Tips For Placing Your Television & Speakers In Your New Home Theater

A nice television and a quality surround sound system are enough to make an impact with any home theater setup. However, there are some good rules to follow to ensure the placement of all these items is ideal in your home theater.

Do not always assume that a huge television is going to make your home theater great. There are size considerations that you must think about once you factor in how far away you are sitting from your TV.
If you are sitting very far away, you won't be able to see the high resolution of a smaller TV. If you are sitting too close you may find yourself physically moving your head to see the entire image on a jumbo television.
There are some basic guidelines to follow when it comes to TV placement—these depend on how far away you sit and the TV's resolution. Let these viewing distances dictate how big of a television you purchase for your home theater. If making the upgrade to a 4K Ultra HD television, consider these guidelines:
• 50" 4K = 2.9 feet away
• 60" 4K = 3.8 feet away
• 70" 4K = 4.4 feet away
As you can see, you really need to sit close to a 4K TV to be able to see the additional resolution. A 1080p television allows you to sit much farther away while still being able to notice the resolution.
• 50" 1080p = 6.3 feet away
• 60" 1080p = 7 feet away
• 70" 1080p = 8.9 feet away
You can save money by purchasing a 1080p television if you know your viewing distance will be far away in your home theater.

You may understand the basic placement of the speakers in a surround sound system. The left, center and right speaker go in the front, and the left and right stereo speakers are placed behind you. There is some logic to how these speakers are placed that can really make them shine in a home theater setup.
Front Stereo Speakers
The ideal placement for the front left and right speakers will be to line them up with your television at the height of your ears when seated. If you cannot mount the speakers at ear height, direct them to your ears by tilting them down or up.
The distance between the stereo speakers should match the distance that you are sitting from the television. For example, if you are sitting 6 feet from the television, then each stereo speaker needs to be 3 feet away from the television.
Center Speaker
The center speaker should be aligned with the center of your television. The speaker should also be pointing toward your seat, so be prepared to tilt your center speaker when mounted directly above or below the television. You should be able to see the speaker with nothing obstructing its path.
Rear Surround Speakers
The distance between your seat and each rear speaker should match the distance between your seat and the front speakers. If you sit closer to the rear wall where the speakers are mounted then an ideal setup will require the rear surround speakers to be mounted much farther apart than the front stereo speakers. This helps the speakers to stay in sync and remain at the proper volume as sound travels to you.
Subwoofer
The nice thing about a subwoofer is that it can go almost anywhere in the room. Its placement really depends on how much bass you want to feel when watching television. Experiment with where it goes and what sounds best to you. You can try placing it directly behind your couch or in the corner to have the sound waves reverberate off the wall.
Does all of this seem way too complicated to set up on your own? The experts at Extreme Audio can optimize your space for the ultimate home theater experience.