It's time to 'open' your own theater

It's time to 'open' your own theater

Burhanuddin Abe, Contributor, Jakarta

The upcoming elections will certainly be different from
previous elections, as this year will see the country's first
ever direct presidential election.

Prior to the legislative election on April 5, the 24
contesting parties will campaign to try and win the hearts and
minds of voters. As with campaigns in the past, most major
streets in cities across the country will be flooded with the
parties' supporters, lending the streets a parade atmosphere.
Hence, the traffic jams and related difficulties, even on Sundays
and public holidays, are already on many people's minds.

Wouldn't it be better instead to remain in the comfort of your
home and watch a favorite DVD or listen to those familiar,
soothing tunes.

For some years now, sophisticated audio and video equipment
has offered people movie theater-style luxury in their own homes.
The picture and sound quality of home theater equipment is on a
par with almost any expensive cinema, while at a much lower cost.

Johny Hartawan, a furniture dealer, is an ardent fan of
movies. Alone or with his family, watching movies in his own home
theater has become a satisfying substitute to going to cafes or
clubs.

"Personally, I find it drains my energy driving to all these
places. Apart from being time-consuming, even one visit to a cafe
or some place like that nowadays makes me physically tired ...
and affects me mentally, as well. It takes a few days to
recover," he said.

For various reasons, such as affordability or lack of a
suitable room, not many people decide to purchase a home theater.
Cost-wise, creating a cinema in your home today is not as
expensive as many might think. The mass production of home
theater equipment has made prices more competitive. Various
manufacturers today offer a wide range of home theaters, from the
simple to the extravagant, with prices that many people can
afford.

South Korean electronics giant Samsung, for example, offers
the HT-DM150 for Rp 2 million (about US$235). If you have a
larger budget, you can opt for Samsung's HT-DM550. If Sony is
your choice, then you can go for the HT SC5 for Rp 4.8 million or
the SC8 at Rp 6.8 million.

Equipped with Dolby Digital/DTS and Dolby Prologic, both
products have a sound output of 5 x 90W. They are capable of
playing various formats: CD-R/RW, MP3-CD, VCD, SVCD-RW and DVD-
RW, as well as pictures in JPEG-CD. A 20-station radio is also
provided. The SC5, with five speakers and one subwoofer, is
smaller and shorter, while the speakers of the SC8 are taller.

Pioneer, meanwhile, has the HTZ900DVD. With its 5,600 watt
PMPO and 6x75 watt RMS strength, it also comes with numerous
capabilities and functions, such as radio stations, Line 1/2,
DVD/DVD-R, DVD-RW/DVD-Audio, VCD, SVCD, SACD, SACD Multi, DTS-CD,
CD-R/RW, MP3 and JPEG. Its sound technology is the latest
DTS/Dolby Digital/Dolby Pro Logic II Surround coming through five
satellite speakers and subwoofers.

Major brands like Sony and Pioneer are no longer alone in the
highly competitive home theater market. Samsung, for one, has the
HT-DM550, which comes with a hefty 400W RMS output composed of
five speakers with 60W each and a 100W subwoofer. Dolby Digital,
DTS and MPEG 5.1 are also incorporated, while the Progressive
Scan assures quality images and sound. Among the various formats,
this product is capable of playing DVD, VCD, CD, CD-RW and MP3,
and has a 30-station preset radio. One rung below, its HT-DM150
delivers a 270W RMS sound with most of the same features as its
big brother the HT-DM550.

Polytron, a large local electronics company, has taken the
necessary steps not to lose out to the international brands.
Incorporating the world-famous Dolby audio technology, Polytron
launched its Minimax7 Dolby Digital. A locally established brand,
Polytron, coupled with the Dolby feature, expects to grab a
significant market share.

Another strong contender is LG Electronics. After the success
of its Home Theater One Box in Home Cinema DA 5630, the company
reinforced its home theater product range with the LH-D6230. The
target is the middle class, while the product incorporates many
of the latest features.

Although a comparable newcomer in the home theater business,
LG feels optimistic that it can gradually grab a significant
portion of the market. The LH-D6230 is quite unique as it is
capable of playing the entire range of CDs, which is quite rare
for other competing products in the same price category. Its S
Video/Composite feature also ensures high quality image
reproduction.

Other international players in the home theater market include
Panasonic, JBL and NAD. The market has also become more lively
with the entry of products from China, which are famous for their
lower price tags.

One of the reasons electronic companies are enthusiastic about
the Indonesian market is its rapid growth. In 2002, home theater
sales hovered at about 6,000 units, while by the end of 2003 it
had more than doubled to 14,000 units.

While the prices of home theater equipment were unaffordable
for many people here in 2002, this has changed over the last
year. Marketers realized that to enlarge the market, products and
their prices should be suitable for the middle class. With a
larger number of brands competing in the home theater sector,
prices have gone down to the point where they are affordable to a
large group of people.

This year things look even brighter. Electronics dealers at
the Glodok electronics center in North Jakarta told The Jakarta
Post that 2004 may well turn out to be the year of the home
theater.

"Just take a look at how aggressive the major electronics
giants from various countries are in their marketing drive," said
one of the dealers.

As with any product category, a battle among the giants
usually benefits the consumers. Prices go down and more brands
with state-of-the-art technology are introduced to lure
customers. Given this situation, the choice now is entirely in
the hands of consumers.

You can still go out to the movies, with all the hassles and
inconveniences. Or, much more convenient and ultimately
economical, you can "open up" your own cinema. The best movies
will then be at your fingertips.