These days, it isn't uncommon to find a home theater system in most households.
What used to be the best way to watch a movie, which was then going to a movie theater, has evolved into investing in reasonably priced entertainment equipment, converting one's ordinary TV room into a home theater.
Back then, before the now digital breed of home theater equipment came to be, the birth of VRC players enabled people to enjoy watching rented, or bought, VHS tapes in the convenience of their own homes.
This didn't exactly equal to a movie theater viewing experience, but it was the best alternative at the time.
TV sets just couldn't compare with a movie theater's surround sound system setups, as well as the comparatively tiny screen of a television set just didn't "show" as much as a movie theater's screen does.
But there were already home theater setups, but these didn't exactly appeal to a lot of people, considering the price factor.
These days, because of the ever growing benefits society has earned from new entertainment technologies, ordinary TV rooms could be set up with quality surround-sound speaker setups, as well as high definition screens as big as forty inches, with half the price of what it took to purchase the necessary equipment then.
The basics needed in converting a room in one's house into a home theater entertainment room are: a large television screen, at least four speakers, surround-sound equipment for splitting up the sound output from the movie player, a movie player, ideally a DVD player, and a room where one could arrange all the mentioned items.
The mentioned equipment needed to make a home theater setup may sound simple enough, but is somewhat made complicated with the numerous options one would have to face when purchasing the items come into play.
In the end, the items that make up a home theater system is totally dependent on just how much one is willing to spend for it, considering which areas of performance one is willing to focus on.
Most people practice the "upgrade with add-ons" path to home theater system making, acknowledging the presence of the items they already have, utilizing them in making their home theater.
This is considered a basic when it comes to home theater making.
For example, Keith already has a perfect surround-stereo speaker setup in his room.
He also has a 41 inch television.
In his efforts of converting his room to a home theater room, all he has to do now is invest in a digital player, which could play media Keith finds ideal to his standards, as well as an audio mixer compatible with his digital media player.
Frank is pretty much in the same situation Keith is in, but is luckier as Frank has a laptop with him, which has a DVD-Rom drive, as well as a digital video out port.
As the laptop is already a media player, capable of playing various media files, all he has to do now is invest in an audio-mixing software, which manages the sound output of his laptop.
Bottom line, the basic in making a home theater system is knowing what already is available.
If Frank didn't know his equipment, he would've taken the same alternative Keith took, making him spend for something he already has.