The Wife’s Guide to DVD Home Theater System

Home Theater Design - A complete eBook on how to design a Home Theater from a simple living room installation to a dedicated Theater room. Don't start planning your theater without this!

"Click Logo Above To Download Your Movies Now" 

You’ve been to the technology stores with your guy and watched him drool all over the DVD home theater system. You’ve listened while he talked all technical with the sales person. You know it’s just a matter of time before your family room becomes a media room, and there are some things you need to know.

What are we talking about?

A DVD home theater system is any audiovisual set up that tries to recreate the experience of a movie theater. You can probably cobble something together with components you find at garage sales, or you can buy a DVD home theater system in a box, or you can buy separate components.

What are the components of a DVD home theater system?

Basically, you need a DVD player, an AV receiver, something to watch the movie on and some speakers. Let’s start with the heart of the DVD home theater system: the AV receiver. The AV receiver is often combined with a radio tuner, and it’s the control box for your whole system. You plug all your components into the AV receiver, including peripherals like your CD player and VCR.

You need a DVD player. You need something to play the movie on. An old-fashioned CRT TV works and some people think it gives you the best picture. You can also get HDTV’s, plasma and LCD flat panel TV’s, rear projection TV’s and video projection systems.

Finally, you need speakers. Typically, DVD home theater system produce “surround sound” which requires four to five speakers and a sub-woofer, and now a days with 7.1 even 7 speakers. The speakers are placed around the room to simulate theater sound. The sub-woofer is used to produce the very low frequency base sounds.

How do I know my DVD home theater system is set up right?

DVD home theater system is usually easy to set up, and follow simple logic. The pre-packaged systems are the easiest to set up. If your husband is considering a complicated or custom system, you might suggest having a CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association) certified installer put it in. It might even be worth having a CEDIA installer look at the room before hand to suggest specific options for your DVD home theater system.

Will my family room be an ugly mess with wires everywhere?

It doesn’t have to be. There are many ways to make your new DVD home theater system attractive. You can put the components in a media stand, or hide them in a media armoire. There are television concealment systems you can buy that hide the TV behind a panel. Speakers are available that are small and easily hidden, attractive and wireless.

Are there other things to consider?

There are some fun and practical options for your DVD home theater system. You may want to soundproof the room with special drywall, and you could add blackout screens if you have windows. For him, you can get tactile transducers that let you feel the base. For you, there is a programmable, touch screen universal remote. And then there are those theater lounge chairs, complete with cup holders.