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(ARA) – You've gathered your family and friends for movie night and an opportunity to show off your new HDTV. You've popped the popcorn and everyone is settling into their chairs for a fun movie night. The lights go down and … the dialogue is so muffled that you can barely hear the actor's voices. Now not only are you embarrassed in front of your loved ones, but you aren't getting the dialogue clarity that you need for your everyday TV and movie watching. How can you improve the performance of your TV's audio so you can get the full HDTV experience including premium sound?

HDTVs are one of the hottest commodities on the electronics market, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. They estimate that flat-panel HDTV sales will climb to as many as 37 million in 2010, and that new innovations will keep the market fresh going forward.

"Out of all the people that are buying HDTVs, millions don't have the kind of audio system that gives them the full HD experience," says Jason Hicks, home theater guru at Aperion Audio. "TV speakers are small – when you think about the size of a flat-panel HDTV, there just isn't much room for speakers. And what a lot of people don't realize is that they can do several things to improve the sound quality of their HDTV system without necessarily spending a lot of money."

Hicks offers five suggestions for optimizing the sound in your HDTV experience.

1. Position your TV in a corner. This will help to reinforce some of the bass tones and provide more reflected sound to your sitting areas.

2. Most TVs come with some basic tone controls such as treble, bass and a simulated surround effect, commonly called "3D." Make use of these, but keep in mind that they may only give you a modest increase in sound quality, because you are still dependent on the TV's built-in speakers.

3. Purchase wireless headphones that allow you to control the volume individually. This can be a good solution for the TV in your bedroom so you don't disturb your partner.

4. The closest thing to an immersive movie theater experience is a full 5.1 system consisting of five home theater speakers and a subwoofer, which is the “.1” in a 5.1 system. Not only will a system like this give you the sense of envelopment that a full surround set up provides, but it can also double for music playback.

5. If you're pinched for space, or if you want a more streamlined aesthetic, consider an all-in-one "soundbar" speaker system. This new type of speaker system is meant to be placed just under your HDTV to provide a significant improvement over the TV's built-in speakers in an almost invisible location. Depending on its quality, and there are many to choose from, a soundbar can put out movie-theater-like surround sound without adding the clutter of multiple speakers to your room.

Shop smart if you're looking for an all-in-one system — some are only stereo and some don't have amplifiers built in, which would require you to have a separate receiver or amplifier. So, if space saving and a streamlined design are your priorities, a powered soundbar could be the best sound solution for you.

Solutions like these make a huge difference in getting the best performance from your HDTV sound. For more tips on how to optimize your home audio systems, go to www.AperionAudio.com where you'll find free expert advice, customized to your personal needs. When you have sound that equals the picture quality of your HDTV, watching movies and television programs becomes a thrilling event for the whole family.

Courtesy of ARAcontent