Who ever said building a home theater had to cost a bundle?
Diving into the world of home theater entertainment can be daunting. Magazines, Internet forum “experts,” and the home theater industry can be helpful, but they can also confound a consumer’s mind. Putting together a home theatre doesn’t have to be so confusing and sometimes misleading.
Media outlets have been great in showing buyers what kind of HDTVs, audio equipment and accessories are on the market. They’ve done a good job in steering future buyers into some stunning equipment. But most consumers who have to make a living might not want to spend that kind of money. Honestly, it’s not necessary.
Instead of buying a cheap HDTV and a home-theater-in-a-box at the local membership warehouse, most consumers can build a great home theater by purchasing reasonably priced equipment, while still getting picture and sound quality on par or superior to multi-thousand dollar installations.
New Times In Home Theater
Scanning through the glossy pages of almost any home theater magazine, readers are hit with a barrage of pretty pictures of elaborate home theater set-ups and expensive equipment. Just as car magazines will sometimes flaunt beautiful pieces of metal on rubber, home theater magazines show how nice one’s den could be, at a price.
Readers sigh and pick up their wallet, realizing that maybe breaking out their credit card for a new 65-inch HDTV screen might bring happiness into their lives. Wow, they say, football would look so good on 65-inches of HD real estate. Sure beats the old 13-inch black-and-white television of their youth.
Then being sensible comes into play.
Like a car, it’s not always necessary to buy the deluxe model. The base model, or even middle model, can still be very nice. Many lower priced models of televisions, for instance, may carry the same parts as their siblings. The only difference may be the size of the screen. Besides, the reason for a car is to get from Point A to Point B. The same can be said for home theater. The reason for home theater is to entertain.
This is the age of home theater, and there is no doubt home entertainment systems have never been better. It used to be a matter of buying a VCR with questionable picture and sound quality, hooking it up to a television and renting a videotape. Those days are long gone. Just to be a part of the 21st century, one has to buy a DVD player, big screen TV, and at least have a cable or satellite subscription just to be relevant. Add high definition television and Blu-ray discs to the mix, a movie lover could be living the high life.
How times have changed. In the 1980s, VHS tape dominated the home theater landscape. In the 21st century, high definition Blu-ray discs are all the rage. In the process of home theater evolution, consumer have been encouraged to upgrade their television screens, cable, satellite dishes, and audio receivers. Some consumers have even built separate home theater rooms, or renovated existing rooms to re-create their local movie house.
This can get very expensive.
For those who don’t want to spend too much money, but still want a bang for their buck, there are ways to build a great home theater on a budget. All that is needed is a little bit of patience, a little bit of time to shop for great deals, and a modest budget.
Building A Home Theater With A Reasonable Budget
This article takes the approach of building a home theater from scratch, but many of the suggestions can be used to upgrade current home theater installations.
To build a home theater from scratch, and when upgrading, it’s recommended to have a plan in hand. Figure out what pieces of equipment are needed. It doesn’t have to be done on a spreadsheet, or have to be so elaborate that one gets lost in the details. Try to keep it simple.
Have a budget in mind. It’s easy to walk into a store and be drawn to the brightest HDTV display, or be blown over by speakers and how they sound. It’s harder to box up everything to return because the HDTV doesn’t look as good, and the speakers don’t sound as good once they’re home. Put away the credit card and plan what is going to be spent.
A budget is the cornerstone of building a home theater, but it may sometimes be necessary to spend a little extra. Buyers may want to get a slightly bigger HDTV screen, or upgrade to a slightly more powerful audio receiver or amplifier. It’s okay to allocate a bit more if desired, but keep in mind the original budget and stay as close to that as possible.
What’s Needed In A Home Theater
A simple home theater should include:
- 42 (minimum) to 50-inch screen HDTV
- Receiver with HDMI input/output jacks
- Speakers
- Subwoofer
- Blu-ray player (also plays DVDs)
- Necessary cables
- Digital cable or satellite service
- Comfy couch
- Popcorn, soda and candy
There it is. Now it’s a matter of planning, shopping, and learning what goes into a home theater for the rest of us.
