Home theater systems can easily cost many thousands of dollars even if you set up the hardware yourself. If you add a professional custom installer to the equation, you can quickly run into prices with five or six digits.
It doesn’t have to be that way, though. You can build a home theater system with a big-screen 4K TV, surround sound, connectivity for streaming services, and maybe even a Blu-ray player (if you catch a good sale) for less than $1,000. Here's how to do it.
Start With the TV: Hisense U6, Fire TV Omni QLED, or Roku Plus Series
You should aim for a big TV as the centerpiece of your home theater. Big is relative, though, considering you can now find screens as large as 75, 88, or even 120 inches. For the best balance of size and price, go with a 65-inch model. This size is one of the most common for TVs, and gives you the widest selection of choices.
If you temper your expectations, there are several good brands for affordable TVs. Many companies offer 65-inch screens for less than $500, but those models aren’t necessarily the best choices. You shouldn't skimp on picture quality if you want your home theater to shine, so this is where you should splurge a bit within your budget, if possible.
We recommend a TV in the Hisense U6, Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED, or Roku Plus lineups. They all offer fantastic color that rivals much more expensive models. Don't expect stellar contrast; you can get a bright panel with deep blacks if you're willing to spend $1,000 on a TV, but not if you're spending that much on your whole home theater. As it is, 55-inch screens for these TVs have retail prices of $450 to $650, but if you keep an eye out for discounts you can find 65-inch models in that range. We prefer the Hisense U6 for its overall performance, but if you go the Amazon route, make sure you look for the Fire TV Omni QLED and not just the Fire TV Omni. The cheaper model has much worse picture quality.
Add Audio: Roku or Vizio for Big Sound
Most TVs have mediocre speakers, so, at the very least, you should buy a soundbar to dramatically improve your setup's audio volume and quality. The problem with a single soundbar is that it likely offers only stereo imaging. At best, it might use some acoustic tricks to increase the soundstage, but you won’t get the same effect you would with rear satellite speakers. The natural answer is to get a soundbar with rear satellites and throw a subwoofer in for good measure.
Vizio has a wide selection of soundbar surround systems that combine all of these components. The Vizio M-Series M51ax-J6, for example, offers 5.1-channel sound with rear satellites and a subwoofer, plus support for Dolby Atmos, for $300.
You can also go with Roku; it doesn't offer a single surround system, but sells three inexpensive speakers that work very well together. You can combine the Roku Streambar Pro with Roku TV Wireless Speakers for the rear channels and a Roku Wireless Bass Pro into a single surround sound system for about $480. That grouping is easy to set up and sounds surprisingly powerful for the price.
Don't discount a soundbar without rear surrounds if you're looking to save money, though. Even a stereo soundbar sounds better than TV speakers, and, if you want to get lots of bass (which isn't directional at all), many soundbars include wireless subwoofers.
Media Streaming Is a Given, Blu-Rays Are Less So
If you still have cable or plan to stream everything over Wi-Fi, you can probably stop reading now. The TVs we recommend, along with the Roku Streambar Pro, all feature fully functional streaming platforms that enable you to access nearly every major service.
Your TV's streaming platform might not have every feature or service you want, though. Amazon Fire TV and Google TV have excellent voice assistants, but they don't support Apple AirPlay. Roku TV has AirPlay, but its voice search feature isn't as good as Alexa or Google Assistant. The various platforms also have different interfaces and don't incorporate content into their menu systems the same way, so you might want to get a separate media streamer that better suits your needs.
Fortunately, most of the top options cost less than $50. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, the Chromecast With Google TV, and the Roku Streaming Stick 4K are all readily available and can respectively add the Fire TV, Google TV, or Roku platforms to your TV.
The popularity of streaming has far surpassed that of watching via physical discs, and we don't review standalone Blu-ray players anymore. The good news is that you can still get them from major manufacturers such as LG or Sony for less than $100. If you want to enjoy 4K HDR in a disc-based format, upgrade to an Ultra HD Blu-ray player that supports that format. These players are much pricier, though, and generally cost between $200 and $300.
The Best Home Theater Setups for Your Budget
You can mix and match home theater components to your heart's content, but we've put together a couple of recommendations for what you can get for under $1,000. Just note that these recommendations are based on prices as of this writing and can fluctuate.
With this combination, you get a big screen with modest picture quality and decent stereo sound.
This package unlocks full surround sound and has a bigger screen. If you can push just above $1,000 or find the TV or speakers on sale, you can add Blu-ray (but not Ultra HD Blu-ray) playback.
How to Make Everything You Watch Look and Sound Its Best
Once your home theater is up and running, you'll want to make sure that everything looks and sounds as good as possible.
Luckily, you don't need professional calibration to get the best picture from your television. Follow these steps to adjust simple settings that will make your movies, shows, and even games look better than ever.
And whether it's a single wireless speaker or a multi-channel home theater setup, the way you position your speakers can have a big impact on how they sound. Check out our tips for the best audio quality possible.