It seems like everybody wants to create their own home cinema experience these days. Simply putting your television on a stand in the corner of the room is not enough anymore. It’s all about being bigger, better and louder.
If you’re only just converting to the joys of home entertainment, you may have some reservations. Try not to worry; it doesn’t have to be an expensive venture. The beauty of a home cinema is creating an area that works for you within the confines of your budget.
With that said, there is a handful of essentials you’ll need to kit out your living room for an optimum experience:
TV
It goes without saying that the most important aspect of your home cinema will be your television. This is where the magic happens. For the best experience, you’re probably going to need to upgrade to an HDTV or a 3DTV if you haven’t already. The way things are going, older models are soon going to become obsolete. Pick up the biggest set you can afford and have the space for. If your living space is a little too cramped for your liking, consider purchasing a new wall mount for your TV. Mounting your television set not only saves space but also gives your entire room a focal point.
Speakers
You may already have a subwoofer you’re happy with, but when it comes to the home cinema experience, you can always upgrade if your budget allows. Trust me, you don’t want to skimp on sound. At the very least, you’ll want a set of surround sound speakers for an authentic experience. You should always consider their placement. Play around with your speakers to find which areas of your room produces the best results. If you don’t have any in mind, see our guide to the Top 5 Speakers For The Home for inspiration. If you have wooden flooring, make sure you lay carpets in front of your speakers.
Movies
What are you going to watch? If you cherish your collection of DVDs and Blu-Rays, think about which device you’re going to use to play them. Are you sticking with your standard DVD player? Maybe it’s time to bring the games console out of your bedroom to create an all-round entertainment area. Heck, perhaps all you need is a Netflix subscription. Whatever you use, you need space to incorporate the device. This is where a wall cabinet or similar comes in handy, as it will also keep your cables tidy. Speaking of cables, you’ll need plenty of them. So, make sure you have your HDMI, Ethernet, composite, and speaker cables at the ready.
See? You don’t need much to get your home cinema up and running. As a matter of fact, I bet you have many of the above already. Setting one up isn’t as expensive as you might have first feared. To make up for that, use the money you’ve saved by buying the very best of the equipment you do need. The quality of your home cinema is a direct reflection of the quality of your hardware. It’s worth keeping that in mind.
