If you have never done it before, setting up a home theater system might seem like a complicated thing to do. However, if you stick to our guide, you will be able to do that in no time, with a few relatively simple steps. So let’s take a look at how to setup a home theater system in your home.
Preparing Your Home Theater
Before you start, you need to know which components you need to buy. Most of the setups include speakers, a receiver, some type of video input, and a TV. Before you start buying anything, check if the things that you already have can serve the purpose. If you have a set of good speakers and a Full HD TV, you only have to buy a receiver, and optionally, a video input. It is also advised to use products of a similar age, so you don’t want to use an old TV and modern speakers. The fact is that they might not be compatible, and also might not look so good.
On the other hand, you might want to buy an all-in-one home theater package. This is useful if you are not worried about specific parts of the equipment. In the end, consider where you want your home theater to be. You want your TV to match the room size, and you want the same when it comes to your speakers.
Choosing and Installing a TV
While most of us always aim at TVs with bigger dimensions, you should first consider your room size. Something beneficial to know is that a bigger TV doesn’t always mean a better image quality. What matters most is the resolution. While you should at least look for an HD TV, you might even want to invest in Full HD or 4K. If the screen is big and it’s only HD, it won’t provide the perfect image.
However, if you are aiming at 4K, then you have to consider your video input — for example, if your TV is 1080i and you want to watch movies via Xbox One, note that it won’t support that resolution and will play movies in HD instead. An ideal video source is a console or a DVD player. However, some people even use Android Chromecast, which might be the cheapest alternative that does the job pretty well.
While choosing the position for your TV, make sure that there is enough space between the place from which you will be watching, and the TV.
Choosing and Installing the Speakers
Speakers are also a significant part of a home theater system. It would detract from the experience if you had to watch a movie in a perfect resolution, with poor audio. When choosing speakers, note that most movies are multitrack which means that they provide sound from different speakers so that at a particular moment, every speaker might provide a different sound to provide the best experience.
For example, 7 smaller speakers will provide a much better experience than 2 bigger speakers. If you are using multiple speakers, which is recommended, there are a few rules that you should follow.
First, you should place two front speakers at ear height, and a center speaker above or below the TV. Side speakers should be placed in line above you, and rear speakers should be side by side along the center of the wall behind you. The subwoofer should be placed near the front wall, preferably in the middle.
Choosing and Installing a Receiver
A receiver acts as a kind of hub for all the components. They are not mandatory but are very useful. Most TVs nowadays use an HDMI port, but some also have DisplayPort inputs. Some people make the mistake of buying an audio-only receiver. Be sure to buy the one that supports both video and audio inputs.
When choosing the right receiver, you should have one HDMI port for every connected item. Also, since most TVs have HDMI ports, you should have at least one HDMI output on the receiver.
When you buy a receiver, be sure to put it under your TV, as well as all the other components. You want to have them close to each other, to be sure that every component will reach the receiver, and that the receiver will easily reach your TV. Then, all you have to do is connect all the components to a receiver, the receiver to the TV, and enjoy!
Conclusion
As you can see, setting up your home theater is a fairly simple process, but also a bit tricky if you have never done it before. Be sure to choose the right TV, and then choose all the components that will perfectly match. You can hardly go wrong if you choose all the components from the same generation. We’re sure that you will set up your home theater in no time with this guide.