When
it comes to putting money into the development of your home, one of the very
worthwhile investments is an ideal home theater system. To ensure crisp sound, great
visuals, and an amazing performance, you want the best equipment for your particular
space.
Not everyone is able to have their home system custom installed. Follow some of these
worthwhile tips if you are bringing your stereo equipment home and installing all of the
components yourself.
Installation is not as simple as placing the plasma TV and speakers up to the appropriate
shelf of your home entertainment stand. For the less than technical, it may take a couple
of hours to sort out the appropriate wires and connection cables and layout the correct
plan for all of the home theater equipment. Take your time and feel comfortable with the
plans. Make sure that the equipment you bought has all of the appropriate parts for solid
installation. Taking the time to assess everything will save you stress later on.
Some pieces, such as a projector system, will require calibration and adjustment in
addition to mounting. If you are unsure about how best to do this, schedule to work on
installing everything in a couple of days so that you won’t be pressured to install
equipment incorrectly or to settle for imperfect calibration.
Ask your retailer when you purchase a home theater system about any optional or "not
included" components that may best go with your home theater design. This will save
you from having to make several trips to the store for additional parts.
Most home theaters designs include a television - whether plasma, LCD, projector system,
or CRT - some form of speaker package for the audio home theater system element, a DVD
player, and a cable box, satellite TV system or other connection system. Depending on how
sophisticated you wish your home theater to be, you may include high-end receivers,
subwoofers, and universal remote controls. Choose what is right for your household –
don’t succumb to hypes or pressure. It is your home atmosphere that matters.
As you are planning your room, decide where the best speaker placement is for the size of
your room. If need be, move furniture around for the best sound or buy longer wires to
easily connect your components in the way you want. Most manufacturers will recommend
placement options for the particular speaker types. Subwoofers can generally be placed to
the front and left of the TV. Other speakers should be placed to the right and left of the
TV and, depending on how many you have, midway in the room on both the right and left and
behind the main viewing area. As you place speakers, stop and play your favorite DVD and
see if you are getting the sound you want. Move the speaker if you are not.
Once the speakers are in place, connect them to the DVD player, cable box and the
television, placing each component in the proper place as you get it connected. Play your
favorite DVD in as you put on the finishing touches to test the sound quality, connections
and the room lighting.
These tips are simple but they could save you a lot of time if you are installing a home
theater system on your own.
Ben Anton, 2007 |
