Home Theater Installation Guide: 5 Must-Have Features

The Elements That Will Take Your Theater from Good to Great

One of the best things about a private home theater installation is that it is completely unique to each homeowner. The room can be customized to fit the personality and lifestyle of your Alpharetta-Milton, GA home. However, as unique as each home theater is, there are still some elements that remain the same for high-quality home theaters everywhere. Below, we cover what those elements are and how to incorporate them into your private theater.

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1.   Lighting

Just like commercial cinemas, private home theaters require specific lighting levels that don’t wash out the projector. However, darkness during the movie doesn’t mean that you can’t use lighting as neat accessories and décor for your theater. Many private theaters opt to include unique lighting such as a star ceiling or decorative wall sconces—the important thing is that the lighting you choose is strategically placed to point light away from the screen or automatically darken before the movie starts.

2.   Projector

Skimping on your projector is a sure-fire way of getting a low-quality, unappealing visual experience. Choose a projector that has native 4K resolution, and pay attention to the maximum display resolution to ensure that the projector can handle your screen size. If you want a high-end, reliable projector that will continue to provide a crisp and vibrant picture for years to come, choose Sony. Their projectors use the latest in home theater technology to bring movies to life with colorful, clear visuals.

3.   Screen

When it comes to your theater screen, two factors are important to consider: size and material.

• Size: The size of your screen is entirely dependent on the size and shape of the room. You may be tempted to get the largest screen possible that will fit on a wall, but keep in mind that the room’s depth is also a concern. A huge screen isn’t ideal if there isn’t ample space between the theater seats and the screen unless you want to watch your movie while craning your neck. Your home theater installation contractor can give you guidance on the best screen size for your space.
• Material: A high-end screen is just as important as a 4K projector in ensuring that the visual quality of the film is as strong as possible. A screen that isn’t completely smooth and pure can create distracting artifacts while watching the movie. Depending on the environment of your home theater, you can get different materials that are optimized to combat ambient light, hide away in the ceiling, or improve sound quality with acoustically transparent material.

4.   Acoustics

If you want the fully immersive sound that you would experience in a commercial environment, it all comes down to acoustics. Here’s how to achieve it:

• Speaker placement: Your home theater needs to be optimized to have the perfect levels of sound evenly dispersed across every area of the room, and that requires quality surround sound. High-end speakers are strategically placed so that there are no dead spots or overly loud areas for any movie watchers.
• Room Materials: The materials used throughout the theater, from the seats to the wall décor, all needs to be carefully considered for sound absorption and isolation so that the audio signals travel strongly exactly where they need to go. Acoustic panels and drapery can be used to absorb sound so that the signal does not become muddled.
• Seating: If you have been looking at home theater design styles, you’ll notice that theater seating is not usually high-backed. This is to help sound travel easily to each row of seats without the furniture compromising the audio.

5.   Control

When you go to a commercial theater, you don’t ever have to get up out of your chair to turn off the lights or start the movie. Why not get that same level of convenience for your home theater installation? With Control4, all of your home theater elements are connected to one central control system, allowing you to select a movie, turn on the projector and speakers, dim the lights, and start your show within seconds, right from your smartphone or tablet.

Make sure your home theater installation is done right by calling Southern Cinema today at 770.886.2645. Our team of home theater experts can handle everything from the initial design to the final acoustics optimization and beyond. To learn more, fill out this quick questionnaire and one of our team members will reach out to you.