Does anything sound better than watching your favourite movie on a big screen with your family and friends?
Home theatres are a great way to entertain guests, unwind after a long day and make your home more comfortable and fun. Converting a room into a theatre is also a big investment, so you want to make sure you are buying the right items for high-quality sound, ambience, and technical capabilities. With more movies at our fingertips and more opportunities to interact with technology, there is a lot more to consider before buying the equipment for a home theatre and setting it up.
Use this guide to make sure you have everything you need for the best home theatre.
What You Need to Set Up a Home Theatre
The Right Equipment
Smart televisions and other devices offer a lot of options for your home theatre. Think about what you will be using the home theatre for and what equipment will help you get the best sound, the best options for watching movies from streaming services, and other considerations for your family or entertaining guests. Modern home theatres are typically equipped with:
- Projector
- Screen or television
- Speakers and subwoofers
- Theatre or sound receiver
- Media Streamer
- DVD/Blu-Ray player and recorder
- Cables to connect all of your devices
- Gaming system
- Smart remotes
The Right Furniture
Don’t forget to set aside a part of your budget for comfy chairs or sofas! Family, friends and guests will be spending a lot of time in your new home theatre, so make sure your furniture can withstand a lot of wear and a lot of people. Speciality sofas with cup holders and tables make more room for additional seating. Chairs and sofas with recliners create a comfy, relaxed environment.
While you’re picking out furniture, consider the lighting in your room. Dimmed lights create an excellent atmosphere for watching movies, but may require some extra setup and room in your budget. Strobe lights or colored lights make the room extra exciting if you want to host parties in the room for special occasions. (Install LED lighting throughout your home theatre to decrease your electric bill and reduce your impact on the environment.)
Carpet Floors
Consider the acoustics of the room where you are installing your home theatre. If you have a hardwood floor installed in your room, sound may bounce off your floors and throughout the room. The best ways to get a crisp, clear sound is with a thick carpet. If you don’t want to install a full carpet in your home theatre, consider buying a statement shag rug to place between your screen and your furniture.
Acoustics aren’t just affected by your carpeting. The shape and material of your walls, as well as any furniture in the room, will affect how the room absorbs or transmits sound. Drywall and plaster walls can benefit from sound absorption panels. Sound absorption curtains should be installed over glass windows or doors. Tapestries, movie posters and large plants around the room can also absorb sound.
Proper Ventilation
The speakers and other devices in your home theatre are going to put in a lot of work to put your favorite movies on the big screen. If they are pushed back together in a small cabinet with little ventilation, your system will overheat quickly. Consider the layout of your devices and how much room each device will have to “breathe” while it’s working.
All the Bells and Whistles
Home theatres are a luxury on their own, but even the smallest additions can really make the space the most exciting room to show off in your house. Any of the following accessories are worth showing off to guests.
- Popcorn machine or soda fountain
- Vinyl player
- Virtual reality accessories
- Disco ball or strobe lights
- Mini-fridge or wine cellar
Auckland’s Leading Home Theatre Installers
Once you’ve purchased all the fancy equipment and fun additions to your home theatre, it’s time to set it all up. Unless you’ve installed a home theatre before, the next steps can be overwhelming. You will have to place all of the equipment, connect all of the wires, and make sure everything is running smoothly. This process isn’t always easy, especially when you have to install projectors in the ceiling, screens on the walls, and lighting throughout the room.
After you’ve invested so much into this family oasis, recruit the best lighting and electrical team in town. Don’t leave these wires hanging around or waste any time trying to connect every piece of your home theatre. Call the experts at Northern Lights to take care of everything your home theatre needs to start playing your favourite movies.
