How to Set Up a Home Theater System
Choose the right size TV for your room., Pick the right type of TV for your room’s lighting., Know that higher resolutions have better picture quality., Purchase a video source.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose the right size TV for your room.
While it is often tempting to get the very biggest screen you can, choosing a TV is more of a science than “bigger is better.” You should choose your TV based on the size of the room and how far away people are from the screen to get the maximum enjoyment for the maximum amount of people.
In general, you should be sitting 1 ½
- 2 ½ times the screen size away from the TV.
That means if you want a 70” TV screen you should have at least 9–15ft of room between the TV and your closest couch.TV sizes are measured diagonally, from the top left corner of the screen to the bottom right corner of the screen.
Projectors allow you to adjust the size of the screen as long as you have a large blank wall on which to project the video.
You generally need 12-15 feet between the projector and the wall to get the best results. -
Step 2: Pick the right type of TV for your room’s lighting.
One of the biggest considerations when buying a TV is the type of lighting in the room around it.
When properly matched, the right lighting will lower the strain on your eyes as you watch TV and make your picture quality even better.
Cost and general picture quality are also considerations, of course.
Screen Types:
Plasma:
Often cost-effective at large sizes.
Best in dark rooms.
Superior contrast and wider viewing angle to LCD screens.LCD:
Brighter screens make this a good choice for bright rooms.
LED LCD (LCD screens lit by LEDs) are higher quality and have lower power consumption.OLED:
Highest quality picture, but expensive and untested in long-term use. , Resolution is one of the key factors when trying to improve your TV’s picture.
The more pixels, the higher the resolution.
This is why 2160p, also known as “4K Ultra HD,” is more expensive than 1080p, “Full HD,” or 720p.
The “p” stands for the number of pixels on the vertical edge (going downward) of the screen.
More pixels give the picture better clarity and color.
Some systems are labeled with an “i.” such as 1080i.
This stands for “interlaced” pixels, which broadcast slightly differently.
While most TV manufacturers have moved past 1080i, you should know that the picture quality is roughly the same, though 1080p has “won” the battle with consumers., Your home theater system won’t do much if you can’t play anything from it.
The most common video sources are DVD and Blu-Ray players. “Smart players” like AppleTV, Roku, and Google’s Chromecast, however, have surged in the home theater market because they can stream any internet video, from Youtube and Pandora to Netflix or HBO Go.
DVD/Blu-Ray player:
DVD players can only play DVDs, while Blu-Ray players can play both Blu-Ray discs and DVDs at higher quality.Smart Players:
AppleTV, Chromecast, and other streaming devices stream online videos and may include other apps and websites.
They cannot play discs.Smart DVD/Blu-Ray:
A disc player and streaming device in one. -
Step 3: Know that higher resolutions have better picture quality.
-
Step 4: Purchase a video source.
Detailed Guide
While it is often tempting to get the very biggest screen you can, choosing a TV is more of a science than “bigger is better.” You should choose your TV based on the size of the room and how far away people are from the screen to get the maximum enjoyment for the maximum amount of people.
In general, you should be sitting 1 ½
- 2 ½ times the screen size away from the TV.
That means if you want a 70” TV screen you should have at least 9–15ft of room between the TV and your closest couch.TV sizes are measured diagonally, from the top left corner of the screen to the bottom right corner of the screen.
Projectors allow you to adjust the size of the screen as long as you have a large blank wall on which to project the video.
You generally need 12-15 feet between the projector and the wall to get the best results.
One of the biggest considerations when buying a TV is the type of lighting in the room around it.
When properly matched, the right lighting will lower the strain on your eyes as you watch TV and make your picture quality even better.
Cost and general picture quality are also considerations, of course.
Screen Types:
Plasma:
Often cost-effective at large sizes.
Best in dark rooms.
Superior contrast and wider viewing angle to LCD screens.LCD:
Brighter screens make this a good choice for bright rooms.
LED LCD (LCD screens lit by LEDs) are higher quality and have lower power consumption.OLED:
Highest quality picture, but expensive and untested in long-term use. , Resolution is one of the key factors when trying to improve your TV’s picture.
The more pixels, the higher the resolution.
This is why 2160p, also known as “4K Ultra HD,” is more expensive than 1080p, “Full HD,” or 720p.
The “p” stands for the number of pixels on the vertical edge (going downward) of the screen.
More pixels give the picture better clarity and color.
Some systems are labeled with an “i.” such as 1080i.
This stands for “interlaced” pixels, which broadcast slightly differently.
While most TV manufacturers have moved past 1080i, you should know that the picture quality is roughly the same, though 1080p has “won” the battle with consumers., Your home theater system won’t do much if you can’t play anything from it.
The most common video sources are DVD and Blu-Ray players. “Smart players” like AppleTV, Roku, and Google’s Chromecast, however, have surged in the home theater market because they can stream any internet video, from Youtube and Pandora to Netflix or HBO Go.
DVD/Blu-Ray player:
DVD players can only play DVDs, while Blu-Ray players can play both Blu-Ray discs and DVDs at higher quality.Smart Players:
AppleTV, Chromecast, and other streaming devices stream online videos and may include other apps and websites.
They cannot play discs.Smart DVD/Blu-Ray:
A disc player and streaming device in one.
About the Author
Jerry Walker
Committed to making pet care accessible and understandable for everyone.
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