Man Cave 101

April 01, 2010, By Jeff Waddle 2 comments

Every king needs a castle and no castle is complete without a rockin’ home theater. Movies, games and even TV shows now feature a dazzling display of audio and video technology but to take full advantage of the special effects show, you need a righteous home theater with the latest A/V equipment.

But how do you go about deciding what to buy with so much choice out there? Good question. Here’s an overview that will provide some answers.

Decide What You’ll Use it For

You can spend a king’s ransom on a home theater system, or an acceptable system can be had for a reasonable price. Only you know what you’ve got to spend and a good way to start adding up the numbers is to figure out want you want your home theater to do.

Are you mostly a sports fan who wants to get the gang together on Sunday for the game? Then you’ll probably want to invest in the largest flat-screen TV you can afford, but maybe you can get away with a lower-end sound system.

Are you a world-class gamer who competes with other people at remote locations, or do you want to program your Tivo or DVR (digital video recorder) on your computer? Then, you’ll need a high-speed data connection available in the room.

Is Friday movie night with the family? A Blu-ray DVD player and state-of-the-art receiver and surround sound speakers will give you the full impact the movie’s director intended.

Do Your Homework

Once you’ve got a basic idea of what you’ll want out of your home theater, invest some time in research. Go to a local electronics store on a day they’re not too busy, and chat up a salesperson that appears to know what he’s talking about.

Many retailers offer a complete home theater package, so check out what they’ve got set up and take notes of price, features, warranties and if they offer set up. Unless you want to create an ala carte system and do the set up yourself, this might be your best deal, and they’ll set it up the way it’s intended to work. Compare prices and systems with other retailers, including online, and look for equipment reviews.

Assess Your Space

Part of your homework assignment should be assessing the room you’re using for the theater. Is it large and airy? Then you might need bigger, more powerful speakers to fill up the room with sound.

Is the room cozy and a little tight on space? Better be careful about the TV size because conventional wisdom dictates that even with today’s high definition flat screens, you should be sitting at least 1.5-2.5" away from the screen for each inch of TV. So, if you buy a 50" TV, for example, you should be sitting at least 75-125" (roughly 6-10’) away. The distance-from-screen ratio also might determine if you need to mount your TV on the wall (further from the sofa) or if it can be placed on top of an entertainment center.

And, the overall layout (and general purpose) of the room could dictate how you run the wires from the receiver to the speakers. You have several options including flat, paintable wires and running the wires through the walls, but that’s a job best left to the pros. Wireless speakers are available as well but you’ll still need to have an electric outlet nearby or you’ll be running an extension cord somewhere which might defeat the purpose of wireless in the first place.

Core Equipment

• TV: Buy the biggest TV you can afford or your room can accommodate (remember the distance-to-screen ratio) because what’s the point of investing in an expensive sound system if you’ve got a dinky TV? Check out plasma vs. LCD flat screens at the local electronics store, and pay special attention to viewing angles if your room setup might include seats not directly in front of the screen (hint: plasmas generally offer wider viewing angles). Also, if you’re adding a Blu-ray high-resolution DVD, make sure you get a 1080p HDTV. Otherwise, the Blu-ray won’t perform at peak levels.
• DVD: The new generation of Blu-ray DVDs will get the biggest A/V bang out of movies. Just like the right TV, make sure you pair a Blu-ray with a receiver that can decode high-resolution audio formats—a Dolby TrueHD encoder is a good choice for Blu-ray systems.
• Receiver: The receiver serves as the switching station for advanced home theater systems, so make sure yours is up to everything you’re asking it to do. Today’s top receivers deliver a stunning seven unique channels of audio (7.1 or 7.2 surround sound) with Dolby Digital support, as well as iPod connectivity and satellite radio capabilities. Most also offer HDMI cable connectivity (as do most HDTVs). That’s a big advantage because it allows audio and video signals to be processed through a single-wire for cleaner connections and less wire mess in the back of your system. Conversely, component cables have five connections.
• Speakers: This is where you can invest a whole lot of money or go with a more modest, pre-packaged system. Seven-channel surround sound is on the luxury end, and a lot of people find five-channel (5.1) surround sound more than adequate. For 5.1, you’ll need front right/left, rear right/left and center channel speakers as well as a subwoofer. Whatever you choose, make sure your receiver is well-matched (power wise or watts per channel) with the set of speakers you choose. If not, you’ve wasted money somewhere in the system. But, keep in mind that quality surround sound is about clarity, not more decibels.
• Cable or satellite box: A call to your cable or satellite company to explore your options and how it will match up with your system would be wise. If you’re switching from a standard to a high-definition, digital package, consider adding a DVR. Many service providers now embed DVRs in the cable box, and they record true high definition. And, make sure it has HDMI connectivity if you’re planning on using HDMI to connect other system components.
• Surge Protector: A high-quality surge protector is a must in these days of rolling brown-outs and other power source problems. And, while you’re thinking about electricity, make sure you’ve got enough juice in the room to properly run your system. If not, an electrician can wire a dedicated line for a cleaner and steadier power source.

Be Patient, Read the Manuals

It’s common knowledge that guys just don’t like to take directions or read manuals—that’s how we’re wired—but if you insist on setting up the system yourself, you’re asking for trouble if you don’t read the manuals.

Your TV manual will tell you exactly how to make it compatible with surround sound, and your receiver manual will lay out your options for connecting all the components—including where you need to position the speakers for best results.

Power up all the remotes because you’ll need them to access the various menus for your equipment. Once you’ve got the system set up and working properly, then you can explore your options for setting up a universal remote.

With multiple manuals and the likelihood that a heavy TV and furniture will need to be moved around, ask a couple of good (and patient) friends to help you. While you’re concentrating on the TV, a friend could be mastering the speaker setup.

More than anything, have fun and experiment with tweaking your system. If something doesn’t sound just right, adjust a speaker or try another option. That’s where second and third opinions from friends come in handy, too.

Now, where’s the popcorn?

Jeff Waddle is a featured contributor to ManoftheHouse.com.