How to Build a Home Theater System

Just as important as which components to purchase, is deciding where to place them. There are several things to consider when designing a home theater including personal preferences, physical requirements and budget constraints.

Where to Put a Home Theater System

A basement is one of the best places to install a home theater. Controlling light is usually easier in a lower level because there's less outdoor light interference. And the ability to insulate the ceiling and walls makes it possible to keep out a lot of distracting sounds and avoid disturbing other areas of the house.

Another factor to consider is the size of the equipment. This is particularily an issue with the larger rear and front screen projectors. The basement often has extra space for equipment and avoids using valuable living space upstairs.

Placement Problems

Many times there are features to a room that dicate where a home theater can go. Built-in shelving, wall length, size and shape of the room, windows, etc., can eliminate an entire wall or half the room as placement possibilities.

The equipment itself often dicates its location. The larger the screen, the farther the distance must be between it and the sitting area. As the layouts below illustrate, larger screens require more distance from the viewing area.

How Everything Fits Together

Most components of a typical home theater system will sit in cabinetry against one wall in the room -- with the main three speakers to the side, under, or on top of the cabinets. The surround speakers often mount on walls, on stands, or rest on furniture.

Finally, consider these four major elements when putting together a home theater: ease of use, ease of set up & maintenance, optimal performance, and appearance.