If You Want A Home Theater On A Budget, Start With The Basics

Do you want a full home theater experience, but don't have thousands of dollars to shell out for it? These days, it's definitely possible to build a home theater on a budget. The prices for many of the components you need have lowered over the years. The second-hand market can also help. Here's what you'll need.

What Does a Home Theater System Consist Of?

On a basic level, a home theater system is nothing more than a few components that give you superior sound and visual quality while at home. In addition, your wants will dictate what a home theater is to you.

For example, some people can get by with a television and a speaker. Those two things alone can give you a good picture, and sound that can fill your living room adequately.

However, when most people say "home theater," they're talking about a full, robust system that can give you close to a high-quality movie theater experience. Such systems will typically consist of a few different components.

  • Large screen television or projector
  • Surround sound speaker system
  • An AV receiver
  • One or more media players
  • A remote that can control everything

Each of these items can range wildly in price. Even a remote can cost anywhere from a few bucks, to hundreds. But if you're on a budget, you'll have to figure out how to obtain everything you need to have a decent home theater system.

Start with the Picture

Understand you don't have to purchase a full home theater system right at the beginning; you can build it over time.

Alternatively, you can purchase one of those home-theater-in-a-box type products. They will get you most of the way there. It may not give you the quality you want, but they can work as a good placeholder. No matter what you do, you need to start with your picture, because that's what it's all about.

The good news is very large LED televisions are relatively inexpensive these days. You can find true 1080p and even 4K models that won't cost you a ton of money. Remember to choose a television that fits your space.

Many people overdo it with size. You can end up with a television that's uncomfortable to watch because it takes up too much landscape in your den or living room.

Follow Up with Sound

Adding sound is as easy as picking up a modern soundbar. These speaker systems sit at the foot of your television. Many of them can give you truly fantastic sound. For many people, that's all there is to it; you have quality picture and good sound, so you're good to go.

You can also opt for a multi-speaker surround sound setup. Many surround sound products come with multiple speakers, a woofer for bass, and a receiver. You can place the speakers for optimal surround sound. The receiver can become your hub for adding other components and hooking up other things to your theater system.

Going Further

For those who want to take it a little further, it's time to pick up additional components. At this point, you can start to add media options, such as a Blu-ray player, or PC-based media center. You can add networking capabilities for streaming from other devices and the internet.

Start with a basic setup. From there you can add or upgrade components as you figure out what you want out of your personal home theater system. You'll also learn some of the ins and outs of audiovisual equipment as you go, which will help you make better decisions later. As time goes by, you will find yourself with a custom home theater system you're proud of. To learn more, contact a company like A Tech Security

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