Going to the movies is so 1998. It’s expensive, cinema staff are uniformly miserable (it’s because of their uniforms) and you have to share your experience with a roomful of gibbering, chip-packet-mangling morons who feel it’s their duty to spew forth a running commentary throughout the whole film.
The upshot: long live home cinema! Only problem is: where do you start?
We put that question to Ty Pendlebury, home theatre guru for top tech website
cnet.com.au. He spent our money in impressively cavalier fashion.
The components Launch GalleryTy’s 5 tips 1. Spend more on your sound system than on your TV
Home-cinema-in-a-box systems are great for students and your parents; but they’re not upgradeable. The only limit is your budget, and so it definitely pays to…
2. Shop around
Make friends with your hi-fi dealer. Not only will they give you all the time you need to make a decision; they can usually be talked down from retail price.
3. Mix and match
For consistency, all your speakers should be of the same make and series, but otherwise, you don’t need to buy all of the same brand. Talk to your local hi-fi guy, and read reviews on sites like cnet.com.au for gear that complements the equipment you have.
4. Don’t buy off the shop floor
Electrical stores may have a lot of TVs in the same place but they’re always set to ultra-lurid-buy-me-now mode, and not the optimal setting for your space.
5. Near enough is not good enough
Don’t buy something cheap that you think you’ll upgrade in 12 months. You’ll probably end up with a rubbish component or system for five years or more. Spend more to get something you’re happy with.
Have you invested in a kick-arse home cinema? What are your favourite gadgets? Comment below!