Lights, Camera. . . Action!

As the group shared a bowl of microwaved popcorn, everyone collectively wondered whether Princess Leia's face was supposed to be green.

While the popcorn remains the same, technology-and Friday nights-have come a long way since then.

Many of today's home entertainment systems now include big-screen TVs and high-tech sound systems that bring the experience of a night at the movies into your family room.

This stunning entertainment center from Custom Woodwork and Design shows that the stylish management of numerous electronic components, miles of wire and a home-video collection is really possible.

A survey in June 1995 by BUILDER magazine found that 32 percent of builders now include home theaters in new homes. Fifty-three percent of builders expect to add home theaters to their projects by the year 2000.

These complex systems are transforming the nature of home entertainment. Big-screen, high-resolution televisions offer the best picture ever available on a home system, while surround-sound audio systems give viewers the feeling of being in the middle of the action.

Movie directors can now use technology from Dolby called Pro Logic to steer specific sounds to specific speakers.

This system allows the roar of a plane flying overhead to move from in front of the viewers, to their sides and then off into the distance. A crowd scene can now include the buzz of conversation coming from literally all directions.

According to "The Official Guide to Buying, Connecting and Using Consumer Electronic Products", published by the Washington-based Electronics Industry Association, a home theater usually consists of at least five speakers, including a center speaker placed above or below the TV for dialog, left and right front speakers for action and special effects, and surround-sound speakers at the side or rear of the room for background noise. A high-quality system will also include a sub-woofer, which is a kind of speaker that captures extremely low sounds like growling or rumbling.

Many people's entertainment systems already contain some of the components needed for a home theater. If your system includes a big-screen TV, a hi-fi VCR, a CD player or some speakers, you could be well on your way.

The most important feature of a theater, however, is the surround-sound audio system that separates sounds and steers them to individual speakers.

If you want to start from scratch, many manufacturers supply all-in-one entertainment systems that include a big-screen TV, a surround-sound adapter and amplifier, and speakers.

If you already have a large-screen TV, all you may need is an audio system. Many high-end receivers now include a surround-sound adapter to separate the sounds from a program and channel them to specific speakers. An audio/visual receiver will also provide amplification and input terminals for five or more speakers, and will service both your stereo system and theater.

Separate surround-sound components are also available to attach to a standard receiver, speakers and television. These systems include three satellite speakers to serve as the center speaker and the surround-sound speakers. You can use your current speakers on the front right and left. You will also need to buy a separate amplifier to power the additional speakers.

If you plan to build a home theater using pieces from your current entertainment system, be sure to match the new components to the older ones.

The receiver, for example, needs sufficient power to handle the speakers. The center, front right and front left speakers all need an equal level of power, so the dialog will maintain the same level of noise relative to the special effects.

This system from Thomasville comes complete with every component you need for a home theater -from the 52-in. TV to the hi-fi VCR and the handsome cabinet. Plus there's plenty of speaker wire.

As home entertainment systems become larger and more complicated, the need for a piece of furniture that can hold all the pieces becomes more necessary.

Furniture designed to hold home theaters is now available. These units include features like cabinets to conceal speakers; adjustable shelves to hold a VCR and stereo equipment; an opening for a large-screen TV; and storage space for CDs, videos, books and collectibles.

Some furniture manufacturers have teamed up with electronics companies to provide an entire home theater in one easy package.

Thomasville Furniture and Philips Electronics offer a theater that includes a TV, receiver, cassette deck, VCR, speakers and laser disc player, all wrapped in a wood cabinet.

Custom Woodwork and Design offers a line of home theater furniture that consists of different-sized cabinets that can be mixed and matched to meet your own needs.

Take your time when picking out a home theater system. Use this article as a guide, but be sure to ask the retailer plenty of questions along the way. Also try out a home theater system, whether it's a friend's or a demo site at a store.

Once your system is complete, invite a few friends over for some microwaved popcorn and a real night at the movies.

Technical information for this article comes from "The Official Guide to Buying, Connecting & Using Consumer Electronics Products", published by the Electronics Industry Association.