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7 Steps to a Dedicated Home Theater

Today we can enjoy our entertainment in many different ways. From streaming Netflix with your smart device to binging your favorite series into your living room on your large 4K TV. A wealth of options using a wealth of methods.

What if there was a perfect way to experience your favorite shows and movies? Why simply watch the big game when you can feel like you’re really there? Have you ever wanted to experience your favorite vintage movies as if you were first watching it when the movie came to cinemas decades ago?

Luckily, you can experience all of these things with a state-of-the-art personal home theater; allowing you full control of the experience. You can design your dream theater to suit your every need, turning your unused room into a fantastic personal theater with a modest budget. Just like you’ve always dreamed!

Here are 7 of our recommended steps to prepare for your very own dedicated home theater.

Step 1 - Design Your Dream Room

The very first step to take is to make a plan. Before you begin planning, however, you’ll want to focus on the pros and cons of every installation type and figure out your budget. Once these two important tasks are complete, you can then start planning. While it’s not impossible to design and build a personal media room all by yourself, we recommend that you get some guidance from an AV expert like Ron Snell AV to ensure you don’t forget any important steps. If you plan on starting with a construction project, you will need to plan with your builder from the beginning. If you plan on simply remodeling an existing room, you should figure out the general layout of your media room to determine if any structural modification is necessary.

Step 2 - Pre-wire for Centralized Equipment

Keeping your cables organized and clean will help you ensure that your home theater installation flows as smoothly as possible, and avoid any possible interference from electrical cables and other electronic equipment that might distort your audio or video signals. Determine a centralized point for your wires for easy access for any possible maintenance. Keeping your wiring streamlined will allow you to install receivers, projectors, speakers, lighting, and anything else you might want with unbelievable ease.

Step 3 - Choose Right Projector and Projection Screen

Something else important to consider when building your media center is that your image quality is sharp and high quality. Imagine investing substantial funds into your home theater just to discover your screen looks fuzzy and of poor quality. The two systems which control screen quality are the projector and projector screen, so you’ll want to take extra care when you select your devices. Also, keep in mind how the natural lighting of your media room might affect the screen quality or how your room size could affect the projector and projector screen placement.

Step 4 - Seating: Comfort vs. Function

No matter what kind of home theater you’ve installed into your home, it is undeniable that your seating is one of the most important parts of your movie-viewing experience. And with some thought and investment, you can even outdo your local cinema if you so choose. From plush, comfy sofas to high-tech recliners, you can furnish your home theater however you see fit! Doing so ensures that you achieve the perfect balance between comfort and function.

Step 5 - Acoustics and Speaker Selection

In terms of the theater viewing experience, audio is as equally important as video. Consequently, you’ll want to make sure you put in a great deal of thought when deciding from audio options. So, for smaller rooms, you’ll want to look into a 5.1 Surround Sound System and for larger rooms, you’ll need a 7.1 or 7.2. You will also need to ensure that your receiver/amplifier is powerful enough to match the performance of your speakers. Make sure you also take your theater room’s acoustics into account for optimal performance; half of your room should also be covered in sound absorption material such as acoustic paneling or carpet.

Step 6 - Personalized Theme Decor

In order to make your media room truly your own, we suggest that you incorporate your own tastes into a cohesive theme to let your home theater stand out. Just a few examples you’ve probably seen before include Star Wars or Art Deco themes. You can personalize your media room as much or as little as you’d like, from movie memorabilia to custom set pieces; your personal theater should be a reflection of you. Just make sure you don’t overdo anything to accidentally impact the functionality of the room.

Step 7 - Program Media Controls

Nothing can quite beat the feeling of getting comfortable in your favorite chair and with the simple touch of a button, re-watching your favorite movie or tv series. Most top tier home theater rooms come equipped with some kind of automated control programming allowing you to customize your movie-watching experience to your liking. Having a system like Control4 would allow you to automate the entire audio-video experience including lighting control for the perfect atmosphere. Pre-programmed remotes also allow you to do this through a more simplified process.

Owning a personal home theater is an opportunity no to overlook. If you are interested in installing your very own media center, our professionals at Ron Snell AV can be with you every step of the way.

Contact us today for a free consultation or stop by our new showroom.