With technology getting better and better each year, more people are turning to their homes to maximize their entertainment. It’s much cheaper to stay in and order a pizza than buying a $50 movie ticket, $30 bucket of popcorn and $15 soda (all prices approximate).

Movie attendance did hit a 25-year low two years ago and slightly bounced back last year but the statistics still stand: less and less people are going to the movies than ever before.

So with people turning to their homes, what else can you do to give yourself that true movie experience besides lighting $75 on fire?

You don’t have to have the best man-cave or room to have a great home theater, ready for all your entertainment purposes.

The Screen

Let’s start where it all matters: the silver screen. While you might be tempted to simply go out with the idea of following the old American mantra of “bigger is always better” and buy the biggest TV out there, here’s a piece of advice: don’t do it.

The size of your TV screen depends on two things: the size of your room and viewing distance. There are many guidelines out there, but the standard says your viewing distance should be about 1.5 times the size of the TV.

TVs are measured diagonally so if you have a 50-inch screen, you should be about 75 inches minimum away from the TV.

Resolution depends on you and your price range and while 4K is making all the buzz these days, it might not be worth it. Even though 1080p resolution has been out for over a decade, less than 1% of broadcast television is in 1080p, which the majority being in 720p.

There is more content, from streaming services in particular, in 4K but they are still not all on the trend. Currently, there is only one gaming console, the Xbox One X, that plays in 4K, so that would definitely be an investment for the future.

There are many more features to consider, but that is an article for another day. In the end, it just depends on what you are planning on using your theater.

The Sound

With your home theater, you really want to feel the music, the big sounds and everything in between. It’s time to look for your sound system.

This, once again, highly depends on the type of room you have. If you have a small room, you might simply go with a soundbar to put in front of your TV or a 2.1 surround system. If you’ve got a bigger room, be sure to check out the classic 5.1 surround sound systems.

To get the most out of the sound, you’ll need optimal placement like putting the bass in the front while placing speakers around your sitting area.

Wireless speakers are slowly beginning to catch on, but are still a bit pricier than their wired counterparts. Think about your budget and if you want to deal with all the cables and wires or not.

Your Content

Before we continue, we have to talk about the kind of content you’ll be watching. No one is here to judge if you are going to watch Polar Express or When Harry Met Sally 20 times in one month, but it’s important to talk about where you’re going to get your content from.

With so many different streaming services, online TV and cable or dish options, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. There are so many different choices, you may be stuck trying to decide just exactly which path you want to take.

Why not take all the worry off and go for a device that takes care of everything for you? You won’t have to constantly switch back between remotes or inputs. Everything can be there, right in front of you.

The Rest of the Room

So you’ve got your TV and the sound all set up, what else?

You may not have as many options, but try and position your screen where it will get the least amount of glare on your screen. Invest in some great curtains that will not only block out the sunlight but will keep the room cool and block out a lot of the noise that may be coming in from outside.

All the extras, like your sitting chair or mini-fridge, we’ll leave up to you. Soon, you’ll be wondering why you ever even bothered going to the movies.