Set up a Home Theater

Stack the home theater components in the entertainment center according to your plan, turning them so you can easily reach the backs. 

Position the speakers for best sound, based on the recommendations in the installation manual (if you're hanging them on the wall, see the installation manual for instructions). Position the front speakers at the same height as the TV screen. If you're installing surround-sound speakers, mount the rear speakers at equal heights and space them an equal distance from the place you usually sit. Set the subwoofer on the floor or against a wall.

To attach the speaker cables to the speakers, use a wire stripper to pull off about 1-1/2 inch of casing from each end of the speaker cable, leaving the wires intact.

Connect a cable to each speaker. The cable will differentiate between the two wires by color or by a dotted line. Make sure you match the wire connection on the amp to the speaker. Usually they use red and black, just make sure that the red is connected to red ,and black to black. The cable differentiates between the wires with either a marking or color coding so you cannot cross them by mistake. Two types of attachments are common: binding posts and spring clips.

• For binding posts, unscrew the cap and twist the speaker wire around the post once or twice clockwise. Then tighten the cap to secure the wire against the post.
• If you're attaching speaker wire to a spring clip opening, press the lever to open the clip and then insert the tip of the speaker wire in the opening. Then release the lever. 
   
  

Connect the input cables on your home theater components. Arrange the cables for each component, one at a time. Make sure your inputs match — if you're hooking the white cable into L and the red cable into R, do the same on the corresponding component.

Connect the power cable for each component into a smart surge protector strip.

Connect the satellite receiver or cable box to your home theater. The product manual should have diagrams showing how to connect the outputs of one to the inputs of the other. You can also refer to the manufacturer's website for guidance, or check Consumer Electronics Association's connections guide.

Turn on the television to check for a signal. Turn on all your components to make sure you’ve connected everything correctly.

Following the instructions in the product manual, program the remote for the FM tuner. Program any other options you'd like, such as running sound to video sources.

Your television's product manual might describe a specific process for adjusting the color and brightness. If not, calibrate your TV using the THX optimizer found on many DVDs.

Following the instructions in the product manual, tell the system how far the speakers are from the ideal listening position, so the system can adjust the audio accordingly.

To test whether the speakers produce identical volume levels, use a sound-pressure-level meter according to the instructions in the meter's product manual.