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There's nothing better than being "front row, center" in your own home theater. At least, that's what more and more people are discovering. Americans are taking bonus rooms, basements, even extra bedrooms – and turning them into home theaters or "media rooms." Once available only to the rich and famous, theaters today are being added to homes of every price range.

But What Makes "Home Theater" Different From "Watching TV"?

A bigger TV screen, sure. But it's the bigger SOUND that makes home theater so much fun. A standard TV provides sound through one or two built-in speakers. But a home theater system has several speakers (usually six) located around the room, and the system sends different parts of the soundtrack to different speakers. So when Captain Kirk is discussing Federation politics with Spock, the dialog seems to come from the screen. And when the Klingon Warbird suddenly appears and attacks the Enterprise, you'll hear explosions all around you – while the subwoofer shakes the floors and rattles the walls. Surround sound is so exciting because it's truly ALL around you. Just like in real life.

Getting Your Home Theater Started.

Bringing the home theater experience into your house doesn't necessarily require major remodeling or a big expense. In fact, new technology and falling prices make it easier than ever to assemble a home theater system. The basic components are the room, the furniture, and the electronic equipment. Here are some helpful guidelines to get you started:

Choosing A Room.

Practically any room can become a very enjoyable home theater. But for the best sound and viewing, shoot for these characteristics:

An enclosed room. That means four walls with a door that closes. That way you can turn up the volume of your bodacious sound system without disturbing others. Blocking out light and correctly placing speakers gets easier, too. The ideal room is rectangular, about 1-1/2 times as long as it is wide, with the screen and front speakers placed along one of the short walls.

Centered seating. A TV image looks sharpest when viewed straight on. The farther you move off center, the dimmer it gets. Most screens present a good picture within an arc of 60 to 90 degrees. The ideal eye-to-screen distance is considered to be about three times the screen diagonal. Which means a 36-in. screen looks best from about nine feet away.

Acoustics. For better acoustics, choose soft furnishings that absorb sound, not hard surfaces that reflect it. If you can, cover hard floors with carpeting or rugs. Decorate your walls with materials that absorb sound. Heavy fabric wallpaper is an acoustical improvement over bare walls, and cloth wall hangings like quilts and tapestries are even better.

Light. For the brightest image on the screen, try to block out as much other light as possible. Heavy curtains that completely cover the windows are best (for both light and sound). Any light that happens to enter the room will be less distracting if you choose darker colors for walls, carpet and other furnishings.

Selecting The Furniture.

Lately, specially designed "home theater seating" has been replacing conventional sofas and chairs in front of the TV. It makes sense that you'd want comfortable seating from which to enjoy your theater-style picture and sound & especially if you're watching for two or three hours at a stretch! Typically, that kind of comfort means ''motion furniture'' better known as reclining sofas and chairs.

But true home theater seating is more that just a recliner plus a side table for your popcorn. Today's theater recliners include electrically powered recline and footrest functions, built in cup holders, detachable snack trays and more.

These seats are quite stylish and usually upholstered in durable, easy to clean leather. As a rule, the seats are sold as separate units that can be linked in a variety of ways. With authentic home theater seating, each chair comes with individual left and right armrests. Wedge shaped arms or connecting tables let you create curving rows so that every seat gets a great view of the TV.

The Technical Components.

For the simplest possible set-up, you might consider one of the many "Home Theater In a Box" equipment packages now available. But if you're the do-it-yourself type, here are the basics if you want to assemble a custom system:

Receiver. Home theater sound starts with a receiver. All your components (DVD player, VCR, etc.) plug into the receiver, which processes the sound and sends the signal to speakers. Whether you're watching DVDs or VHS movies, the receiver is key to unlocking the "surround sound" excitement of the Dolby Digital, DTS or Dolby Pro Logic soundtrack. For DVDs, the receiver must be Dolby Digital ready or have a Dolby Digital decoder built in.

Speakers. For the ultimate home theater experience, you should have a total of six speakers – front left, front right, center channel, rear left, rear right, and a subwoofer. Speaker placement is of utmost importance. The center speaker is for dialogue and other "up front" sounds, and is usually placed on top of the TV. The powered subwoofer creates dramatic low and sub-sonic effects, and ideally should be placed against a wall or in a corner.

DVD Player. DVD technology gets a lot of the credit for making home theaters so popular. A DVD player gives you the quality and clarity of digital playback, allowing you to reproduce the experience of "true cinema" in the comfort of your own home. For an even higher resolution, more high-density picture, consider a "progressive scan" DVD player. Your DVD player doesn't need a Dolby Digital decoder if your receiver has one.

Large Screen TV. There are three basic types of TVs: direct view, rear projection and front projection. Widescreen TV is also becoming an essential part of a home theater set-up. Your television should have a viewing area of at least 27" to capture the highly detailed images from a digital source like DVD or satellite. For digital satellite broadcasts and widescreen movies, consider choosing a 16:9 High Definition (HD) compatible display, available in flat tube, rear-projection, digital projector or plasma formats.

Getting Connected.

It's easier than it sounds, but it's essential that you read and follow the instructions that come with each component. Don't have the time or inclination to hook everything up yourself? Just check your yellow pages for retailers and custom installers specializing in home theater furniture and equipment.

Then you'll be ready to pop some popcorn, have some friends over, and enjoy a "full immersion" movie-watching experience & in your very own home theater!