Splurging on a new 4K UHD TV and a high-quality audio system always sounds tempting. If you count yourself as a person that craves innovation in their home theater but you are intimidated by the sea of techy terms or daunted by the idea of not getting the most bang for your buck, this one’s for you.
Our experts at Big Sandy Superstore know you work hard for your money, which is why we are breaking down the value of top-notch TVs and speakers. We’ll start with one tip: You don’t even have to step into an electronics store to score a brand-new setup.
With our industry knowledge and your WiFi connection, we can help you shop for the home theater of your dreams—online. Check out our guide!
The Television
The boxes of brand-new TVs are plastered with all kinds of impressive-sounding features competing for your attention. OLED. QLED. HDR. Full-array local dimming. Black level. LED. LCD. Etcetera, so on, and so forth.
Instead of aimlessly wandering you’re the electronics aisle and scratching your head, take heed to the following shopping considerations as you dive into our TVs catalog.
Size Up Your Screen Options
Before you set your eyes on the largest TV screen possible, hit pause on your fast-track mind, and assess the practical factor that is viewing distance. Special consideration of viewing distance will not only spare your eyesight in the long run, but it will optimize your TV- and movie-watching experiences!
Most modern home theaters are stocked with a 4K UHD TV, which has twice the number of pixels that Full HD sets have—as well as a super-fast processor that unlocks hidden detail at four times the quality thereof.
With that in mind, due to their picture quality, 4K (and 8K) TVs enable you to sit closer to benefit from the lifelike resolution. This bodes well if you were hoping to outfit your small living room with an 85-inch 4K TV (as long as there are at least 7 feet of distance between your couch and the screen, of course).
For more insight regarding TV sizes and image resolution in relation to viewing distance, check out this TV-size comparison guide from vetted industry experts.
In addition, if you’re craving the ultimate cinematic experience, we’d like to swivel your attention toward curved TVs.
Long story short: If you’re springing for a screen larger than 65 inches and your home-theater seating is positioned no more than 9 feet away, then you’re in for a treat with optimized peripheral vision and wider viewing angles. The result? An immersive experience that places you right in the middle of the action.
Optimize Your Budget
Electronics consumers fall in one of two camps when it comes to shopping for their home theaters: those who like to splurge and those who like to get the most bang for their buck.
It should be noted that larger screen sizes used to be so much more expensive less than 5 years ago—whereas premium household TVs cost upward of $20,000, you can now score a 75-inch set for around $999 and an 86-inch model for about $1,499.
Today, the most expensive TVs are OLED sets, which can run upward of $15,000. With a breathtaking picture quality that does not rely on a backlight and that is produced by millions of individual subpixels, OLED TVs from LG and Sony boast a superior image contrast, better screen uniformity, and more viewing angles. It’s no wonder most industry experts champion this TV over its QLED counterpart.
That being said, Samsung QLED TVs are nothing to scoff at, either. Usually priced between $1,000 and $3,000, mid-range QLED sets still deliver on the picture-quality front and are hailed by techies for having a brighter display and being available in larger sizes.
Evaluate Smart TV Features
In 2020, by now, most home theaters are graced by a big-screen smart TV.
Defined as television sets with integrated Internet features and capabilities, smart TVs allow you to browse the web, enjoy music, view photos—and more. Most compellingly, their appeal is rooted in their ability to play content from the best streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Prime Video.
Depending on the manufacturer, your smart TV might not carry certain streaming services in its app store. Here, we don’t recommend this limitation to deter you from making a purchase. Investing in a streaming box, such as Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku, or Fire TV, circumvents this issue and will cost you less than shelling out on a high-range TV—and it might make for a more responsive operating system in the process.
The Audio System
Now, onto home theater speakers! Sound good?
Since your speaker selections help determine your receiver choice, it is best to shop for these first. These choices are intertwined in that if you opt for large standing speakers, you’d need more power, and if you have a multi-speaker setup, you’ll need more channels on your receiver.
The overload of information surrounding 2.0-, 2.1-, 5.1-, 6.1-, and 7.1- channel systems may be too much for us to unravel in this blog, so we invite you to check out this overview of channel stereo systems to learn more.
Shopping for home theater speakers inspires many questions. How many speakers are needed? What kind of speakers deliver the most immersive experience? Does size matter when it comes to speakers? We’ve got the answers for these and other questions.
Consider the Types of Home Theater Speakers
First, here are the most popular types of home theater speakers, along with previews of what they can do for you.
- Floor standing speakers cover a wide range of frequencies and remain the preferred speaker for listening to music.
- Bookshelf speakers are the little siblings to floor standing speakers that sound best when positioned at ear level.
- Surround speakers and rear speakers require cables but can be easily placed on small stands or be wall mounted. (They are great home theater options for a 5.1-, 6.1-, or 7.1- channel system, though they are not the best for music since the bass doesn’t pack a punch compared to floor standing or bookshelf models.)
- Sound bars pose the simplest and most convenient solution for home theater audio. This bar-shaped design is meant to rest below or in front of your TV, and higher-end models can support Dolby Atmos for the most immersive experience.
- Audio systems are sets of that can involve any number of speakers and speaker types for a range of channel systems, depending on your desired experience.
- Subwoofers add an extra oomph for a well-rounded home theater system and are the self-powered source of the “.1” channel-system nomenclature.
Determine the Configuration for your Speakers
The number of speakers that you get for your home theater depends on the experience you crave—the more speakers, the more life-like and room-filling sound you’ll have. There are dozens of speaker combinations that can deliver high-quality sound.
The traditional setup includes a center speaker, from which most of the dialog can be heard, a left and right speaker, two rear speakers, and a subwoofer. This is a five-speaker system plus a subwoofer, which is known as the 5.1 configuration.
Figure Out What Sizes Suit Your Needs and Preferences
The answer is actually pretty simple. The speaker size(s) you choose should depend on the room you have (for floor standing versions), the aesthetic you want, and the volume you crave. For most audiophiles, bigger is better.
Regarding this last statement, we’ll add a caveat to say that the two front left and right speakers deliver the “bulk” of the sound that comes from content soundtracks and sound effects—which is to say, despite their small size, these 5.1-, 6.1-, and 7.1-channel participants are standouts in packing a punch.
Reminder: Read Consumer Reviews!
As is the case with most major online purchases, we implore you to check out consumer reviews. Often, these describe the ease of setup and what features make the extra dollars worth the investment—or not.
Let Us Help You
As always, if you have any questions related to our products (or if you don’t know where to start), don’t hesitate to reach out to our experts at Big Sandy Superstore.
We’ll be happy to help you navigate our expansive catalog of name-brand electronics, including Sony, Samsung, LG, and Yamaha products. We’ve also got A/V receivers, media players, and entertainment centers for sale to round out your home theater. Call or visit us today!