Back in the day , before smartphones and smart TVs and smartwatches revolutionized the electronics manufacture , building a nursing home theatre system meant dropping thousands on fancy equipment . After the initial spend , set the dang thing up was just as scare away : tangled cables , confusing utterer setups , multiple distant controller .
The good tidings ? Today , transforming your laptop into a grampus home theatre organization is easier than ever – and cheaper than it ’s ever been . The 12 components below will put you on the path to a just DIY viewing experience in no time .
Upgraded memory and a bigger hard drive
What ’s the spot in setting up an awful domicile theatre organization if your computer ca n’t treat an HD stream ( or you ca n’t find that show you REALLY want to ascertain right this very arcminute ) . So consider the system requirements above just a baseline : increasing your laptop computer ’s memory from 1 or 2 GB to 3 or 4 GB , which runs around $ 100 , will direct to exponentially enhanced television playback calibre and a leaner , meaner machine than most new computers . ditto mark for a juiced - up hard drive ( think 2 or 3 TB for around $ 150-$200 ) , which can put in a life-time ’s worth of movies and TV shows AND make affair run faster .
A DVD and/or Blu-Ray drive
think it or not , disc drives are becoming scarce in laptop computer , peculiarly as manufacturers race to make the lightest , slight devices they can . But never fear ! A good international driveway can be had for $ 50 , which is a small price to make up to breathe new lifetime into your epic DVD and Blu - Ray collection .
A version of Windows or Mac OS
Wiping your old laptop computer clear before converting it into a home theatre system is smart . Erasing the O that comes built into it is not . If you live and die by Apple , you ’re in fate : Mac operating systems always offer free upgrades . But if you swear by Windows and that sure-enough laptop is still run XP or Vista , get yourself out of the Stone Age with Windows 7 , 8.1 , or 10 . you’re able to use an existing permit winder from another estimator – or cough up $ 100 to buy a stand - alone version . expert swear that a mere - bone Linux platform is best for home theatre systems , but we ’re not trying to reinvent the wheel here – just watch movies and TV from the comfort of our couch .
VGA, DVI, or HDMI cables
The other benefit of using a TV ? It will have both digital HDMI and analog VGA come-on - ups , giving you prime tractability for connecting a laptop to a bigger CRT screen . HDMI provides the sharpest picture and sound , so it ’s worth expect into a VGA - HDMI , DVI - HDMI , or USB - HDMI adapter if your laptop computer is a little old . With a in effect cable , you ’ll be singing “ I can see clearly now … ” in no time .
A good soundbar with a wireless subwoofer
Those six - piece speaker set you get up on do sound good – but in today ’s downsized man , who ’s get room for so many components ( or metre to fix them all up ) ? Instead , keep it simple with a soundbar / wireless subwoofer combo , which bear booming basso and crystal - clear high ends in an low-cost two - piece setup ( think $ 75 - $ 200 ) that makes all those complicated surround sound system seem straight - up giddy .
A Wi-Fi enabled 4K HD TV
desire to see a bigger picture than just what ’s on your 11 ” or 13 ” laptop screen ? count adding a good television receiver to the mix . The good news ? It ’s never been cheaper or sluttish to find a solid Wi - Fi - enable voguish HDR or HD TV for a few hundred dollars . A little surplus hard currency here = watch your favorite shows and moving-picture show in magnificent high definition , just the way you want . Which is the whole power point of bootstrapping your own system , right ?
A universal remote control
Speaking of watching in comfort , there ’s nothing like a good all - in - one distant restraint to do as an easy button . But for many of us , this is the most puzzling piece of personal engineering science ever make . Using remote control to control your decked - out home base theatre system does n’t have to leave in hair pulling and tooth grinding , though . Instead , browse your preferred app computer storage for a thousand unlike downloadable mobile outback controls , or check out online reviews to find a favorite . Your remote dominance soulmate is out there – we just bang it .
A copy of XMBC or Plex
Media nitty-gritty software options persist the gamut from user - friendly to intensely technical , but two standouts are XBMC or Plex . Both of these applications organize your motion picture , television show , and other content into a neatly organized structure that makes it easy to look , select , and stream , even from portable gadget like an Amazon Fire , Roku , or Chromecast reefer . XBMC is a bit more intricate , but its customization possibilities make it a darling of in - the - know technical school eccentric person .
Xbox 360 controllers if you’re going the gaming route
To game or not to game – that is the question . And it ’s one that most of us will answer with a unassailable “ yes ” or “ no ” from the get - go . If you are go to download and encounter games through your media shopping mall , Xbox 360 controllers are the near for universal use across different console table . Sadly , it wo n’t work for isDuck Hunt , but it will help you breeze through all those other time of origin Nintendo favorite .
A second screen for multitasking
We say take a break and leave it for tomorrow , but if you must keep up with emails and societal medium while you ’re enjoying your favorite show , there ’s a simple solution : pose up a 2d pocket-sized monitor next to your main telly and keep your desktop viewable there . pose your menage field of operations system up with a TV wireless to stream bouncy sports or news event and you could even Tweet up a storm while you watch .
Any other software plug-ins or add-ons
iTunes , Hulu , Netflix , Amazon Prime , HBO Go , Picasa , Google Chrome … as anyone who ’s ever browsed an Apple TV menu can tell you , the number of computer software plugins and attention deficit disorder - ons for entertainment purposes is infinite . come up the one you ca n’t live on without , download them to your new organization , and savor the fact that you built it yourself , just the way you wanted , for a fraction of the price you would have paid a few twelvemonth ago . High five !
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Jovanovic/Stocksy
