Hollywood at home means watching movies and music videos on a huge flatscreen TV or through a video projector while the floor-shaking sound is provided by several speakers powered by a cracking surround-sound amplifier or receiver.
Here’s how you can transform your living room into a cinema.
1
Speakers must fit the room
Size up your room remembering it has to house at least five loudspeakers plus a sub-woofer which is a dedicated bass speaker usually powered by its own built in amplifiers. Big speakers need room to breath so they’ll suit a large living area. Compact speakers are perfect for smaller rooms. And if the idea of sharing living space with so many speakers is a turn-off no problem. There are plenty of in-wall or in-ceiling speakers to choose from.
2
An audio-video receiver will power the speakers
The surround amplifier or receiver (a multi-channel amplifier with a built in radio) provides the muscle power to power your loudspeakers. The receiver must have the right amount of power to fill your room with cinema-like surround sound. Your Star AVA dealer will match the receiver to the speakers and ensure both are right for the size of your room.
Typically a 60-100 watt per channel, 5.1 channel receiver will be more than adequate for a small living room. But to really drive big floorstanders in a huge living room, might require a 7.1channel receiver rated at more than 120 watts per channel.
3
Most DVD and Blu-ray movies have 5.1 channels of sound that require three speakers in front of the listening position and two at the rear or the sides. The .1 channel refers to a dedicated bass channel. Manufacturers make a specialist bass speaker called a sub-woofer which is a must have addition for compact speakers which usually don’t produce really low bass.
4
The television or video projector
A big sound needs a big picture to produce the illusion of being in a cinema. Either an LCD or Plasma TV will do the job nicely. LCD screen sizes suitable for small rooms range from 32-42 inches. TVs suitable for larger rooms will have screens ranging from 42-65-inches.
Video projectors can create a picture measured in metres. And yes, there are plenty of projectors suitable for small as well as really large rooms.
Your Star AVA dealer will  walk you through the up and downsides of plasma versus LCD. He will also explain and demonstrate the differences between the two main types of video projectors which are LCD versus DLP.