Most people who own iPods have found that this hugely popular product is almost indispensable to them as they go about their daily routine. The ability to enjoy music wherever you happen to be can be quite addictive. It has become popular to integrate home theater systems with the iPod in order to take advantage of the high quality audio and video that these systems are noted for, and to give the ears a break from the ubiquitous earbuds that sometimes seem permanently implanted in our zeal to entertain ourselves!

iPods play well with home theater systems. Anything that the iPod's hard drive contains can be shared with friends and family. The new fifth generation iPod, which is capable of displaying videos and photos, works especially well. Music videos downloaded from Apple's iTunes look and sound great, and favorite photos you may have added to your iPod show up beautifully on a large screen television. Even the older iPods which contain music only will give you double the enjoyment when paired with your home theater system. All your playlists and favorites can be quickly and easily accessed for your listening pleasure. Any audio enhancements you system contains, such as Dolby Pro Logic II, will work with the songs on your iPod to create a sound quality you just cannot get from an iPod alone.

To harness the power of your home theater system, you will need what is known as an audio/video dock for the iPod. This device will blend in with your existing system and bridge the two units together, enabling you to get maximum enjoyment out of each component. Once connected, the iPod is controllable with the home theater system's remote. You can view the tracks included on your iPod playlists via the receiver of your home system. Now, it is easy to enjoy your digital music that you have stored on your iPod. With just the touch of a button, your home can be filled with music of the highest fidelity. The dock also charges your iPod while it is connected, which is a real time-saver.

You can find these audio/video docks both online and in retail stores, making it easy to turn your iPod into a home music server and add extra enjoyment to your home theater system.