Home Theater Layout

Many people will tell you that home theater layout and set up should be done by a professional. In fact this can be quite easy to do yourself and can save a lot of time and money. The majority of theatre systems, TV’s, DVD’s and sound systems are made to be user friendly. They come with explicit instruction manuals that tell you how to set up, connect and tune each item.

If you are reasonably confident it positioning and plugging in a TV I would be tempted to layout and set up your system yourself. It will save you a lot of money and time trying to find a reputable installer.

As far as layout goes there are a few things you should bear in mind. The TV, DVD player and main sound box should not be too far apart. Cables need to run between these components and you don’t want to end up with a lot of cable. If you want to tuck your DVD player and sound box away you could put them in a wall recess or alcove and close them off. You will need access to them but they don’t have to be on show,

If you are having true surround sound you will need to consider where you will run the wires for the speakers. A good option is to have wall speakers in the corners of the room behind where you will site. If you place the speakers high on the wall you can run the wires close to the ceiling and cover them with cornice so they are not seen.

You TV or projector screen should be central with your seating are facing it. Your speakers should be either side of the TV and for surround sound in each corner of the room behind the seating area.