Putting together a great home theater system can be simple — you just need to team up a few key components, some of which you probably already own. As you think about which pieces you need, keep in mind that along with buying new products, you might end up replacing some existing gear as well. For example, if you want to watch high-definition TV programming, you may decide the time is ripe to replace your 10-year-old TV with a new high-def model.

If you're wondering about other ways to add cinematic sound to your viewing, besides a full home theater system, check out "Four Ways to Add Great Sound to Your TV".

A TV

A gorgeous picture is the focal point of many home theater systems. Most of today's TVs are digital TVs — they offer a stunning picture, and many sets can show the high-resolution picture you get from HDTV.

• Check out our video on shopping for an HDTV.
• Get the scoop on key HDTV topics with HDTV: Everything You Need to Know.
• Start shopping for TVs.

A DVD player, Blu-ray Disc™ player, & other home theater sources

Home theater relies on sharp, colorful video and Dolby® Digital-encoded audio. A DVD player is by far the most common source of home theater audio and video, because most DVDs offer high-quality images and digital surround sound. If you are replacing an older DVD player, be sure your new model can send a progressive video signal — it really makes a difference on today's digital TVs.

If you have an HDTV, you may want to consider a Blu-ray Disc™ player. This high-definition disc format lets you take full advantage of your high-def television's display capabilities. For more information, check out our article about Blu-ray players.

Other top-notch home theater sources include HDTV programming, which delivers high-resolution video and digital audio, and video game consoles, which offer impressively crisp images and high-impact surround sound.

• Watch our helpful video on choosing a Blu-ray player.
• Check out our in-depth guide to choosing a DVD player.
• Read more about HDTV.
• Start shopping for Blu-ray and DVD players.

A home theater receiver

In order to enjoy surround sound, you'll need a home theater receiver. A receiver acts as the control center for audio; it processes audio signals, amplifies them, and sends them to your speakers. All home theater receivers can process and amplify multichannel surround sound as well as stereo audio, because they have built-in surround sound decoding. Most of today's home theater receivers can also transform a stereo signal into a surround sound signal — that means you can hear VHS, TV, and CDs in surround sound too.

Some people use their home theater receiver to manage video as well as audio — by running all their video signals to their receiver, they can make a single video connection from their receiver to their TV and simplify everyday use. It's a great option if you want to connect multiple sources, like a cable box, a DVD player, and a video game console or two, to your home theater system. Then whenever you want to watch a DVD or play a video game, you just have to press a button on your receiver's remote to switch to the right inputs, without having to switch inputs on your TV.

• Check out our in-depth guide to choosing a receiver.
• Start shopping for a home theater receiver.

Speakers and a subwoofer

To faithfully re-create the larger-than-life, wraparound excitement of movie theater sound, you need at least five voice-matched speakers and a subwoofer. Some people opt for six or seven speakers and a subwoofer, so they can hear even more channels of surround sound. If you buy a pre-assembled system, you won't have to worry about voice-matching. But if you put together your own system, then make sure you buy from the same family of speakers.

• For more info on what each speaker does, and how to choose, see our guide to choosing home theater speakers.
• For tips on adding a prematched speaker system, or to discover some surround alternatives, check out our article on four ways to add great sound to your TV.
• Learn more about surround sound formats.
• Take a look at these tips on recommended speaker placement.
• Read about room-friendly ways to connect home theater speakers.
• Start shopping for speakers.

Cables, power protection, and A/V furniture

Often, people forget about essential accessories. They end up rushing out to the store in the middle of setup, or making do with a cable that isn't really suited to the purpose. The result? Extra hassle, and a real risk of missing out on the system performance they paid for. You can avoid that by planning out your system before you buy, accessories and all.

Cables

You'll need speaker cables, audio cables, and video cables. You may already have some cables you can use. Just don't forget that very old or very cheap speaker cable can degrade your sound quality, the same way very old or very cheap speakers just don't sound good. Also, "freebie" audio and video cables that come in the box with a component can also result in lower-quality sound or picture; reduced picture quality is especially noticeable with today's high-end TVs, which aren't kind to static or picture flaws.

• Look at this guide to choosing A/V cables.
• Check out this article on selecting speaker cables.
• Get some tips for home A/V cable management.
• Read about room-friendly ways to connect home theater speakers.
• Start shopping for cables and other hookup essentials.

Power protection

It makes sense to use a power protection unit to safeguard your investment from lightning strikes and power surges. Some home theater fans choose a power protector with built-in line conditioning to ensure cleaner power, a better picture, and more accurate audio.

• Check out this in-depth guide to choosing power protection.
• Start shopping for power protection.

A/V furniture, speaker stands, and speaker brackets

Depending on your room's size and shape, and the equipment you choose, you may need some stands to place your gear on. Be thinking about whether you'll need anything like this ahead of time, so you can avoid putting your TV on a couple of old crates, or having small surround speakers on the floor behind your sofa where you can't really hear them.

• Figure out what to look for with our furniture glossary.

Universal remotes

Have you ever fumbled around with the remotes on your coffee table, and ended up changing your TV's input when you mean to pause your movie on your DVD player? A universal remote can really help you simplify your system — and clean up your coffee table.

• Take a look at our article on universal remotes.
• Learn more about remote control setups for multi-room systems.