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Installing a home theater is a great way to bring the movie theater experience home. A personalized home theater can also take your gaming experience to the next level. Before you set up your home theater, review these components so you know exactly what you need to create an amazing home theater experience.

Many home theater installers in Sonoma recommend reviewing the following components so that you can be sure your system will work just as well as it does in your mind’s eye.

Display Device

You can either choose a television or a projector as your display device. Televisions are inexpensive and easier to install than projectors, but cannot replicate the movie-watching experience that projectors can create.

When choosing a display, the most important thing to consider is whether the room can accommodate your preferred device. Check the technology that the device uses. Popular television technologies include QLED, OLED, LCD and 4k Ultra HD. Contemporary projection technologies are LED, DLP and LCD.

Some other things to consider that can affect your home theater experience include the device’s resolution, brightness, and contrast ratio. With so many different options, homeowners often get carried away when choosing a display device for their home theater and exceed their budget. It’s important that you look for something that fits your budget or you may be forced to opt for cheaper, substandard options when choosing other home theater components.

Surge Protectors

A surge protector protects your expensive home theater components from power surges. Most surge protectors look like power strips. When choosing surge protectors for your home theater system, consider their joule rating, that is the amount of energy they can absorb without failing. A higher joule rating usually indicates stronger protection.

Some surge protectors have an auto-shutoff feature to prevent power from reaching connected devices if the surge protector is no longer capable of offering adequate protection against power surges. Others use LED lights/an alarm to indicate that they are no longer providing an adequate level of protection against power surges.

Receiver

The receiver is the brain of a home theater system. It receives audio and video signals from different sources and then sends them to the display and speakers. You can connect a gaming system, cable box, Roku, or other systems to your receiver.

A typical receiver has various inputs for HDMI, RCA audio, and digital optical. Some receivers even have an output for digital coaxial audio. Most contemporary devices use HDMI and digital optical for the inputs.

Speakers

Speakers are integral to your home theater experience. Some popular types of speakers to consider include integrated speakers, sound bars, and surround speakers. 5.1 home theater systems use two front and two back speakers, a center speaker and a subwoofer. Some factors to consider when choosing speakers include your preferences, room acoustics and the size of the room.

Sync Systems is a trusted audio/visual company in Sonoma with extensive experience in home theater installations. Our pros have years of experience bringing our clients’ visions to life. To learn more, call (707) 799-9558.