Setting up a home theater
I was one of those people who did not spend too much time on what I considered frivolities. If I were to get clothes, I would get the best quality at the most affordable prices, a car for me is what takes me from point A to point B. But, something has changed, I don’t know if it’s just age or whether I have fundamentally changed as a person. Now some of these luxuries have started mattering to me.
One of these projects that I recently undertook was setting up a home theater system.
Thus far, I have always consumed my TV content through my TV speakers. Now and then I have attempted to buy a set of speakers to connect them to the TV but these devices are complicated and quite often one speaker brand does not speak to the other TV brand. This time, though, I had decided to see this one through.
Firstly, I looked up the prices of new home theater systems and then I looked up the prices of used ones. The price differential was more than 200%. It made sense to buy used. I chose a 5 channel speaker system. Looked up the device on OLX, made a trip to the owner, tested all the speakers out and the chap seemed like a decent man so I bought the system.
After buying the system, I engaged an electrician who specialized in these connections. I got him from a nearby electronics store. The technician configured my TV with the speaker system. He had to do some wizardry such as optical cable converters etc so I am glad I engaged him because had this been onto me I would’ve not been able to see it through on my own.
How do you place your home theater system? A 5-channel speaker means it has got 5 sound outlets and one woofer. 3 speakers go in front and 2 at the back. The rectangular bar-like speaker ideally goes under or above the TV. The front R and front L are placed equidistant from the TV and the Back R and L in a similar manner. The woofer should be placed on the floor for optimal results. The bass needs the ground support for the best results.
All of these speakers are connected through a console system which connects it to the TV. Viola! That is it. The difference in sound is palpable.
The viewing experience of movies goes up significantly. The challenge with TV speakers is that the throw is not great. Quite often, dialogues in movies get muddled. You would find yourself counting on subtitles to understand exactly what is being said. This takes away significantly from the viewing experience without you realizing it. Secondly, in our everyday life, there is so much background noise. The home theater system has such an immersive feel to it that it drowns out that background noise allowing you to completely immerse yourself into the movie you are watching or the music you are listening to.
I write this as I listen to some background music on Spotify in my living room as my family sleeps and honestly, it’s such a relaxing experience. I feel blessed that God has given us the resources and the ability to cherish and enjoy these (relatively) simple pleasures of life. Thank you, God.
