One of the most difficult things for numerous people to do when walking into an electronics store is more often than not to stay on budget. There are so numerous bells, whistles, and just delightful gadgets on the market today that it is hard to go into the store with the intention of spending a definite amount of money and sticking with that intention. This being said it is achievable to bargain shop and get the best achievable bargain for your money when it comes to purchasing a wonderful home theater system if you are willing to do the required legwork.
Seriously there are several steps involved and it often requires multiple trips to multiple stores or multiple phone calls at the very least over the course of about a week in time. The reason for all of this is that it could literally save you hundreds of dollars when it comes to building your home theater or even when purchaseing a prepackaged system and will at the very least have you armed with the necessary knowledge to secure a good price on the system you choose.
A good home theater is a sizeable investment and not one that should be taken lightly. While a good system should last several years, you do not really want to spend more money than you must in order to purchase the system if you can avoid it easily. Many people purchase these systems on impulse or make the decision to purchase one then feel they must make the purchase before they have time to either talk themselves out of it or several different problem comes up, which prevents the less padding in the budget that a home theater will remove.
The first step in my grand plan for saving money on a home theater is to check out the local stores. There are a few reasons for this. First of all you have the opportunity to really check out the systems you are considering and compare them with one another in regards to both quality and the features you are seeking. Second, it gives you a chance to see the prices and selection that are accessible on the local level. Keep a record of the prices on the systems you alike and compare them to the prices on the same or similar systems in different stores.
You should then go home and log on to the Internet. Comparing prices online can often present several amazing bargains. Once you find the lowest price, make a notation of the website and print off the information such as the price. Once you have paper in hand, it's time to do a less more legwork around town. Go to your local stores with the price and see if they are willing to match or beat the price you found online. While more often than not you will find stores that are willing to match but not beat the prices online. However, there are occasions when the store will throw in a nice perk e.g. a free DVD for your early system or something along the line in addition to matching the price you found online.
Simply comparing prices online and finding the lowest achievable price can often mean the difference in a system being within your budget allowance or outside of your allowance. At best it can make a home theater within your reach at worst it is quite achievable that you will save money over the local store price by shopping online (even if your local stores won't match the price you can often find lower prices online with free shipping).
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Compare Home Theater to Movie Going
Many people shy away from purchasing a home theater for fear of the great costs involved in doing so. I recommend that you put dangerous pen and paper to those assumptions rather then merely assuming it is costly for your limited budget. The truth of the matter, when compared with the costs of going out to watch a movie you might find that you will be spending less money in no time by watching movies at home rather than paying for the 'movie going' experience.
You might want to pay careful attention to how much money you spend each month going to the theater. Don't forget such as any costs involved in hiring sitters, going out to dinner (most people don't do McDonald's before or after going to theaters), concession stand purchases in those figures. Even if you go to the theater once a week as a couple or as family the costs can really add up. If you visit the theater less or have a smaller family those costs might be less but you could seriously raise those prices by going more often or having a larger family.
The important thing to remember when pricing a home theater system is the value it will bring to you and your family. If this will bring the family together at home for a couple of nights a week it is well worth the investment in my opinion. If it will keep the teenagers in your home and off the streets on the weekend it is worth even more. A home theater is an investment in the enjoyment of your home for everyone involved and numerous families find that this is a great way to enjoy a night at home. It's a great way to insure super-Super Bowl parties will be taking place in your home rather than the homes of others (it's a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things).
With this in mind you can buy kits for anywhere between $200 and $2,000 (and upwards, but if you are going to spend more than $2,000 I seriously recommend building your own home theater). Box systems are rather easy to find in local and mass-market retailers and are rather simple to install (even for the uninitiated). These systems might not give the best possible system but for those who have significant budget concerns they are a great place to initiate and you can get many really great systems if you are willing to seriously shop around and compare the different quality between brands as well as which bells and whistles you require and which you can live without.
Once you make the decision to buy a home theater the best thing to do is check out what is available. You should then take complete advantage of the great competition on the market today by searching for the most features for the lowest price. You just might be shocked and amazed at the great bargains that you can find, especially in the months following the big consumer expo show each January.
You should combine the home theater and excellent movie experience in your home with a membership to Netflix, Blockbuster, or many different home delivery DVD system and you can have frozen pizza, microwave popcorn, and completely the pillows to hide behind you can ask for in the comfort of your home for a fraction of the price of going to the theater once a week.
You might want to pay careful attention to how much money you spend each month going to the theater. Don't forget such as any costs involved in hiring sitters, going out to dinner (most people don't do McDonald's before or after going to theaters), concession stand purchases in those figures. Even if you go to the theater once a week as a couple or as family the costs can really add up. If you visit the theater less or have a smaller family those costs might be less but you could seriously raise those prices by going more often or having a larger family.
The important thing to remember when pricing a home theater system is the value it will bring to you and your family. If this will bring the family together at home for a couple of nights a week it is well worth the investment in my opinion. If it will keep the teenagers in your home and off the streets on the weekend it is worth even more. A home theater is an investment in the enjoyment of your home for everyone involved and numerous families find that this is a great way to enjoy a night at home. It's a great way to insure super-Super Bowl parties will be taking place in your home rather than the homes of others (it's a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things).
With this in mind you can buy kits for anywhere between $200 and $2,000 (and upwards, but if you are going to spend more than $2,000 I seriously recommend building your own home theater). Box systems are rather easy to find in local and mass-market retailers and are rather simple to install (even for the uninitiated). These systems might not give the best possible system but for those who have significant budget concerns they are a great place to initiate and you can get many really great systems if you are willing to seriously shop around and compare the different quality between brands as well as which bells and whistles you require and which you can live without.
Once you make the decision to buy a home theater the best thing to do is check out what is available. You should then take complete advantage of the great competition on the market today by searching for the most features for the lowest price. You just might be shocked and amazed at the great bargains that you can find, especially in the months following the big consumer expo show each January.
You should combine the home theater and excellent movie experience in your home with a membership to Netflix, Blockbuster, or many different home delivery DVD system and you can have frozen pizza, microwave popcorn, and completely the pillows to hide behind you can ask for in the comfort of your home for a fraction of the price of going to the theater once a week.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Common Television Types for Home Theaters
When selecting components for your home theater you will come to a point in time when you must decide on which type and size of television you will need for the best achievable viewing experience. There are many types of televisions on the market now and technology is constantly evolving and emerging in order to bring newer, bigger, and better televisions to a market that one would think is already saturated.
The good news is that the very nature of this market makes yesterdays cutting edge technology today's bargain of the day. The very brevity of new technology in the electronics industry works in favor of consumers by driving prices down rather quickly. Nothing is entirely out of reach for the average consumer for terribly long. For this think you can afford to be fairly selective when choosing components for your home theater. This selectiveness just so happens to extend to televisions sets as well.
There are basically three types of television sets burning up the home theater market today. Those types of televisions include the following: plasma, rear project, or front projection television. Each of these have distinct advantages and disadvantages when it comes to home theater.
Plasma Televisions
These televisions often give the best quality when it comes to picture. Their designs make them ideal for watching movies that are formatted for wide screen viewing and they have a much larger viewing area than traditional televisions and they come in a wide variety of sizes in order to adapt to many types of home theater needs. The single largest problem with these types of televisions is the price, which can be quite prohibitive, particularly as you consider the larger sized televisions.
Rear Projection Televisions
Rear projection televisions offer a great deal of quality at a much lower price than plasma televisions. With these types of televisions the image is projected and reflected from the back of the television. One of the major disadvantages for rear projections televisions is the fact that they are quite sizable in order to house the components necessary for a good quality picture onscreen. Another distinct disadvantage is the fact that there is a great deal of competition that varies in quality and you really need to study the various televisions before settling on any one in particular.
Other notable drawbacks to rear projection televisions are the facts that the lighting in the room affects the quality of the picture onscreen and you have a narrow viewing range. Otherwise, the low cost involved is a huge bonus to many and makes the purchase of this type of television (particularly for a home theater) the best achievable choice. It always comes down to a matter of preference.
Front Projectors
These are not exactly televisions in the traditional sense of the word but they work well for this particular mean and are perfect solutions for many home theaters. The technology for this type of viewing medium has evolved over the last few years. Gone are the days of big bulky boxes that sat on the floor of your living room and that no one could pace in front of without seriously distorting the television view. Today's front projectors are mounted on the ceiling and give a nice quality of picture rather you are using a screen that is designed to maximize the quality of the picture or merely projecting onto a blank wall.
As I told before there is no universal right or wrong when it comes to selecting the best television for your home theater. The thing you should pay careful attention to is which screen or which view you alike best. Which type of television will offer you the most bang for your home theater buck? You should ask yourself which level of quality can you and can you not live without? These are important questions that should support you narrow down your search for a television for your home theater.
The good news is that the very nature of this market makes yesterdays cutting edge technology today's bargain of the day. The very brevity of new technology in the electronics industry works in favor of consumers by driving prices down rather quickly. Nothing is entirely out of reach for the average consumer for terribly long. For this think you can afford to be fairly selective when choosing components for your home theater. This selectiveness just so happens to extend to televisions sets as well.
There are basically three types of television sets burning up the home theater market today. Those types of televisions include the following: plasma, rear project, or front projection television. Each of these have distinct advantages and disadvantages when it comes to home theater.
Plasma Televisions
These televisions often give the best quality when it comes to picture. Their designs make them ideal for watching movies that are formatted for wide screen viewing and they have a much larger viewing area than traditional televisions and they come in a wide variety of sizes in order to adapt to many types of home theater needs. The single largest problem with these types of televisions is the price, which can be quite prohibitive, particularly as you consider the larger sized televisions.
Rear Projection Televisions
Rear projection televisions offer a great deal of quality at a much lower price than plasma televisions. With these types of televisions the image is projected and reflected from the back of the television. One of the major disadvantages for rear projections televisions is the fact that they are quite sizable in order to house the components necessary for a good quality picture onscreen. Another distinct disadvantage is the fact that there is a great deal of competition that varies in quality and you really need to study the various televisions before settling on any one in particular.
Other notable drawbacks to rear projection televisions are the facts that the lighting in the room affects the quality of the picture onscreen and you have a narrow viewing range. Otherwise, the low cost involved is a huge bonus to many and makes the purchase of this type of television (particularly for a home theater) the best achievable choice. It always comes down to a matter of preference.
Front Projectors
These are not exactly televisions in the traditional sense of the word but they work well for this particular mean and are perfect solutions for many home theaters. The technology for this type of viewing medium has evolved over the last few years. Gone are the days of big bulky boxes that sat on the floor of your living room and that no one could pace in front of without seriously distorting the television view. Today's front projectors are mounted on the ceiling and give a nice quality of picture rather you are using a screen that is designed to maximize the quality of the picture or merely projecting onto a blank wall.
As I told before there is no universal right or wrong when it comes to selecting the best television for your home theater. The thing you should pay careful attention to is which screen or which view you alike best. Which type of television will offer you the most bang for your home theater buck? You should ask yourself which level of quality can you and can you not live without? These are important questions that should support you narrow down your search for a television for your home theater.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Common Home Theater Mistakes to Avoid
A home theater is no small investment, particularly if you are going for a good quality home theater. With that in mind there are numerous mistakes that people make along the way when it comes to their home theaters. What you want to do is learn from the mistakes of others rather than dooming yourself to repeat those that have been made so numerous times before. Below you will find information on several of the most often made mistakes when it comes to creating a great home theater for you and your family.
Windows
I'm not talking Microsoft either. One thing that is a killer for your home theater is a room full of windows. At night, every car passing by will prove distracting and during the day less able to be enjoyed on your television from the sunlight pouring in. Even normal curtains allow several degree of light into the room, which will give a distracting glare on you television screen. If you have no windowless rooms in your home you will at the very least want to install several heavy duty blackout drapes or curtains in order to prevent the glare and distraction that windows give.
Cheap Speakers
Sound is one of the most important factors in imitating a theater quality movie viewing experience. If you have cheap speakers you will not receive the quality of sound that you will need in order to achieve that experience. The first five or ten minutes of the movie Top Gun give s one of the best sound tests I've ever seen. Grab a copy of the DVD and take it with you to the stores, compare speakers using that DVD and go with the set that give s the best quality of sound. It's a good litmus test and you will be glad you did if you ever listen to a favorite movie on a friends inferior speakers.
Poor Installation
It makes no sense to invest thousands of dollars in a home theater system exclusively to bring it home and do a poor job of installing it because you didn't want to spring for the extra two hundred dollars for installation. Improper installation of your home theater will result in much less quality than you paid for, which makes a good quality system a complete waste of money. Pay the price now for professional installation if you have any doubts at all about your ability to properly install your system.
Not Reading Directions
On the other hand if you decide to do your own installation the number one problem is the result of not reading the instructions for not exclusively installation but the operation of your home theater. We may feel that we are intuitive by nature but sometimes it helps to have a roadmap to follow. Instructions for installation and operating manuals are our road maps and reading them first will not exclusively save a great deal of time but increase your enjoyment of your home theater.
Avoiding these frequent mistakes able to go along way towards helping you get the most possible enjoyment from your home theater. It's amazing how much of a difference less things able to make along the way. Good luck with the selection, purchase, and installation of your home theater. I hope you enjoy numerous wonderful hours of movie, television, and game watching on your early system.
Windows
I'm not talking Microsoft either. One thing that is a killer for your home theater is a room full of windows. At night, every car passing by will prove distracting and during the day less able to be enjoyed on your television from the sunlight pouring in. Even normal curtains allow several degree of light into the room, which will give a distracting glare on you television screen. If you have no windowless rooms in your home you will at the very least want to install several heavy duty blackout drapes or curtains in order to prevent the glare and distraction that windows give.
Cheap Speakers
Sound is one of the most important factors in imitating a theater quality movie viewing experience. If you have cheap speakers you will not receive the quality of sound that you will need in order to achieve that experience. The first five or ten minutes of the movie Top Gun give s one of the best sound tests I've ever seen. Grab a copy of the DVD and take it with you to the stores, compare speakers using that DVD and go with the set that give s the best quality of sound. It's a good litmus test and you will be glad you did if you ever listen to a favorite movie on a friends inferior speakers.
Poor Installation
It makes no sense to invest thousands of dollars in a home theater system exclusively to bring it home and do a poor job of installing it because you didn't want to spring for the extra two hundred dollars for installation. Improper installation of your home theater will result in much less quality than you paid for, which makes a good quality system a complete waste of money. Pay the price now for professional installation if you have any doubts at all about your ability to properly install your system.
Not Reading Directions
On the other hand if you decide to do your own installation the number one problem is the result of not reading the instructions for not exclusively installation but the operation of your home theater. We may feel that we are intuitive by nature but sometimes it helps to have a roadmap to follow. Instructions for installation and operating manuals are our road maps and reading them first will not exclusively save a great deal of time but increase your enjoyment of your home theater.
Avoiding these frequent mistakes able to go along way towards helping you get the most possible enjoyment from your home theater. It's amazing how much of a difference less things able to make along the way. Good luck with the selection, purchase, and installation of your home theater. I hope you enjoy numerous wonderful hours of movie, television, and game watching on your early system.
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