Does quarantine, cold weather, or mere boredom have you looking to create or upgrade your entertainment system? A home theater or gaming setup has several aspects worth optimizing to create an ideal listening and viewing experience. CableWholesale reflects on what you need for a home entertainment setup to make your time at home more exciting.

The Sight: A TV or Video Projector

First and foremost is the device that will display every video—a TV or video projector. Because of technological advancements, there are several TV and video projector options that guarantee a crisp, clear image. Current choices for viewing equipment include the following:

• LED, LCD, or OLED TV: TVs can now relay images in 720p, 1080p, or 4k Ultra HD resolution—4k Ultra HD being the most commonly available option for TV sizes above 40-inches.
• Video projector or screen combination: Projectors provide a unique experience that mimics the real theater in the comfort of your home. To maximize a video projector’s image, your entertainment room must be as dark as possible. For smaller rooms, viewers should opt for a short-throw projector.

The Sound: Home Theater Receiver and Company

The listening experience is just as important as the viewing experience when it comes to gaming and watching your favorite films. To construct the best sound system for all your entertainment endeavors, your setup should include a receiver or preamp, loudspeakers, a subwoofer, and any necessary acoustic treatments.

Home Theater Receiver or Preamp/Amp

Home theater receivers nearly function as the heart of sound systems. They serve a multitude of functions, including:

• A radio tuner with access to AM/FM, HD, and satellite radio.
• A preamplifier to control the selected video and audio source. It redistributes sound signals to the appropriate amplifier channels and the subwoofer output. An AV receiver preamp can also redirect video signals from source components (DVD, Blu-ray disc players, etc.) to the TV.
• A built-in multi-channel amplifier that transmits sound signals to the speaker setup.

While a home theater receiver will suffice for most entertainment systems, some setups require more segregation to avoid interference. For setups that need flexibility, preamplifier and amplifier combinations are the best substitute.

Loudspeakers

Speakers are another essential element within a sound system. To create the best acoustic match between your whole system’s components, buy the same brand and related model speakers for your theater. Listen to various speakers and setup types before choosing one that’s right for your home.

The Subwoofer

The subwoofer is responsible for reproducing extremely low frequencies in movies and music. The right subwoofer for you will depend on the entertainment room’s size and whether it’s carpeted.

The Safeguard: Surge Protector or Power Conditioner

With all the effort you put into mastering a high-quality entertainment system, it’s worth adequate protection. Not all entertainment equipment can perdure a sudden power outage. Safeguard your costly devices with a surge protector so you don’t have to toss your investments after power surge or outage.

Power conditioners are smart gadgets to add to your system because they regulate and monitor power usage. Prevent ghastly electric bills and overpowered devices with a power conditioner.

The Connection: Cables and Speaker Wires

In order to have a cohesive and functioning setup, every piece of equipment needs to get connected. Having the appropriate wires is critical to quality streaming—whether that’s online or via a source component. Measure the distance between outlets and inputs to decipher which cable length is best for your system. CableWholesale has premier HDMI cables with Ethernet that provide HQ connection for optimum video and gaming setups.

Speaker wires will also be specific to your devices’ needs and distance from one another. You must consider the speaker wires’ gauges—14- and 16-gauges are the most recommended for audio systems. 18-gauge speaker wires are not recommended for long distances, as they’re very thin and are susceptible to electrical interference.

Questions To Consider Before Setting Up

Nothing’s worse than having the process of upgrading your system hampered by negligence. Various factors of your entertainment area should be considered to ensure optimal enhancements. Large, small, wide, narrow—whatever the dimensions of your entertainment space, ask yourself the following questions before ordering and installing equipment.

• Is ambient light present? How much? A lot of natural lighting can cause glare on TV screens or screen surface reflection. For video projectors, natural light can wash out the video image. Too much ambient light doesn’t make for an ideal viewing party and may encourage you to invest in curtains or shudders to use while streaming or gaming.
• Is the room carpeted? Carpet absorbs sound, making it critical to consider when building out your sound system. Bare floors cause echo and reverb that hinders the audial experience. To strike the perfect audio, have a balance of reflective and absorbent materials in your entertainment room.
• What kind of material makes up the wall structure? Drywall tends to help with echo absorption more than wood, but it still generates some unwanted vibrations. If you have persistent issues with unfavorable audio artifacts, equip the room with acoustic treatments.
• Where will your home entertainment system components go? As you’ll find when building out your entertainment setup, there are a lot of items to be organized. Accommodate for the abundance of devices and cords with proper cable management and storage compartments.
• Will you locate speakers inside the room, in the wall, or elsewhere? Assess where the best location for the speakers will be. Deciding whether they will be installed in the walls, around the TV, on the ceiling, or elsewhere will inform which kind of speakers are right for an optimal surround sound.
• Where will you have seating in relation to the screen? The way your entertainment room’s furniture is arranged will influence which kind of screen and screen size to go with. You’ll want one that provides a clear image to every seat in the room.

Getting Started

As you start to assemble and acquire what you need for a home entertainment system, consider CableWholesale for all your connectivity and cable management needs. We offer cables in bulk to make your entertainment system endeavors feasible. With our supplemental cable accessories, you can manage a tidy gaming and viewing space. Contact us today to discover which of our products can help enhance your setup.