We all love to watch blockbuster movies on the big screen, but when you feel like a movie night in with the family, sometimes that little TV in the corner of the room doesn’t cut it. This is where creating a true home theatre system comes into play. With the latest and greatest flat-screen televisions, surround sound installations and high definition video games, there is something for the whole family to enjoy.

Whether you are into the latest movies or just enjoy the experience of watching your home movies on a big screen, the whole family can enjoy a great experience with a dedicated system. Re-live those old memories with the impact of a large screen and playback years of family enjoyment with your very own home theatre experience.

Setting up the perfect system doesn’t necessarily have to cost the big bucks either – many home theatre systems are truly affordable and can contain everything you need to start enjoying a little slice of Hollywood at home. For the most part, you will need at least three items to take your viewing experience to the next level.

Choosing a Big Screen

The first item on your home theatre list will of course be the television. A dedicated screen for blockbuster movies, home videos and gaming is a necessity and will allow you to be fully immersed in whatever you are viewing. Choosing an HDTV will only depend on the size of the screen, as well as the type of screen to fit your budget.

LCD TVs are one of the cheapest options, allowing you great contrast ratio to bring out a vivid image, excellent colour recreation as well as offering you a crisp digital image. OLED TVs offer power saving, as well as offering a wider range of colour to add to LCD. From there, you may wish to choose a 3D TV variant to offer you a truly immersive experience with the accompanying glasses for all the family. 4K television offers a big leap in image quality, so if you have the extra $1k or two, go for it!

Choosing a Surround Sound Installation

Audio plays a huge role in giving you the ultimate entertainment experience, so choosing the right surround sound system will allow you to fully appreciate the movies and games you enjoy most. Home audio setups have come a long way since the stereo days, and now you can enjoy multiple speakers and amplifiers to boost the volume as well as the immersive experience.

Why not hire a professional to install your surround sound system to ensure you get the best sound out of your home theatre. A professional will be able to recommend an appropriate system for your setup, whether it be a digital 5.1 system, a 7.1 system or a bespoke surround sound installation that can employ a sophisticated remote control experience for the entire home theatre.

It is important to note that many cheaper systems may offer “virtual surround” that employs a type of modulation of the sound to give you an effect of being surrounded by the audio, but doesn’t offer true digital surround sound. A proper surround sound system will employ multiple speakers that carry individual channels of audio to truly surround you with sound and give you the effect of being in the room with what’s on screen.

HDTV Receiver, Blu-Ray or HD Media Player

The third most important aspect of your home theatre surround sound device is the playback system. Many home theatre systems include a HD TV receiver such as a satellite, cable or Freeview box that is capable of playing back HDTV. This is a great way to enjoy your television on the big screen in style.

For those movie buffs, a high-definition movie playback system such as a Blu-Ray DVD player is a great way to build your collection of movies. Blu-Ray recorders are also available to record your favourite TV shows, burn DVDs of your home movies or transfer movies and music from your computer.

Another great addition would be to employ a HD media playback device to your system. These mini boxes usually contain a computer hard drive which is used to store your music, movies and home videos onto. Some devices are ‘network attached’ meaning that you can link them via Wi-Fi to your computer, laptop, cell phone, tablet and home theatre system to stream all of your media, instantly making it a great addition to any home theatre setup.

Consult a Pro for a Pro Setup

For a truly blockbuster home theatre setup, why not get a professional to help consult, plan or install your system to meet its full potential. With a professional home theatre and surround sound installation you will be able to fully benefit from the cinema experience in the comfort of your own home without the hassle and stress of a mountain of cables and connectors to get the best out of your system in a flash.