A home theater installation creates a room dedicated to movie and television watching. These types of rooms are used to enjoy movies and sporting events. They are generally equipped with large screen televisions and high-quality sound systems. A home theater is a great way to spend time with friends and family.
There are four tips that you should consider when thinking about a home theater installation: acoustics, visual effects, seating arrangements and room utilization. Take the time to evaluate your actual needs, budget, and long-term plan before starting this project. Look at the overall value of your home and determine if this project adds or detracts from your home's resale value.
Acoustics refers to the quality and depth of sounds available. If you are going to invest in a home theater, install soundproofing. This process adds slightly to the cost of the project, but greatly improves the clarity, quality, and resonance of the sound from your sound system.
Home theater systems use a minimum of five speakers to create the surround sound effect. Invest in a mid range amplifier and speakers. A high-end amplifier with lower end speakers is a waste of money. The speakers are unable to carry the sounds and will only produce a portion of the sound quality that is output from your amplifier.
There are three main types of screen used in a home theater: plasma, liquid crystal display (LCD) and projection. A plasma screen is most effective in a room that is completely devoid of natural light. LCD screens are excellent choices if you need to provide a viewing angle from all areas of the room. A projection screen picture quality decreases the closer you are to the screen and are ideal for very large rooms.
The size of the television screen should be based on the viewing distance. Bigger screens do not necessarily translate into a better image. The larger the screen, the further away you need to be to view the image properly to truly enjoy your home theater installation.
Resist the urge to have fixed seating as part of your home theater installation. A common arrangement is several single armchairs and a love seat or two-person couch. This provides the flexibility to have more space between people or to sit close together. Many people have the theater equipment permanently attached to the walls of the room and the seats fixed to the floor. Make sure that the room can be used for more than just one purpose. Movable seats and adjustable lighting arrangements can change the room from a theater to a recreation room very quickly.