Having a good home cinema system is the closest thing to enjoying a cinematic experience without actually having to go to the cinema. Each of the major components of a home theatre system come in a range of specifications and models and what you choose will depend on the several factors, including your watching environment and budget.
Display Unit
This could possibly be the easiest item to procure, mainly because you may have one already, which you currently use to watch television. However, you may want something more geared towards high-impact home cinema.
Display units come in LCD, plasma or traditional CRT models, the latter of which which are expected to eventually exit the market after decades of dominance. For the ultimate cinematic experience, you should look for high-definition television sets that are capable of handling and displaying higher resolution images than normal TVs and offer sharper pictures, richer colours and thus a more realistic cinematic experience.
Of course, the larger your screen, the more you can replicate the cinema experience in your home. However, bigger doesn't always mean better. Make sure your screen fits in with the dimensions of your living area or room. Flat-panel televisions are ideal because they can be hung on a wall or otherwise located without unduly intruding into your living / viewing space.
As another large screen option, you can also choose rear-projection models, which project an image on to a translucent screen. Although historically these have been sometimes bulky and impractical for many homes, newer models are becoming increasingly compact.
DVD Player
Do not underestimate the importance of your DVD player for home cinema entertainment systems. You will generally need more than a portable and low-end model to ensure the best viewing experience.
For the best pictures, you require a DVD unit with high-definition (HD) or Blu-ray capabilities. The companies that manufacture traditional DVDs also now offer HD / Blu-Ray players, which send out high-resolution signals to the television screen and make for crisper and sharper images with added depth. Be sure that the output of your DVD player is compatible with your surround sound system and television screen.
Blu-ray is the newest technology in DVD entertainment and is fast catching up in the marketplace with DVD HD. As an example, Sony's new Playstation 3 embodies Blu-Ray technology, thus combining game play with high resolution DVD playback.
Amplifier and Speakers
Naturally, there is little point in having a great television and DVD player if you opt for a low end sound system. Decent home cinema requires surround sound. This can be obtained either as an integrated system or purchased separately as components. The latter approach requires quite considerable knowledge of hi-fi and compatibility issues and generally deeper pockets but may yield a better overall result. Many people opt for integrated systems from a single manufacturer for simplicity and budgetary reasons - these are getting better all the time.
Look for a minimum of five speakers plus a sub-woofer for bass sound reproduction. Some systems offer as many as nine speakers for 9:1 surround sound although few DVDs are recorded with this in mind so the benefit of the additional effects speakers is likely to be marginal. Surround sound systems comprise an amplifier and decoder which takes the signal from your DVD player, divdes it into the requisite number of 'channels' and amplifies it out to the speakers. All systems have front right and left speakers which handle music and voice, a centre speaker, primarily for voice, a sub-woofer for bass reproduction (which can be located anywhere in the room) and two or more rear effects speakers which provide the all-encompassing surround sound.
Conclusion
With all of the components ready, you should be able to enjoy your favourite movies in as close to a cinematic environment as you can get, without having to leave your home. It is important that you choose a system that is appropriately sized and has appropriate sound output power for your home and budget. It is better to spend more on higher quality items from reputable manufacturers and perhaps compromise a little on size and output as a result. Always check the compatibity in terms of signal types and connections between the different components and be sure to see the components working in a demonstration room (ideally all together) before finally committing to a purchase.
