After spending so much time at home and with cinemas across the country closing, it's no surprise we've all turned our focus to upgrading our at-home TV-watching experience with better visuals and audio experiences.
The best home cinema systems will elevate everything from movie night to Netflix bingeing.
AO.com’s TV expert, Kevin Walmsley, comments: 'It seems that home entertainment is at the forefront of everyone’s mind at the moment, as we’ve recently reported a TV sales increase of 103% YoY, while soundbars have also surged by 290% YoY. If you are looking to invest in a good home cinema system, there are plenty of great options available across projectors, TVs, and soundbars depending on what your budget is and how big you want to go."
With a home cinema system, you can create your own movie experience, making it bigger, bolder and better.
Film buffs will love a home cinema sound system that comes with tallboy, rear and satellite speakers to allow everyone in the room to enjoy an immersive movie-fest.
The experts at Currys suggest: "If your household has a lot of interests, from football to music to gaming, go for a setup that offers a selection of pre-set modes. That means the audio perfectly matches what you're watching. Emphasise the roar of the crowd for a feel-like-you’re there sports viewing experience. Hit that Bass Boost to dial up those heart-thumping low-end frequencies.
"And with a subwoofer or Digital Music Enhancer, who needs to go to a concert when you can feel the beat in your body? And in the comfort of your pyjamas, no less."
We've rounded up the best home cinema systems below to elevate your at-home entertainment. Who's bringing the popcorn?
Best home cinema systems 2021
1. Philips 70PUS7855 70" Smart Ambilight 4K Ultra HD TV
Home cinema systems are often about the audio - think wireless subwoofers, sound bars, and speaker sets - but let’s not forget the importance of the visuals. With 4K home cinema systems your ultra HD TV will perform at its best, with the audio and visual working together in harmony.
AO's Kevin Walmsley says: "To create instant ambience and bring the big screen experience home, we’d recommend the Philips 70" Smart Ambilight 4K Ultra HD TV. The 4k Ultra HD screen means you’ll be able to watch your favourite films in super sharp, crystal clear quality, while the Smart TV capability means that you can have easy access to streaming services to find your Friday night film of choice."
One customer said: "Top TV! The picture is amazing, I brought it to watch my 4K blu ray collection. An upgrade as close to the cinema as you will get without leaving the house, great picture and sound, and the lights complete a top buy."
Price: £849, AO - buy here now
2. Majority K2 150W Soundbar Surround Sound System with Wireless Subwoofer
Get that movie theatre-style surround sound with this home cinema system that boasts a sound bar and wireless subwoofer, allowing you to place it easily anywhere in the room.
You can connect your smart device to the soundbar via Bluetooth, and you can easily change the settings to suit what you're watching, whether it's boosting the dialogue or selecting a music mode to boost your tunes.
Price: £79.95, Amazon - buy here now
3. Sonos Beam Compact Smart Sound Bar with Voice Control
Whether you're watching movies, streaming music, or enjoying Netflix, the Sonos Beam soundbar ensures top cinema quality.
It's been specially tuned by Oscar-winning sound engineers to emphasise the sound of the human voice so the story is always clear.
Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are built-in so you can play music, check news, set alarms and more hands-free. You can connect Sonos speakers in different rooms over Wifi too for a sound system in every room.
For a real home cinema experience you can add to your Sonos Beam with other Sonos speakers like the Sonos 1.
Price: £399, John Lewis - buy here now
4. LG LHB645N 5.1 3D Blu-ray & DVD Home Cinema System
Get that full cinema experience and feel wrapped in sound with this home cinema system.
You can play your Blu-rays and DVDs in style, while smart apps allow you to access catch-up services. It's also enabled for wireless connection so, if you've got a compatible LG TV, you can wirelessly sync it to your home cinema system.
Place the tallboy and rear speakers to create the widest possible sound field in your living room. The centre speaker ensures dialogue stays crisp and clear, and a wireless subwoofer adds power and definition to music, movies and games alike.
Price: £299, Currys - buy here now
5. Sony HT-RT3 5.1 600W home cinema system
This soundbar has a wired subwoofer and two rear speakers for that immersive surround sound experience.
The compact setup won't take up too much space and offers a clear sound quality that will enhance your entertainment experience, whatever you're watching.
You can connect it to your TV with a HDMI connection, while Bluetooth allows you to link to your smart device to play music.
One happy customer said: "Looks amazing, really easy to use and set up. The sound quality of movies and music is just out of this world."
Price: £229, Amazon - buy here now
6. Acer H6531BD Projector
Super-size your screen to 300 inches with this Full HD projector to create your very own cinema experience at home.
It offers bright, balanced pictures that keep colours vivid. It's great for movie fans but also for gamers as you can hook it to your console.
Price: £499, AO - buy here now
7. Bomaker 2.1 CH Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer
This compact soundbar system delivers room-filling audio, and comes with a wireless subwoofer to create that cinema-quality surround sound. You can easily move the subwoofer around to get the perfect position or tuck it away neatly, as it's cable-free.
You can also stream music from a tablet by connecting your smart device to the the soundbar via Bluetooth. The soundbar connects to your TV with a cable, and setup is easy. Perfect for everything from immersive gaming to movie nights.
Price: £129.96, Amazon - buy here now
8. Samsung HW-S40T Bluetooth 2 Soundbar with Built-in Subwoofer
This Samsung all-in-one soundbar comes with four built-in speakers and subwoofer in one slimline body to create room-filling sound without taking up too much room.
Dolby Sound Technology means you get that real cinema experience for a powerful soundscape that immerses you into every scene. It also features Bluetooth multi-connection so you can link up to two smart devices and easily switch between them.
One review read: "This product is outstanding in quality and design, the sound is crystal clear and the sub woofer is fantastic. Great value for money."
Price: £199, AO - buy here now
9 . Sony HT-RT4 5.1 Home Cinema System
Bring your favourite films to life with this Sony home cinema system that creates cinema-worthy surround sound.
Dolby Digital and DTS surround technology combine to give your favourite music, films and games greater depth and dynamic sound. It's easy to connect to your TV with an HDMI cable, or you can enjoy a wireless experience by linking your tablet or smartphone through Bluetooth so you can stream your favourite videos and music.
Price: £319, Currys - buy here now
10. Sony HT-S350 2.1 Wireless Sound Bar
Who needs the actual cinema when you've got this nifty bit of kit? It delivers crisp and clear audio and a thundering bass from the wireless subwoofer for that authentic movie theatre experience in your own home.
You'll get immersive virtual surround sound all around you without the need for extra speakers.
You can wirelessly stream from your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth so you can keep the party going without moving from the sofa. One review said simply: "Feels like cinema sound", while another said: "Quality sound. The sub is great when watching movies."
