Planning

• 1). What do you want to do? The first thing to consider when building a surround system is what you actually want from it. Many people simply want a glorified TV room just to enjoy movies and sports on the weekends. Others want it to be the central hub of entertainment for music as well. And some want to build a dedicated theater room, like one modeled after the deck of the Starship Enterprise. With the vast abilities of the technology available, planning is all that’s required to build your system.
  
  
• 2). Set a budget. Setting a budget will help you decide on which type and brands of speakers you can choose from, and it can also help weed out the things you may not need. Are you more interested in hearing every detail in the latest episode of House than hearing every level of sound in your new jazz CDs?
  
  Large tower front speakers are great for music, while smaller satellite or bookshelf style speakers will be sufficient for most TV shows and movies.
  
  
• 3). Consult a pro. Although you may have a do-it-yourself attitude, this is not like building a new deck in the backyard. A significant amount of programing and wiring may be needed depending on your home. Even if you decide that you want to have an active role in the installation of the equipment, a few hours with a professional home theater installer can save you days of headache later. Often, problems arise not from the technology itself but from customers choosing the wrong device for their needs. Spending thousands of dollars on a great pair of Bang & Olfsen speakers is useless if you put them in a concrete basement.