Keeping Home Theaters Within Budget

Building a great home theater can be a real blast. But that blast can quickly turn into a bank buster if some smart shopping, research and limits aren't employed from the very start.

With the amount of choices available for home theater components, an uninformed trip to an electronics store can be staggering. Just the types of televisions a person has to choose from can spin the head of the uninitiated - plasma, CRT, rear projection, front projection. This doesn't even get into makes, sizes and extra features. What's the best? Which one is the most reliable?
So, how does a person make home theater shopping realistic and still obtain the results they're looking for?
It's simple. Use common sense.

Here are some tips to help keep shopping for home theater components affordable, yet satisfying:
Plan ahead - Take stock in what you might already own and what you need. If you already have them, you don't have to buy a new DVD player or VCR to match your new television. While it might "look great" the money will be better spent, at least initially, on other components.
Set a budget - Once you know the basic components you need, be realistic about what you can spend. If you can't buy everything at once, pick the most important components and add on to them at a later date.

Do research - Consider what you need and look at different makes and models in your price range. If you haven't decided between plasma, rear projection, CRT or even front projection television, go look at the different picture qualities offered by each. Go with what you can A.) afford and B.) makes you happy. Read consumer reports on makes and models you're interested in. Find the models in your price range that make you the happiest and have good reviews. If 100 past customers say an items stinks, it just might.
Be realistic - If your budget is $5,000 for the whole theater, be certain you will be happy if your forgo a "theater" and blow the whole thing on a single purchase. Otherwise, try to make all the components fit into the budget for the best overall system you can buy.

While some people can spend upwards of $50,000 building a home theater, most people just don't have that kind of cash. Decent systems can be purchased for a lot less and quality doesn't necessarily have to take a massive hit. Shop around, do some research and don't buy more than you can handle.