Designing A Home Theater

Owning a Home Theater is a must for any audio and videophile who wants to make the most of his or her entertainment system. Unlike regular people who are content with simply having a TV in the living room or a stereo system in their bedrooms, a home theater is made to revolve around an AV entertainment system, maximizing it's potential for the owner's pleasure. However, a home theater isn't simply a converted room that houses an AV system. There are several basic considerations to designing one that set it apart, and these are the following:

Room Size and Location - the first consideration before buying any AV gear must be the size and location of the home theater. Be sure to note the dimensions of the room to ensure that you don't pick up equipment that won't match it; for example, getting oversized speakers can be deafening in closed quarters. Also remember to choose a room that's fairly secluded from the rest of the house, BUT also offers a safe environment for your electronic gear. For example, a basement makes a poor choice due to humidity and heat build up.

Lighting and Acoustics - after selecting a good room, adjust the lighting so that it doesn't cause glare when you watch something, and pad the walls of the room with acoustic insulating material to minimize echoes off the walls and ceiling.

The Toys - the actual audio and video equipment you pick is entirely up to you, but make sure that you pick gear that fits the size of your home theater. That consideration aside, it's a good idea to start small and simple with your toys, avoiding complex or sensitive equipment unless you know enough about electronics to make real use of them.

Backup Equipment - aside from the actual AV system, there are two other pieces of equipment that your AV room will need: a good air conditioner, preferably one with a dehumidifier built in, and a UPS with a built in surge protector. The former keeps your AV system from overheating in case you decide to run movie marathons, and the latter keeps it from blowing up in case of a power surge or power failure.

Equipment Placement - lastly, remember to pay attention to the layout of your equipment. Surround sound speaker systems, for example, will be useless if you mount them in the wrong locations. Adjustments for placement are largely based on two things: functionality and personal comfort. Speaking of comfort, one last tip here: avoid rugs and furniture that cause static buildup so you don't zap your AV gear.