What is a home theater? And how do you set one up? Both good questions and both have fairly simple answers, thankfully! A home theater, also known as a home theater system, is generally a combination of a theater quality television (or video projector), a DVD player, and a high quality sound system (usually featuring Surround Sound, but not always).



Let's first examine what constitutes a theater quality television. By today's standards, your best bet is a big screen HDTV. This can be a regular HDTV, plasma, LCD, etc. Quality TV screens are not as expensive as they used to be, so you can get a good sized screen for a modest amount. If you want a really large screen, though, a projector may be the better option. You may opt to have your TV on a nice TV stand or hang it from the wall for that special, modern touch.

Another option is to purchase a projector, also known as a DLP projector or LCD projector. You'll also need to purchase a screen for the projector to project onto. This will obviously be more theater-like than a regular TV. But bear in mind that an HD projector is really going to run you a lot more money than most HDTVs on the market today. However, you have the advantage of a larger screen and, again, a more theater-like experience.

Another disadvantage to using a projector is the room generally needs to be dark. This means you'll need to keep blinds closed on your windows when using it during the day. Sun lovers, beware! Night owls, never fear! There can be some serious set-up issues involved with using a projector, and for the largest screen size, you’ll need a relatively large room.

When it comes to choosing a DVD player, you may want to get a Blu-Ray DVD Player. If you have a HD screen or projector, you may really notice the difference of quality. As of December 2008, over 1,220 DVD titles are available on Blu-ray discs. Almost all Blu-ray DVD players can also read standard DVDs and CDs, so there is really no downside to choosing a blu-ray DVD player, except for the price. A normal DVD player can be purchased for as low as $20, but you can expect to pay $200-400 for a blu-ray player. Prices will likely go down as the technology becomes more widespread, though.

As far as a sound system, get a surround sound system with subwoofer for the best experience. A 300-500 watt system will be plenty for most people, but if you really like your movies to shake your chairs, you could go large 1,000 watts or more. Look for a system that gives good quality sound in all registers - high to low. Remember that not all surround sound systems sound great, so try them at the store if at all possible. Big names, like Philips or Logitech tend to deliver what they promise. The off-brands may save you money but might not hold up over time and may not deliver the true home theater experience you desire. Philips is one well-known brand that has a wide variety of home theater components, including DVD players and TVs.