Five times as many 60-inch or larger televisions were sold between January and March than during the same time in 2011, according to the NPD Group, a consumer market research firm. Four years ago, soundbars and streaming boxes were niche devices. Now they make up $1.4 billion in sales, and $2.4 billion if you add in audio streaming. And while none of this equipment is cheap, neither is going to the movies, which might explain why some families are investing in home theaters. It would cost the Maskils $30 in tickets for the four of them to go to a Friday or Saturday night movie at the Westglen 18 Theatre. Add in a large popcorn, four large soft drinks and a large box of candy, and you’re looking at another $35 or more. If they went once a month, they would spend about a $900 a year. Instead, they spent the past 10 years saving to transform a basement room into a mini-cinema. They carefully studied pictures, then helped build it. The theater has an Epson overhead projector, seven spe
