With so many new technologies on the market today, you may wonder if it's really worth it to upgrade your home theater system with the newest features in your Charlotte, North Carolina home. We are here to tell you that 4K TVs and the Kaleidescape Movie Server are some of the best products you can add to your family room right now that are well worth the effort. Read on to learn about why 4K is here to stay.

SEE ALSO: Enhance Your Home Theater with a Control4 System Installation

4K TVS

You may be wondering if upgrading to 4K is really worth it. After all, why do all the work of setting up a new home theater system if you like the one you have? The truth is that the newest models of 4K TVs have all of the latest enhancements, including high-contrast, brightness, depth of color, high frame rates, and of course – high resolution. TVs that are in UHD have four times the amount of pixels than HD. This means that you can sit just a few feet away from the screen and not see any of those 8 million pixels. UHD TVs are so detailed and clear that they almost look 3D, like the picture is popping out at you. Also, available 4K content is growing at a rapid pace. UHD Blu-rays were released at CES 2016, and Netflix, VUDU, and Amazon Prime have already started developing 4K content beyond what they already have available for viewing. You can also purchase many 4K movies through the new Kaleidescape Movie Server Strato.

Kaleidescape

Setting up a home theater system goes way beyond just installing a surround sound system and projector and screen. You need to consider how every aspect of the room will affect your movie-watching experience. After all, when you go to the local movie theater in Charlotte, North Carolina, you sit in a completely dark room on professional seats. The room has also been designed and tested to ensure the acoustics are perfect. The good news is that by working with a local professional like The Integrated Home, you can optimize your own home by the same standards of the big cinemas. Here are the three main aspects of your room that you need to consider to get the best experience in home entertainment.

SEE MORE: Transform Your Living Room into a Home Theater with Media Room Designs

Eliminate Glare in the Room

There are many home theater systems on the market today, which can make it difficult to figure out which one is best. We’ve even written a blog all about your options and the premium brands we offer in the Lake Norman area.

SEE ALSO: The Best Home Theater Systems for Your Charlotte Living Room

In this article we want to cover what type of space is best for your system. Your preferences and needs will determine if a multipurpose media room is better for you, or a dedicated home theater. Continue reading to discover all your options for home entertainment.

Multipurpose Media Rooms

A media room is a great option for families who want to include their home theater system in common areas. A lot of interior designers today are using an open concept in homes so that rooms aren’t divided, which can make the home seem smaller and more confined. Open areas give parents the ability to watch their kids as they cook or clean since they can glance from the stove to the living room. Open concepts are also beneficial for entertaining. You could be preparing drinks in the kitchen and still have a conversation with your company in the dining room or media room. People can also flow from one space to another easily, and all of your décor pieces can be coherent. A media room comes into play by allowing your friends and family to enjoy a variety of activities at any moment. For example, we could hide a TV behind a piece of art or in a mirror so that a living room turns into a home theater instantly with the press of a button. You can have a cocktail party one moment or simply read a book, and then get ready to watch a movie or play a video game the next. Media rooms are both practical and pleasing to look at. One important factor to note is that the quality of your home theater system will not be compromised when we install it in an open area. We can install speakers in the ceiling and in the walls in front of you and back to create the surround sound effect. We also have special projectors and screens that display defined, vivid images even in bright light. The black diamond screen by Screen Innovations can be enjoyed in broad daylight. Be rest assured you’ll get both quality and beauty in your media room.

Watching your favorite films and shows with high-end audio video features transforms any media space. You’ll feel reeled into the 4K visuals and immersed by the high-performance speakers – just like you would at the local cinema in town.

But what if you don’t want a dedicated home theater installed in your Charlotte, NC living space? The great news is that you can bring a high-quality home theater system to your family or media room, where you can still benefit from cinema AV features and technologies.

In this blog, we’ll discuss the smart solutions that can take your media room’s entertainment system to the next level. Want to find out more? Keep reading below!

SEE ALSO: HOME THEATER SYSTEMS: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE

Hidden Tech That Won’t Impede Your Interior Design

A home theater system doesn’t mean that your media room’s existing surroundings will suffer. You can still enjoy this excellent AV equipment and maintain your preferred design and décor.

Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed crowds of people rush to the nearest stores to purchase a 4K TV for their home theater or media room. Many people want to have the very best picture on the market for their Lake Norman, NC residence, and it’s no wonder why when they see such beautiful images on a UHD screen. Yet some homeowners are still not getting the best picture with their home theater system because their settings aren’t right, their cables aren’t compatible, or their system doesn’t match the content specifications. In this blog, we are going to cover exactly what you need to get the most out of your 4K TV or projector. 

SEE ALSO: Transform Your Living Room into a Home Theater with Media Room Designs

Cables

The most common issue we see in homes is not having the right cables in the home theater or media room. Ultra High Definition technology is four times the resolution of HD, or 1080 pixels, and that means your cables need to support four times the information. Add HDR into the equation and you could experience a downscaled signal or even no picture at all. You need to upgrade your cables to ensure you have the proper amount of bandwidth. Using the right cables is essential for all of the devices in your home theater, including the UHD Blu-ray player and cable box. For any devices contained within the theater, say a local UHD Blu-ray player, you can connect them with HDMI 2.0 cables. For any hardware racked neatly in the basement, you’ll want to fortify your signal with fiber optic cables which, unlike HDMI 2.0, can transmit 4K signals over long distances.

The relationship between the projector and a screen in a home theater is important. You need just the right match up to get the best picture. Unlike a TV that you can simply hang on the wall, this home theater system setup requires more attention to detail, but the results will be well worth it. You can enjoy a large image and crystal clear picture quality in your Charlotte, NC home. Stick around to get the full scoop on our blog.

Dedicated Theaters

If your system is going to be installed in a closed room, like a basement or extra bedroom, then you don’t have to worry about where the projector is going to be positioned or light affecting the image on screen (unless there are tons of windows in the room). Dedicating a room to enjoying entertainment gives you more control over the environment so the setup is more straightforward. Our team will install the projector at the back of the room and position the screen across from it according to the size of the room and the technical specifications.

Recommendations:

Sony 4K Home Cinema Projector: Sony offers a number of great 4K projectors for the home that include native 4K quality, high lumens count for brightness, and detailed high-dynamic range.

Perhaps you’re interested in adding a home theater setup to your property. You’re ready to enjoy the ultimate home on-screen entertainment system, optimized for delivering the best viewing experience possible.

So, where do you begin the process?

As a homeowner in the Lake Norman, NC area, you have two likely options: You can build home theater systems on your own, or you can have a professional craft your setup for you.

In this post, we explore those two choices so that you can make the best decision for you and your family.

Just keep reading to find out more.

The 2018 CES Expo showcased some of the top consumer technologies in the world. From robot dogs to smart speakers, there were thousands of products on display. As we looked around, we spotted a few that were ideal for our home theater installations.

From the pristine audio and video offered by Sony’s new line of products to the always exceptional smart home solutions from Control4, we’ve collected some of our favorites in this blog.

Whether you have a dedicated home theater system or a multi-purpose media room, these are sure to enhance your viewing experience this year.

SEE MORE: How to Create the Right Environment in Your Home Theater

Sony’s LPSX-A1 Projector

Sony made the biggest impact at CES 2018 with their brand new 4K ultra HD short-throw projector. Beautifully designed with a marble top and aluminum frame, this is the ideal solution if you’re looking to blend your home theater with your interior décor.

You might be a huge movie buff or simply want a way to relax while enjoying a film with friends and family.  A custom home theater system can give you both the comfort and enhanced fixtures commercial theaters simply don’t have.  Impress guests – and yourself – with a new viewing experience like no other.  Installation and design might seem overwhelming, but there are three key features needed when planning your theater.  Read on to learn how a perfect home theater design for you will amaze every viewer in your Charlotte, NC home.

1. Stellar Screen and Surround Sound

If you want to recreate the amazing visuals of a commercial theater, you need a 4K Ultra High-Definition projector. Even on a screen large enough to fill the entire wall, you won’t be able to see any pixelation or blurriness. Instead, you get a crisp, clear picture.

SEE ALSO: HOW TO PAIR UP A PROJECTOR AND SCREEN FOR YOUR HOME THEATER

Second, you’ll want a surround sound system that gives you the feeling of actually being in the movie. With surround sound, the speakers are strategically placed overhead, to the sides, behind, and in front of you to create a fully immersive listening experience.

2. The Right Seating

The style, material, and position of your home theater seating will make a big difference in the overall experience. As your home theater installer, we’ll be able to provide recommendations on the perfect seating based on room size and how many people you want to accommodate seating for within the space. 

Create the Ideal Home Media Setup

Bringing the right AV equipment and theatrical solutions to your home cinema can make all the difference in how you experience your favorite films and shows! Watching your media in an immersive environment can transport you into the world of your movie. This level of immersion comes down to your home theater’s technologies and features. So what does the ideal home theater system entail?

A top-notch home theater system includes several key components that work together to provide a mesmerizing audio and visual experience. In this blog, we’ll dive into those must-have solutions and features! Keep reading below for more.

Multi-Purpose Media Rooms Deliver High-End AV

Experience your favorite media as it should be seen and heard - right in your own home! An updated home theater system can transform your movie nights, TV show marathons, and other fun-filled activities. So what does this advanced theater system entail? And how does it enhance your multi-purpose media room?

In this blog, we’ll dive into how high-end audiovisuals and features can upgrade your Charlotte, NC home’s entertainment and bring your family together for movies, music, and memories! Keep reading below to find out more.

The Audio & Displays to Enhance Your Movie Showings

Every fall and winter, serious Oscar-contending movies start to hit theaters. Yearly we can expect beautiful cinematography, vibrant sound mixing, and well-written dialogue. Whether you’re watching winners from last year like Green Book or The Favourite or this year’s nominees like Marriage Story, there’s a good way to do it—and then there’s the best way. Want to experience the best way?

Continue reading to learn about the latest home theater technology for your Lake Norman, NC home. With a home theater system that looks and sounds this good, your local cinema owners will be green with envy.  

Are you still watching your favorite films or shows on a small screen? While you may think what you have is “good enough,” you could be enjoying the immersive experience of a home theater system.

If you’re curious about adding a private cinema to your home, you may be wondering which screen is the superior option. It can be confusing to decide whether a TV or projector is best, so continue reading to learn which will suit your Lake Norman, NC home theater.

SEE ALSO: 3 Things to Know Before Adding a Home Theater System

Ultra HD TV Screens

With impressive size and clearer-than-ever images, the Sony MASTER Series screens are vast enough to feel like you’re enjoying a night at the movies. The ultra-flat televisions range up to 98” wide diagonally, and OLED technology illuminates each of its eight million pixels individually. Sony technology creates deeper blacks, brighter colors, and better gradient handling, making the manufacturer our choice for home theaters. Grandest of them all, theirZ9G screen is displayed in 8K definition and uses X-tended Dynamic Range to boost brightness in required areas from stored energy. The built-in speakers and subwoofer are a great place to start for home theater audio, too, so you can enjoy sound mixing as filmmakers intended it.  

Projector Screens

You may think the screen is the least important part of a home theater. After all, can’t you project an image onto a wall or sheet? Not exactly. Depending on the amount of light in your home theater room, your projector could benefit from specific screen materials or colors to absorb the most light.

When you go to your local cinema, have you noticed the speakers they use? No, probably not, because professional theaters usually employ architectural speakers—speakers built into the walls and ceiling. If you’re building a home theater system, should you use in-wall speakers too? Continue reading to see how they’ll benefit your Charlotte, NC home theater, and our tips for the best setup.

SEE ALSO: How to Pick the Best ALR Screen for Your Media Room

Why Use Hidden Speakers?

In-wall speakers can make the most of any sized space and are particularly beneficial to smaller home theaters. Since hidden speakers can be installed behind a perforated projector screen, you’ll be able to install a large screen and direct sound straight from the action, enhancing your theater experience. In-wall speakers appear sleek and tidy, making the room look more like a well-planned theater than a space that happens to have speakers and a projector screen.

Brands to Consider

Made in Britain since 1977, Meridian crafts elegant and high-performance audio solutions, including their discreet in-wall loudspeakers. Meridian architectural speakers feature a full range sound with bass extension beyond 50Hz and can be mounted either horizontally or vertically. Its Centre Elevation Technology raises audio to match the video on screen and has a 100mm installation depth.

Monitor Audio, another British manufacturer, creates easy-to-install On-Wall and In-Wall speakers with a variety of grille colors and images to suit your room’s décor. The keyhole fixings for On-Wall and corner brackets on the In-Wall models allow for a wire-free look, connecting cables in the wall captivity from the back.

Have you been wanting to invest in a home cinema for your space, but just aren’t sure where to begin with the initial steps of an installation?

Not to worry – our team of theater experts can handle the technical aspects of this detailed process and guide you through everything you need to know.  But first, you’ll need to decide a few things and learn exactly what is required of you, so that in the end you get the home theater of your dreams.

You might be new to everything home theater systems have to offer, but this beginner’s guide will explain everything you need to know about what a setup entails and what an installation would look like at your Charlotte, NC property.

Keep reading below to learn more!

SEE ALSO: DIY VS. PROFESSIONAL HOME THEATER SYSTEMS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Have you been wanting to invest in a home cinema for your space, but just aren’t sure where to begin with the initial steps of an installation?

Not to worry – our team of theater experts can handle the technical aspects of this detailed process and guide you through everything you need to know.  But first, you’ll need to decide a few things and learn exactly what is required of you, so that in the end you get the home theater of your dreams.

You might be new to everything home theater systems have to offer, but this beginner’s guide will explain everything you need to know about what a setup entails and what an installation would look like at your Charlotte, NC property.

Keep reading below to learn more!

SEE ALSO: DIY VS. PROFESSIONAL HOME THEATER SYSTEMS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Have you cut your cable cord yet? While many families still pay for a monthly cable service, many are opting out for video streaming subscription services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and more. Each one has its own unique content and different options for streaming quality. So how do you choose which video streaming device you use to play all the content you love on your home theater system? Read this guide to get a sense of what each one has to offer. We have Kaleidescape, Roku and VUDU for you to choose from.

SEE ALSO: How to Get the Most out of Your Home Theater

 1. Kaleidescape

Kaleidescape is a movie server that houses 4K and HD content for you to rent or purchase. However, instead of streaming the movie (which involves playing content over an Internet connection) you download it first and then play it. Streaming content will never be as good as playing a digital file or disc because it relies on the stability of the Internet connection to perform well, and the truth is that isn’t always up to par. Plus, when you play content locally, your TV or projector already has all of the information it needs to produce the picture so there’s no reason why it shouldn’t show you everything it should. Another benefit of using Kaleidescape is that you can keep your movie collection on a digital platform instead of using up precious space in your house. That way you can browse through you most beloved films as well as new ones all on the same platform.

2. Roku

By bringing a home theater system to your Lake Norman, NC, living space, you’ll be taking your entire entertainment center to the next level. There’s nothing quite like watching media in an immersive environment that happens to be your own home.

But what should you know before taking on an installation like this either in a dedicated home cinema or media room? In this blog, we’ve compiled three tips as well as some items to consider.

Want to find out more? Keep reading!

SEE ALSO: WHY YOU SHOULD INSTALL A HOME THEATER SYSTEM IN YOUR MULTI-PURPOSE MEDIA ROOM

Customize Your Theater to Fit You

If you don’t like the idea of making a theater look exactly like your local cinema, don’t worry! You can create a home theater system in any shape or size.