Tricks for Setting Up the Perfect Cinema Room in your House
TV screens in the home have almost completely replaced the culture of watching movies with family and friends at community cinemas. But often, we still crave the dark hall, large screen, booming sounds, and popcorn and soda cinema experience.
Thankfully, technological advancement has made it possible to recreate the cinema experience in our homes. And with the number of TV shows and movies we consume, home cinemas are becoming an essential component of every house. Plus, it is a great way to bring friends and family together for movie nights or games.
There are so many home cinema ideas on the internet, and choosing the best fit can be difficult. That’s why we put together this basic home cinema guide to help you make the perfect home cinema choice.
6 Tips for Setting Up the Perfect Home Cinema
1. Find the Right Room
This first step in setting up a home cinema is finding the best location for your theatre in your house. Ideally, a dedicated room is the best option. But if you do not have a spare room, your living room can serve. It will have to be remodeled to serve the dual purpose of a living room in the day and a cinema at night.
Your cinema room should be big enough (not less than 12 x12 sq. Ft) to leave adequate space between the screen and the seats. It should also be a quiet and dark room, preferably one that has few or no windows. Your basement is a great choice for your home cinema.
2. Home Cinema Cost and Planning
Cost is a major factor to consider when planning to install a home cinema. Although technological advancements have reduced the cost of setting up a home cinema over the years, it can still significantly cause a dip in your bank account, particularly in the absence of proper planning and budgeting.
Your choice of home cinema accessories primarily determines the cost of setting up. For example, are you going for a smart HD TV or a projector and screen? Is the traditional projector enough for you, or do you prefer a high-end Wi-Fi-enabled modern projector? All these will determine how much you spend in setting up your home cinema.
To reduce cost, it is advisable not to buy everything at once. Start with the most important components and gradually include the others over time. Check out free bingo.
3. Control Ambient Light
You do not want natural light creeping into your cinema room because it can spoil the cinema experience. If you do not have a windowless room, black light-blocking curtains or blinds can be used to keep light away. A projector with high lumens rating will ensure your image quality stays clear in cases where natural light cannot be completely blocked off.
4. Control Ambient Sound
Controlling ambient sound is also very important when setting up your home cinema room. Sounds of other activities within the home, traffic and movement outside the home can defeat the aim of a home cinema. They should be kept out as much as possible. Some of the ways to keep out unwanted sounds include:
- If you have hollow wooden doors in your chosen home cinema room, replace them with solid doors.
- Apply a layer of drywall on all the walls of your home cinema room
- You can also install sound-reducing wallboards to create a room-within-room effect. A variety of wallboards is available in the market.
- Some curtains also block sounds in addition to blocking lights.
5. Surround Sound System
If you successfully eliminate external light and sound but install a crappy sound system, you will still not get the cinema experience you want.
Speakers with a 2.1 surround sound system will work well if you have a small cinema room. A large room will require speakers with a 5.1 surround sound system to recreate the immersive sounds of traditional cinema.
It does not stop at getting a good speaker; how you place the speakers also contributes to your setup's effectiveness. Placing speakers at all corners of the room produces a better immersive effect than just piling speakers into a corner. The perfect surround sound can be achieved by installing speakers close to the ceiling at every corner.
6. Home Cinema Design and Décor
Beyond tech, your home cinema décor is an important part of your home cinema design. Dark-colored paint and other accessories (seats and curtains) are best for home cinema décor. Other helpful tips in designing your home cinema include:
- Install dimmable lighting and wall sconces around the room to create a soft glow and recreate the classic cinema experience.
- Please avoid using reflective objects in the room because they can cause an unwanted glare during movie sessions. Use matte paints for the walls of the room.
- Use dark-colored durable carpets that do not easily get messy and can withstand constant foot traffic. This will make cleaning the room easy.
- Choose comfortable seats. You could go with strong and comfortable sofas or cushioned folding chairs if you prefer the traditional cinema look and feel. Chairs with cup holders in between will make viewing more comfortable and reduce the chances of spills.
Finally
Setting up a home cinema is an exciting experience, particularly when you envision the hours of fun time that will be spent in that room. It can, however, be both tasking and costly without proper planning. You should be able to go through the process easily following the guide given above.
Please do not hesitate to leave a comment if you find this article helpful. And if you already have a home cinema, feel free to share other useful tips you have in the comment section.
Author’s Bio
Scott Carrion is a freelance writer and analyst focusing on business and marketing. His Master’s degree in Business research from Curtis L. Carlson School of Management has given him a broad base from which to approach many topics. He works closely with B2B and B2C companies providing useful and engaging content that can convert viewers into customers.