While no one can dispute the specialness of going out to the movies and seeing some first-run blockbuster rendered in all its teeth-rattling glory on the big screen, there’s no doubt that home theater options have become more accessible and more effective in providing an awesome viewing experience without the hassle of dealing with rude movie crowds, high ticket prices, and cell phones.

Not only has display technology improved, but the Internet has added a lot of power to the home theater experience, delivering movies, sports events, and other specials via various online streaming services. Let’s take a look at incorporating the Internet into your home theater and really delivering a show that you and your family won’t forget.

Your Basic Home Theater Infrastructure

So we assume that you already have a computer, television, and a very fast wireless router that services your entire home, all in place. If there are multiple televisions and/or mobile devices throughout the house and you need to make sure there’s Internet coverage in every room, you’ll need a Wi-Fi extender to boost the wireless signal range.

Make sure that audio isn’t left out, by the way. Get a dedicated sound bar and really crank up the sound quality. If you get a sound bar that features audio inputs or Bluetooth, you can also enjoy the music on your playlists that much more.

Okay, so we have a video display, some kind of computer, the wireless network, and sound for our home theater. Now let’s turn to content!

Streaming Movies

Laptops are capable of being hooked up to your television and used as a means of delivering online movies, courtesy of on-demand streaming services available via Netflix, Hulu, or Vudu. While this is a workable arrangement, do you really want to go through all of the hassle of lugging around your laptop and hooking it up to the HDTV? If you want an unforgettable cinema experience, you have to take this to the next level.

And that level is a dedicated digital streaming device, such as Roku or Apple TV. In the latter’s case, the same interface and technology is used as the iPad and iPod. This becomes especially useful, since Apple TV allows music streaming from your Mac, iPod, or iPad by means of AirPlay. This offers you the opportunity to have a full function home entertainment center, with movies and music at your fingertips.

Apple TV is supported by Netflix, Vimeo, and YouTube. You can also access your photos on Flickr, watch HD podcasts, and listen to Internet radio. And for those the sports fans, there’s live and archived HD broadcasts of major league baseball, basketball, and hockey.

“I am the invincible warlord and ruler of the home theater!”

Tying All The Devices Together

So you have the hardware, you have the content, now you need the means to control them all. And what better way than to say “I rule!”, than to, well, use the iRule app? With iRule, which can also be used by Android incidentally, your mobile device gets turned into the mightiest remote ever, with unlimited cosmic power! This app allows you to control all of the devices in your home theater, not to mention other appliances that use remote controls.

There are so many more apps out there, like Roomie Remote for instance, that make it easy to turn your home entertainment hardware into a 21st century entertainment powerhouse. You can find many good ones on iTunes. At the end of the day, with just a modest investment, you can have the ultimate home theater experience, and the ultimate power of control, all thanks to mobile devices and wireless networking!

Photo Credit: : Yan R.