A home theater is a great way to bring the big-screen experience into the comfort of your own living room. It can be an expensive endeavor, but by understanding the main components of a home theater, you can save money and still enjoy a cinematic experience.
Audio/Video Receiver – The audio/video receiver acts as the “brain” of your home theater system. It takes all of the audio and video signals from your devices and sends them to your speakers and display. It typically has several connections on the back for HDMI, optical, coaxial, and other cables.
Speakers – Speakers are typically sold in packages that include five separate speakers: left front, right front, center, left rear, and right rear. Each speaker has its own job to do in order to create surround sound. Your receiver will determine how many channels you have available for audio output.
Display – The display is usually either a flat-screen television or a projector with a screen. A flat-screen TV is easy to set up and can be wall-mounted if desired. A projector will give you a much larger image size but may require more setup time.
Media Player – A media player such as an Apple TV or Roku device allows you to stream movies and TV shows from services like Netflix or Hulu. They also allow you to access music libraries like Spotify or Pandora.
Content Sources – Content sources include cable/satellite boxes, Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, and more. All of these devices send their audio and video signals to the receiver so that they can be displayed on your screen.
Remote Control – A remote control allows you to control all components of your home theater system from one device. Many remotes are universal so they can be programmed to work with several different brands or models of devices.
A home theater system is complex but understanding the main components makes it easier to set up and use correctly. With all these components working together, you can have a cinematic experience right in your own living room!
Conclusion:
The main components of a home theater are an audio/video receiver, speakers, display (television or projector), media player (like Apple TV or Roku), content sources (cable/satellite boxes etc.), and remote control.