Home Theater
Introduction

Creating a Home Theater has become one of the hottest topics in home improvement. But unlike other home improvement projects, a home theater is an investment in personal entertainment.

The average home theater system will go with a person if they move and therefore won't add any resale value to the home.

Creating a home theater is not a simple task. In fact, if you are planning an elaborate system you should contact a home theater specialist who can help choose and install the system that's right for you.

Whether you are tackling a home theater project yourself or hiring a pro, it is vital to know about the different elements of home theater before investing any money.

For more information and a list of featured materials seen on the "Shingle Cottage" series, see Installing Electronics Highlights. For more information and a list of featured materials seen on the "House with Character" Home Theater show, see Home Theater Highlights.

When most people think about "watching" a movie they think of the visual image. But what really differentiates a home theater from a big screen television is the audio.

This doesn't mean the picture isn't important, only that image and sound come together in home theater to create a richer experience.

The concept of a better theater experience grew from Star Wars director George Lucas' desire for a better film soundtrack. Using Dolby Laboratories sound technology, Lucasfilm accomplished that goal then turned to making the "ideal" theater environment using a technology called THX® (mentioned later).

Lucas then began the notion of reproducing theater-quality sound in the home. The main obstacle he faced was that movie soundtracks were mixed for the spaciousness of a cinema. Therefore, something had to be able to convert cinema sound to the smaller home theater environment.

Basic Home Theater Components

The very basic elements necessary to create a home theater are a 27" or larger television, a movie playing device, speakers, and a surround sound capable stereo receiver.

A general rule in home theater is that you get what you pay for. It is possible to put together a lower-end home theater system from scratch for under $4000. But there are some upgrades that are worth the extra money. A basic system can be upgraded by going with a larger television, laserdisc player, six quality speakers, and a Dolby Pro Logic® or Dolby Digital® receiver.

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