Goofy in “How to Hook Up Your Home Theater”
Here’s a funny Disney mock-instructional video about how to set up a home theater system:
As silly as the video is, tech companies could actually learn a lot from it. Goofy encounters a wide variety of usability issues. Many companies (e.g. Dell) conduct out-of-the-box studies to ensure a good user experience. Some companies (like Bose) attempt to make this process easier with home theater in-a-box solutions. But, the problem goes beyond sound. The whole setup process can be easy, but with all of the choices and little instruction that consumers receive, it can end up being complicated.
My recommendation is to do your research on an HDTV and buy one locally if it is larger than about 32 inches. Don’t buy anything else in the store. Buy cables (HDMI or Component) and a surge protector online. Invest in speakers only if you’re not happy with the TV’s speakers (try all of the audio setings on the TV too!). You may want to also invest in a Blu-Ray player for HD movies, but personally I am happy renting HD movies on my Apple TV. If you have Netflix, you can buy a Roku set-top box for renting HD movies.
[via Gizmodo via Cartoon Brew via Dark Roasted Blend]
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