If you manage to create an immersive experience at home, an evening of Netflix and a bag of snacks can become more exciting than leaving home for the movie theater. Whether you plan to convert the basement into a picture studio or want to make the most of the 4K TV you’ve just bought, here’s a quick guide on creating a whopping home theater without extending your line of credit.
Decide what’s important to you
A home theater is an exciting option that provides an immersive viewing and listening experience. In its most basic form, it can be just a TV and a humble sounds system, but can also include custom-built elements with a high-end screen or a video projector, in-wall and ceiling speakers, and expensive seating. You need to decide on your priorities. Is it the biggest viewing image possible? Are you going to spend most of the time watching sports, movies, listening to music, or playing video games?
Research before you buy
Before you count the cash for any home theatre component, check out the information on both the internet and printed catalogues on the type of products you’re considering. The web resources include manufacturer sites, comparative reviews, online price guides, consumer reports, and moderated forums. When asking around in brick and mortar stores, don’t let the salesman see you have no clue about items you’re looking to purchase.
Re-purpose an old PC for home theater
If you don’t have an old PC or laptop laying around somewhere, chances are you know someone who does. Use it as a starting point for your media center. It would be the cheapest way to get a good home theater system. Even if you need to add a couple of more expensive items, a re-purposed PC will be cheaper than any other tech you buy. A proper computer offers you a degree of flexibility that can’t be compared with a Roku or Chrome cast. A PC can do everything a streaming device can do, but it doesn’t work the other way round. Besides, a PC keeps your options open for the future – you can add a 4K Blu-ray drive, or a better audio card, or upgrade the CPU or graphic card to make it run more demanding games.
Home Theater must have a great TV
To cut to the chase, the key feature in your home theater will be an amazing TV. Even if you’re on a budget, it’s worth splurging on innovative technology, awesome picture quality, and stylish design. A wall mount is the most logical choice, especially if you have little ones in the house. However, professionals who specialize in quick TV installation can confirm that apart from being safer, a wall mount gives you more space and better viewing angles. Ideally, it would be a TV that supports both HDR and 4K. Even if you don’t like its interface, you’ll be probably getting a Blu-ray player or the mentioned PC which will do everything a smart TV does.
Think twice about a projector
Instead of a TV, you can go with a projector, however, it’s more expensive in the long run. Since projectors don’t have a backlight, you’ll need to spend on additional items like blackout curtains, and a quality projection screen. Also, good projectors weight 4K resolution and HDR support are quite a bit more expensive than same-sized TVs. Especially if you’re planning to buy a big TV, there isn’t much justification to buy a projector.
Start with inexpensive speakers
Don’t fall for the bigger is better philosophy. The quality of speakers is important just as the way you set them up and the components they use. If the media room is small a 9.1 channel setup would be an overkill. Depending on whether you’ll use satellite speakers at the back or the sides, you’ll need speakers that offer good bi pole or dipole output. A home theater default is a 5.1 setup with one sub woofer and five satellite speakers. Before you purchase, figure out where each speaker will go, and how the wiring will work. Alternatively, you can consider a soundbar system. A soundbar is a device that uses a single speaker cabinet that creates a wider surround-like sound. It can be placed above or under a TV. These save a lot of space and most of them come with their internal amplifiers.
Dim the lights
While blackout blinds are the perfect accessory for those who are woken up by sunlight, they will make a useful accessory in the theater room, as well. Easy to operate, blackout blinds will hide the glare of streetlights and passing cars. Of course, in the phrase ‘movie night’ the keyword is night, so to enjoy the ultimate cinema vibe of your media room, you should wait for dark. However, even after the sun sets, a set of blackout curtains can make a huge difference. Dark wall hues create a dramatic backdrop in any space, so to reduce the ambient light, even more, you should consider repainting the theater room in darker tones.
Buy refurbished products
Whether you want to pimp your theater room with comfy cinema-style recliners, create a more of a communal, family-friendly vibe with a corner sofa, or just throw in a couple of beanbags, always look for bargains. Buying refurbished products is one way of saving money and getting great accessories.In the long run, a home theater can be a real money saver, but only if you buy smart. Don’t buy the cheapest, but don’t fall for higher prices if they offer just a minor improvement in performance.
