Anyone who enjoys television and movies must realize that this is truly the golden age. The proliferation of streaming services has resulted in a “media arms race” where they are all racing to create new and impressive content for the general public to enjoy. Regardless of the genre of your favorites, there’s something incredible being created to be watched.
Of course, this poses a dilemma. How can a person best consume the media they genuinely enjoy? While going to a movie theater was a way to see movies in the past, overall media consumption is made better by a home theater. This means having a brilliant display, good audio setup and a comfortable way for everyone to view your shows and movies. Setting up a home theater isn’t complicated. But getting it just right can be tricky!
The Television/Display
The anchor of any home theater system is going to be the television. Television technology continues to evolve as the resolution increases and picture quality becomes better and better. Currently, a 4K level television is the bare minimum. Each brand has their own technologies for further picture quality, so it’s important to specifically research the newer options from Sony, Samsung, LG, etc. Each has their own strengths and may be better for your specific home theater.
Most people will want to choose a smart TV from the various offerings out there. Smart TVs offer you the ability to directly access streaming apps from your television without an additional piece of equipment. Smart TVs may also have other apps to make your TV the center of your casual internet activities.
In some situations, you may wish to choose a high definition projector. This is ideal in larger rooms where seating can be aimed at a flat surface directly in front of the seating. Large white walls are common, but having a screen for the projector will typically offer better visuals. Modern projectors have come a long way, but might not have quite the intense detail of a high end television.
Audio Needs
Once you’ve decided on your display, then it’s time to decide what level of quality you need from your sound system. Sound has become far easier to set up over the years, especially with the addition of wireless speakers. This has made setting up a proper surround sound system much easier.
Furthermore, one of the easiest options today is the purchase of a quality “sound bar”. Sounds bars function as a long single speaker that is typically placed at the base of the visual arrangement. Modern soundbars can beautifully emulate surround sound and can offer a deep and rewarding sound without having to do a lot of management. Typically they are wifi and bluetooth enabled, meaning you can actually use multiple devices and switch between them.
Comfort and Seating
This is something that a lot of home theaters tend to ignore or neglect. When you’re setting up a home theater, you need to determine exactly how many people you’d expect in a maximum setup. If it’s more than 4-6, you’ll likely want to have two rows of seating. Elevating the second row slightly can make a huge difference to ensure that everyone has a good view of the screen. The other important aspect of placement comes from angles. Many televisions struggle when viewed at a wide angle. You never want to have seating placed at too far of an angle. How far is too far? Honestly, it depends on the television. Some have their color bleed out rather quickly, so keeping things as straight as possible is ideal.
Cater your seating to your needs. If you love to recline, make sure that your couch or chairs can recline. If you want to cuddle up with people, don’t have armrests between the seating. Once again, it’s individual needs that will help determine the layout of seating in a home theater.
