The COVID-19 pandemic has meant most people cannot do a lot of socializing outside of the home, especially with specific venues closed to help stop the spread of the disease. You’ll undoubtedly be spending more of your time at home, whether you like it or not.
One thing you’ll undoubtedly be doing a lot while you’re at home is watching TV. If you find that your cinematic experience needs an upgrade, now could be the perfect time to create a home theater. But what if you don’t have a lot of money to make that happen?
Don’t worry because it’s still possible to create a great home theater setup on a budget. Here’s what you need to do:
Source Used Components
A basic home theater setup will include speakers, an amplifier, wiring, and an LCD TV. You can then add other items like a Blu-ray player for playing Blu-rays, DVDs, and CDs. As you can imagine, buying all that gear brand new could cost you a small fortune.
The good news is that it’s possible to acquire such items for a fraction of the new retail price. How? The answer’s simple: you only need to source used components. Places like eBay and Craigslist are excellent sources for used home theater components and LCD TVs.
Also, you can sell your old audiovisual equipment and use the proceeds from that to pay towards your replacement components.
Forget About Cable TV
When you’re not watching your favorite movies on some form of removable media, you’ll undoubtedly want to watch programs and films on cable TV. The only downside is that cable TV is expensive – especially when you’re on a limited budget.
Thankfully, there are other sources to watch your favorite programs and movies without spending a fortune on the privilege. For example, if you enjoy watching AMC programs like The Walking Dead, you can check out AMC streaming sources that use the Internet.
Look for Deals on Used Projectors
If you’ve looked at the prices of bigger secondhand TVs and decided they are out of your budget, all is not lost. Have you considered opting for a used projector instead? It might surprise you how cheap used examples cost at online marketplaces!
Plus, a projector will give you a truly cinematic experience; after all, they use projectors at movie theaters! If you decide to go for a projector, there are a few points you’ll need to keep in mind.
Firstly, you’ll need to project your visuals onto a largely empty wall. If you’re not willing to ditch your paintings and wall ornaments, you could always invest in a cheap projector screen that you can pull up/down (depending on where you install it).
Second, projectors work at their best in dark rooms – hence why it’s almost pitch black in movie theaters when a film starts playing. And, third, you’ll need to install your projector on your ceiling.
Hopefully, the above tips will help you achieve a fantastic home theater setup without spending a lot of cash. Good luck – and have fun!
