperature adjustment, grayscale tracking, and screen hot-spotting.

To assist you in the color setting, the AVIA set-up DVD package includes a set of color filters, which together with the respective test patterns on the DVD, will help you set the color settings correct.

Worth mentioning that while the use of the unaided eye may suffice for some tests under this section, yet a light meter is essential if you want accurate and consistent results when handling some of the more advanced calibration procedures.

What about PAL Users? While the AVIA Guide to Home Theater DVD is viewable on any multi-standard video system that can play an NTSC signal, yet the video test patterns found on the AVIA disc are correct only for true NTSC display mode.

Conclusion

Though not one of the latest in the series of set-up DVDs, yet the AVIA Guide to Home Theater DVD is surely one of the most complete and well-designed set-up discs ever produced. It comes with a whole suite of thoroughly explained calibrations that takes the user step-by-step through video and audio system optimization.

The AVIA is suitable for the newcomer who would like to learn and eventually perform more in-depth calibrations without the need for professional help. It is equally suitable for the advanced user who wants to make use of the extensive array of well-documented test patterns and test tones in conjunction with more elaborated test equipment for in-depth system calibration.

Our recommendation: Irrespective of whether you are a home theater system owner or are thinking of building one, the AVIA Guide to Home Theater set-up DVD will surely prove to be indispensable. It is a relatively inexpensive tool well worth the small investment - one that you will be glad to have on hand.