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squarish 4:3. Sizewise, go for the largest screen you can afford; 27 inches is probably the bare minimum. For optimal viewing, the distance between the viewer and the screen should equal about three times the screen size. So a 40-inch TV is best viewed from a distance of 10 feet (120 inches). Figure out where the television and seating will be located and calculate screen size accordingly. And remember: Whatever TV you choose, measure it to make sure it will fit through the door.

Power. Get into the habit of powering down components before making connections. Sudden loads on live amplifiers connected to speakers are especially damaging. When connecting audio and video cables you should power down the components involved in the connection first.

Cables. Don't get suckered into luxury priced cables and wires that claim exotic materials will unlock performance. But don't buy the cheapest, flimsy cables either. [Editor: See our Connecting Your System section for more on cables] When hooking up your system it's important to use interconnects that have ends you can grip securely, some of the connections might be tight and often you'll need to pull them out or reconnect them from obstructed vantage points and in poor lighting. It's important your finger tips can grab the plugs on the end of your interconnects so you're not pulling on the cable.

Space. You're going to need room behind your equipment to put it all together. If everything is going in front of a wall give yourself some space to see behind the gear. Plan ahead of time how your components are to be stacked and then ensure the wires you have will reach before you begin. There is nothing worse than having to disconnect everything from your receiver to move it because one component's wiring can't reach.

DVD Players
If the hundreds of programming options offered by your cable or satellite TV provider aren't sufficient, it's nice to know you can always run out to the video store to grab a DVD.

Speakers
To reproduce the authentic cinema experience at home, you need not only the visual components but also the audio ones typically, five speakers and one subwoofer. This setup is based on Dolby Digital 5.1 technology, which breaks down audio into six "channels," each intended for a separate speaker: dialogue to one of three front speakers, ambient sounds to a pair of rear (or "surround") speakers, and low-frequency "end-of-the-world" booms to the subwoofer.

Universal remotes. These come pre-programmed to control hundreds

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