Choosing your equipment

The first thing to be done is to decide whether you want a “boxed” theater system, or if you would rather purchase the items individually and piece it together. Although this is a little more expensive, and sounds more complicated. It really can be a lot better setup depending on just how much of an experience you want it to be. You can purchase equipment from places such as Wal-Mart, and save money over specialty stores.

Basic setup of a Home Theater

All good home theaters have a tuner. This is what everything hooks to. You also have a “Center” speaker, generally located just on or above the T.V. This is where only the voices of the characters will come out. Next you have what are called the “Fronts”, which sit on either side of the T.V. This is where all your main noises you hear, such as explosions, come out. The next pair of speakers are called the “Rears”, these are the speakers that are located behind the seating area. For the best audio, these speakers should be placed at head level directly behind, say the couch, if this is your main viewing spot. These speakers give you what are known as your “Background” noises. These speakers can add a great deal of enjoyment to the experience if located properly.

Last but not least, you will want a “Sub-woofer”. This piece of equipment is not always necessary, but essential for the full body rumbling resonance of those car explosions and earthquake scenes.

Poor Mans Theater

All the stuff mentioned in the above description can make for an outstanding home theater, but can also cost more than you planned on spending. If you want a good sounding, loud stereo that will still get the point of a home theater across to you and your neighbors, but don’t want the price, you should go with a good set of front speakers and a sub-woofer. With these two things alone you can generate a lot of power, while sacrificing some of the “sound” experience, but saving money as well.