It’s finally happened. Maybe it was because your kids just moved to college. Or maybe you decided to combine two other rooms into one. Maybe a magical leprechaun granted your wish. Whatever it is, you’ve finally found yourself with a large, open room in your house just waiting for something to go in it.
Well, there’s nothing better for that space than a new home theater, especially one that makes use of some of our professional electronic solutions. So, let’s look at just what you need to embark on a home-theater audio-video voyage.
1. Pick the Room
Depending on your house, you may not have a whole lot of wiggle room as to where you can place the theater. However, there’s nothing to say that this isn’t a perfect time to move some rooms around. Play a little “Tetris” and figure out if any rooms can switched around, and think about finding that ideal spot for your new theater.
And what should you look for? You want a room that isn’t going to get a lot of outside noise – you don’t want to hear the silly Matherson kids skateboarding in the middle of you watching “The Godfather” – and one that you can also make dark. Really dark. Super dark. Think coffee, but then go darker. The more sound and light isolation you have, the better.
2. Set your Budget
Before you let loose and go on a buying bonanza, make sure to sit down and calculate not just a plan, but also a budget. You don’t want to get into a project and end up having to put it off while it’s still half done, or even worse, never end up finishing it. So, make sure you go in with an upper limit of how much you can spend on everything.
On that note, we know how difficult budgeting can be. Luckily, as with most things, there’s an app for that. Check out some of our favorites here.
3. The TV Set
When it comes to a home theater, the TV should be front and center. If somebody walks into your theater and doesn’t automatically gasp like they just accidently got hit in the head with a frog falling from the sky holding a croissant, then you didn’t really build a big enough home theater, did you?
No, you did not.
We suggest going as big as you can get, and when it comes to a theater, size is going to be one of your main considerations. Find your room, pick out a space, and then fill it up with as much screen as you can. You’ll be glad you did.
4. Home Speaker Solutions
While the TV screen you pick out is important, it’s only part of the picture.
You can’t have a theater without sound, and if you you want theater-quality sound, you are going to need to find some theater-quality speakers. No, the ones that come built into the TV just aren’t going to cut it. They just aren’t.
Surround sound, hidden ceiling speakers, and a subwoofer or two can all help bring home that loud, roaring, neighbor-complaint-causing theater sound you are craving – and if you’re looking for expert opinions or advice on anything related to sound, stop by and we’re more than happy to help. It’s the difference between an amateur home theater, and one that will be the talk – and envy -- of the whole PTA.
5. Action Time
And here we are: The last, but probably the most important, step. It’s one thing to plan and plan and plan to renovate, but it’s an entirely other thing to actually follow through. If you want to take that empty room and put it to good use, get out there and get going!
Don’t forget about the little details, either. Setting up a little bar that doubles as a concession stand is a nice touch -- you could even get giant, backlit frames to display posters of your favorite movies. Grab some popcorn, turn off the lights, and you’ll be ready to dive headfirst into the silver screen.
Of course, no matter what electronic needs you have, remember you can stop in and we’ll always help you out, be it with TVs, speakers, or you just have some questions about the latest tech. Together, we’ll be sure to help you get that home theater done.