What do you need to set up your own home-entertainment system?

So if you’ve decided that you want to take the plunge and install a home entertainment system in your house, exactly what equipment should you get? This can be complicated, especially when it comes to hooking it all up, but as long as you do a little research before you buy anything you should be fine.

The first thing you need is your ‘screen’: that is, either a TV or a projector. For most people, a large plasma or LCD TV will probably be best – true enthusiasts might want to try a projector, but they tend to have all sorts of problems, not least of which is finding a wall big enough and empty enough to project onto effectively.

The next thing you need is the DVD player, which should be a high-quality model, not some cheap one from the supermarket. You might think that all DVD players were created equal when it comes to picture and sound quality, but that’s just not true – there is a notable difference in quality when it comes to high-end models.

You will also want a surround sound system, to make it seem like the sound is filling the room and coming from all directions. There is almost no limit to how much you can spend on sound, so don’t go too far overboard – stick to a reasonably basic surround sound configuration, instead of getting a very high-end one that requires you to mount huge numbers of speakers all over your room.

Finally, silly as it might sound, a very important part of your equipment is the cables that you use to hook it all together. Cheap cables will cause some of the picture and sound quality to be lost in transmission between the different devices, while better quality cables will produce a notable difference. Again, don’t go too far and spend ridiculous amounts on golden cables, but don’t skimp on it either.