Blog Archive

May 2, 2008
Creating an Entertainment System That Is Right for You – Part 1

In the coming months we will provide some insight into the basic planning for a home entertainment system. The information presented is intended as a guide, not a rule, there are nearly as many opinions as there are designers.

Our first topic in the series deals with the starting point of the process: What is the budget? This is a very difficult question for two reasons:

First, there are for all practical purposes, no boundaries to the amount of money that may be spent on an entertainment system, from a “Theater in a box” for a few hundred dollars, to custom theaters costing in excess of $500,000. Needless to say, most of us would be looking to spend somewhere in between.

Second, is that everyone wants value for their money. Whenever, we ask a customer how much they would like to spend, more often than not, the answer does not include a dollar amount.

The important thing to keep in mind is balance; each component of the system should provide a similar level of performance.

Over the years, industry experts have tried to provide formulas to describe the relative cost of each component in a balanced system. The problem is that rarely do any two experts agree; and the technical advances in equipment performance insure that today’s ideal formulas are obsolete tomorrow.

With this in mind, then what should you do? We offer the following guide as a starting point to assist you in deciding what percent of your budget should be suitable for each component of your entertainment system:

Display (flat panel LCD, plasma, projector and screen) 30%
Speakers (three in the front, two surrounds, and a subwoofer) 40%
Electronics (receiver, DVD player, etc.) 20%
Cables and Accessories 10%

This information is intended as a guide and is not a substitute for the knowledge and experience of a professional custom integrator.

Check back with us in the weeks ahead for Part 2 of the series: "Size Does Matter" selecting components appropriate for the room.

Read Part 2