Introduction
Building a home cinema is not only for the rich and famous. With the availability of affordable technology, you and your family can create a home cinema that will give movie theaters a tight competition. Genereally, there are four things involved: location, the screen, the audio system, and your seats. Here are steps and tips for creating a home cinema.
Choose your location
The living room is probably the most common space for a home theater system. However, it’s not the only space you can work on. You can use a spare bedroom or even the basement. It will also depend on how much you are willing to modify, create, and spend.
Setting up the screen
Once you have a place, decide where you want to set up the TV, and how you want to mount it. Do you want it on the wall, on a stand, or on a special cabinet? Use these guidelines in setting up the screen:
- Set the screen or the TV at the right level, not in a way that you have to look up. You may not notice it right away, but you might feel pain in the neck and shoulders if you are looking up for hours.
- Consider customizing your entertainment shelves to fit the TV perfectly together with some speakers and other entertainment appliances.
- The size of the TV and the distance from the couch matters. Don’t sit too close or too far.
- Angles are very important when setting up the screen. You don’t want to glare from natural or inside light. If your room has a lot of natural light coming in, add thick curtains for movie screening times.
Setting up the sound system
With small rooms, a soundbar may be enough to provide great quality sound. You may also be able to add other components with a soundbar. If you want, you can also get a complete sound system for an even bigger cinematic experience.
The angles, the height, and even where you place the speakers affect the sound quality. Do some trial and error to get the best possible sound you can get from the speakers. Follow these guidelines:
- As much as possible, the front speakers, both left and right, should have the same distance from the audience. Also, try to place them at head height of sitting position.
- Center speakers should also be at the head height of sitting position and should be facing directly at the front.
- Try to put rear speakers just above and behind the listener’s head.
- Subwoofers should be on the floor to get the right rumbling sound.
Setting up the seats
Like in a real cinema, you can set up seats in rows, with elevation for the back row. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford to add elevation or cinema style seats. Plus, you might use the room for other purposes, not just for movies. Nevertheless, it’s important to consider the space between the screen and the couch. To know more about the optimal distance, visit rtings.com.
Conclusion
These four guidelines are some of the main things involved in creating a home cinema. Of course, you can personalize it as much as you want. Use loveseats, a sofa, lazy boy, etc. Add a table for snacks, blankets and pillows, and whatever you can think of to improve your home movie experience. If you have any other tips or suggestions, comment them below! We’d love your input.