What are some good tips for purchasing a home theater?

Answer 1

Before buying a Home Theater system, make sure you think about what you would like to get out of it and how much space is in the room. Most people recommend buying a wide-screen TV, a DVD player and surround-sound speakers. Some retailers, like Best Buy, will set up the whole system for you and help you go over what sizes and specifications would be best for you. Otherwise, there are online articles like: http://www.pcworld.com/article/126251/how_to_buy_a_home_theater_system.html that can help you better decide what you need.

Answer 2

Of course, the easiest way to install a home theater is to build a new house, designing the room that will house the home theater prior to construction. This situation will enable the homeowner to determine where the seating, screen, and speakers will be placed. It will also enable the contractor to hide the requisite wiring during construction.

Location, Location, Location

As with real estate, location is the most important consideration when installing a home theater system. One should choose a room that is relatively large. The room must accommodate a screen, several speakers, seating, and the electronics required to operate the home theater system. The wall housing the screen should provide ample room for the screen and two of the speakers required for surround sound. Once the screen space is allocated, one should place the seating in an appropriate place. Every seat should have an unobstructed view of the screen. If space allows, one could construct tiered platforms, with each row of seats slightly higher than the row in front of it. After blocking space for the screen and the seating, one should place the remaining speakers. As a general rule of thumb, surround sound requires two speakers in the front of the room, one speaker placed at the midway point of each side wall, and one speaker in the back of the room.

Other Key Elements

When designing a home theater custom installation, several small details may make the difference between a large room in which to watch movies and a truly theatrical room.

One should check the ambient lighting of the room. Any windows in the room will allow light into the room, whether it is day or night. During the day, sunlight will disrupt the picture. During the night, streetlights, starlight, and a full moon all interrupt the viewer's movie experience. Typical home improvement store blinds will not resolve the lighting issue. One should consider specially designed black out curtains that cover the entire window surface.

Ventilation is another key consideration. The room should have adequate ventilation for the comfort of the guests, as well as additional ventilation that may be required to operate the custom home theater equipment. Electronic equipment generates a considerable amount of heat and may require additional ventilation. This additional heat must be taken into account when considering the comfort of the guests.

Answer 3

Home theater options

Having a home theater that you can enjoy with family and friends is a great addition to your home. Experiencing the optimum performance from media equipment will involve some preparation. Darken the room by getting blackout curtains that are heavy. This will control the light and absorb the sound.

If you are a beginner or someone who wishes to fine-tune your home theater, you will have to decide on what kind of equipment will work best for you. Consider the following options:

Flat Screen Televisions

When considering what kind of picture quality you would like your home theater system to have, there are three options: Plasma screens, LED screens and projectors.

Plasma TVs are a current technology supported by major manufacturers. There are size limitations with a plasma screen. Plasma TV sizes will range from 42 to 60 inches. Have a look at the picture quality and decide if the available sizes will work for your room. Sometimes your decision will come down to cost. The plasma TV will be on the lower end of the price scale for flat screen televisions.

LED televisions have excellent picture quality in larger sizes than plasma televisions. Even though the LED prices are comparable to the plasma televisions of similar size, as you go up in size, the cost will be more than plasma televisions.

Projectors

Flat screen television sizes are limited to 60 inches. If you would like something larger, consider a projector. Screens for projections are available up to 120 inches. The picture quality of a projector is excellent and unlike the older generation projectors, the lamps never need changing.

Answer 4

Home theater options

Having a home theater that you can enjoy with family and friends is a great addition to your home. Experiencing the optimum performance from media equipment will involve some preparation. Darken the room by getting blackout curtains that are heavy. This will control the light and absorb the sound.

If you are a beginner or someone who wishes to fine-tune your home theater, you will have to decide on what kind of equipment will work best for you. Consider the following options:

Flat Screen Televisions

When considering what kind of picture quality you would like your home theater system to have, there are three options: Plasma screens, LED screens and projectors.

Plasma TVs are a current technology supported by major manufacturers. There are size limitations with a plasma screen. Plasma TV sizes will range from 42 to 60 inches. Have a look at the picture quality and decide if the available sizes will work for your room. Sometimes your decision will come down to cost. The plasma TV will be on the lower end of the price scale for flat screen televisions.

LED televisions have excellent picture quality in larger sizes than plasma televisions. Even though the LED prices are comparable to the plasma televisions of similar size, as you go up in size, the cost will be more than plasma televisions.

Projectors

Flat screen television sizes are limited to 60 inches. If you would like something larger, consider a projector. Screens for projections are available up to 120 inches. The picture quality of a projector is excellent and unlike the older generation projectors, the lamps never need changing.