You always wanted to watch a movie with the same sound and quality of picture the theater delivers, but the option wasn’t available back then. But now it is thanks to home theater systems and you can’t wait to get one for your living room. A home theater can give you the movie theater experience without the movie theater hassle.
In the not too distant past, if you wanted to catch a movie, you had to get ready to go out, get in your car and drive until you arrived at the theater. Then you had to stand in line to pay an outrageous sum for a ticket. Once you got your ticket, if you wanted a soda and a snack, you had wait in yet another line and practically take out a second mortgage to cover the cost of the snacks.
Then you made your way into the dimly lit theater, found a seat (hoping someone hadn’t wiped gum or worse on it) and settled in to watch the movie. Just as it began, in walks a family with a little one who just couldn’t keep quiet no matter how many times he was shushed.
Time and again, your ability to see and hear the movie was interrupted by someone leaving and returning with the crying child. The entire experience is enough to leave you feeling very frustrated and cheated. A home movie theater bypasses all of that frustration.
A home theater setup with projector, a large screen and full complement of speakers and sub-woofers will enhance your home movie experience. Popcorn machine on the right is optional 🙂
You’ll want a home theater system that delivers the maximum in surround sound, so you’ll want to make sure if you’re buying the system as a set that it comes with top of the line speakers.
Some systems on the low end of the cost scale only come with two speakers. If you can get a system with four or more speakers, you’ll like that better in the long run because the receiver takes sound and divides it among the speakers. Obviously, the more speakers you have, the better the surround sound. For optimal performance, have at least six speakers.
When it comes to screen selection, you do not want to buy the cheapest one you can afford. Put some money into it and take the best. Never go smaller than 27 inches. The reason to invest in the best screen you can get is because you want a picture so clear you can see the pores on a character’s face. You want that kind of clarity and ability to see detail.
At the center of your home theater system will be the surround sound receiver, or more commonly called the AV receiver. You can get a receiver that does the job of several components or you can purchase your components separately. You can expect to pay anywhere from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars for a decent system depending on the components you choose.