| What do the words home theater mean to you? A | | | | many choices - media stands, audio stands |
| big screen TV in your living room with | | | | that hold 5 to 10 AV components, TV stands |
| surround sound speakers hidden behind the | | | | for any size television (some loaded with |
| couch, or a custom designed room with every | | | | features like wire management systems, |
| possible high-end audio/video equipment and | | | | adjustable shelves, open ventilation, |
| dedicated theater seating? The choice comes | | | | tempered glass) - as well as choices in |
| down to your level of use . . . and your | | | | styles and finishes, from the beauty of |
| pocketbook. Start with the room you plan to | | | | natural hardwoods to contemporary design |
| use as your home theater. If it's your | | | | elements. With such a broad variety of audio |
| multi-purpose living room, think about | | | | video and other furnishings, mounts and |
| mounting a flat-panel LCD HDTV on the wall | | | | accessories, even the most demanding A/V |
| and finding one of the many artistic | | | | enthusiast or home decorator will be |
| solutions for hiding the screen when it's not | | | | satisfied with the way your home theater |
| in use. Make sure the furniture that houses | | | | looks. Once you've housed your components, |
| your audio/video components has a cable | | | | the next most important choice involves your |
| management system to hide power cords and | | | | seating. Do you prefer watching movies in |
| sufficient ventilation. Rear wheels on the | | | | your home theater from the comfort of a |
| cabinet make accessing your connections much | | | | recliner, cuddled with someone special on a |
| easier! There is a large range of possible | | | | couch, or from dedicated custom theater |
| entertainment centers: a plasma console or | | | | seating? Do you prefer seating covered with |
| wall system, an entertainment center with | | | | micro fiber fabric, microfiber suede, faux |
| bookcase or storage, cabinets to hold a large | | | | leather or premium leather? Does a home |
| screen display. Be sure to measure your room | | | | theater conjure up visions of kids with large |
| accurately to know what will fit best in the | | | | tubs of buttered popcorn, beer and chips for |
| space you have available. If you're redoing a | | | | the guys watching the big game, or romantic |
| room or moving to a new place, now is a good | | | | glasses of wine? Choose an easy-to-clean |
| time to prewire the room for audio, video, | | | | surface, and have sturdy tables close at hand |
| security and communication needs, including | | | | to your seating. As long as you're |
| cabling for future technologies. It makes for | | | | visualizing your perfect home theater set-up, |
| an elegant, nearly invisible installation of | | | | remember to connect the lighting and the home |
| equipment, with more leeway in the type of | | | | theater system to a master remote control. |
| furniture you choose. Another possibility - | | | | With a few taps of your finger, the DVD |
| if your "home theater" room also includes | | | | spins, the lights dim, you sink into your |
| your computer desk, think about using your PC | | | | seat, and enter a galaxy far, far away . . . |
| to store and play your favorite MP3 files, | | | | right from home. |
| patched through an amplifier. There are so | | | | |