Universal remote control
A must with regard to the accessories is a remote control with which you can operate all connected equipment. These are universal remotes that are specially made to operate entire systems. In addition, the better receivers often have a remote control included with which all this is already possible. With this remote control you can control your receiver and TV, as well as your Blu-ray player and all other equipment. This is way better than five remotes on the coffee table. If you do not have a receiver, or a receiver that has a remote control without these functions, you can look at, for example, the universal remote controls from Logitech. This brand makes the better products and they are also very user friendly. Incidentally, there is a good chance that you can now operate your audio system, for example the soundbar, with the remote control of your television. The TV is then connected with HDMI (e)ARC.
Everything about AV system : Cabling and Accessories
Don’t skimp on the accessories. This is just as important as the equipment you purchase. Thicker cables, especially for your speakers, often give that little bit extra and make the most of the quality of your equipment. This is again an investment, but that way you can develop your perfect home cinema system. So pay attention to the thickness of speaker cables, but also to the material. Silver and copper provide the best signal transfer. Tip: Make sure the cables to your front speakers are the same length. This also applies to your rear speakers. Failure to do so may cause a delay between your link and your right speaker.
There is sometimes disagreement about purchasing digital cables, especially HDMI cables. Often when you buy an HDMI cable in a store you are immediately referred to cables from €150 to €200 because they are gold-plated, do not lose signal and have some extra quality. Now this is a debatable point as the signal is digital. For this reason you will have almost no signal loss, compared to an analog signal. In addition, cheaper cables often have gold-plated connections, extra signal protection, etc., so the difference with more expensive cables is really minimal. Actually you should see it this way; If you are going to look for an HDMI cable, the costs must be in proportion to the costs of your total home cinema system.
For example, if you have a system of € 5000, a cable of € 150 is not so crazy after all. But, if you have a home cinema system of €1500, a €150 cable is quite expensive. A $50-$60 cable would do the exact same thing for you. Again, the difference between the €150 and the €50 cable is really minimal. You will have to be a very experienced tester and viewer to see or hear it and often it is a psychic natural as well. In addition, more expensive equipment is often more sensitive, accurate and clearer, so that noise/signal loss would be more noticeable here, if at all. So think carefully before you buy a digital (often HDMI) cable and other accessories and also look at the ratio to your total expenditure and the very small difference in quality.
For analog cabling, the above is a different story. An analog signal is absolutely noise sensitive and the signal can therefore sometimes be partially lost. A good (gold-plated) connection and thicker cables, with insulation, often offer a solution. Please note that this mainly applies to cables longer than 1.5 meters. This is not necessary for a cable of 30 centimeters. The chance that you will lose signal here is very small, unless the cable is of really bad quality.
