Let’s face it, it’s time to replace that outdated home theater in a box you purchased in 2006. Not only is your Circuit City extended warranty hopelessly useless, but upscaling DVD players just don’t cut it any more. It’s time to get a real home theater system.
First up is your television. The short list of features you need are:
- Internet connectivity
- Local dimming LED backlit LCD
- At least 40″ no matter how close you sit to it
Some features are a waste of money though. Don’t get caught up in the Hz race. 240Hz televisions will make your shows look twice as much like a soap opera than 120Hz televisions. There is no reason to use this feature for anything other than live action sports and even then it doesn’t add much. For other content it just makes it all look like it was shot on video with bad lighting.
The big name manufacturers like Samsung and Sony make very nice televisions and charge a premium. It may be worthwhile looking at Vizio or LG to get near the same quality at a lower price.
Next up you’re going to need a Blu-ray player. Here you’ll also need internet connectivity but you’ll want to get one that has Wi-Fi already built in to reduce the number of cables and expensive add-ons. Blu-ray players have become mostly commoditized and the difference between brands is shrinking. The main differences are the audio codecs supported, startup time and how the player looks. There are some ugly players out there and you’re going to have to stare at this thing for a long time so get one with some style.
You’re going to need something to route your audio and video signals and pump out those sweet jams to your speakers and that is where a new audio video receiver comes in. Your new television and Blu-ray player come standard with a HDMI connector that digitally caries both audio and video signals on one wire. If the distance between your components is less than about 10 feet then there is no benefit to expensive HDMI cables. Longer than that and the more expensive cables have been shown to lose less signal. Sources like Amazon and Monoprice offer good cables for a small price.
Your receiver should have enough HDMI ports to accommodate one upstream output (your television) and at least three but preferably four HDMI inputs. You’re going to need one for your Blu-ray player, one for your DVR and one for your game console so with only three ports that leave no room for expansion when you end up getting both an Xbox and a PlayStation or a home theater PC. The back of the receiver will be filled with a lot of other useless ports for hooking up your VCR to watch those old tapes that your wife has from her summers at band camp.
The last major decision for the receiver is if you need a 7.1 channel system. A standard 5.1 setup will have two front speakers, two rear speakers, a center speaker and a subwoofer. A 7.1 channel system adds two additional side speakers. Unless you have a dedicated home theater room it’s going to be hard to find a place to put the side channels where you won’t trip over them. For most people 5.1 is sufficient.
Internet access for your receiver is not necessary since network functions are handled by your television and Blu-ray player.
Just like you want to watch the people moving around on the television in high-definition your sound should be high quality too. It’s time you started taking speakers more seriously. For those who are space constrained a sound bar is an option but discrete speakers are always going to sound better. Exposed wires have not been a good excuse for your lack of surround sound for some time now. Any other excuses?
Your front speakers should be separated far enough to give the left and right channels a chance to sound like left and right with your center channel positioned without interference as close to ear level as possible. The higher frequencies are more directional than lower frequencies so your speakers need to point at your head. Your speakers should be of the same brand and product family to get the best sound matching and so you don’t look like you inherited them from your uncle.
There is a wide range of prices in speakers and price isn’t always an indicator of quality and performance but it often is. You’re going to need speakers that fit the profile of your room. If you have a large room you’re going to need to fill it with sound and get higher output speakers. You’re also going to need to fit the center channel to the furniture it will be housed in. Measure the space in your entertainment center where the center will go and make sure your choice fits.
Depending on the receiver you chose you will either have an active (self amplified) subwoofer or passive (receiver applified) subwoofer. This is an expensive mistake so make sure to get the correct type to match your needs.
Connecting all the components is a straight forward process and many amplifiers come with a microphone to balance the speakers for their locations making the process simple. You can get a calibration Blu-ray disk to help get the settings on your new television just right.
The last thing to consider is proper air flow in your entertainment center. If your furniture has doors on it then you will need to ensure ventilation when the components are being used keeping in mind that your DVR runs at all times.
Still have questions? Shout out in the comments.
