How to assemble, install and set up a home theater

Buying a
home theater has long ceased to be a luxury. Family watching films at home, as close as possible to the conditions of a cinema, creates a cozy atmosphere in which you can relax after a hard day at work. However, in order for the picture and sound quality to be pleasing, it is necessary to select a screen that matches the parameters of the room and correctly position the subwoofer.
Home theater consists of several blocks [/ caption]

What you need to know before you buy a home theater

A home theater should include not only a TV, but also an acoustic system, a receiver, a DVD player. Such a complete set allows you to fully enjoy watching movies in good quality. DVD player and acoustics can be purchased separately, or you can buy a complete set of equipment. It should be borne in mind that manufacturers supplement expensive sets with a receiver. When choosing speakers, you need to pay attention to the terms: 5.1, 6.1, 7.1, 9.1 meaning that the reproducing system has 5/6/7 or even 9 main speakers and a subwoofer.
It is possible to install a home theater with your own hands, but you need to take into account several important recommendations [/ caption] Most people ask themselves – what, in fact, is the difference between the formats? The main difference is the number of surround speakers, which can be 2, 3 or even 4. It is important to think over the placement of the selected system in advance. And if everything is clear with the central speaker, it should be “recumbent”, then the rest of the speakers can be: suspended, floor-standing or on racks.
Installation of home theaters is complex and planning must be done carefully [/ caption] When choosing a home theater, it is recommended to pay attention to the sound power. If the room is small, then a total power of 100-150 watts is quite enough. In cases where the area exceeds 20 sq. m, it is advisable to purchase a kit, the total power of which exceeds 260 watts. As a rule, the cost of such equipment is 30-35% higher. When buying a DVD player, you should give preference to models with sound processors equipped with Dolby Digital and DTS decoders. Everyone chooses for himself the model of home theater that meets all the requirements and satisfies personal needs. In addition, the design of the equipment should be considered to match the interior of the room. Experts advise placing the screen in the central part of the room,and the speakers are at the same distance from each other.

Note! Wall-mounted speakers are capable of delivering the most realistic sound.

Wall-mounted speakers in the connection diagram will provide a home theater with high-quality sound [/ caption]

We select a speaker system for our tasks, conditions, capabilities

Below you can familiarize yourself with the features of choosing a home theater that will correspond to the tasks, conditions and capabilities of the user.

What components are needed

The main element of home theater is the AV receiver – a device that combines the functions of a radio tuner, multi-channel audio amplifier and multi-channel audio decoder. Other equally important components of the system include:
Connecting the receiver to the TV [/ caption]

• monitor;
• acoustic system;
• sound and picture source (DVD player / video tuner).

A receiver is used to control and configure the cinema. The front speakers provide the main sound and influence the sound quality. Floorstanding speakers work in / independently of the stereo system. The center speaker is responsible for the surround sound and voice.
The subwoofer enhances the sound. When installed in conjunction with a satellite, you can achieve reproduction of the mid and high frequency ranges. The rear speakers are placed directly over the head of the audience to create a sense of surround sound.

Advice! There is no need to install all kinds of speakers in one room

Choosing a recreation center for a room – a room

When choosing a home theater, it is worth considering the characteristics of the room in which the equipment will be installed. When placing acoustics in a studio apartment, you should place the rear speakers on wall mounts. The speakers are turned towards the audience and slightly tilted downward. If you do not plan to install rear speakers, you should purchase a 3.1 / 2.1 system and a subwoofer. The sound will need to be calibrated after installation is complete. In an L-shaped room, the rear speakers are installed behind the sofa, which is placed near the longest wall of the room. The monitor and subwoofer with center speakers are placed in front of the audience. A 2.1 / 3.1 or 2.0 stereo system is suitable for such a room.

Advice! Do not allow the speakers to be turned into a wall. It should also be borne in mind that the turn of the rear speakers should not be less than 110 °.

General rules for installing a home theater

Experts willingly share tips and rules for installing equipment with beginners.

1. The room should be moderately damped and have little effect on sound.
2. To eliminate the influence of external noise sources, sound insulation can be applied .
3. Ensure adequate ventilation when installing the acoustic units .

Home theater 7.1 – connection diagram [/ caption]

It is important to create a comfortable environment in the room that will not distract viewers from watching videos.

Home theater primary design

The home theater design process is complex. The user must take into account not only the distribution and reflection of sound, but also the characteristics of a particular room, ensuring sound and noise insulation. If you ignore these recommendations, then it will be impossible to achieve the desired result even if the most expensive equipment is installed. When embarking on the process of designing a home theater, it is important to learn the principle of building a cinema. The image transmitted by a digital / analog cinema projector to a monitor made using a special technology allows you to achieve a clear and clear picture. The monitor must pass sound from the subwoofer and center channel without loss.

Note! To add power / rumble / bass depth, use a subwoofer while watching the video.

What components are needed to assemble a DC

Home theater components must be compatible with each other. When choosing a DK, you should give preference to high-quality models, the use of which allows you to achieve a clear image and clear sound. If you want to buy a home theater, in which the equipment will be ideally combined with each other, you should take care of purchasing:

• projection screen Vutec;
• SIM2 projector;
• speaker system PMC;
• amplifier McIntosh;
• OPPO DVD player;
• karaoke Evolution Lite2 Plus;
• Apple TV media player.

The
location of the central channel of a home theater is the primary decision when designing a speaker system [/ caption] When choosing speakers, it is recommended to pay attention not only to the brand, but also to their size … From small “Cheburashkas” with one speaker it will not be possible to get a decent sound. The speaker connection is wired. Most device owners do not know which slots to insert the cables into. Use of the connector is allowed:

• HDMI;
• component (component, RGB);
• coaxial COAXIAL;
• SCART;
• S-video;
• analog, which is called a tulip / bell.

HDMI cable for connecting elements of home theater needs to be selected especially carefully [/ caption] If cables are included in the package, you can use them or purchase HDMI, which provides high-quality transmission video signal and audio (no distortion).
Location of the central channel of the home theater and side speakers – distance and placement of acoustic system elements during the initial design of the recreation center [/ caption]

How to assemble a home theater and connect a 2.1, 5.1 and 7.1 speaker system to a TV

If you wish, you can independently assemble a home theater, having previously studied the rules, connection schemes and allocating some time. Before you start connecting the equipment, you should correctly place all the components of the equipment, paying attention to the main points:

1. The size of the screen must be selected taking into account the area of ​​the room in which it will be located. Using a monitor with a small diagonal will not allow you to fully enjoy watching a movie.
2. Place the subwoofer, receiver and DVD player centrally under the monitor.
3. The installation of the projector / TV set is carried out at the eye level of the audience.

The acoustics should be positioned so that the audience is in the central part of the room.

Below you can familiarize yourself with the installation diagrams of systems 2.1, 5.1 and 7.1. Self-installation of a 5.1 home theater according to the scheme:
System 7.1 – placement of home theater components
System 2.1 – an easy installation method:
Installing a home theater – System 9.1:
Installing home theaters – three basic rules for installing speaker systems: https://youtu.be/ BvDZyJAFnTY

Arrangement of systems 2.1, 5.1, 7.1 in different rooms

Surround sound is not possible in every room. In order to achieve good sound, you need to consider the type of room and the system that is ideal for it:

1. For an L-shaped room, a 5.1 system is perfect. For the sound to be of high quality, you should move the sofa away from the wall and place the TV in the corner.
2. Studio room . In this case, it would be wise to give preference to the 3.1 system. The speakers must be built-in overhead speakers. They are placed behind the sofa. The location of the home theater in the studio room [/ caption]
3. For a spacious rectangular hall, you will need to purchase a 7.1 system. The speakers are placed on both sides of the monitor and behind the sofa.

Designing a home theater in a standard room [/ caption] Pay attention! System 3.1 uses not only left and right speakers, but also a subwoofer.

How to assemble a home theater yourself from the components included in the kit

In order to assemble a home theater with your own hands, you will need to purchase not only a projector, but also a sound structure / computer / monitor / light filters.

Assembly stages

By adhering to the step-by-step instructions, you can avoid mistakes that often arise during the assembly of a structure. Stage 1 First of all, you need to purchase an LCD projector (resolution 1280 * 720 pixels / brightness – 1600 lumens). The contrast of the projector should be up to 10,000: 1. To get good sound, you need to buy several speakers and place them in different parts of the room. The speakers are placed on the floor or mounted to the wall. You will also need an adapter with wires.
Stage 2 The wires from the speakers are removed under the plinth.
Step 3 The adapter is connected to one side of the wire leading to the subwoofer. The second is connected to the cable from the speaker. A central speaker is placed on top of the screen. Stage 4 The subwoofer is placed to the side of the screen and a wire is pulled from it
to connect to a computer / laptop…

Note! A computer is required in order to display an image on the screen.

Step 5 The computer is connected via DVI. The screen is fixed to the wall using special fasteners. Step 6 The projector is ceiling-mounted. To do this, you will need to use a special hose.
Also, do not forget that you need to hang light filters on the windows, which will reliably protect against light penetration. By independently forming a complex, you can save an impressive amount of money. How to assemble, connect and set up a home theater – from design to placement and connection of all components into a common system of acoustics and a Smart TV TV: https://youtu.be/AgjIQM5QMl4

Connecting to a TV

There are many options for connecting your home theater to your TV. Below you can see the main ones:

1. Through the headphone jack . To do this, you will need to use a miniJack 3.5 mm slot. Most television receivers have a similar socket. To connect the equipment, you will need a special cord, on one side of which there will be a miniJack tip, and on the other side – a pair of RCA tulips.
2. Through the SCART connector . Some TV models have a SCART interface output, and RCA in home theaters. You can connect a “non-pair” using a special cable, on one side of which there is a SCART connector, and on the other – a pair of RCA “tulips”.
3. HDMI OUT is the best option. To connect, you will need to find the HDMI IN slot on the back of the DK receiver (the port may be labeled ARC). Next, the user goes to the category of settings on the TV and selects the item for sound reproduction through the playing audio / voice for acoustic system. The playing audio / voice for dynamic checkbox is unchecked.

Diagram of connecting a home theater to a TV:
Connecting a cinema [/ caption]

Note! If you prefer the headphone jack connection method, it should be understood that the sound quality will be lower than with other methods. Therefore, experts advise using this method only as a fallback.

Smart TV connection to home theater [/ caption]

Home theater setup

For a home theater to enjoy good sound, you should not only correctly place the speakers in the room, but also take care of adjusting the sound of the equipment. Before setting up, you need to arrange the speakers in a circle in the resulting space between the audience and the screen. To avoid sound distortion, do not place the speakers too close to walls. Through system configuration, home theater owners configure their equipment:

1. First of all, the user selects the bass sound mode of the center speaker.
2. If the speaker is too large, you will need to prioritize Wide for optimal bass performance.
3. In the case where the loudspeaker is located on the central video player, experts advise setting the Normal mode.
4. When tuning the center channel, set the delay time. For every 30 cm of difference in the distance between the equipment and the listener, a delay is set within 1 ms. The delay time can be omitted when the front speakers are arranged in an arc.
5. Next, select the desired channel volume level, which can be adjusted using the receiver’s volume control.
6. When adjusting the brightness level, 32 shades of gray with sharp edges can be seen at the bottom of the image. Shades merge with dark areas in case of low brightness.

Adjustment [/ caption] When the brightness is adjusted correctly, the bottom of the image will show 32 grayscale with sharp edges. If the brightness is low, then all the shades begin to merge with the darkened areas; at high brightness, the shades merge with the light zones. To adjust the contrast, a similar gradation with gray tones is used. A clear visibility of the scale gradation indicates correct setting. In case of incorrect adjustment, certain areas are changed to negative. For your information! With this setting, the listener is able to establish an acceptable sound level from all speakers. In cases where, during the test viewing of a segment of the video, the user notes excessive bass sound, he can independently reduce the power level of the subwoofer.

Possible problems and solutions

In the process of connecting a DC, users often have problems. The most common difficulties and ways to solve them can be found below.

1. Poor audibility of voices and strong bass . As a rule, such a nuisance occurs in cases when a hard floor covering is used. To solve the problem, you will need to lay a carpet on the floor.
2. A dull sound indicates that there is a lot of upholstered furniture in the room or the acoustics is incorrectly selected. For the sound to be surround, it is necessary to hang the photo frame / painting on the walls on either side of the subwoofer.
3. Rattling sound is a fairly common problem, which can be solved by moving the speakers away from the walls. You will also need to install upholstered furniture in the room.
4. Difficulties associated with connecting the cinema to a PC . It is best to choose the wireless connection method. Wi-Fi must be built into the cinema system. Using a wireless connection, it will be possible to connect the DC not only to a computer, but also to a laptop / smartphone / tablet.

Note! On sale you can find models of home theaters, which are controlled via a smartphone with a special application installed.

Controlling a home theater through a smartphone using a special application [/ caption] The process of choosing and installing a home theater cannot be called simple. However, with an effort and taking into account the recommendations of the specialists listed in the article, you can independently cope with this task and not make mistakes. Properly selected and installed equipment will allow household members to enjoy watching movies and a cozy atmosphere that prevails in the room.