Home-theater antics

Setting up a home theater can be a goofy experience. Just ask Goofy.

In the new cartoon "How to Hook Up Your Home Theater," Disney's dogged dimwit tries to install a mega-screen TV and all the gizmo-tastic goodies that go with it. He wrestles with a spaghetti of cables, drowns in a sea of remotes and chainsaws through walls to get everything to fit.

It's hilarious -- even more so because many filmgoers who have caught the animated short, which is being shown in theaters before "National Treasure 2," are seeing their own ill-fated experiences on the screen.

Heck, I've been at this home-theater thing for two decades, and I recently took a few days off from work just to install a new audio-video receiver (surgical equivalent: the brain transplant). I found myself staring for minutes at a time at the back of the receiver, my flashlight failing to enlighten matters, contemplating how to match the dozens of cables from DVD players, video-game systems and more to the vast array of connectors.

Not everyone has my complicated configuration, but setting up any home theater can be more daunting than it should be. Here are 10 ways to make it easier.

1. Ditch all those remotes. It might seem obvious, but start by getting rid of some clutter -- as in the half-dozen remotes you have lying around. Chances are that the remote you use for your TV, cable box or receiver can operate everything else. If so, get out the manual, and program it. If not, buy a good-quality universal remote. Sony's RM-VL600 learning remote controls up to eight devices and costs less than $30. I prefer Logitech's swank Harmony 880, which can be programmed via an Internet database but goes for $150 from discounters. Check out RemoteCentral.com for more.

2. Hide unsightly cables. What you need is called a cable reel, a corrugated plastic tube with a slit down the middle in which you can tuck the wayward wires. Ikea sells its 16-foot Rabalder cable reel, with four tie wraps, for $4. They're a little flimsy but a fraction of the price charged by AV specialists and organizing stores. I painted mine to blend in with the walls and ceilings they traverse.

3. Update your gear. How long have you had your home-theater equipment? Switching to new TVs, DVD players and receivers that use HDMI connections can seriously reduce the number of cables connecting them all. Depending on the age of your equipment, one HDMI cable, which carries audio and video signals, can replace up to nine cables between two devices.

4. Look for convenient features. My new Onkyo receiver, using an included microphone that's placed in the viewer's chair, automatically calibrates the speakers to sound the best in that room. The Logitech remote I mentioned organizes its commands around activities ("watch DVD," for example, or "play Xbox 360"), not devices. Check out such features when shopping for that new gear.

5. Consider all-in-one systems. They're often called "home theater in a box." They're easy to hook up, and come with everything you need, using matched components designed to work together. Get a system that includes a powered subwoofer. Reliable brands include Onkyo, Yamaha and Panasonic. Expect to pay $350 to $600. See a list of top picks at www.startribune.com/a3910.

6. Label your cables. You can yank that wire out of the negative connector for the right rear surround speaker, but will you remember where to reconnect it when there are oodles of orphan cables that look just like it? Get some masking tape, affix it to each cable after disconnecting and label it. There will be less hair-pulling later.

7. Don't forget your space needs. I'll never forget the reader who told me he once bought a huge TV for his basement theater before realizing upon delivery that it was too big to fit down the stairs. Goofy removed his house from its foundation to fit in all his gear. You don't have the same luxury in your less-animated life.

8. Keep everything in reach. Posh entertainment centers and expensive in-wall installations that hide wires are great. Just make sure you can get behind your gear to service it, because you'll need to sooner or later. I keep my AV cabinet on furniture-moving discs or sliders, available for less than $10 at hardware stores, so I can pull it out easily to get to the rear panels of my electronics.

9. Make a power play. Look at the rear panel of your AV receiver (and some other components). It probably has built-in electrical outlets for you to power other components, such as a DVD player or subwoofer. Using them might allow you to get rid of a power strip, and thus some floor clutter.

10. Hire a professional. Hey, it's OK to admit you need help from experts who know what they're doing. Big electronics stores such as Best Buy, Circuit City and Ultimate Electronics charge $170 to $200 for basic home-theater setup. I'd do it for you for free, but too much home-theater noodling makes me goofy.

Randy A. Salas • 612-673-4542