How to Plan a Multimedia Center

Families don't warm themselves around the hearth anymore. Instead we congregate around our electronics--the television, home theater, stereo and game systems. Unfortunately, it's our job as consumers to put all this gear together, make it work for us and keep it tidy.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Inventory your current gear. Measure your television, and count and measure all your components, consoles and boxes. Give some thought to what you might want to add in the future.
2. Inventory your media, such as DVDs, CDs, video and cassettes, and LPs. See 137 Organize Movies, Music and Other Media.
3. Look at the spot where you want to put your multimedia center. Is it a blank wall, or are there doors and windows you need to work around? How many electrical outlets are there? Is your cable or satellite connection nearby? Take photos and measurements of the area.
4. Shop for furniture to hold your components and media. Bring your inventory notes, measurements and pictures along. When choosing, consider the style of your existing furniture and the way you use your gear (Are you constantly disconnecting and replugging, or do you just want to hit the Play button?).
5. Hire an electrician to install an extra electrical circuit (or at least a few more properly grounded outlets) for your media center.
6. Position speakers based on where you watch and listen most frequently. Remember to account for the wires--keep them where people won't trip on them or damage them.
7. Calculate optimum viewing distance from the seats to the television by multiplying the diagonal size of an HDTV screen by a factor of 2.5 to 4. That means you should watch a 30-inch (76 cm) television from a distance of 70 to 120 inches (5.75 to 10 feet, or 1.8 to 3 m). Conventional (analog) televisions should be viewed at twice that distance.
8. Put your media center on casters or easy-sliding pads if it goes flat against a wall. You'll occasionally need to get behind it to hook up wires and make changes.
9. Have the technophile in your household create step-by-step instruction cards telling what combination of buttons to push for basic tasks like playing CDs and DVDs.

Tips & Warnings

• When you have your outlets upgraded, have the electrician run speaker wires inside your walls, too. Electricians have tools and techniques that make this easy.
• Many media armoires can be top-heavy, especially if there's a tube-style television on the top. Move such furniture with care, and get help.
• Park a basket in front of or on top of your media center for game controllers and remote controls.
• Don't plug extension cords into extension cords or create other Medusa-like electrical configurations. It's a fire hazard (not to mention unsightly).

Who Can Help:

• Find Home Audio Electrical Services Here. Compare Up to 4 Quotes, Free Service & No Obligation.
• Find Electrical Services Here. Compare Up to 4 Quotes, Free Service & No Obligation.