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We go to the movies as an escape, as a way to leave behind the daily grind, and the hustle & bustle of life. Yet, the movie outing experience, a staple of Friday nights in homes all around the country, is nothing like it once was. These days, a trip to the movies is likely fraught with traffic, cell phones, people texting, all-around commotion, and incessant crowds – exactly the kind of things you want to get away from.  Fortunately, advancements in home theater technology have brought forth an ability to reproduce the movie theater experience with remarkable acuity. This means you can once again wholly lose yourself in the movie magic, except in the quiet, cozy comfort of your own home.  It’s time to reclaim the movie experience. Here are four easy steps to do so.

Invest in a projector

Projector technology has improved dramatically in the last few years. A projector that eight years ago cost $10,000 is not as good as one that costs $2,500 today.  They have gotten smaller, brighter, and quite simply, better.  Pair them with the perfect screen, and you’ve just taken the first step toward your own theater. Screens can be fixed or motorized, and drop down from a wall or ceiling. This can create a hidden theater effect, leaving you with a regular room by day, and a movie theater by night.

Mount a flat panel on the wall

If you can’t fit a projector in the room or feel a flat panel is more your style, you can mount the unit on the wall to save space and still have that big screen effect. Prices have dropped so you can now get name brand sets that are as thin as picture frames for just over a thousand dollars. In the past year, we’ve seen better availability and price drops in larger sets of 70 inches and above. You can now pick up an 80 inch set for less than five thousand dollars. This is how big projector screens once were. And the best part is, flat screens are not affected by ambient light, so you’re movie-watching experience can happen day and/or night.

New Sound Options

Surround sound is best. Surround sound requires a center speaker, a left and right speaker; two surround sound speakers, a subwoofer and an audio video receiver (this is a 5.1 system, and it can grow from there). Nothing can encompass you like surround sound, as it fools your senses and draws you into the film.  Try watching a scary movie with surround sound enveloping you - audio matters!

However, surround sound is not feasible for all; for this reason, sales of soundbars have skyrocketed. These units are considered enhanced sound and leave you with a sound effect that can be quite impressive. You’ll find units from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand dollars. Try them out and give them a listen. They may be just the right fit to take your TV viewing experience from ordinary to extraordinary.

Invest in a Media Player

A Blu-ray disc gives you the best high-definition picture available today. It outputs an uncompressed signal straight to your TV set and is undisputed in its ability to deliver the truest sight and sound. However, there are other ways to watch movies - streaming has become another source of entertainment. It involves sending content like TV shows or Movies over the internet to your TV set – you’ll need either a smart TV or a media player. There are services that charge monthly fees as Netflix or Hulu Plus, and there are others that charge per movie and/or show (iTunes via AppleTV is one of the most popular). Other streaming applications, like Crackle, are at no cost. Visit your local AV professional to find the right media player (or smart Blu-ray, or TV) for you.

Whether it is gathering on the couch with the family or settling in with your spouse, there is nothing like a superb home movie experience. With today’s advances in technology,  improvements in aesthetics, and enhancements in audio, the hurdles of having a home system have been overcome. Now is the time to bring the movie experience home!