My Entry-Level Home Theater Practice

Categories: Life 2023-09-29

Sharing the process of building a home audio-visual system consisting of Apple TV + Sony + Soundbar + Rear Surround Speakers. Many friends wanted a detailed tutorial, so I casually wrote one for everyone’s reference. Welcome to discuss.

About Configuration

I pursue minimalism and cost-effectiveness, and I cannot accept paying money and still getting ads. I usually watch more foreign TV shows and love movies, so I chose Apple TV as the TV box. The configuration is as follows:

• Apple TV 7 Hong Kong version 128g, purchased through Taobao agent
• Sony X90L 75-inch TV
• Samsung Q600B Soundbar
• Samsung 9200S Rear Surround Speakers
• Xiaomi AX9000 Router

About Software

1. Netflix: Highly recommended. I love watching Netflix TV shows. They are much more refined than domestic TV shows, and they don’t have the beauty filter effect. I usually use a Singapore node to easily see Chinese-related recommendations.
2. Youtube: I use this a lot in my free time. Most videos have good quality. I usually watch interesting YouTubers, mostly digital, international news, concerts, and Taiwanese variety shows.
3. Spotify: This is now my default music player on my phone and computer, so I’m used to using it on the TV. Compared to others, it has more songs, better sound quality, and you can also listen to podcasts.
4. VidHub: Used in conjunction with Aliyun Drive. I used to use Infuse, but since the indexing was slow, I switched to this one. It’s fast and performs well, used to supplement content not available on Netflix or Youtube, such as “Empresses in the Palace” and various Korean dramas that my family likes to watch.
5. Cheers: A third-party app for Bilibili, it’s pretty good and also supports danmaku (bullet comments). I used to watch it a lot, but now that most of my needs are met by the other content, I use it occasionally.
6. APTV: For watching satellite TV. I barely use it myself, but sometimes when elderly relatives come over, they can use it to watch various domestic TV channels.
7. Stash: Since I use this on my phone, it supports multi-terminal synchronization and deployment well, as well as setting different nodes corresponding to different domains. I won’t go into detail here.
8. Another function I use more often is that iPhone videos can be shared to Apple TV relatively well, for example, when doing Keep (fitness app).

Regarding purchasing software and services, you can choose a cheaper region. For subscription services, it is highly recommended to join a reliable family sharing group. I use family sharing for Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify, which is very affordable and stable.

About Connections

The Apple TV is directly connected to the router with a Cat6 cable, and the other port is connected to the TV with an HDMI 2.1 cable. For the audio, the soundbar is connected to the TV’s HDMI ARC port with an HDMI cable, and the subwoofer and rear surrounds are paired with the soundbar’s remote control. The two rear speakers are placed on either side of the sofa at a 45-degree angle using the included stands, with the cables hidden inside the stand tubes, and the bottom secured with double-sided tape. The two cables are connected together and hidden behind the sofa so they are not visible.

About Wiring

So how do I make sure nothing is visible from the front? I used Velcro, thick double-sided tape, and cable ties. I stuck the several-kilogram router directly to the wall with two pieces of Velcro. The Apple TV, sound system power converter, and power strip are all stuck to the back of the cabinet with double-sided tape. Excess long cables are tidied up with cable ties, as shown in the last picture. Finally, when the cabinet is pushed in, nothing is visible, and nothing falls to the floor.

Finally, for those who are struggling with whether to buy an Apple TV, if you set up the above and then add a soundbar with rear surrounds, this home theater system will be a super worthwhile electronic product in your home.