6 Things to Know Before Purchasing a Home Entertainment System
By Buzz Jensen
6 Things to Know Before Purchasing a Home Entertainment System
1. Set goals and budgets. You may be like most people, not knowing much about what’s available to make your live: easier, safer and more enjoyable. As Wayne Dyer said in “7 Habits”, “Start with the end in mind.” So, with a little studying you’ll get an idea of what new technologies are out there, their benefits and costs. Think of everything that you may desire now and in the future. Design your system based on long term goals. You can start with what you need now and add over time to complete your goals. If possible use separate components for easier use, improved picture & sound plus you’ll enjoy them much longer.
Here are some sample budgets for large screen TVs & surround sound systems that will look and sound very good for your investment:
A 55” 4K Ultra HDTV, surround speaker bar, subwoofer, a user friendly remote, connections and basic installation starting around $2000.
A 65” 4K Ultra HDTV, digital surround receiver, Blu-ray player, Roku or Apple TV for Internet movies, 5 surround speakers, subwoofer, a user friendly remote, connections and basic installation, starting around $4000.
A 75” LED TV mounted on a wall, upgraded 7.1 digital surround receiver, 5 designer music quality speakers, subwoofer, basic automation, a radio frequency user friendly remote control that can operate through cabinet doors and walls, starting around $8000.
A custom designed system with Ultra HDTV, surround system, multiple music areas, automation system plus connect to existing music speakers in other rooms, starting around $10,000.
Custom designed home theater system, starting around $15,000
2. Use audio, video and digital wiring that’s already in your home. Many newer homes have “structure wiring”. The enclosure is usually built into a closet or pantry wall. This hub is where all the cables from Cox, CenturyLink or a satellite dish are interconnected to the outlets in each room for your telephones, TVs, Internet and computers. This center allows easy connectivity.
Some homes have wires sticking out of the family room wall. These wires are usually for the surround sound system to rear speakers and music speakers in other rooms. Check your rooms & patio to see if there are speakers in the ceilings and volume controls in the walls for house music.
3. Pick the right screen size. Here’s the new rule of thumb for the new 4K Ultra HDTVs. Because the broadcast image is about 400% clearer you can sit much closer or own a larger TV. Size depends on the distance from your seating to the TV. For instance, you can sit as close as 8’ from a 65” TV.
Home theater rule of thumb - the screen size is based on where you like to sit in a movie theater. If you sit half way back in a theater, your image ratio is about 40 degrees wide. So if your seating is 15’ from the screen, the screen should be 96” to 120” diagonal.
4. Remodel your space for the new TVs and electronics. If you have niches, think about remodeling them into a beautiful media wall that accommodates the new bigger TVs. Your TV can be flush on the wall or add a swivel mount for the wider viewing.
Hide the electronics, because many new smart remote controls use radio frequencies instead of IR to operate your system through wood doors & walls.
5. Improve sound. The new thin TVs sound very bad because there is no space for good speakers. Large rooms with smooth surfaces create echoes and make the sound even worse. These two issues cause big problems for anyone as we get older. To solve the dialog problem, connect your TV to music quality speakers. Speaker bars are very popular because they sound good for TV and music. They’re usually easy to connect. To help eat up the echoes, add absorbent furniture, area rugs, etc. to the room.
6. New technologies to help make your home more fun, safer and easier to live in. Smart home automation system simplifies everything 1 remote or an app on your smart phone or tablet can operate your entire audio video system.
Automate: lighting pathways, light scenes, thermostats, door locks, spa, pool, window covers, misting system, pet doors & much more. Easy and not expensive.
Multi audio areas (zones): By adding 2, 3 or 4 additional audio speaker zones allows you to watch a show in surround sound in the family room and at the same time listen to the same or different music through speakers in other areas.
Burglar alarms: New alarms have touch screens to make them much easier to use and more attractive. They use “cell phone” technology to contact the central station, plus it can also contact you on your Smartphone. Many use wireless connections to your doors and windows so there is no new wiring needed.
Surveillance cameras: Install overt outdoor cameras so potential burglars can see them, or concealed indoor cameras (nanny cams). See who’s at the door, how your sitter or cleaning crew are doing on your Smartphone, computer or TV from about anywhere.
I hope these ideas have helped you to make your life a little easier, safer and more enjoyable.
If you would like more information, contact me.
Thanks and enjoy
About the Author
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| Buzz Jensen
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
480-315-8877
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