What makes a great home theater?

Who doesn’t like getting the big picture and sound for films and sports? In today’s world, you don’t have to limit that experience to just the theatre. Audio and TV technology are evolving every day. It is now possible to create a home theatre that can rival the real thing. With so many various cinema room accessories on the market, home cinema installation is now more available than ever before.

Smart home installation including a home theater can be an incredible investment. See below what you need to provide yourself with an unforgettable home theatre experience and find some cinema room ideas that will fit your space perfectly.

Find your space

No home theater is possible without space. When you plan your home cinema installation, this is something to consider first. Determine how much room you have to work with. Measure your current space to make sure that large home-theater seating will fit. An ideal setup is allowing at least an 18”-24” aisle in the front and the back of your seating. A good thing is that modern smart home installations enable you to transform any space into entertainment and you don’t even need a TV. The latest projector screens are stylish, elegant, reliable, and very quiet. In some cases, a bedroom or lounge can be turned into your own movie theatre – it all depends on what kind of cinema room decor you’d like to go for. Don’t forget that a bigger room usually equals a bigger system, though.

Seating arrangement

Okay, you have your perfect space ready for luxury home cinema installation. Another important thing is the seating arrangement. Comfort is essential when it comes to selecting your home theater seating. Consider the number of people you want to fit in the room, as the size and shape of the seats will probably vary depending on your audience. If you want to give your home theater a luxury touch, you may choose custom-made seats. They usually come with multiple accessories like swivel trays, power controls, cup holders, as well as inbuilt USB chargers. Such extras play a significant role in taking your cinematic experience to the highest level.

Audio experience

Choosing and placing speakers may be a make or break for your home cinema installation. It determines how immersive your future cinematic experience will be. If you desire total immersion, only a proper surround setup of at least five or seven satellite speakers and a subwoofer will do. The center speaker should be placed underneath the TV or projector screen. The subwoofer can go anywhere in the room – it usually depends on cabling. If you’re using five speakers, three of them should be placed towards the front of the room and the remaining two – slightly behind your home theater seating. If you use seven speakers, the 6th and 7th should be placed right behind the audience.

TV and components

Does size matter? This is probably one of the most often asked questions when it comes to home cinema installation. We always answer – yes, your home-theater TV should be as big as you can make it! The huge screen is the crown jewel of your smart home installation; however, you should buy a display screen that fits the size of your room and seating arrangement. You can mount it on the wall or ceiling, or even place it on the floor. Make sure to place it on the wall that doesn’t receive direct lights as this could ruin your cinematic pleasure. If a TV is not an option for you, you can also consider a projector screen.

Go for lighting automation

Finally, the cherry on top. Lightning is one of the elements that can make a cinematic experience truly special. It’s a finishing, yet critical touch. It is worth spending some time to decide whether you want task lighting, accent lighting, and safety lighting. Modern home cinema installation systems provide a remote control that adds a super cool wow factor to the overall experience. There are plenty of solutions that will add some sparkle to your cinema room – e.g., IR light switches enable you to automatically dim the lights. If you’d like to find out more about home cinema lights, check out our comprehensive guide, including tips and specific recommendations. 

As you can see, creating a perfect home theater requires planning and consideration. We, at Micarta, have a longstanding experience both with home cinema systems and as expert AV installers.