1. Save up the money secretly. Once you reveal what you want to your spouse, you will have the money set aside to buy it.

2. If there is no way to save the money from your present income, find other ways to pay for it. How much is the theater system? One thousand dollars? Two? Do you want it badly enough to take a second job or work more hours to pay for it? Consider a work from home job if you don’t want to be away from your children or spouse any more time than you already are.

3. If the love of your life doesn’t want a home theater system because he or she doesn’t understand how great one can be, see if you can get a friend or co-worker to invite you over for an evening of watching their home theater system. Once your spouse sees the quality of picture and sound, he may want one as much as you do.

4. If your spouse is suffering from if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it syndrome, check out buying just pieces of the home theater system that you don’t already have. Is there a set of speakers that will interface with the television you have now? Do you want a game controller to go with your current DVD? You may be able to get by with just adding parts of the home theater system to the unbroken appliances you have.

5. Its easier to get forgiven than it is to get permission. If you are bold, try buying the home theater setup you want without asking your spouse first. Then when your partner comes home, smile and say “I’ve got it all set up, but here are the boxes and the receipts. If you say we can’t have it, then I won’t object to your taking it all apart and hauling it back to the store. But for tonight, let’s enjoy it.” Chances are your spouse won’t take it back.

6. Compromise. You may not get the great setup you want, but if your spouse is willing to go with a less-expensive system, you will at least get something better than what you have now.

7. Let your spouse know its not just for you. An important part of negotiating for a home theater system is to convince your partner that it will improve life for the whole family. You can show off pictures of the theater system you want and tell your love how everyone will enjoy it.

8. Be patient and respectful. Hopefully you love your partner more than you do the home theater system and you want a happy, healthy marriage more than you want a sound surround speaker system. You can talk about what you want, but you must also listen to your spouse’s objections. They may be valid. If the credit cards are maxed out and the bills are too high now, that home theater may have to wait until you can afford it.

Chase Sagum covers the Home Theater Screen Paint section of ScreenPaintHD.com. He also covers Organic Internet Marketing on his personal blog ChaseSagum.com.

Some of my favourite memories of being young, free and single revolve around the place I stayed in and the fun times I had there. It is now some sort of swanky loft apartment and I don’t even have a picture of it the way it used to be. However, I can mentally reconstruct every inch of it in my head whenever I want to remember just what I used to get up to in the days when first thing in the morning meant 11am and a healthy, balanced meal meant ordering a diet coke with the kebab.

Where’s the Lava Lamp?

Yet, my happy memories were shattered the other day when I went to my friend’s new bachelor pad and was blown away by how he has fitted it out. There was no sign of the likes of the chunky radio with cassette player I used to use, a VHS player or even one of those lava lamps I used to get so much pleasure from watching.

As I got married a few years back I have slipped out of touch with games, gadgets and entertainment options a little, but I hadn’t realised that I was quite so far behind the times. For example, I was stunned to see that pride of place in my mate’s pad is a flight simulator. He had always wanted to be a pilot is seems, and now he can be one without the inconvenience of troublesome exams and potentially life threatening accidents.

I would imagine that he spends a lot of time hooked up to this addictive machine, but when he invited me around he very graciously let me take the captain’s seat. Or maybe I barged him out of the way, I can’t quite seem to recall now how it all happened. Anyway, the end result was that I got to take part in an amazing simulation which ended in an emergency landing but which was incredibly exciting while it lasted.

As I wandered around the place I bumped – literally – into a fantastic popcorn making machine which was nestled beside a chocolate fountain. Oh, the fun I could have had with these in my days of Pot Noodles and Curly Wurlys. It looks as though he has every angle covered and can either enjoy a quiet night in on his own, eating tasty delights and taking to the air, or invite round friends to marvel at his stuff and pass time together.

Some people might think of a bachelor pad as being somewhere a bit dull, but here anyone could see that it doesn’t have to be like that at all. No matter what tastes you have you can find a way of cramming it in and treating yourself to a place fit for a king.

Old Classics Never Die

Photo by Melissa Gray

Just as I was starting to get envious and wondering whether quickie divorces are as easy as they say, I stumbled across something which brought a smile to my face; he has the same style of classic dart board as I used to have in my bachelor pad. I was delighted to see that some things just never go out of style.

I actually won mine in a newspaper competition as a kid and it still remains to this day the only thing I have ever won. My mate’s isn’t filled with thousands of holes like mine, and neither does the surrounding wall closely resemble a piece of Swiss cheese like mind did. However, the site of something so familiar made me think that no matter what fancy, modern gadgets delight and enthral us there will always be space in a bachelor pad for the classic items as well.

Robert is a keen writer on games room equipment, in particular pool tables, and works for games room specialists Liberty Games.

Space – A Limited Frontier?

Not all living rooms are equal and one important reason for hiding the TV in many rooms is space.  For smaller living areas the need to keep TVs and other electronic equipment out of harm’s way may be partly due to space limitations.  In addition, there may also be aesthetic reasons to keep the TV either hidden, or limit the amount of space it takes up.  Simple wooden screens can be designed, built or bought to achieve this and can offer a flexible solution.  Where funds and space allow the TV could even be built into a wall or unit and covered by a sliding screen in the form of a picture when it’s not in use.

Dual Personality

Whether it is limited space or purely aesthetic considerations that require the TV to be less prominent in your home, another simple solution is to frame the TV.  TV frames are widely available and can be designed and built to your own specifications.  This option is actually among the cheaper solutions and yet is one of the most original.  TV framing options can include a traditional frame of any design, modern wooden finishes, painted or otherwise – to suit exactly your own décor.  Additional options include mirror glass – this is a great option that turns the TV into a functional and attractive item when it’s not in use.

Gadget-Free Living Without Losing the Gadgets

Today, more than ever before, we rely on electronic devices around our homes.  In many cases these are now hidden from sight, kitchen appliances have long since disappeared behind attractive units.  Creating a relaxing ‘gadget-free’ appearance is a priority for many homeowners and designers and a TV frame can certainly help to achieve this in living rooms and bedrooms.  Despite our plugged in lifestyles we still love to decorate our homes with traditional materials.  Framing your TV or hiding it in other ways offers the chance to incorporate traditional materials as part of your design and minimise the impact of the ‘box’.  By framing, camouflaging or building in your TV you can put the ‘home’ back into home entertainment!

TV Mirrors are an attractive, functional solution to the age old dilemma of where to hide the TV,  www.frameyourtv.co.uk create hand crafted frames for any size TV and to suit your personal interior design. 

Working Around Potential Problems

The TV, whether you like it or not, will be a focus in the room and remembering this can help to minimize the impact it can have.  The TV is going to be located where it can be seen from every angle in a room, which is fine when you are viewing, but not so great when it’s off.  Designing the room to fit round the TV, may seem extreme, but doesn’t have to be.  TVs tend to be black, if not the surround at least the screen; mounting the TV on a wall with a darker colour – either paint or wood panelling – can help to blend it seamlessly into the background.  Even highlighting woodwork or other features with a dark colour can tie the whole scheme together.

A Broader Picture

Home entertainment units, TV stands or bookcases can be used to turn the TV into just one feature amongst many – this limits the visual impact of the equipment.  If you are on a budget, a simple way to achieve this effect is to center the TV on a wall (either mounted or freestanding) and add pictures around it.  This makes the TV one of several focal points that should work together and draw attention away from the TV when it is not in use.

An Individual Answer

We love our traditional crafts these days – and adding unique handcrafted items to your home is one way to show off your individuality and taste.  A TV frame can be a great piece of furniture that can be handmade to your specifications, using either warm wood or sleek metal, to frame the TV in a simple, effective and cost efficient way.  TV frames can incorporate speakers and other audio systems to suit your requirements.  Framing your TV also has the advantage of getting it up on the wall away from potential hazards – children for example.  In addition many of the manufacturers of TV frames will offer a mirror glass solution – this is a great way to allow the TV to take pride of place when it’s in use, but ensure that it ‘disappears’ at the flick of a switch!

Around the House

The range of options for minimizing the impact of your TV on the room it is housed in grows every year.  From simple paint effects to large entertainment stations and stands there are options to suit nearly any budget.  The TV frame is certainly one choice that is flexible and adaptable in any room – guest rooms and main bedrooms are particularly suited to this technique, creating a secondary but very useful function for any TV.  As technology adapts, and screens get larger but flatter, framing a TV can be the ideal solution to creating a seamless look to your décor and designs.

TV Mirrors are an attractive, functional solution to the age old dilemma of where to hide the TV,  www.frameyourtv.co.uk create hand crafted frames for any size TV and to suit your personal interior design. 

It wasn’t that anything was really that bad. It is just that the carpet had a design that might once have been described as groovy and the curtains wouldn’t have looked out of place on an episode of Jason King. Add to that a big, chunky TV and it was clear to me that a good make over was needed.

I think that this slip into an old fashioned living room came about because it is a place I traditionally didn’t spend much time in it. I seemed to have let it gradually get way behind the times without even noticing. Now what could I do to sort it out? I  must confess that I considered calling one of those TV decorating shows but couldn’t bear the thought of my house being ridiculed by people who get all excited over a couple of fluffy cushions.

In the end there was nothing for it except a shopping trip. If there is one thing I hate more than going shopping it is going shopping for something other than food, so I decided to do it online. This turned out to be a startlingly good idea and in no time I had found a lot of things which could be used to update my home to the 21^st century.

Let the Changes Begin

I got some wooden flooring which instantly transformed the room into a sleeker and more modern place. Well, I say instantly but it took me a whole day to work out that someone who knows their way around a hammer and measuring tape would need to be called in to do it for me. The saddest part of all is that a friend who is even more behind the times than I was claimed that the old carpet would bring his own living room more up to date if I gave it to him.

The curtains were next to go, and a simple, classy look was soon obtained with a bright and subtle set of curtains which didn’t cost me much at all. Inspired by this I then went one further and got the walls painted to match.

After all that was taken care of, probably the best purchase I made was a stunning TV mirror which now sits in pride of place on my wall and looks miles better than the old model which took up a big corner of the room. I don’t how they do it but it turns from a TV mirror into a mirror TV when it is switched off, or maybe it is the other way around.  Either way, it is a classy mirror when you aren’t watching it as a telly.

I have told a few similarly outdated friends that they should move onto wooden flooring, modern window coverings and TV mirror systems as well as it is easy to do and makes you want to spent more time in the living room too.  However, I fear that some of them just aren’t as modern and hip as I am.

Choose a TV mirror frame from www.frameyourtv.co.uk and move your viewing pleasure onto a new level. With this cutting edge technology you can mix style and practicality without spending a fortune.

The Good

Aside from being an attractive show piece, playing acoustic piano can be a relaxing almost transcendent experience.

Photo by geraldbrazell

Music therapy has shown an elevated level of endorphins in musicians while playing their instruments. Practicing can be a meditative exercise and will increase dexterity, focus, and problem solving skills.

The piano is a great instrument for kids as well. Since it is one of the most visual instruments, learning piano at an early age will help a child with cognitive abilities. Children who learn the piano may also have improved discipline, mood stability and social skills.

Pianos are a distinctive choice in multi-functional décor, they make gorgeous back drops for photos, and excellent display spaces. They can also be a sophisticated touch for parties. Having the elegance of live piano music in your home is in its own way a lifestyle.

Although there are many advantages to be had by making this sort of investment, one should also keep in mind that these instruments need care and maintenance, which can unfortunately mean more money.

The Cons

First, look into the cost and practicality of having a piano in your home; obviously you’re going to need a decent sized space to put the thing. Think seriously about logistics, how much space you can spare and what will actually fit into the

Photo by ActiveSteve

house.

Piano moving can be tricky with corners and small doorways even for professional piano movers. An upfront hassle may not be a make or break factor but it may determine which kind of piano you can get. For most homes as Spinet, Console or Studio are the most practical options. But it will need space that does not get much sun and is free of humidity, as both can do damage to the instrument.

Pianos will need a lot of care and maintenance to remain in optimal condition. Most people will need to have their pianos tuned a minimum of twice a year. This may vary depending on the region you’re living in. For example, people who live in areas where there are extremes in humidity might have to get their pianos tuned more frequently, whereas those who live in more stable climates will not. The average cost of having a piano tuned is around $80, as long as the instrument has been well enough maintained.  But a piano tuner or technician will be able to spot problems during a routine tuning. If you’ve bought a piano used, chances are it will need at least a tuning at the time of purchase, and possibly an action adjustment as well.

Experienced players can easily tell the difference in “feel” between pianos. Sometimes pianos will need some work to get the feel back up to par. Here are some symptoms of a poorly kept piano that might need some adjustment:

Photo by uncleboatshoes

• Sticky keys (a feeling of having to strike a key harder to get the same tone as the other keys)
• Uneven height in the keys
• Hearing a “double strike” or a blubbering noise after hitting a key once
• Not being able to repeat a note quickly
• Squeaks, clicks or other noises that are heard in the pedals or keys.

Once you’ve managed the cost and assessed the practicality of owning a piano, there are many benefits to be enjoyed  Buying a piano is indeed an important decision as they don’t run cheap, and are high maintenance household items. But for many musicians at heart, the beauty and artistic appeal of the instrument is truly invaluable.

Jade is frequent writer for uShip the transport marketplace featuring piano movers around the country. Jade has been writing and blogging for a number of years on home décor, practical living and many other topics.

What are Home Theaters For?

1. Escaping the lines, ever-rising ticket prices, and the sticky floors of the movie theater. Few things are more attractive than the ability to watch high quality cinema in the comfort of your own home, and being able to escape the movie theater nightmare.

2. A huge status symbol. Want to wow the neighbors? Showing them a home theater that would make the local Cinemark wet itself in jealousy is always effective.

3. Do you have teenagers in the home? What better place is there for your kids to hang out than in your own theater. You know they’ll be out of trouble, and you can keep an eye on them. They’ll spend the time in your theater because their friends will think it’s the coolest place ever (See point 2).

Seating Makes the Theater

I don’t know about you, but the luxurious, full-leather recliners define exactly what a theater should be. Everyone has surround sound and a projector, and nobody can tell if they’re exquisite or not. Nothing says opulence quite like building your favorite entertainment into your home (Do the home theater now, and then the bowling alley and wave pool next).

The cost-conscious will enjoy that you can get full leather theater recliners for around $500 a piece, and the techno geeks will love that you can add motorization, lighting, massage, and an in-seat subwoofer to the chairs as options. There is literally a chair for everyone.

As You Consider a Home Theater

During the stage of home improvements, what else would you want to spend your budget on? Carpets, appliances, and countertops are all excellent changes to make to your house, but which of those things would bring your family together quite like a home theater? Even the bowling alley and wave pool will get old after a while with their narrow application – a home theater can be used for a game room, movie room, or music auditioning room.

Plus there are endless possibilities with home theater. Media servers can stream straight from your computer’s iTunes library, play Netflix and Hulu, YouTube, as well as the standard DVD and Blu-rays. Not to mention the ability to distribute video and audio to other destinations around the house – your home theater can be anything you want it to be. Just remember the awesome home theater seating to make it official.

About the Author:

AJ Wilcox is the marketing manager for Big Fish Automation, a Utah home theater installer. He loves running, cars, and technology. He lives with his wife and 2 kids in Orem, Utah.

So you’ve invested a ton of money into your new 60 inch HDTV flat screen and state-of-the-art 7.1 home theater sound system, but will you enjoy your new media or home theater room to its fullest potential?

Many people make the mistake of waiting until after they purchase all the home theater room equipment before deciding what type of seating to buy. Worse yet, they may have spent their entire home theater budget on equipment and not have enough left over for comfortable theater seating.

But if you think about it; whenever you’ve gone to a friend’s home to watch a movie or sporting event, was there enough seating for everyone to have a good view, watch in comfort and have a place to set food and beverages while enjoying the show? If not, you probably didn’t find your home theater experience as satisfying as you would have liked, regardless how big the viewing screen, how deep the bass sound coming from the sub woofer or how great the rear speaker sound effects!

Home Theater Furniture Planning and Layout

The first thing you’ll want to do is decide how many people your media room should seat comfortably, based on how many people live in your home and how often you entertain friends, neighbors and extended family. If you typically only have three or four people watching the TV, then you might go for spacious movie theater loungers or recliners, with built in cup holders and plush leather upholstery. On the other hand, if you regularly entertain a larger group, then it might make more sense to go with sofas or movie theater seats arranged in several rows for an authentic movie theater experience!

Plan your seating for the best viewing angle; you want the center of the screen to be at eye level and not too far to one side or the other. And while not everyone will have the optimal view, take advantage of the prime viewing area by placing your most comfortable seating in these positions so that at least you will enjoy the best view when watching a movie alone or with your partner.

While some people may have a room dedicated entirely as a home theater, in many cases this will be a media room used for general entertainment and as a day-to-day living space. As such, you want to consider the décor, theme and overall design of the room for the multiple activities and uses it is intended to serve.

Casual Home Theater Seating

In a family room or great room that also serves as a media room, casual seating is usually the best choice. Choose sofas, loveseats and/or recliners that can be arranged in an L or U-shape configuration so that everyone can easily view the television.

And while some people will have a better view than others with a casual seating arrangement, you will also have a better layout for conversation and hanging out. This is a perfect arrangement when people are casually watching a sporting event but the TV is not the primary center of attention.

Dedicated Theater Seating

If you are serious about setting your home theater up for maximum viewing enjoyment, then specially designed home theater seating makes more sense. The two types of seating include theater loungers or recliners or traditional movie theater-style seats.

Home Theater Loungers or Recliners

The home theater loungers are actually the best type of seating for a home theater in my own opinion; I would rather be able to recline my seat and kick up my feet after I’m done eating my popcorn. If I want to sit in an upright theater seat I’m going out to the movies. I spend more time playing XBOX 360 or watching sports than viewing movies as if I were a movie director reviewing takes, so comfort is king in my book and I just don’t find movie theater seats that relaxing. But this is a personal matter and you have a lot of choices.

Since many loungers or recliners are now specifically designed for media rooms, you can also find great features such as cup holder in the armrests center consoles with a mini fridge or flip up top that can be turned one way as a flat table for playing card games, etc. while you watch the show or flip it over and the other side has molded plastic wells to hold drinks in place when you’re playing Wii and things are likely to get bounced around a bit!

Another popular trend in home theater seating is the wall-hugger feature; this lets a theater lounger fully recline with out needing more than a couple of inches clearance behind the chair to a wall.

“Hybrid” Home Theater Seating Arrangement

Some people find the home theater lounger types of chairs less attractive than traditional sofas and chairs, but if comfort and convenience are your biggest desire they are tough to beat. The one I have in my gaming and media room is a Lazy-boy sofa with recliners on both ends and an ottoman we can move around and which serves as a foot rest when somebody is sitting in the middle. We also have a Lazy-boy recliner chair placed for prime viewing, so the room comfortably seats four.

We added a plush area rug on the floor that matches the room décor and makes a comfy place to sit on the floor and a couple of bean bag chairs are kept behind the sofa for extra seating when needed. And best of all; when I’m alone and want to take a little afternoon nap, the sofa is long enough to stretch out completely flat and the armrests are soft enough to use as a pillow! For us the reclining sofa and extra reclining chair was the perfect compromise between regular sofas and dedicated move theater seating.

Movie Theater Seats

For the ultimate Cinema experience, purists insist that movie theater seats are the only way to go! Designed and engineered strictly for the themed, dedicated home theater room, these have evolved to include features such as “bass shakers” or “tactile transducers” so that you can really feel the bass track, snack trays and storage bays to keep stuff handy, motorized recliners and vibrating massage modes for added comfort.

Most theater-style seats come in 2, 3, 4 or 5 person configurations and range in price depending on features and quality of the construction and materials. If you plan to have multiple rows, consider having the floor in your media room raised slightly in the back rows to provide optimal viewing for everyone.

Genuine or simulated faux leather are popular and an almost endless variety of fabric materials are available; if you like the smooth feel of leather it can’t be beat, or go with the woven fabric or micro-fiber material of your choice if you prefer a warm and soft feel. Look for signs of quality construction, including corner blocks screwed or glued together, foam core seats, solid joinery and kiln-dried wood frames.

A few other things to look for when selecting home theater seating include deep, wide seats with adjustable lumbar support, wide, cushioned arm rests and foam padding and steel coil springs.

Home Theater Decor Themes

To give your home theater or media room a truly unique designer look, choose a theme as you decide on the design, layout and features you want to include.

• Cinema Theme – A traditional Cinema or movie house theme is always popular. You can purchase framed movie posters, buy a an old-fashioned popcorn maker, add a pinball machine in one corner and put up red velvet movie theater drapes for an authentic movie theater theme.
• Sports Pub Theme – Another way to go for the sports buff is to add multiple TV screens and a wet bar to give your media room the feel of a sports bar or pub. If this is you then you already know what to do with all your pennants, autographed memorabilia and sports posters!
• Add a Karaoke Stage – If you really wanted to do something different, you might add a small stage for the kids to put on plays and puppet shows, have karaoke night or other fun stage events. This works very well if you have a projection HDTV unit and motorized screen; you’ll have great fun using motorized curtains to open the show in style.

Home Theater Seating Tips

When designing your home theater or media room, the primary considerations should be how to comfortably seat the number of people you will most often have, the size and shape of the room and your budget. Follow these tips as you plan your home theater space:

• Don’t wait until after you buy home theater equipment to plan the room layout and furniture; an integral design should consider seating, screen and speaker placement together.
• Measure your space and try to plan seating so that people are at least six feet away from the screen; even further if you have a projection TV and 100 inch or larger screen.
• Plan your space for an “optimal” number of people and then use chairs from other rooms in the house, bean bag chairs or even folding chairs if needed to accommodate a larger crowd for special events like a Super Bowl party.
• It really pays to shop around and compare features and prices; you may not know exactly the right sofa or home theater seats until you actually see and sit in it.
• Be sure to plan for adequate lighting, side tables, a coffee table, artwork, etc. that will accent and enhance your home theater seating.
• Install motorized window shades or blinds if needed to control window light and glare.
• Set your budget before you do your final shopping and selection; that way you can adjust your decisions on specific features, materials quality, etc. as needed. Some retailers may also be willing to discount if you purchase an entire “package”; we did this with Lazy Boy and were very satisfied with the overall value, quality and features! 

Furthermore, the quality of the installation can make or break a theater system.

The assembly process can be very daunting, especially for a first-timer.

Whether you decide to install your own home theater system or hire a specialty contractor or electrician to help, you need to understand the basic principles of sound, projection TV, wiring and equipment options before diving into your home theater project.

Follow these basic tips to insure that your own home theater installation goes as smoothly as possible.

Selecting and Installing a Home Theater System

The first step in the home theater installation process is to decide if you are going to do it yourself or hire a professional. If you are relatively good at following directions, plan a simple theater design, and have the time and patience to undertake such a complex job, you might consider tackling the project yourself.

The advantage, of course, is in the cost; contractors can be expensive.

However, it may be worth the cost to hire a professional. Why spend money on a system only to have it installed incorrectly? A contractor will maximize the potential of your system and save you time and aggravation in the process. This is particularly important if you’ve selected an elaborate system.

You have a lot of options component-wise. At minimum, you need a system with a 27” TV, speakers, a stereo receiver with surround sound capabilities, and a movie playing device. It’s possible to put together a system like this for under $4000. But options like a larger TV, Dolby receivers, or a laserdisc player may be worth the extra money. You can also start small and upgrade or add elements as the finances become available.

Equipment Configuration

Before you buy, it’s a good idea to plan things out. Draw your room on a piece of graph paper and draw in (or use paper cutouts to represent) your furniture. Figure out what will fit in your room. You may need to use wall mounts to optimize the space; it’s better to know that going in than to find out when you’re knee-high in electronics. If you plan to add to your system later, make sure to plan ahead accordingly.

Consider where you’re going to place the larger equipment. Entertainment centers look great but limit your access to the back of the equipment. Without an entertainment center, you may have to live with exposed equipment. Figure out what option is best for you.

Light is one of the most important considerations when deciding where to place your home theater projector and other equipment. Bright rooms aren’t the best choices for projectors, although it can be done if you have good blinds and/or curtains. For this reason, basements are often the best choice for a home theater system.

If you’re on the ground floor, make sure that your screen is in a shady spot and cover the windows. Place any lamps or electric lights behind the screen if possible. If not, try putting them beside the screen.

Wiring and Cabling

Having a wiring and cabling plan is very important. It’s not very practical to run wires under the carpet, but you definitely don’t want them to be running across rooms where people can trip on them, either.

You could select a wireless system, but some people find that the quality on these systems is lower. The best option is to make sure that you have sufficient wire to run it around the baseboards. Always buy more wire than you think is necessary for your project. And consider buying wire holders to reduce tangling.

Check your circuit breakers to make sure that they will be able to support the power load. Your home theater will suck more power than a typical TV.

One option is to have an electrician run a dedicated line to your theater. This option reduces the possibility of circuit overloads and only costs a few hundred dollars. Also make sure that your plan allows access to wall sockets. Still, you’ll need more plugs than you probably have access to, so make sure you have an extra power strip or two hanging around.

Speaker Installation

The audio quality is the major distinguishing feature between a big screen TV and a home theater. Therefore, it’s important that your home theater speakers are installed correctly, and it’s a good idea to get the best speakers you can afford. Ideally, you should purchase a set of six home theater speakers. You will place three across the front of the room, one surround on each side, and a bass or subwoofer in the back.

Your home theater speakers can be placed on the furniture, sit on specially designed speaker stands, or mount on the walls. Wall mounts are the best choice if space is at a premium, but make sure that your mounts are able to withstand the weight of the speakers you’ve selected.

Projector Installation

You’ll need to decide between a front-screen or rear-screen home theater projector. The front-screen has the advantage of easier assembly and takes up less floor space. However, the front screen projector requires a completely dark room, or the picture will be difficult to see. The rear screen takes up additional space but hides all of the equipment behind the screen.

In terms of picture quality, you’ll need to select between video (with the lowest resolution), computer (mid-grade resolution), or graphics (with the highest resolution). Of course, these options come with corresponding price tags. The higher the resolution, the more it will cost.

Overall, home theaters are complex projects, but they are well worth the effort. Again, the key is planning.

But how do you protect all these discs long term?

If you’re like most people, you need a place to store your many CD and DVDs. Built in shelving, cabinets and many other home entertainment storage options can fit the bill.

With the ever growing collection of CD’s it is important to organize and store your media properly. This helps find music and movies easily when you want and keeps your living room bedroom or home theater clutter free.

CD and DVD cases help to protect them from the dust and scratches. Cabinets used for storage can be placed on the table, floor or can even be hung on the wall.

There are portable DVD and CD storage options in various designs and shapes. You’ll find small, medium and large types. You can choose the size, shape and the color according to the decor of the room. This serves as an important accessory in the house.

Cabinets and cases can be made of wood, glass, metal, plastic etc. There are even portable cases which are water resistant. Cabinets which are designed to store media may have a lid attached on the top or a detachable lid, which can be separated from the body.

There are quick button access CD storage cabinets also available in the market.  Cabinets also consist of drawers in it. This enables to store a wide number of CDs and DVDS. One can stack many CDs on top of each other.

Tips for Long Term CD and DVD Storage

• Try not to put finger prints on either side of your media. Grease and acid from your skin can cause damage. It’s best if you pick discs up with a finger tip through the hole and your thumb on the edge only.
• Always keep discs in the jewel cases. Those soft-sleeve cases may be convenient but they don’t protect discs from scratches. The plasticizers on some of these plastic sleeves may also cause long term damage.
• Never bend or drop your discs.
• Use only labels designed for CDs or DVDs. Other types of adhesive labels are not recommended.
• Store discs in a dry, cool place. While small changes in humidity and temperature won’t harm them, rapid changes from very warm, wet environs to much cooler, dry conditions may warp and distort the media.
• Always keep discs out of very bright light, which may damage dyes used in recordable DVD and CD media. Direct sunlight has high levels of UV which can also cause damage.



• You can remove fingerprints, liquid stains, dirt and smudges with a clean cotton cloth, wiping gently in a straight line from the center of the disc to the outer edge, but not in a circular motion.
• Try using methanol or isopropyl on more stubborn smudges.
• Store discs vertically in the jewel case for maximum lifespan. Long term it is best not to store in a horizontal position.
• Conditions of about 40% relative humidity and 65°C room temperature will be optimal for long-term storage.
• CDs and DVDs may get very hot while being read so it’s best not to leave your discs in the drive for extended time periods.