Sometimes, we wish to have great theatre experience right in our homes. We want to watch our favorite movie and dance to our preferred tunes without having to go out.
If you desire such an experience, then having a home entertainment setup is a great idea.
However, setting up this home system can sometimes be frustrating, especially if you lack the needed knowledge.
In addition, your budget will decide the type of entertainment setup you can install.
But don’t give up already, just relax. This article will guide you through creating the best possible home entertainment setup you’ve been dreaming about.
Contents
Consider Your Budget
Your first step to creating an entertainment system at home is to make your budget fit. How much can you spend to get this done? Will you be able to break the bank just to have your dream home system?
Your budget would determine how sophisticated or not your system might look. The most important thing is getting your priorities right. Don’t spend beyond your means nor do any impulse buying. Before stepping out, list all the equipment you need, starting with the most important ones. To have a fair idea of how much you will spend compare prices on online shopping sites including Amazon and Aliexpress.
What type of system do you want?
After making your budget, the next step is to consider the type of setup you need. What purpose do you want it to serve? Do you want it for audio, video, or both? In addition, consider the size of your apartment and how much sound can you take? Setting up a loud entertainment system in a small apartment can be a misfit. Even though you can control the sound, why buy something you don’t really need?
If your apartment is small, choose your speakers carefully or replace it with a soundbar that fits the purpose. If you have a large living room, then you can surely go out for something louder. In this case, a surround sound system wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Setting up a surround-sound System
For quality in sound and more extensive range coverage, then surround sound setup is your best option. In setting up a surround sound system, you need speakers and an AV receiver.
- Choosing Your SpeakersSpeakers are an integral part of a home entertainment system. Whether the setup is for audio, video, or both, you can’t compromise on the quality of sound. For a simple home entertainment setup, you can go for powered speakers. Powered speakers have a built-in-amplifier so you wouldn’t need a separate receiver. The speakers have several connection inputs, which enables you to connect your television, and turntable among others.
However, for a larger and sophisticated setup, you need speakers with a broader frequency range and higher sensitivity number. With this setup, you may need a receiver that matches your speaker’s capacity. You can also purchase a 5.1 or 7.1 surround system. The system comes with 5 or 7 speakers with a subwoofer.
- How to Choose a ReceiverIf you are considering a larger setup, then you need a receiver for your home theatre setup.
Aside from serving as the connection hub for other systems, the receiver also, ensure you receive quality sound via the speakers. When buying a receiver, take into consideration your other gadgets like the TV. Most modern devices come with HDMI ports, as phonos are gradually fading out.
You will most likely need a receiver with several HDMI inputs and outputs for your other devices. For streaming purposes, it should have an in-built Bluetooth or WI-FI. But in case you can’t afford a receiver, your old amplifier might suffice. Although this may have limited capabilities, it can at least handle your audio devices and television. With it, you can safely connect your turntable.
- Buying a Television or ProjectorTechnological advancement has brought forth different types of televisions you can choose from. There is the Plasma, LCD, LED and now the LCD HD and Ultra HD TVs. But choosing between plasma, LCD or LED TV can be a little tricky. If you have a brighter room, then LCD or LED will be the best bargain. For a darker and bigger place, you can go for the plasma. If you aim to have, that theatre feeling with a bigger view, then go for a projector and screen. In addition, if you are investing in something that can last the next decade, then buying an Ultra HD television is advisable.
Have you considered Furniture?
You can’t have a perfect entertainment room without furniture. If you need to buy new furniture, once again, consider your room size. Remember the room should be spacious enough to make dancing possible. So before you explore your equipment options in the market, measure the size of where you want to place your furniture.
That notwithstanding, you can still install your dream furniture by making a few adjustments by getting furniture that perfectly fits your room.
Subscribe to an Entertainment Package (Setting the Room)
You have one aim for setting up a home entertainment system, and that is to be entertained when home. As such, you need to subscribe to an entertainment package. You can choose from the many deluxe cable packages out there to make your setup complete.
Subscribing to an entertainment package gives, you access to unlimited movies, music videos, and TV programmes. It also limits your hustle of buying DVDs for every new film.
Organizing Your Home Entertainment System
- Positioning the SpeakersNow that all your devices are ready, you are good to set up your system. Positioning your gadgets well, especially the speakers give you the best of sounds. A common mistake many people make is placing the speakers against the walls and facing forward. For your home entertainment setup, focus them towards where you will be sitting.
A good tip to follow is don’t sit the speakers on the floor, depending on the type of speakers, try to elevate them instead. The distance between the speakers and the receiver will also determine the length of speaker wire you will need. For the best connection between the speakers and the receiver, use banana plugs. Also, ensure that you don’t mix the connections. Make sure you connect the positive wire to the positive terminal of the receiver, likewise the negative. Most often, the positive wire in red and the negative is black. You can also label them for easy reconnection in case you disconnect them in the future.
- Placing your Visual DevicesSetting your television or projector in a suitable area is essential for the best view. That aside, the distance between your visual devices and furniture should be considered. This will depend on the design of your room and the size of it. For the best audio-visual effect, your furniture must face the television or projector screen. If your room has sun-facing windows, consider investing in blackout windows to deal with that problem. This will keep the sun rays out when enjoying your favorite movie. If possible, wall mount your television to a position that is at eye level.
Hiding the Wires
You definitely don’t want your entertainment room to be filled with unsightly wires here and there. The ideal situation is to get all the cables in the wall. That said, this is not possible in all cases, especially if you didn’t build the house yourself. A good alternative solution would be to use plastic wire clips to keep the wires together.
There are also DIY options to choose from. If doing this, ensure that the wire gets enough ventilation to prevent overheating and blowing fuses. You can align your speaker wires unseeingly on the ground attached to the walls.
Decorating the Room
Your entertainment room must look inspiring and fulfilling to fit its purpose. It should be somewhere you can also relax, reflect on your life, and make plans. This makes having a suitable décor essential. You can install inspiring wall pictures and other home décor materials to create a serene environment. Being an entertainment room adding posters of your favorite movies and celebrities wouldn’t be out of place. If you are a gamer, you will surely want to paste posters of your favorite characters. You can seek the assistance of an interior decorator for the perfect look.
Bottom-line
Having an entertainment center at home can be very beneficial even for your health. It can release you from boredom and stress after a hard day’s work. It can also enhance the bond between family and friends. With the above guide, you can create the best possible home entertainment setup no matter your budget. You can also do some add ups, where possible, for the best results.