As the price of technology has dropped significantly in recent years, home theaters have become attainable for many middle-class families. Creating a theater at home is the perfect way to enjoy the big game, watch a movie with the family or just enjoy your favorite television shows. During 2012, there were some home theater products that were more popular than others, and if you don’t have these yet, you should definitely consider making them a part of your home theater next year.
Here’s what you need to create a great home theater:
LCD TV: High definition is the standard now, as screens have become both bigger and sharper, all while maintaining affordable price points. LCD TVs offer sharp images and can be easily mounted on a wall. When creating a home theater, many people begin by choosing the right LCD TV for their space. The size of TV you should choose largely depends on how big your room is, what your budget is and what types of content you’ll be watching.
Video projector: The alternative to getting a large high-definition TV is to get a projector. Projectors are ideal if you have a large blank wall that can serve as a screen in your home theater. You’ll have to replace the projector bulb periodically, but many people prefer projectors for watching sports, or for playing video games.
Sound system: It would be a shame to set up a home theater and then settle for watching movies and TV through the built-in speakers on the TV. Instead, add a state-of-the-art sound system so you can get the full theater experience in the comfort of your own home. Top brands like Bose and Klipsch make compact sound systems that are easy to install and bring high-quality sound into your home theater.
Sound bar: If you aren’t up for the task of wiring a whole sound system and mounting speakers all over the room, there’s an alternative that became much more popular in 2012. Sound bars offer high-quality sound in a small package – just one long bar that you can install over or under your TV screen. Many sound bars either come with a subwoofer to boost the bass or have easy connections so you can add your own.
Blu-ray player: Once you’ve gotten a high-definition TV, you want to enjoy movies to their fullest. A DVD can’t actually encode enough data to take advantage of the definition your TV provides, so if you want to truly experience a movie in HD, you’ll need to get a Blu-ray player. A single-layer Blu-ray disc can hold 25 GB of data, which means you’ll get to enjoy movies as they were meant to be seen. A PlayStation 3 already has a built-in Blu-ray player, so it’s a versatile device to include in your home theater.
We have yet to see what 2013 will bring into the home theater market, but you’ll be off to a good start if you have these elements that were popular in 2012. Once you have the technology of your home theater set up, don’t forget about the furniture and decor, too. Comfortable recliners or sectionals are often the backbone of your seating, with floor cushions for times when you have lots of guests. Don’t forget about a mini fridge or dry bar, too, so you can keep drinks close at hand while you kick back and enjoy some movies.
Joseph is a technology buff with a passion for writing. In his spare time, he enjoys blogging on behalf of Sears and other brands he uses.
Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Home-theater-tysto.jpg
