Forget queuing up for cinema tickets or buying overpriced popcorn. With careful thought and a few quality installations, you could create the perfect home cinema room for friends and family to enjoy. Watch your favourite horror, comedy or sci-fi without leaving the house and enjoy weekends cosied up with new releases and mouth-watering snacks.
If this piques your interest, here are 5 tips for building the perfect home cinema room.
- Dedicate a Space to your Theatre Experience
When you’re trying to watch a movie on the big screen, the last thing you want is smells from the kitchen or noise from the living room distracting you. That’s why it’s so important to locate a space that can be useful for screen-related activities only. Ideally, the room will be isolated from other areas of the house and very little else will take place there other than relaxing, eating and movie-related banter. A great movie room should also:
- Be rectangular in shape. Rooms that are longer than they are wide project sound better. You’ll also fit a bigger screen comfortably against the wall.
- Be as dark as possible. Choose a room with no windows. Or use a blackout blind to get rid of any unnecessary light that might cause unwanted reflections.
- Be Carpeted. Wall-to-wall carpet is your friend when it comes to home theatre as it’ll help get rid of unwanted echoes. Drywall is also better than plasterboard or brick.
- Choose the Best Screen for Your Budget
Choosing the best TV screen for your budget is a must. You can also opt for a projector, but with crystal-clear HD graphics and the rise of 8K technology which promises the highest form of resolution that the human eye can see, TVs are a popular choice. There are many different makes and models on the market but the very first thing you should do is measure the room, so you know what size screen you’re looking for. Ideally, your screen should fill 40-degrees of your vision field for optimal immersion and therefore a 60-90-inch television screen should work wonders. Home cinema specialists will be able to advise you further based on the dimensions of your room and the screen type you have in mind.
- Aim for High-Quality Sound
What would a cinema experience be without high-quality sound? There are two main sound options to choose from – surround sound or stereo. The former helps to bring each and every movie to life as it sounds as if the action is taking place all around you. This is because the speakers are dotted around the room just like in a real-life cinema theatre. This option is expensive, however, as you’ll need at least 5 speakers for the best effects. Theatre lovers might even go all out by setting up the following:
- 2x front speakers (left and right of the TV)
- 1x centre channel which sits below the TV
- 2x rear surround speakers
- 1x subwoofer which delivers an extended bass
- 2x additional side surround speakers
The other sound option is stereo. This is usually cheaper to install as it simply requires two speakers, one either side of the screen. The sound is then projected from the front towards the audience and won’t be as immersive.
- Think About Seating
The number of seats you have in your cinema room will depend on its size. But whether it’s small or big there are a few things to think about when it comes to home cinema installation. Firstly, no-one should have their view obstructed. So raised seating is a must. Rear seats can be raised on a platform. Even a 6-inch boost will make a big difference. Experts will also help you with seating spacing. Those at the front will need to be far enough away from the screen to be able to see it properly and this will all depend on how big your particular screen is. Also, consider what types of seats you want to invest in. Will they be static, or fold up and down like traditional cinema seats? Will they be covered in a red velvet material and will they come with drink holders?
- Build a Proper A/V Component Rack
The audio-visual component rack is like the headquarters of your cinema room. It controls all entertainment-related activities and houses source components such as a BluRay player, so make sure this has a dedicated space. Technology equipment should be located near to an electric socket and you should be able to bring in an internet wire. The A/V component rack also needs to be well-ventilated to avoid excessive heat build-up.
Build your perfect home cinema today and enjoy endless nights of movie fun.
