7 Ways to Create The Ultimate Home Theater

Why More and More People Want to Bring The Cinema Into their Home?

Having a giant screen TV with surround sound system in your home is a real deal for many people. However, having your very own home movie theater may be considered to be a dream coming true for many. When you add a home theater room to your home, it usually adds both value and a level of sophistication to the house. It will definitely make those night movies even more exciting. Your family and friends will most definitely enjoy the movies and feel really entertained whenever they visit. Every movie, even those old action films will prove highly entertaining in a setting that resembles a real live cinema without waiting in line to order your ticket or snacks! Such a home theater will let you express your personality and taste while at the same time, enhancing your home décor and lifestyle.

Here are the 7 Ways You Can Create That Ultimate Home Theater

1. Planning for that best home theater

Once you’ve decided to build or add a home theater to your home, you’ll only be limited by your own imagination. There are just endless options of almost every equipment, furniture, decor, lighting and seating arrangement that you can find.  The cost of all these items will also vary based on quality and design.  So, whatever you decide make sure it suit your budget.

The function of a home theater room vary in most homes. Most people associate the definition of a home theater as a place used mainly for video and visual experiences.  However, given the seclusion and sound insulation qualities of well designed home theaters, some families have also found other functions for it.  Some may want to use the space for playing music. For families with children who play musical instruments, a home theater room may present a great platform for them to explore their craft in a sound proofed environment.

These days you have a wide choice of media platforms to bring into your home theater.  Netflix and other internet based media platforms have become top favorite for most families.  These platforms provides for greater choice of TV and movies that you can watch at any given time.  As a result, you need to do a thorough research to find the latest technologies and internet service connection options that will suit your budget.

The connectivity between visual, audio and acoustic equipment has evolved.  A favorite method of connection these days is the Bluetooth connection. Gone are the days of endless wires and cables connecting various gadgets in a home theater.  Another latest invention is home automation. Most upmarket homes uses home automation to remotely control various items in a home.  These days you could open curtains, switch off lights or even turn on your garden sprinklers while you are in another part of the world.  In these homes, home automation is used to monitor and secure the entire home when you are away.  Therefore if your budget allows for this connectivity then why not connect your home theater equipment and gadgets to a central home automation system. By just stepping into your home theater, the whole lighting can be triggered to give you that Vue cinema experience.

Your planning must carefully look at the proportions of room sizes that you are able to allocate for the home theater.  Due consideration must be made for the sound system, TV screen, internet modem, speakers and projectors.  The placing of equipment should also be carefully considered. The size of a screen has to compliment the capacity of the room. The speakers must provide enough sound to recreate a cinema experience. When a home theater is placed in a room that has high ceilings, the sound effect will be lost if you use poor sounding speakers. Sound will not reach the entire room to give that real cinema experience.

2. Decide on the location For Your Home Theater

Where provided, the basement is the best spot for the ultimate home theater. Basements are covered with hardcore earth, wood panels, thicker brick walls or well insulated dry walling which keeps all the sound insulated from the outside. It is also covered with carpeting and wood flooring, which are known to improve the acoustics. If you are using any other location in the house, you may also want to add upholstered furniture, carpeting and wooden panels with good acoustic properties. In homes without a basement, any room can still be used as a home theater provided it is not in close proximity with bedrooms, study room or the home office.  A little addition of sound insulation barriers can be added to an existing room.  A sound or home theater expert can be consulted to give advise on the suitable area of the house that be converted into a theater room and to also advise on possible items that can be added to boost the acoustic qualities thereof.

3. Choosing TV, Video and Audio systems

The picture clarity will depend on the quality, brand of technology and size of the screen provided.  TV technology has evolve with time.  These days you are spoilt for choice between LCD, LED, HD, Smart TV, OLED, 4K, HDTV, HDR.   As if that was all, each of these technologies are offered by an increasing number of brands and manufactures.  The screen sizes, prices, screen resolutions, all differs from one brand to another, from one model to the next.  Of course this may be confusing!

The same applies to both Video/DVD/Projector and sound equipment. Again, it may help to narrow your search based on your specific needs and budget.  To find out more about the latest technologies on offer, visit trade shows, high end audio and visual stores, talk to the experts.  Most stores offer fully built home theater display studio cubicles where you can test the various equipment and gadgets on offer.

4. Pay Special Attention to the Lighting

Your home theater may be dull and boring if your lighting is not creative enough. The first thing to look at when considering lighting for your home cinema, is you furniture arrangement. Ask yourself, where will the seating be? Which way will the screen face? What colours will the walls and curtains be? It is very important that the lighting does not reflect on the screen.  For theaters that are used specifically as cinema rooms, wall and foot level lighting can be introduced to add ambiance to your theater. There may be no need for the usual interior lighting or even for direct sunlight.  So, windows may not be required in such a room. Whereas in a room that will also accommodate children, more ambient lighting may be required. Ceiling recessed lighting will be a great addition in such a room.

Even if the room should have mood lighting, it is important to ensure that you do not overdo it. You can keep the lighting to look dimmer so that it does not distract the vision while watching the movie. You may create a black ceiling with star effects to improve the mood. You may even use lights that may operate automatically so they can be out of sight while the room is operating in a darker setting. Remote sensors can also be introduced to effect appropriate lighting when motion is detected. The entire cinema scheme can be set to give an overall feeling of excitement and intrigue so that every movie experience is complemented and enhanced by the lighting.

5. Create Lots of Fun using Colour and Décor

You can’t be creative enough when it comes to decorating your home theater. You may use movie posters, glassware, wall décor, curtains and furniture with other items which you may buy specifically for a home cinema décor. You may display poster of your favorite movie, have several photos made for your favorite actors. The photos may be put in glass frames, but they should have anti-glare glass. You may also decorate the room using a certain theme like Indiana Jones, Star Wars and Star trek.

6. Seating

Every person in a room should have the best view of the screen. In case you have a large place to work on; you have to build your steps and risers to ensure that each seat has a clear view of the screen. If you have enough space, then you may use a stadium style arrangement and add reclining chairs which offers a luxurious experience from the cinema.  Apart from the layout of the actual room, different seating arrangements can be considered.  You may want to go for an informal, comfortable and laid back seating arrangement.  This kind of arrangement will make people feel more welcomed into your cinema that it becomes easy to settle in and literally, kick off their shoes!

Some may prefer a more formal, VIP type of arrangement complete with recliner chairs for individual seating.  These chairs even contain drink and popcorn holders. There are many such chairs on offer by specialist home theater stores globally.

7. Make the room comfortable

You can add some extra things in the room like the air conditioner. This will keep the room comfortable the entire year. It makes the room cool if it is summer and also comfortable, in winter. It also makes the viewing experience much more enjoyable. Many home owners are now considering having a home theater in their homes. It is also a big selling point for people selling their homes. Having the best home theater will create even more interest in the home and it will increase its own value. Once you’ve decided to build or add a home theater to your home, you’ll only be limited by your own imagination. You will want to ensure that it’s functional, creative and most importantly, comfortable.  A cinema that fits into your budget and your desires.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Creating Your Own Home Cinema

While learning how to create the ultimate home theater, you should also learn about the common mistakes you must avoid. Most people will place the home theater in their office or small bedroom which is then dedicated for home entertainment only. When a home theater is converted from a regular room, it can be very hard to control each of the above elements and may then lead to some common mistakes that most people make.  These are:

• You should not look up: humans are not built for this. If you tilt to look upward for some hours, it will lead to noticeable pain in the shoulders and neck. Some of the ergonomic experts recommend that the display should be where the gaze can easily land. The screen has to be mounted so that it may fall between three and up to five feet away off the floor but this will depend on how high the seating is in the home theater.

• The sun should not ruin the theater: The type of the lighting you use can make a huge impact on the quality of the entire theater. This is why you have to put the theater in its optimal spot. You should not place it in the area where a direct sunlight may fall on television screen when you are watching it. You should also not place the screen where it is opposite to a large window. When the room is too bright, it is better to use blinds or blackout shades. They will be able to put out the light away of the room even if it is during the sunny time.

• The foot traffic: It is not easy for people to walk before the television set. People may arrange their television so that people will have to pass before the TV before they can reach a front door or a kitchen. This is a hazard in case you have small children since they are likely to play in open areas. Children fights with television cannot mix. In case you have a problem with foot traffic, it is better to move the seating forward so that there can be another place for traffic. You may also use the coffee table or something else that tells people not to walk in the space.

• Do not put home theater speakers into the furniture: The speakers are an important part of the theater. However, some people do not like the way they look. If you put them into the cabinet, that it is also a mistake. When the sub woofers are put into the cabinet, their sound will be muddied and muffled. The theater speakers may suffer this same fate.

• Do not use the circular arrangement when there is not enough space: Some people may assume that surround sound is important but it is an approach that comes with the drawbacks. The satellites found behind a viewer have to be connected and it means going for the wireless speakers or putting the speaker wire under or around a carpet. You also have to find the place where you should put the speakers. They should not be too close to the viewer compared to the stereo speakers.

• Budget: Even if you can save money when you buy with some deals, you should know that the home theater is a little expensive. If you want to have the best experience, you should consider buying a little higher. Before you buy anything, keep in mind that you will buy the surge protector, cable, stand, receiver, speakers and television. You should plan how you can buy every item, if you don’t own them. Each item should not be under two hundred dollars.
• You don’t always have to buy too expensive items: When you want to build the new home theater system, it is like buying a car. You don’t have to buy the system every year and it is better to wait for some years before you may upgrade. Even if the high end and expensive home theater system may have extra features, it is better to consider if you need these features or not.

• Lastly, remember to buy a surge protector: While building the home theater system, you may end up neglecting this simple, however important item. When you use a game console, Blu-ray, receiver and television that is five power outlets you need. You should buy the power surge protector, but make sure that it is of high quality to protect everything connected to it.