The critical components that can turn any ordinary room into an audio and video blast.

If you've dreamed of turning your family room into a true home theater, or at least more of a home theater, there's some good news and some bad news. The good news is that this is entirely possible, so get ready for cool sound effects and you-are-there action. The bad news is that you won't be able to accomplish this with a trip to the local electronics superstore.

To have a true home theater, you will need some very specialized equipment, probably sold to you by a specialty retailer or custom electronics dealer who will advise you on which audio and video components to purchase-and who will then install them properly for you. A good custom-electronics professional will also take care of technical details such as mating the right equipment with the right speakers, or matching the power and other ratings, for example, so you won't have to.

Here are the basics you need to know about the main components of a killer home theater.

The Processor

The brains of any home-theater system is the surround-sound processor. This can be an all-in-one surround-sound receiver, or a separate preamplifier and amplifier. A surround-sound receiver can be more convenient, because it is just one box containing integrated amplifiers and all the processing. With a separate amplifier and preamplifier, the preamplifier processes the digital or audio signal being sent from the DVD player or DSS receiver, and passes along the video signals if need be. Meanwhile, the power amplifier provides the necessary juice for your speakers. Having a separate preamp and amplifiers gives you the flexibility to change one if you want more power later on or want to upgrade the preamplifier to take advantage of future technologies.

When it comes to surround-sound receivers, some of the best are the Sunfire Ultimate Receiver ($4,195), B&K's AVR-507 ($3,995) and Denon's AVR-5803 ($4,300), as they include all the features available today. Denon and B&K also offer less expensive models that have fewer features, but each is a great starting point for a true home theater.

Plenty of manufacturers offer excellent preamplifiers and amplifiers, such as those from Linn, B&K and Krell. Linn offers the Kisto System Controller ($12,995) with all the features you need, as well as top-notch performance to match. With the associated amplifiers, such as Linn's 2250 five-channel amplifier, you can have true theater sound that rivals your local cineplex.

Really Loudspeakers

Of course, this equipment means nothing without the correct speakers. These can range from about $400 to thousands of dollars, depending on your performance requirements and the size of the room. Home theaters today should be set up for at least five channels, or speakers, plus a subwoofer. This is known as a 5.1-channel configuration, for five channels plus a partial-channel subwoofer that produces only the lowest bass. And you don't need to stop there: You can have a 7.1 or even a 9.1 configuration, with several surround speakers on the sides or rear of the room.

There are many loudspeaker options for achieving stellar sound. For example, Definitive Technology offers a full line of bookshelf and tower loudspeakers with built-in powered subwoofers that will get the job done in just about any room. We recommend the PowerMonitor lineup (ranging from $425 to $799 each) or the flagship BP7000SC ($2,499 each). If you'd like theater sound that is fully customized for your room, you can integrate a CAT (California Audio Technology) speaker system, custom engineered and built into virtually any cavity, and with a price to match.

Consider the Source(s)

One of the most important issues to consider when putting together a home-theater system is the performance of the "source" components, such as a DVD player. The confusing aspect to DVD is that there are now multiple formats of music and movie entertainment available, such as DVD-Audio and SACD. To be sure that you can play all these formats on your home-theater system, seek a universal disc player, such as Linn's Unidisk 1.1 ($11,000) or Marantz's DV-8400 ($1,599) DVD player. Also available is Pioneer's DV59-AVI ($1,600). These components offer very high-quality video performance and make any display you connect them to look that much better.

Also on the horizon is a new product from ReQuest Multimedia called the VRQ1 Digital Video Controller, which connects to up to four 400-disc DVD changers for complete system control. The VRQ1 will be able to manage and control your entire DVD library at the press of a button. Expect the price to be in the neighborhood of $2,500, plus the cost of the DVD changers.

When it comes to satellite, there are several options. You can go with the newest HDTV satellite receivers (such as Sony's SAT HD-200 satellite receiver, at $999), or a conventional satellite receiver with a digital video recorder (DVR) such as TiVo, so you can record your favorite programs to an internal hard drive and view them at your convenience. Pioneer's DVR-810H-S ($1,199) with TiVo includes a DVD burner so you can record a show to a disc.

Some digital video recorders have DVD players built in, but they are not burners. If DVD burning isn't your bag, but satellite is, be sure to consider a DVR with a built-in satellite receiver. This will achieve three things: It will give you better picture quality due to a straight digital connection inside the component, it will consolidate a remote and an on-screen display, and it will give you the option of connecting two tuners inside the satellite receiver so you can record one program while watching another. Or you can also record two shows at once. Look for Hughes' offerings, such as its new 100-hour-capacity SD-DVR120 ($399.99) or its 35-hour-capacity HDVR2 ($179.99). Unfortunately, there is no HDTV TiVo just yet.

Also consider a digital music server that allows you to rip your CDs onto the unit's large-capacity hard drive, then access your music instantly. Audio ReQuest's ARQ Fusion digital music server or Yamaha's MusicCAST music server system can easily be used with a home theater system, especially if it's set up for high-quality music listening.

Get the Picture?

Great sound in a home theater is vital, but the most dramatic aspect is the picture. Do you go with a front-projection system with a projector and a screen, or a big-screen rear-projection TV? Depending on the size of the room, you can do either, but for a true home-theater setup, bigger is always better.

With the latest Digital Light Projection (DLP) systems, you can have a great picture that is large in size. There are many companies offering excellent performance from DLP projectors, including the Runco CL-710 ($11,995) and the Marantz VP-12S3 ($12,999), both featuring the new Texas Instruments HD-2 chip. For a step up in performance, look at Runco's VX-1000ci DLP projector ($16,995), which adds resolution, brightness and clarity. It also comes with Runco's ViViX controller that enhances performance and efficiency.

If space is available, then perhaps a rear-projection TV is the solution. They come in sizes up to 70 inches, and can offer great picture quality. Look for Pioneer Elite's Pro-730Hdi ($7,000) and Mitsubishi's WS-65313 ($2,599).

Control Freaks

So, how are you going to control all this great audio and video gear? With a complicated system, we recommend an automated control system, such as those from Crestron or AMX. Crestron offers a complete package called the MC2W-C17PAK, which comes with a color touchscreen remote, a rechargeable battery, a processor and a docking station ($3,800). AMX offers similar products, and is very similar in design and operation. The nice thing about these products is that they allow custom programming -- done by a professional installer -- that can be tailored to your individual tastes. The lighting can be dimmed, the drapes drawn and all audio and video fired up at the touch of a button, for example. These wireless remotes also work on radio frequencies, so you don't need to point your remote somewhere, and you can hide your equipment in another room, in a closet or behind cabinet doors.

Don't Forget Conditioning

Last but not least, consider the line conditioning of the power coming into your home. Many people do not realize that the power entering your home through a normal AC outlet is very dirty and poor. Luckily, there are products that can clean it up, stabilize it and protect your valuable equipment from surges and spikes in the power. In addition, they can improve the picture quality of TVs and projectors, as well as the sound quality of expensive amplifiers and receivers. Two models we've come to love are the Furman PL-PRODM Power Conditioner ($449) and the very impressive Richard Gray's Power Company 1200S ($2,095).

If you're in the market for a true home theater, make sure you audition as many components as you can. Bring your own software, so you can give the equipment you're considering a test of material you already know. Once you decide on the appropriate equipment, have it installed by a professional. Then you only need to: Pop some popcorn.

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