Its A Home Theater Revolution

Home theater has been a tremendous boon for visual and sound enthusiasts in recent years; the idea of sitting back in your favorite chair, surrounded by a familiar environment and viewing your favorite movie or sporting event from the comfort of your own home has a decidedly nice feel to it, don't you think? In the United States, the number of basements being re-modelled to include a home theater room has increased significantly and why not, in many instances they are just used as storage areas or partially renovated. It seems they are the ideal environment to house the family "cinema." Selecting Your Home Theater System For many prospective buyers, finding the right home theater system can often be a little confusing.

Where do I start? How much do I spend? What brands should I look at? These are are all common questions and all form the basis of any due diligence performed in searching for the ultimate system. A good place to start is deciding on an appropriate budget. Price varies enormously and if you're not careful, you could over capitalise and spend unnecessary dollars which could amount to thousands. Decide exactly where your system will be housed.

Is it a large area or is the room limited? Is there a capacity to include a projection facility? Many a buyer has been overwhelmed by an over zealous salesperson who has pitched a terrific presentation, however, unless you have the space and the budget to accomodate all the "bells and whistles" that go with the basic unit, it could be money "down the drain." It's not hard to imagine getting carried away with what a home theater set up actually comprises when the term is first pitched at you. Basically, a television with additional speakers, preferably surround sound and a DVD player and you are good to go.

How much you are willing to spend is going to be governed by what budget you have set yourself. There are two trains of thought here. Stick to a moderate budget first up and only purchase the basic set up. As money and room allows at a later date, then you can add or upgrade on your existing system.

Or, spend a little extra first up and to hell with the budget; I want it now. Many a consumer has got into trouble by adopting the latter, not just financially, but through feeling the full wrath of "you know who." All I can say is, be diligent, sensible and work within your budget.

Installation The question of installation is very real for most consumers. By and large, installing a home theater system is not that difficult but for the technically challenged, it's always good policy to check with the seller as many offer installation as a paid service. In some extreme instances, free installation could be sought as a trade-off for purchasing something extra but this is your call. If you have the extra money to spend, go for the paid installation. When Should I Buy? Now is always a good time to buy. Depending on your level of diligence, there is always a good deal to be had.

Let's face it, waiting for the right moment can be likened a little to procrastination. If you truly are in the market for a system and you have a budget set aside then the present is always a good time to buy. Granted, the price of televisions for instance such as plasma are still high but with the advent of LCD, these are coming down in price quite alarmingly. In my case, I desperately wanted a particular brand of television and made concessions to be able to afford it. It was an award winner and the "ants pants" of televisions in it's category. It was money well spent.

Do you know that same set was available for $1000 less only a year later. Firstly, I could have waited a year but wasn't to know it would come down in price and secondly, I would have been without it for another 12 months. So if you are "still sitting on the fence" regarding your home theater system, all I can say is consider joining the revolution!.

Dean Caporella is a professional broadcaster. Get tips and reviews on thehome theaterrevolution at:http://www.hometheaterinfoline.com