Talking About Green

Build an eco-friendly home theatre system

There’s nothing quite like watching a nice movie with surround sound. T-rexes jumping at you from everywhere; a gun pointed at your left temple; good stuff! Add to that the advent of the 3D age, and you’ve got yourself a wonder world in your own living room. Why not go the extra mile? If you can afford a nice home theatre system, you may as well shell out the cash to go green when you do. No, it doesn’t mean you buy a pot plant and place it on top of your Sony Bravia. It also doesn’t mean you buy a can of green spray-paint and give your living room an overhaul.  It takes a little more than that.

The first thing you’ll need is a nice screen for your system. Here the possibilities are endless. Some prefer a flat screen TV, while others may prefer a projection unit. The beauty is that, for both of these options, there are green ones available. Forget about LCD TVs. Those are so last year! Why not have a look at an LED TV. Although you may be thinking that an LED TV has the same display as your very boring digital clock, nothing could be further from the truth! LEDs can be found everywhere these days, and offer a vast improvement in offering lighting when compared to traditional lighting systems. The same goes for the TV variety. It saves energy. An average LED TV could use as much as 40 per cent less energy than a normal LCD TV. Not only have some of the top TV makers jumped on the LED bandwagon, but they’ve produced LED TVs of the HD variety, meaning you get top class entertainment while helping to save energy.

What’s the point of having a sweet system, if you have to stand and watch? Comfortable seating is as important as the entertainment you choose, when it comes to home theatre. If you can handle sitting in an old chair, then do it! if you have no problem with second-hand furniture, then buy up some cheap chairs somewhere, and do your local landfill a favour. If you prefer to get new seating, then check the label. Is the home theater furniture you’re eyeing made of organic or sustainable materials? Were non-toxic dyes used in the colouring of the fabric? There are many different questions you can ask about a product to round off your home theatre system with.

So if you’re in the market for a nice home theatre system, make sure it’s a nice eco-friendly home theatre system.