 Home theater expert Murray Kunis on achieving audio- visual nirvana-without ever setting foot in a multiplex There's a primal thrill to watching a film in a packed movie house, but sometimes all we want to do is escape the popcorn cruncher next to us for a theater of our own. Those who can afford the luxury hire Murray Kunis at Future Home. The former sound engineer creates in-home screening rooms-from a "basic" sys- tem that costs $40,000 to a deluxe 23-seat cinema complete with 18-foot-wide screen, soundproofing, LED lighting, ticket booth, full bar, and Italianate murals for $1 million-plus (clients have in- cluded Ron Burkle and Governor Schwarzenegger). For those of lesser means, Kunis offers some DIY theater tips. What should I spend on an entry-level system, and what should it include? Ten thousand dollars is a good ballpark for a high-definition 50-inch plasma TV, sur- round-sound system, audio-video receiver that powers the speakers (don't go cheap on the speakers), and DVD player with high-definition optical disc capacity. Buy either HD-DVD or Blu-ray, but stay away from a machine that plays both. Toshiba is best for HD-DVD; Sony and Samsung are good choices for Blu-ray DVD players. Where should I shop? Avoid mass-merchandising stores like Best Buy or Circuit City and opt for a place with a personal ap- proach and quality back-end support. If you're hiring a custom builder, look at the company's portfolio, interview previous clients, make sure they're certified by an independent organization like the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) or THX, and carry at least $2 million in liability insurance. How can I impress my friends? Streamline! Clean execution-no hanging wires, in other words-and a single remote are key. Logitech sells a good remote called Harmony at upscale audio-video dealers for $300 to $500. You can hook it up to your computer and program it step-by-step to control all your components. It's well worth it: If you have a $20,000 DVD player but can't find the remote to turn it on, it's pointless. Push one button and the system fires up-right there, you're ahead of the game. Is there such a thing as too much equipment? Yes. You can have $25,000 preamps that don't bring anything to the table because the speakers are only $3,000. You can do a very nice system with four or five key components if they're properly matched. You can spend six figures and get the wrong gear or buy the right gear and put it together improperly. It's like food; you can go to the best store, but how good is the chef? 