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>Home >Home theater >Home theater budget
Home theater budget
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 Before you purchase any home theater equipment, you need to establish a budget. You may not stick to it exactly (allow for + or - 15%), but you need to go into the process with an idea of what you'll be spending.
Too many people buy the biggest TV they can afford and they're done! They've used up 100% of their budget. Be sure to save some money for the other half of the HDTV equation- your audio system!
Home theater surround sound
The higher resolution of HDTV is only half the picture! Don't forget about all that great Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound you'll be missing if you don't buy separate components for your audio!
I've seen differing breakdowns on how much you should spend on each component of your system. While only you know how important sound is to you, or how often you watch sports and movies (which are especially great in 5.1 surround), below are some general guidelines.
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Component
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Percentage of total budget
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TV/Projector
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A/V Receiver, speakers
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DVD or BluRay player
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Cables, TV stand, etc. (screen if using a front projector)
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With those numbers in mind for your home theater budget, here's a look at a few budget examples:
$5,000 system
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Component
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Purchase Price
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TV/Projector
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A/V Receiver, speakers
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DVD or BluRay player
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Cables, TV stand, etc. (screen if using a front projector)
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$10,000 system
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Component
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Purchase Price
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TV/Projector
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A/V Receiver, speakers
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DVD or BluRay player
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Cables, TV stand, etc. (screen if using a front projector)
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Based on the numbers above, here's a look at the tentative list of components I've selected for my new basement home theater:
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Component
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Purchase Price
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Sony VPL-VW50 1080P projector OR
Sony KDS-R70XBR2 1080P SXRD TV
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$4,000 - $6,000
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Pioneer Elite VSX-84TXSi OR
Sony STR DA5200ES Receiver
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$1,000 - $1,500
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Aperion 5.1 surround system
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$2,200 - $2,600
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Cables and accessories (HDMI, speaker wire), surge protector, etc.
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$400
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Rack or stand and/or screen
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$600 - $800
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Total Budget
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$8,200 - $11,300
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Like I said earlier, the percentages above are just a guideline…
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