How to Build Your Own Entertainment Center
Posted on June 9th, 2011 by Paulina Aguilera
Ah, the joys of having a spacious home to fill up with. . . stuff! After finally placing the last of your things in your new digs and tipping the movers for their assistance, you now have oodles of space to decorate and customize to your liking. Naturally, the first thing that comes to mind is setting up the perfect entertainment center, complete with a booming sound system, the latest video games and of course, a dream TV. To help you on your journey towards hours of endless fun in front of the tube, MovingCost.com has put together this guide. Man cave builders, this one’s for you!
If You Build It. . .
Kevin Costner had to build a baseball stadium in his cornfield to bring the masses out. Luckily for you, all you need to do is build a decent entertainment center. Start your entertainment center building project with the “exoskeleton” that will house all of your electronics. Shop around for entertainment center furniture that matches your planned decorating scheme. You also need to consider whether you plan on mounting your TV or placing it within the furniture. Whether you opt for a modern look or a more traditional approach, make sure you choose a piece that is:
- Easy to assemble and disassemble
- Well-made and crafted of quality material
- Spacious enough for all of your electronics
A 70-Inch TV Screen?! Yes, Please!
Once you have the backdrop for your entertainment center set up, it’s time to assess the heart and soul of your den/living room/man cave. That would be your television. If you’ve been hanging on to an old school tube with the back sticking out, it’s definitely time for an upgrade! For the ultimate TV viewing and gaming experience, you want at least a 30-inch high definition flat screen. However, because the TV is basically the core of your entertainment center, splurging is most definitely allowed in this arena. Compare prices, use your haggling skills to get a lower price or pick up a new TV in December, when they are considerably marked down. When you go out to shop, keep in mind that:
- LCDs are more energy efficient than plasmas
- LCD screens are available in more sizes than plasmas
- 3-D televisions will come with the added cost of eyewear
- Look for a TV that comes with a stand or with mounting hardware
- Plasmas are best for rooms with little light, LCDs for rooms with lots of light
Turn It Up!
What’s an entertainment center without a sweet, sweet sound system? Half of the TV watching experience is all about sound, so it just makes sense to invest in a high-quality, digital home theater system. Imagine hearing the roar of a crowd at the NBA Finals with a high definition sound system, or listening to a sonic boom as a shuttle enters the atmosphere during a sci-fi movie. With an awesome home theater system, you will be taken to a whole new level of surround sound.
If you’re unfamiliar with choosing a home theater system, we share some tips below:
- The bigger the speaker, the better the sound
- Sleeker looking systems aren’t necessarily better performers
- Systems have different channels, 5.1 and 7.1, that corelate to the number of speakers needed
Gamer’s Corner
So now you have your furniture assembled, your TV mounted or tucked into the entertainment center and a surround sound system worthy of George Lucas’s personal home theater. All that’s missing are a couple of your favorite video game consoles, controllers and games. If you own a Wii or plan on buying one, remember to be mindful of the layout in the room with your entertainment center. Many of the Wii games involve standing up and moving around, plus the sensor bar has to be placed in a particular location for it to work properly. As for the Sony Playstation 3, cyber security will be your biggest concern instead of placement.
After putting the finishing touches on your entertainment center, call up your friends and have them come over for a housewarming bash to show off your new set up!
Related Articles:
- 5 Steps to Building the Ultimate Entertainment Room! Follow These Tips
- How to Build a Children’s Playroom in Your New House
- Be Creative: Build an Office Using Your Closet Space
Tags: build, entertainment, move
This entry was posted on Thursday, June 9th, 2011 at 8:58 am and is filed under Moving Experts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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