Everything You Need to Know about 5.1 Home Theater Systems

Have you ever loved watching movies in theaters? Notice how the sound seems to be coming from all angles of the room. What if we told you there was a way to bring that same experience into your own home? 

Well, now we’re telling you: there is! And it’s called 5.1 Home Theater System, and we’re here to tell you all about it. We will discuss the basic information about these Home theater systems and how you can install them yourself.

What is a 5.1 Home Theater System?

When you hear the words “Home Theater,” what do you think of? A room with plush leather sofas, a TV that’s bigger than your entire living room, and rows upon rows of speakers?

That’s what we thought too until we realized that Home Theater can be so much more than that!

This is the place where we’ll be sharing everything you need to know about 5.1 Home Theater systems: what they are, why they’re great, and how to set one up yourself.  

5.1 Home Theater setup diagram

Are you interested in setting up a Home Theater system? There are many different ways to go about it, but this guide will help you make the right choices.

How to install a 5.1 Home Theater System

Installing the Home Theater system is an easy task if you are familiar with wiring and connecting speakers. However, it can seem daunting and confusing to some. You can do it yourself, but if you’re not that familiar with the process, it can be quite costly in the long run. Follow the next steps to install your 5.1 Home Theater system.

• Unpack the speakers, subwoofer, and all the accessories from the box.

• Connect the speakers to each other using a speaker wire.

• Plug one end of the speaker wire into the back of your left front speaker, then run it all the way to your right front speaker. Repeat this process for both rear speakers, as well as for any additional satellite speakers you may have.

• Place each satellite speaker on its corresponding side wall, facing inwards towards the center of your room (or wherever else you want them). You’ll want them at least three feet off of any walls or furniture that they’ll be sitting next to so they can get plenty of bass from your subwoofer!

• Connect your subwoofer to an electrical outlet using a power cord, then plug it into the back of your receiver with a cable connection that comes with both pieces (usually included in an accessory kit).

• Connect your receiver to an electrical outlet using another power cord and plug it into your TV or gaming system with another cable connection that comes.

How to connect your 5.1 Home Theater to your TV

Connecting your 5.1 Home Theater to your TV is easy, but you’ll need to make sure that you have all of the cables and connections you need. All of the instructions below assume that you are using an HDMI cable to connect your Home Theater to the TV.

Step 1: Connect the optical cable from the AVR (Audio Video Receiver) to the optical input on your TV.

Step 2: Connect one end of a coaxial cable to the coaxial output on your AVR and the other end of that same cable into an open port on your wall. This will allow sound to be sent through your wall so it can reach all speakers throughout your Home Theater system.

Step 3: Plug one end of an HDMI cable into one of the HDMI ports on your AVR, then plug another end into an open port on your TV.    

How to connect your 5.1 Home Theater to an amplifier

Here’s a step-by-step guide to connecting your 5.1 Home Theater to an amplifier:

• Connect the audio cables from your TV, DVD player, or Blu-Ray player to the receiver.

• Plug the power cord into an outlet near the receiver and into the back of the receiver itself.

• Plug one end of a coaxial cable into the “IN” jack on your satellite dish and then plug the other end into one of three “OUT” jacks on your receiver (one for each satellite speaker).

• Connect a second coaxial cable from one of two remaining “OUT” jacks on your receiver to an “IN” jack on each subwoofer (if you have one) or directly into each individual subwoofer if you don’t have any subs but do have two rear speakers connected directly to each other (i.e., not connected through a subwoofer).

• Make sure all speakers are connected securely with screws where possible, as well as any wires that might be attached directly to them (like those used for wall mounts).

How to connect your 5.1 Home Theater System to a DVD player  

Here’s how to connect a 5.1 Home Theater system to a DVD player:

• Make sure your DVD player is turned off, and then connect the red and white audio cables from the back of your DVD player to the corresponding red and white connectors on your receiver.

• Connect the red, white, and yellow video cables from the back of your DVD player to the corresponding red, white, and yellow connectors on your receiver.

• Connect one end of an optical cable (not included) into the back of your receiver, then connect the other end into a free optical input port on your TV.

How to connect 5.1 Home Theater to a laptop 

If you want to enjoy your favorite shows, movies, and music in 5.1 surround sound on your laptop, there are a few ways to go about it.

You can connect the speakers directly to the laptop with a USB cable or an HDMI cable. If you use an HDMI cable, you’ll need to use an adapter so that it will fit into the port. You’ll also need an amplifier if you have a separate audio system.

If you’re using Bluetooth-compatible speakers, then all you have to do is pair them with your laptop, and voila! You’ve got yourself some sweet surround sound coming out of those babies.

How to connect 5.1 Home Theater to PC  

Connecting your 5.1 Home Theater to your computer is easy! Here’s how:

• Connect the HDMI cable from your computer to your TV.

• Turn on your TV and set it to the correct input (you can usually find this by pressing a button on your remote marked “input,” “source,” or something similar).

• Turn on your computer, then launch the Audio settings for it (the key combination for this varies between systems, but it’s usually Alt + F10).

• In the Audio settings, select “Analog,” then click OK. You’ll see a new option appear in the list of speakers—your 5.1 Home Theater setup! Click on that option, make sure that all speakers are turned up to 100%, then click OK again.

How to connect 5.1 Home Theater to PC with HDMI

• Connect the HDMI cable to the back of your computer and to the HDMI input port on your Home Theater system

• Turn on your TV, then turn on your computer and select Computer or Laptop as your audio output device (you can do this by right-clicking on the sound icon in the taskbar)

• Select 5.1 as your speaker configuration (you may have to change this setting in Windows’ Sound settings under Playback tab)

How to install 5.1 Home Theater speakers

Installing 5.1 Home Theater speakers can be a daunting task for those who are not familiar with the process, but it doesn’t have to be difficult! Follow this step-by-step guide to ensure that your speakers are all properly connected and working properly.

• Choose where you want to place your left and right front speakers, as well as the center channel speaker. They should all be placed at ear level or slightly above it—about 3 feet from the floor is common.
• Connect the wires from each speaker’s back plate to their corresponding terminals on the receiver using wire nuts or Scotch tape (if there are no terminals). If there are no terminals available, connect them together with wire nuts or Scotch tape and then use electrical tape around them so they won’t come apart accidentally during normal use. The wires should go into their ports in numerical order: left front first (LF), right front second (RF), center channel third (C), left surround fourth (LS) and right surround fifth (RS).

• Plug in all of your components into an outlet close by so that they’re easily accessible when you start playing music through these new speakers!

How to make your 5.1 Home Theater Wireless

• Get a wireless transmitter. This is the piece that sends the sound from your TV to your speakers, so you don’t have to run wires through the room.

• Plug one side of the transmitter into your TV’s output jacks and the other side into an input jack on your speaker system.

• Turn on your TV and make sure it’s set to output 5.1 surround sound (if not, do that).

• Turn on your speakers and make sure they’re set up for 5.1 surround sound (if not, do that too).

• Turn on your receiver or amplifier, then turn on your speakers—they should all be connected together with one cable now!

What is the best 5.1 Home Theater System? 

 The best 5.1 Home Theater system is the one that does what you want it to do.

If you’re looking for something that sounds great, works well with your TV, and doesn’t cost a fortune, then there are a lot of options out there. These systems might have been designed as “Home Theater” systems, but they’re also fantastic additions to any living room or bedroom where you want to get the most out of your TV and movies.

It’s important to know what kind of sound experience you’re looking for before buying a new Home Theater system. Are you looking for something that will give you amazing clarity? Or maybe something that will envelop your whole room in sound? If so, then check out some of our other articles for more information about what makes each type of speaker different from another.

How much is a 5.1 Home Theater System?    

A five-piece Home Theater system will cost you anywhere from $100 to $1,000, depending on the quality of the components.

A good five-piece Home Theater system includes a receiver, a subwoofer, two front speakers, two surround speakers, and an A/V connection cable.

Over The Top Mounts

We hope you enjoyed this guide to 5.1 home theater systems, and that it has helped you make an informed decision on which model is best for your needs. 

Do you want to feel like you’re in the middle of the action when you’re watching your favorite show or movie?

If that’s what you’re looking for, then look no further than Over The Top Mounts. We’ve got all of your mounting needs covered in Las Vegas, Nevada, and we’ll make sure that you get exactly what you need so that your home theater experience is as authentic as possible. Call us at 702-884-2748.