How to Set Up a Home Theater

Home theater technology has improved dramatically in recent years, making it possible for many homeowners to turn a spare room into a state-of-the-art media room without spending a fortune. The most sophisticated home cinema setups feature a large projection system and screen for the ultimate in home movie experience, but even entry-level home theater systems can rival the video quality of most commercial cinemas.

Typical home cinemas consist of a centralized hub to house AV receivers, DVD players, and other components that will connect to TV sets. These home cinema hubs can be hidden in cabinets, built into wall units, or set up on a raised platform. Some hubs also have a separate control panel for connecting media streaming devices that will provide additional sources of movie content to the home theater.

Most home theaters are connected to the Internet, allowing them to stream movies and music from online services. The latest Blu-ray players also act as media streaming devices by networking with a personal computer to allow you to download and play high-definition movies directly from the Internet.

A major part of a home theater setup is the display and seating arrangement. A typical living room couch can be transformed into comfortable home theater seats using cushions and throw pillows. For an authentic theater feel, consider reclining stadium chairs or loveseats that face the display screen from an optimal viewing distance.

Home cinemas can be created in dedicated screening rooms, but most are tucked into living spaces or dens that are able to accommodate family and friends for a casual movie night. A high-resolution digital projector mounted in a box on the ceiling is the preferred display for the prototypical home cinema, but even a small LCD or CRT front projector can produce a huge image that will rival the resolution of some big-screen HDTVs.

In addition to the projection system and screen, a typical home theater setup features a high-resolution surround sound audio system. This can be a standard stereo pair of speakers, or a 5.1-channel speaker setup that includes left, right, center, and rear surround sound channels. Some home theaters also use 9.1 surround sound, adding an extra pair of top-front and back speakers to replicate the sense of being in a real movie theater.

When setting up a home theater, it is important to install appropriate insulation to keep the theater from leaking sound into the rest of the house. R30 insulation is recommended for the floor, walls, and roof of the theater to prevent sound from radiating into the surrounding rooms. It is also a good idea to insulate the interior walls of the theater, although this will probably require tearing into finished drywall and re-insulating the room.

Once the drywall is installed and painted, it is time to mount the speakers, projector, and screen. The first step is to determine the ideal size for the projector and screen. A typical screen size for a home theater is 20 by 13 feet, which fits two rows of four seats comfortably. For a more professional look, frame the screen with a proscenium of black acoustic panels that can be printed with custom designs like favorite movie posters or family photos.