Should You Use a Home Theater In A Box?

It seems like a home just isn't a home anymore unless the occupants have purchased a complete home theater package. With the cost of going out for entertainment ever on the rise, it is hard to blame people for wanting to get the highest quality entertainment any time they want without spending a hefty sum of money to take the family out for an evening at the theater or ballpark.

What prohibits many people from making the purchase of a home theater package is uncertainty about how to put together the equipment and how to fit the equipment in the house.

Fortunately, a home theater is no longer as complex as these people remember them to be because anyone can purchase a "home theater in a box."

With a home theater in a box, you no longer have to:

* worry about the home theater equipment taking up most of a room.
* worry about complex wire hookups or wires running in every direction all over the room.
* be technically inclined or have a friend who is technically inclined to put together your home theater.

You simply purchase a home theater in a box and it will usually fit nicely into a small space with only a few wires with well-labeled plugs on the end. These systems can be very compact now, with some home theater in a box systems even being a single electronic unit plus speakers.

In fact, many home theater in a box packages contain wireless wall-mounted speakers that provide high quality surround sound without taking up much space at all.

For those who still can't figure the installation out, the home theater package usually include simple diagrams and instructions.

What can you expect to find when you are purchasing a home theater in a box?

* The basic home theater in a box consists of nearly everything you need to put a quality theater experience right in your house. It should contain at least a television, speakers and surround sound system, a DVD recorder, and possibly even an old fashioned VHS VCR.

* A more advanced home theater in a box may even contain a stereo system. Some premium home theater in a box systems even contain recliners and light dimming switches.

But don't expect the premium home theater in a box to all literally arrive in a single box. For most people, however, the most basic home theater in a box will meet all of their needs and expectations for a home theater.

That leads us to the concept of convenience.

* With a home theater in a box, you get all of the pieces at one time and they've already been tested to fit together perfectly.

* You don't have to figure out which pieces and wires you need to purchase and go price compare every piece. You just find the best deal on a single home theater package.

* Since the sellers are able to sell several products at once in the home theater package, they are able to give you a discount over the price of the individual items in the home theater package.

You may ask, "Isn't this home theater in a box going to cost me an arm and a leg, and perhaps a kidney?" Don't be silly. These home theater in a box packages have become very affordable. Many are surprised to learn that the basic home theater in a box often costs less than the television they're seeking to replace.

In fact, if you aren't ready to get rid of your television, you can get a very basic home theater in a box without the television, but with the surround sound and speakers, and DVD player or VCR player for less than $200. How does that compare to what your group of friends or family paid on your last trip to the ballpark or theater if you include the cost of gas, tickets, popcorn, drinks, nachos and hot dogs? It's not hard to see that a home theater in a box can pay for itself easily within a year, not to mention the added comfort of nearby facilities and high definition instant replays.

Some common caveats to watch out for in these home theater in a box systems are:

* poor quality speakers
* lack of add-on ports for video game systems or other multimedia systems
* inability for the devices to function independently

* If the home theater package you choose doesn't have the quality of speakers you're looking for, make sure you can change the speakers at a later date.

* If you're into playing video games, running your multimedia PC through the system, or adding additional sound and video devices, be sure the system you purchase supports the options you may want.

* If one part of your home theater breaks, the whole thing may become useless, so make sure you get a great deal, an extended warranty or a home theater in a box system that isn't proprietary.

But, overall, the concept is that if you're advanced enough in electronics to be seeking out flexibility and long-term use, a home theater in a box is probably not the way for you to go.

Eric Love is The Home Theater Guy and he writes daily about all aspects of home theater | home theater systems. Click here to find out more about Home Theater Packages.