Home Theater Design 101

Designing your own home theater means you can bring that movie theater experience home to an even more intimate level, giving you complete control over every aspect of the process. This process is not as simple as going out and buying the largest television you can afford and setting it up in your living room, though. There is more involved to it than that if you want to be comfortable and relaxed.

Consider the Room

Many people like to set up their home theater in their basement. This room is the ideal location for a home theater for many reasons. For one thing, there is usually better control of the light since natural light is usually minimal at best. In addition, there is usually more room for the bulkier equipment, such as plump couches and large screen televisions that allow you to have that true movie theater experience. Here are some over the top home theaters with some creative seating layouts.

Placement is Important

One of the most anticipated aspects of setting up your own home theater is getting that giant flat screen or rear projection television you have been coveting for years. Existing shelving, furnaces and laundering equipment often limits where you are able to set up such items for your home theater. In addition, you need to consider that a larger television screen will result in couches and chairs being placed further away than where you might be used to if you do not have similar equipment in your living room currently. For the typical large screen TV of today that measures forty inches or more, so expect to move your couch at least ten feet away to prevent sore eyes and necks.

Listen for It

Choosing your television, and making accommodations for it, is only one aspect of designing your ultimate home theater. The surround sound is a key item that adds volumes to the experience, no pun intended. Strategically placing the speakers to your system so that you get the full depth of the sound will likely involve using a speaker on the right of the room and on the left, in addition to a speaker in the center. A subwoofer might be necessary as well.

Appearances Count

Investing in, or building a nice cabinet to hold all your audio/visual equipment will add to the whole atmosphere of the home theater. Keeping it neat and orderly will make this room one that you, and your friends and family, will want to frequent for the ultimate theater experience.

Choose Wisely

Choosing what you watch can involve a number of different avenues. These days, there are plenty of options when it comes to cable TV, DirecTV and streaming video. The right choice for you will likely depend on your particular viewing habits. Some current hit series, for example, only offer the freshest episodes on their respective nights which means you might be limited in how you can view them. Watching an anticipated movie that has already been out in movie theaters, on the other hand, can often be accomplished by streaming it at your convenience.