How to Hook Up Surround Sound
For perfect digital home entertainment, there are some things needed such as an HDTV and powerful surround sound speakers. However, for enjoying the media on your TV, you most importantly need to give significance to the manner the speakers are placed in your room of digital entertainment.
Considerations to Hook up Surround Sound
Hooking up surround sound as a do-it-yourself task is a very good way of saving on installation costs that are otherwise to be paid to the company technician. For quality sound, you definitely need to have the right equipment and speakers.
Determine the Room's Focal Point for the Television
In order to hook up a surround sound home theater speaker system, is also very necessary to position the television at a proper place. The room where the TV is to be placed needs to be an area that receives the least amount of outside light. Also make sure that the room is big enough for the sound system to be set up in. Note down the length and width of the room and position the TV right at the center. This will allow adequate and feasible space for the speakers to be positioned.
Type of Speakers
Once you have decided where the TV has to be kept, you need to determine what type of home theater system you require or have at present. There are many types of home theater systems available out there in the market. They are generally sorted out on the basis of channels and watts. If you are considering a surround sound speaker system for HDTV viewing, it is better to go in for speakers with substantial watt power. Moreover, you can even choose speakers according to the channels; such as 4.1, 5.1, 7.1, etc. The number of individual speakers will decide in which positions they are to be set up.
Place the Audio and Video Receiver
Hooking up a surround sound system to your digital TV also includes placing the audio and video receiver appropriately. The best place to keep the A/V receiver is right in front of the TV set. This will enable the receiver to accept operation commands from the remote control from anywhere in the room. If you are going to use any other device with the system, such as a video game console or a blue-ray DVD player; it is suggested to place it right next to the receiver.
Set and Connect the Speakers
Now is the time to set up the speakers according to their channels. For perfect placement of the surround speakers, it is recommended that you refer to the help manual of the sound system. It will certainly have patterns in which the speakers are to be positioned in a room. If you have a 5.1 speaker system, you need to place the sub-woofer at a corner from where you think the bass effect will be felt the most. The front speakers are required to be placed roughly four to five feet from the television; whereas the rear speakers should be set in the same pattern, but in the rear at appropriate distances. After you position the speakers, wire them with the cables provided. At this point, refer to the manual for which wires have to go where in the receiver for the expected surround effect.
Do a Sound Check of the Setup
After all is set; switch on the sound system and your TV, load a DVD movie, set the volume at a suitable level, stand in the middle of the room, and check if you really have the feel of surround sound. You can then make adjustments to the setup according to your sound preferences.
Those thinking how to hook up surround sound need to understand that more the number of speakers, more adjustments you will need to make.
