When a piece of your home theater system goes out, chances are you won't know what wires go to what. A service professional can easily diagnose and repair problems in complex home entertainment systems.

But before contacting a service professional, take the time to double check the equipment. Is it plugged in? Are the wires secure and connected properly? If the CD player or turntable seems troublesome, be sure that the problem isn't with a bad disc or record. If the TV has problems, sometimes it's because the VCR player is on with no video cassette running. If reception is fuzzy, double-check with your cable company. Perhaps cable maintenance work is being done in your area. If a remote isn't functioning, have you checked the battery?
Check the manual to see if it addresses the problem. It could just be a crossed wire or wrong connection. Most manuals have a "Troubleshooting" section, which covers the most common problems and their simple fixes.