So, you want a home theater experience that replicates the megaplex? We can make it happen.

You need a surround or multi-channel system. Individual speakers deliver specific channel of sound. The dialog comes from front and center, the special effects come from the rears, and the bass tones are delivered through the subwoofer. The result: You're in the middle of the action, and the reality of the movie is in your home.

The components needed to make your TV room into a home theater:

The Surround System includes at least five speakers, a receiver, and optional subwoofer. All components have to be wired through the receiver, and the speakers should be installed in the best positions for the room in which you will be watching a movie.

The Receiver A receiver integrates a processor, amplifier and tuner into one chassis. Pick a receiver that has Dolby Digital® and DTS, about 85 to 100 watts per channel. Components connect to a receiver through audio and video inputs. Look for a receiver with a few more inputs than you need. Video components must be wired through the receiver as well. Make sure some inputs are dedicated to S-video inputs. This provides a better picture quality than coaxial connection receivers, Super VHS VCRs, DVD players and most new high-quality large-screen televisions.

The Speakers In Dolby Digital® surround-sound systems there are two front speakers (left and right), a center channel, and two rear surround speakers (left and right). All five speakers should be from the same manufacturer so that they can be "timbre-matched."

The Center Channel The center channel produces approximately 80 percent of all the sound heard in a movie, carrying much of the dialog as well as music and some effects. Place this speaker either directly on top of or directly below your television. The left and right front speakers should match the center channel and should be mounted an equal distance from the center channel. These speakers should be pointed toward the listening area.

The Rear Surrounds If you need to save money on speakers, the best place to cut costs is on the rear surrounds. They produce mostly ambient sounds and special effects. They aren't required to deliver low bass tones. Rear speakers can be small and inconspicuous. Surround speakers ideally should be placed above and slightly behind the listening position.

The Subwoofer A subwoofer is optional but highly recommended for a true movie experience. Almost all Dolby Digital® and Digital Theater System (DTS) soundtrack have low frequency effect tracks designed specifically for a subwoofer. Subwoofers are typically cube-shaped, with a large single woofer pointing either directly at ground or at the listener. Standard subwoofers are usually placed in a corner of the room. "Powered" subwoofers are subwoofers with onboard power amps that provide an even greater sound effect, but are optional. Movies have more low-bass information than music, so subwoofers are highly effective and recommended in a home theater.

How the sound from your Big Screen gets "movie-ized".

Sound Formats Dolby Surround® creates four channels of information: front-left, "phantom" center (creates by left and right), front right and rear surround. There is a greater separation in channels if you move up to Dolby Pro-Logic, which also incorporates a center channels and still has the same signal in both rear speakers. Dolby Digital® (also called Dolby 5.1 or AC-3) adds stereo rear surround ( 1 in Surround Format Figure/next page). You must have Dolby Digital® receiver (or amplifier) to accurately decode the signal, because Dolby Digital® uses its own encoding process.

DTS has its own home theater surround process. Like Dolby Digital®, this system also incorporates five separate channels plus a subwoofer. Rear centers add the latest formats Dolby Digital® and DTS creating new 6.1 and 7.1 channel sound.