Why would you want to bother about wondering where you should put the television, install the speakers, how to hide the cables or even worry about TV viewing distance.

Obviously, if you're experience in electronics and know a little bit about home design and layout, then these issues would be a pleasant challenge. But the simple fact is, most homeowners will flounder when presented with the challenge of setting up a custom home theater unit in their house let alone worrying about acoustics and lighting conditions.

Where To Start?

Many home owners are faced with the initial challenge of creating space for their home theater. Do you use the living room or build and extra room? Did you know areas such as a basement and garage can be transformed into entertainment showpieces with a little design know how?

A consultant has the ability to immediately identify potential areas where a system could be set up. Yes, you probably could too but how would you design it to flow smoothly with the rest of the house? If you're serious about home theater then getting it right from the outset is so important.

One of the advantages of using a consultant is you'll get a guarantee of at least a year. If you're not happy with any elements of you're set up then it's up to the installers to rectify the problem.

Advantages Of A Custom Set Up

So what can you expect from a custom home theater set up. Here's a shortlist of of guarantees:

- Set up the television and speakers including TV viewing ratio.

- Connecting or the new and existing components.

- Concealing the wiring. This can be a major headache for many people especially with you children in the house.

- Get a crash course in how to use the system to it's maximum effect.

- Incorporate all the remote controls into one unit so you don't have a million remotes lying around.

Your Budget

The first step in setting up a custom home theater system is determining your budget. Let's be honest, having a consultant come into your home, design your system, have it installed and then teach you how to use it will not be cheap. Here's the answer...bypass an independent consultant and go straight to the source you intend to buy the equipment from.

Many large retail outlets offer calibration services and will include it as part of the whole package. They'll be keen to get your business and it can save you a ton of extra money in extra consultancy fees.