How to Create the Right Environment in Your Home Theater
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
Priority number one is making the room as dark as possible. We recommend installing your system in a room with no windows, but if your options are limited, you can install blackout shades to block the sunlight from coming in. To prevent glare, choose décor on the walls that prevent light from bouncing around the room. Even the color of your walls is important. Use darker colors for your walls, ceilings, and carpeting and avoid using decorations that include glass enclosures. If all else fails, we do carry screens that can still operate in sunlight. However, the best situation is watching your show without it.
Use Smart Lighting Controls
Watching a movie in a completely dark room can be hazardous. That’s why your local theater has small lights lining the walkways. Most of us can’t sit throughout an entire movie, and you may want to get up and get popcorn or drink refills. Dimmers are a great way to provide some soft lighting in the room that won’t affect your home theater experience. If you have a dedicated room, we can also design the lighting so you can comfortably move around and not trip on anything. Smart lighting also comes with convenient controls so you don’t have to get up and turn the lights on when you want to pause a film. Use a touch screen or app on a tablet to stop the show and turn the lights on so you can take a break. We can even create special settings for starting the movie—like slowly dimming the lights and closing the blackout shades as the music turns on and the movie starts. Manage everything from the same device you use to turn on your projector or change the channel.
Add Acoustic Treatments to Enhance the Sound
Depending on how your room is shaped and what your walls are made of, you may need acoustic treatments and sound proofing to get the most out of your surround sound system. Acoustic panels help prevent reverberation by absorbing the sound instead of reflecting it. If you don’t want the entire family to hear the loud soundtrack coming from the room, sound proofing will help contain the noise so it doesn’t leak out and disturb others who want to sleep instead of watch a late-night flick. We’ll test the system to ensure you get the best experience and make adjustments as needed.
To learn more about everything that goes into a successful home theater design, check out one of our previous blogs or contact us to set up a consultation
