Before you embark on purchasing the home theatre equipment you will need for your home theatre, it's vital that you set yourself a budget within which to work. There are many different items that comprise a home theatre set up, so it's important to make sure that you have not only enough to cover their actual cost, but their installation as well.
Once you have decided upon your budget, you must go about choosing each individual item of home theatre equipment that you will need. Most people start with the television. The two main contenders currently available on the market are LCD displays, which work much better in lighter environments, and plasma screens, which are the better choice if colour quality is your primary concern.
All too often, people fall under the impression that bigger is better, however the reality is, that unless the space between your TV and where you are sitting is at least four metres, you should choose a television that is under 40 inches in diameter. In fact, far more important is to ensure your television is Hi-Definition (HD) ready.
The next item on your home theatre equipment agenda is a DVD player. Although there are many cheap versions available, it pays to go for one that is better quality from a brand name with a good reputation. Make sure your DVD player is a multi-region one and that it plays your MP3s, CDs, karaoke CDs, MPEG, and AVI footage, not just restricted zone-specific DVDs.
Usually, home theatre equipment includes a number of speakers to provide surround sound, not just stereo sound. The placement of these can be at the front and back of the room in a bracketed system, or from above, in a floating system mounted within a false ceiling. That said, many large plasma screens today come with a pseudo-surround system built in, some of which are surprisingly good.
If you have several speakers, naturally, you will also need an amplifier, with wattage compliant with the size of your room, amount of speakers, and decibel level requirements. However, a word of warning: don't bother buying one if it's not Dolby Surround Sound as the quality will be very poor and not worthy of the price you have paid.
Should you wish to include a satellite system within your home theatre set up, then you will need to buy a satellite dish, receiver, and decoder, all of which have to be connected to your home theatre equipment using cables, ideally of a better quality such as gold or silver, rather than the traditional copper. Alternatively, a thicker copper cable would be equally as effective, and last longer than standard ones.
Finally, although not imperative, there is one item which is a nice touch to your home theatre set up and that's a "bass shaker". This little device attaches to the base of the chair and vibrates with the bass tones to mimic a cinema feel, very effectively. They add a nice touch and are an extremely well-priced item amongst the many on your home theatre equipment list.
Copyright (c) 2008 Steven Magill
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