If you really do want a relaxing summer’s Sunday afternoon, then you won’t want to be getting up and down all the time to make adjustments to the system, or to twirl the volume control. So some form of remote control is essential.

The range of possibilities here is huge. A number of the higher level home theatre receivers come with nearly all you need already provided. That is, they have remote control inputs and Zone 2 remote controls. You will have to add a remote infrared sensor (run its cable alongside the speaker cables), but not much more. A lot of major electronics brands have proprietary inter-unit control protocols, so if you buy all-Yamaha, or all-Denon, all-Marantz, or all-Pioneer, for example, then the receiver will be able to control the DVD player or CD player.

Some units have infrared outputs as well, so you can also add an ‘IR Blaster’. Install this so that its transmissions can reach all the devices in your system, and you use each individual component’s own remote controls via the receiver to control them.

If your system lacks those features, you can buy an inexpensive infrared repeater. This has an IR receiver which communicates wirelessly to an IR blaster unit. Once again, consider range issues. In fact, you’d probably do best to negotiate an initial loan with the retailer to make sure it will work. Generally you will be looking at well under a hundred dollars.

Some home theatre receivers offer multiple zone outputs: I’ve seen a couple with up to four zones. And some offer not just analogue stereo audio, but also digital audio (usually via coaxial cable) and even video. Some extreme systems even offer high quality component video, but the far more common composite video can still be useful, if only for the display of menus from such devices as an iPod attached to the receiver by means of a dock.

But if you’re going to go that far, then you may be thinking of not just a sound system but a full outdoors AV system. In that case, unless you are an inveterate tinker, you really ought seek assistance from one of those CEDIA members.

• Outdoor speakers
• Multi-room audio for the backyard
• Wiring for outdoor audio