The perfect home theater needs to be a lot of things to do its job right. It should be as exciting as it is comfortable, laid back as it is high tech, and perfectly tailored to your needs. But all those qualities don’t come easy – It takes planning, precision, and good taste to get all the elements of your home theater just right.
So, where to begin? And how do you know what tech you need for the ultimate at-home entertainment experience? This guide will lead you through the basic elements of home theater design, and help you make sure you know exactly what technology you need to make your new entertainment center great.
Screen or Projector
The screen is the centerpiece of any home theater setup. You’ll want to make sure to get something that fits your space just right, and has the resolution to get that picture-perfect movie theater experience you’re looking for.
When you’re shopping, be sure to keep an eye out for the latest technology, like 4K and HDR. 4K TVs are growing in popularity and quickly becoming the standard, so getting a 4K setup for your home theater now is a great investment. Some brands are even starting to offer 8K screens, featuring the best resolution on the market -- but it'll be a while before they become common in most households. For now, 4K screens are a great choice, and they'll only become more popular and more affordable in the coming year.
Size is another consideration when picking out the right screen. Sitting too close or too far from a screen that’s too big or too small can ruin your home theater experience – you’ll want to calculate the right size screen for the distance of your seating. Following a 2:1 ratio of seating distance to screen size (measured diagonally across the screen) is always a good rule of thumb, but it depends on the kind of screen you have. A standard, 1080 screen is best viewed with this rule in mind -- just multiply the size of your screen by two and divide by 12 to find the number of feet away your seating should be. With the highest quality 4K Ultra HD TVs, on the other hand, you can sit much closer, as close as a 1:1 ratio.
If you're just not sure about all this screen size and measurement stuff, or if you have an especially large home theater room, you may want to opt for a projector rather than a TV screen. With a projector, the picture size is adjustable and you can get a larger picture size at a more affordable price. If your theater room is more modestly sized, though, a screen that matches the measurement rule above will do just fine at perfecting your home theater experience.
AV Receiver
If you’re new to the home theater world, you may never have even heard of this device, but it’s perhaps the most important piece of tech you’ll buy when designing your home theater. The receiver helps connect all your devices together, and makes sure your screen, speakers, disc player, and streaming service are all working in harmony. Sony makes some of the best models on the market – check out some of the receivers we have in our catalog, or stop into the store to ask one of our associates for recommendations.
Speakers
This isn’t your grandma’s living room – you’ll want speakers that really pack a punch for your home theater audio. We recommend at least two floor-standing tower speakers to get that powerful, movie-theater-quality sound you’re looking for.
Don’t forget to make it a full surround-sound system, too! You’ll need at least five speakers for a true surround-sound experience (Two for the left and right in front of your seating, two for the rear, and one straight ahead) but strategically adding more will only improve your theater’s soundscape. Consider the layout of your space when shopping for speakers, and be sure to consult this Digital Trends guide to plan the right layout for your home theater audio system.
Subwoofer
Yes, this technically counts as a speaker too, but it’s so important that it needs its own section! The subwoofer is the source of that powerful bass you get in movie theaters. It provides an extra, vital layer of immersion – if there’s an earthquake in the movie, you should feel one in your theater too! So don’t skimp on the sub. At least one subwoofer on the ground beside your TV can help give you that floor-shaking, bone-quaking immersion you’ve been craving, but you can build your bassline even better with more.
Streaming Device
You won’t want to miss out on watching the newest season of “Stranger Things” in a totally immersive theater environment – so pick up a streaming device to go with your setup! Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Chromecast are all great options. These small devices plug right into your TV, and let you watch your favorite shows and movies on the big screen without any extra stress. Just about anything you’d want to watch is available for streaming, so don’t limit your viewing options! Be sure to get a streaming device to pair with your new home theater setup.
Disc Player
That being said, don’t stop with a streaming device! Nothing beats the crystal clarity of your favorite films on 4K Blu-ray. No buffer times, no commercials, no compressed picture when you’re having a bad internet day – they may not be as hip, but if you want beautiful, reliable picture every time, be sure to include a disc player in your media arsenal.
Though plain old DVD players may have been just fine a few years back, these days you’ll want to get a Blu-ray player. You just can’t achieve the same kind of high-quality picture with a regular DVD! However, if you really want to be ahead of the curve, 4K is the way to go. Soon, 4K will be the standard for all media players – its improved contrast, color, and clarity make it miles ahead of any other way of watching media, but it will need to be paired with a matching 4K screen.
All the Extras
Once you’ve got your tech down, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got all the extra details of your new home theater just right too. What kind of seating do you want? Do you have a lighting control system? Add-ons like luxury theater seating, blackout curtains, and remote-controlled lighting will all contribute to giving you an immersive, movie-theater-like experience, and helping you get the most of the tech you’ve just invested in. So even though your tech might be all ironed out, don’t stop there! The more you put into your home theater, the more you’ll get out, so don’t be afraid to add a little extra luxury to make your theater perfect for you.
It takes a village to build the perfect home theater, so don’t be afraid to ask for some extra input, even now that you know all the basics! The Howard’s electronics experts have the inside scoop on how to craft the perfect setup -- plus we can get you the best deals on your favorite brands, with great service all along the way. If you’re ready to take the next steps into your new movie wonderland, start at Howard’s and find everything you need to make a home theater that you and your guests won’t want to leave.