Setting up Your Own Home Theater: Worth the Hassle?

Having a home theater makes for one of the greatest movie experiences ever. You get all the perks of a real movie theater - big screen and massive surround sound - but you also get the benefits of being at home: comfortable chairs, and you can pause the movie if you need to hit the washroom. But as for actually setting up the home theater? Aye, there's the rub. I strongly recommend that you hire a contractor, so that you don't end up with a half-working home theater that just makes you want to hurl the remote control through your new 60" television.

In order for it to be so awesome, a home theater system is naturally a complex beast. Having every piece of A/V equipment you own attached to the TV means that a great deal of automated switching has to occur every time you want to switch devices. One of the best ways to get around this is with a specialized home theater remote - but even setting up one of these (it automatically powers on and off the right devices in the right order to get you what you want) can require some serious patience and skill.

Unless you're a seriously DIY- and tech-minded person, we strongly recommend that you hire someone to set up and install your home theater. Not only do you require the technical skills to set the system up, you may need to do a bit of remodeling work to get your speakers installed in the optimal positions. Additionally, there are other features a contractor will know are beneficial (such as sound dampening panels so the wife and her friends don't have to hear all the explosions and gunfire two floors away). ServiceMagic is a great service that can connect you with 4 local remodeling contractors for free who can complete your home theater with ease. You may need to hire an additional contractor to then set up the A/V, but its definitely worth it compared with the incredible frustration of having a home theater that doesn't work properly.