Your home theater equipment list will start with your budget. You can spend thousands on a great home theater but for ease of explanation we will discuss a simpler home theater system and list what equipment you need.
The List
This home theater equipment list will comprise what is needed to complete a basic 5.1 channel surround sound system. Here we go not in any specific order.
- Multi-channel AV receiver
- TV or Projector
- DVD player/game console/cable box etc
- Center Speaker
- Sub Woofer
- Right Speaker
- Left Speaker
- Right Surround Speaker
- Left Surround Speaker
- Speaker Wire and labels
- HDMI cables
- Surge Protector
- Programmable Remote
If you’re interested on learning how to hook up home theater speakers click the link to our article about that.
The Breakdown
1. Multi-channel AV receiver A decent AV receiver will run you about $500. Its best to get the latest model with HDMI inputs, compatible with surround sound codecs, support for a 3D signal, network functionality for streaming from computer and should have enough wattage to power your home theater system.
2. TV or Projector A TV or projector is usually specific to the size of your room. For ease of understanding a 65″ Samsung HDTV will run about $500. Click on How Big Should My TV Be for a better understanding of TV size.
3. DVD Player A DVD player will run you about $50.00. Phillips makes a Blu-Ray/DVD player which will ensure you can watch your favorite movies.
4. Surround Speakers The most convenient and probably economical way to get surround sound speakers is to buy them as a kit. Walmart has surround sound speaker sets starting at $80.00. These kits will have all the speakers you need in one package. Left, right, center, rear right, rear left and sub woofer. If you are an audiophile you might want to invest in higher quality speakers but for the ordinary Joes and Janes these will probably be perfect.
5. Speaker wire and labels Buy the wire in a bulk roll to save some money. A 100ft roll with labels will run about $20.00 There are different gauges (thickness) check the speaker specs and the lengths of wire. The longer the run of wire the thicker it should be. The lower the gauge the thicker it will be.
6. HDMI Cables A 6ft – 10ft 2.0 HDMI cable will run you about $10.00. If you have everything planned out you will know which lengths you need already. If your TV is mounted on the wall you will probably need a longer length for that. Best practice is to run it inside the wall.
7. Surge Protector Don’t be caught with your Home Theater in the middle of an electrical storm without a surge protector. Damage is possible which can be prevented by using a surge protector. $8.00 to $40.00 depending on the size and quality.
8. Programmable Remote This remote allows you to control multiple peripherals without having to switch between all the different remotes you get with each one. These remotes will run from $30.00 to $300.00
We hope this helped. Have A Great Day!
