Setting Up Your Home Theatre:
Everything That You Should Know
In this day and age, one of the most popular additions people have in their house is a home theatre. Thanks to Covid, going out to see a movie has become a thing of the past, but you don’t have to miss out on the experience if you have a Home Cinema of your own. Cosy up with your family, grab some snacks, wear our most comfortable pyjamas, and the best part? You’re never going to miss the start of the movie.
WHY GET A HOME THEATRE?
Sometimes, you just don’t feel like going out to the cinema to watch a movie. It can be expensive, crowded, and noisy. There’s nothing worse than having someone next to you who just talks through the movie and distracts you from the story. These days, people just want to stay in and forget about the world and a Home Theatre is a perfect way to do that.
Still need convincing? Here are some more reasons for you might like a Home Theatre:
1. SPACE FOR THE FAMILY
Spending time with your family is very important. And one activity that brings the family together is watching a movie. If you have a theatre system at home, you have more chances of spending your downtime with your loved ones. You can make family nights more fun at home if you have a cinema room.
2. PROPERTY VALUE
A Home Theatre (if done correctly) can be a major selling point for your home. There aren’t many people that would walk into an open home, see a functional home theatre, and not be impressed. It may only be one room of the house, but it’s a room that provides fun and excitement while bringing the whole family together.
3. SPACE FOR GATHERING
Aside from your family, a Home Theatre is a great place to hang out with your mates. Whether it’s for movie night or watching the Footy, your home Theatre will be the perfect place to entertain.
4. COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE
The experience of going to a movie theatre is something that everyone enjoys. But don’t you hate when the movie worker comes along and tells you to take your feet off the seats? Well not at your place, you can put your feet wherever you like.
A home theatre in Sydney offers comfort and convenience that you won’t get at the cinema. At home, you can pause what you are watching for a bathroom break or rewind to parts you didn’t quite understand, and on top of that you can watch whatever you want. Watching the Game of Thrones season finale on your Home Theatre would surely have made it better….a little….maybe?
HOW TO SET UP A HOME THEATRE
To experience the comfort and convenience of a home cinema, it needs to be done correctly. It’s not just a matter of slapping everything together and off you go. There is an art to it.
Some things to consider before starting your home theatre journey:
1. AREA
The first step is finding the right room. You want it big enough to comfortably fit your whole family, and maybe some friends as well. The less windows the better, we want the room as dark as possible so you aren’t limited to just using your Home Theatre at night. It should be open for business 24/7.
2. VIDEO
Next you will need to decide on whether you want a Projector, or a large TV Screen. There are pro’s an con’s to both but generally speaking, in a dedicated home theatre the aim would be to have a projector. Projectors will give you a much bigger picture and make it feel more like a commercial cinema. Again, this will all come down to what the size of your room will allow.
3. AUDIO
The next step is to decide on your Audio configuration, and again, this will be largely affected by the size of your room. A starting point for a home theatre is a simple 5.1 configuration. This means you will have 5 speakers (3 in front, 2 rears) and 1 sub-woofer. But it doesn’t stop there. Commercial Cinema formats like Dolby Atmos are now readily available for use in your home and can be scaled to suit your room, starting from as little as 7 speakers.
4. WIRING
The next step is to decide on your Audio configuration, and again, this will be largely affected by the size of your room. A starting point for a home theatre is a simple 5.1 configuration. This means you will have 5 speakers (3 in front, 2 rears) and 1 sub-woofer. But it doesn’t stop there. Commercial Cinema formats like Dolby Atmos are now readily available for use in your home and can be scaled to suit your room, starting from as little as 7 speakers.
5. INPUTS/OUTPUTS
What are you going to be watching on your home Theatre? Is it going to be mostly movies? Sports? Gaming? All these factors come into play when designing your home theatre. They can influence screen size, screen shape, refresh rates etc. You want the display to match the sources. You wouldn’t believe the amount of people I come across paying for a 4K Netflix subscription but watching on a 1080P TV.
6. CONTROLS
How are you going to control your Home Theatre? Are you comfortable with using multiple remotes or do you want something a little more user friendly? Universal remote controls bring all your devices together onto one easy to use controller, and can even let you control your Home Theatre from your Smart Phone.
7. LIGHTING AND SOUND PROOFING
Depending on the location of your Home Theatre, Sound proofing can be very important. If you have your kid’s bedroom in the very next room, heavy soundproofing is going to be critical if you want to use the Home Theatre at night when the kids have gone to bed. Alternatively, if you Home Theatre is in a different dwelling on your property-sound proofing probably won’t be too hight on your priorities list.
Acoustic treatment, different to sound proofing, may also be important for your room. You want the sound to be as accurate as possible with no echo’s or sound bouncing around where it isnt wanted.
Lighting can really set off a home theatre. Whether it be lighting on your steps to help stop people tripping over in the dark room, or Coloured LED Strips around the perimeter of a coffered ceiling, lighting done right can really make your Home Theatre stand out from the crowd.
8. SEATING
When it comes to home theatres, the one you should trust is Sydney City Audio Visual. We are experts when it comes to getting you the entertainment centre you want. For more information about who we are and what we do, you can call us on 0402 845 393.
