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These short steps will help you create your own centralized place to sate your every audio and video desire.

People have set aside special TV rooms for years, but the modern media room's possibilities are far beyond a wood-grain console television set up in the den with an alphabetized stack of VHS tapes and player resting on top.

A recent study by the National Association of Home builders found that 63 percent of new home owners say given the choice of more space in their homes or more high-quality amenities, they would choose the latter, with the most popular amenity being a centralized media room.

Low-cost home theater projectors (as well as the continually dropping prices of flat panel TVs) and audio/video systems which allow you to have your CDs, DVDs and cable routed anywhere in the house are pushing the media room into a whole new strata.

So, where to start?

Step One
Decide What You Want and Set a Budget

There are three levels to consider when building a modern media room. Pick which you want by asking these three questions:

*Do you, like many people, simply want a glorified TV room, a place to watch movies and sports on weekends?

*Do you also want it to be a centralized entertainment hub, a place you can store all your entertainment, which can then be delivered to any room in the house?

*Do want a dedicated theater room, perhaps even modeled like the deck of the Starship Enterprise? (Yes, you can get that, if you have the means and inclination.)

Setting a budget will help you decide some of the type and brands of equipment you can get, and it will also weed out things you don't need. Does Hugh Laurie get you going more than Sonny Rollins? Then spend more on a better projector and screen than sound system.

Step Two
Consult a Pro and Pick Proper Equipment

You may be a brilliant weekend DIY warrior, but this is not like building a new deck. A significant amount of programming and wiring may be needed. Hanging a flat-panel TV is not so much different than hanging a large piece of art, but pulling wire through your walls may be beyond your ability. Even if you decide to take an active role in installation, a few hours with a professional home-theater tech can save you days of headache.

Most places where you buy equipment will give you advice about building your own home theater. A few of the super high-end firms will charge for such expertise, but they're in the minority.

"You can take half a million dollars worth of equipment and put it into the wrong room and it will still sound crummy," says Gus Cueto, with Atlanta's Advanced Premises Systems, one of the country's premier home-theater firms.

Cueto says that problems most often come up not with the technology, but when homeowners choose the wrong device. Spending $7,000 on a pair of Bang & Olfsen speakers is useless if you put them in a concrete basement.

You can cut corners on some equipment, like speakers and screens in rooms that are rarely used. Use that cash to get really high-quality gear for the main media room screen and projector. Choosing the right screen size is very important.

"The back row of seats should be about two screens' width from the TV to get that movie theater effect," says Cueto. So, if you sit 15 feet, or 180 inches, away, then a screen about 90 inches in size is what you want.

Step Three
Prep the Room

Some sound-damping wall treatments or carpet vastly improves sound quality. Next, decide seating arrangement. This dictates how to position the screen and speakers. Once the room's laid out, it's time to start wiring.

Step Four
Position the Speakers

Depending on the room, you may have decided to go with a surround-sound system that could range from six-nine speakers. Each speaker must have its own set of wires pulled through the wall and routed to a closet or stand where you'll keep your DVD player, cable box, amplifier, etc.

Speaker positions should be chosen based on where you plan on having people sit. If seated against a back wall, the rear pair of speakers should be positioned either above pointing down or beside the seats pointing inward. The front speakers should be pointed directly toward you. The center should be directly above or below the screen. (Note: It's only called the "center" because it is the center of the two front speakers. The center is only one speaker and is typically for dialogue.)

Step Five
Mount the Projector

The screen is the simplest to install. All you need is a hammer to nail it in place and a level to be sure you don't have a crooked screen. Most people who want a screen over 60 inches choose a projector and a screen rather than a self-contained TV. Maybe 90 percent of customers mount the projector to the ceiling, but it is not required. The projector will have two to six different cables pulled into the amplifier and the rest of the equipment. Different projectors have different requirements, but generally you simply line it up to where you want the screen. Adjust the lens to adjust "throw" size, or the projected image. And if you follow the "two screens-width" distance rule above, you'll be OK.

After everything is installed, all the equipment will need to be set up according to specifications. Most manufacturers offer some kind of installation assistance, but knowing a good home-theater tech will be heaven sent when you get lost.

Good luck.