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The Top 5 Most Crucial Components of a Home Theater

Home theater systems allow you to enjoy the full experience of a movie theater without the hassle of long lines and loud people (and outrageous popcorn prices). However, reaping the full benefits from a top quality home theater system depends on combining the right components. Forgetting one part, or making a poor purchase decision, will significantly reduce the entertainment value of a home theater system. Here are the five most crucial components that you should consider when building or modifying your home theater.

5. The Surge Protectors.

Electricity is what makes all the magic happen, but electrical surges can be your worst enemy. Even the most cutting-edge electronics can still be rendered useless with an electrical surge.

Surge protectors earned their name by protecting your sensitive (and expensive) electronics from surges, which are simply spikes in voltage within an electrical circuit. Most surge protectors look very similar to power strips, but the two should not be confused.  A power strip only adds more electrical sockets but offers no surge protection.

4. The Home Theater Room.

The room that will become the home theater is one of the most important components of the entire operation. The shape of the room, the location of windows and position of entry points will each play a role in how the rest of the home theater system comes together.

The chosen room should be as close to rectangular shape as possible. Low light rooms are also desirable, although light from windows can be quickly blacked out with the right curtains.

Furniture and its position are also something that must be considered. Where will people be sitting? This further determines where the display device and the speakers will be placed.

3. The Speakers.

Audio is half of the fun of a home theater room. Investing in quality speakers will increase the immersion factor, allowing you and your guests to become lost in a movie or video game.

Most home theater systems are 5.1, meaning they have two front speakers, two back speakers, one center speaker and a subwoofer. Speaker placement will vary based on multiple factors, meaning you’ll likely have to experiment with different positions to determine what is right for you. However, the folks over at Dolby have created a useful guide for speaker placement.

2. The Receiver.  

Your receiver connects your speakers, video input, and the display device. It is the central hub of your home theater system. Many receivers include their own speakers while others will have inputs that allow for any speakers to be used.

An ideal receiver will also function as an amplifier, although separate amplifiers and even preamps are often utilized in some home theater systems. For most people, buying an all-in-one unit will be more than sufficient.

1. The Display Device.

What will it be? An OLED or LCD TV? What about a 4K Ultra HD TV? You may even decide to opt for a video projector and screen.

While some may say there’s a “best” option, it ultimately boils down to personal preference. Some rooms will not be able to adequately host a projector, leaving the different TV technologies as options. Some movie fanatics will want a 4K TV while many will be satisfied with a 1080p LCD TV. If you are unsure what will be best, visit one of Gramophone’s showrooms and see what you prefer.

As far as size is concerned, bigger is not always better. The room size and furniture position will determine which viewing size will be optimal for enjoyment. Ultimately, it comes down to the viewing distance that you can achieve. Larger screens require a larger viewing distance. Fortunately, you can use a helpful calculator that will determine which screen size is best for your room.  

It is Time to Build Your Dream Theater

Planning ahead of time is the absolute best way to achieve your dream home theater system. Determining how to best use your room to dictate speaker placement and the viewing system might seem dry, but it will make all the difference on your first viewing. 

- Ryan Rhodes

Ryan is a tech junkie and loves having top quality tech gadgets. He enjoys what technology has to offer the world and how it can make the things we have to do in life more efficient. He currently works for a technology online retailer.