Creating The Perfect Home Cinema In Your New Home

The day has come, you’ve finally moved to a bigger place and your DVD collection finally has the space it deserves. Now, you can start to think about creating the ultimate home cinema, so you can watch movies in the way they were meant to be seen.

But where do you start? What equipment do you need and how much should you spend?

Set a realistic budget

When it comes to building a home cinema, your ambitions need to match your bank balance. Moving home can be expensive but you might be able to use some of your Home Buyer Rebate or pick up bargains in the sales around Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

If you are determined to get top of the line equipment, you may have to build your home cinema slowly over time, adding equipment when you can afford to.

Dedicate a space

Ideally, you’ll have a space you can devote to your movie watching, perhaps an attic or a spare room. If space is an issue you can still adapt your living room. If you can, try and dedicate a space that is rectangular as the acoustics will be better than in a square room.

Are You Sitting Comfortably?

You’re going to need something to sit on when enjoying your home cinema. It’s really a matter of personal taste.  Some people like to lie down on a comfortable sofa or a reclining chair, you can use a large beanbag or just a standard armchair. Make sure you’ve got extra room for all your friends and family who are likely to be there with you too.

Where you put your seat is important too. To establish to ideal viewing angle, imagine two lines that extend forwards from the edges of the screen, the ideal angle is about 35 degrees. If the angle is less than 30 degrees you’ll be distracted by other things in the rooms and if you have an angle greater than 40 degrees the screen might feel a bit overwhelming for the space.

Projector or TV?

You can get some huge TV screens now with 4K LED screens of 75 inches becoming affordable for many people. If you’re looking for a new or second-hand TV, go for a full HD version and stick to LED rather than plasma. However, if you want a viewing screen that is over 90 inches but doesn’t cost half as much as a new apartment, then a projector screen is what you need. If you do go with a projector screen and projector, you need to pay more attention to the levels of light in your room. When using a projector screen, experts recommend that you place your main speakers behind the screen.

Other things to consider

There are many other things that you should think about when designing your cinema room, including:

  • Soundproofing
  • Sound system
  • Lighting
  • Shelving for your equipment
  • High-speed internet access for streaming

Now that you’ve designed your perfect home cinema, the biggest decision you’ll have to make is what to watch.

These Tips will Help you to Build the Perfect Home Theatre

Building a home theatre can be an exciting experience to say the least. You may feel as though you have so much to plan and if you want to get the best result, then you need to pay special attention to every detail. This includes the sound, the lighting and even the position of your TV or screen. If you want to get some help, then simply take a look below.

Have a Dedicated Space

A dedicated home theatre room is a space which is solely dedicated to watching any kind of movie on the big screen. With streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime around, it’s safe to say that there has never been a better time for you to make the most out of your cinematic experience. Spare rooms are brilliant for a home theatre as you can dedicate the whole room to your viewing experience. You do need to make sure that you can sit far enough away from the screen if you can though. This is especially the case if you have a video projector.  At the bigger end, your projector will probably need 14-feet worth of throw distance, for a 150” picture to be cast.

Control the Light

Ambient light is your worst enemy when it comes to your home theatre experience. Light bleed will kill your image and it will make flat-screen viewing nearly impossible. If you want to choose a video projector then you will need to choose a projector which has a very high lumens rating.  You also need to invest in some blackout blinds if you can so you can stop the light before it starts to interfere with your experience.

Ambient Sound

Ambient sound is any unwanted sound that comes from the outside of your home theatre. Even if you do manage to find a dedicated space for your home theatre, sometimes sound can interfere. You might have kids in other rooms, the sound of the dishwasher or even plumbing noises. This is the last thing that you want because it will ruin your viewing experience. One way for you to stop sound from being an issue would be for you to add another layer of drywall or add some solid doors.  If you have windows, then adding thicker curtains that block out light while absorbing sound are also a good option.

Build a Rack

Your AV rack is essentially the central brain that is responsible for controlling all of your activities. Source components, such as the BluRay player, the DVD player and even the cable box are all very good options. They can be added to your rack and this means that you can have everything set up as it should be. If you want to make sure that your rack is set up properly then you need to try and have a satellite internet connection. When you do, you will soon find that you are able to get the best viewing experience and that you are also able to put an end to lag and choppy video.

Looking like a Cinema

Think about it, what vision do you have when you think about your home cinema? For some, it’s the classic movie look with sconce lights, seating and a popcorn maker. For others, it’s scaled-down with a comfortable chair and a table for your drink. Either way, it doesn’t matter what you decide to go with because you need to make sure that you understand what you are trying to achieve before you go ahead with your full vision.

Plan a Robust Lighting System

Cinema lighting needs to be fully controllable. Light dimmers, recessed lights and then soffits really do form the foundation of your viewing experience. If you want to get the best result out of your experience overall, then you need to try and keep the lights as hidden as possible. If you do, then you will soon find that you are able to make your space look much more modern.

Limit any Reflective Objects

If you have a lot of shiny doorknobs, hinges or even fixtures then this will bounce light around the room, and this is the last thing that you need. You also have to make sure that you have paint which has a softer sheen as well. This could include choosing matte over satin. If you have some very reflective objects in your room, then it is also a good idea for you to reduce the sheen by going over it with some dark-coloured matte paint instead.

Building a home theatre can be an exciting experience to say the least. You may feel as though you have so much to plan and if you want to get the best result, then you need to pay special attention to every detail. This includes the sound, the lighting and even the position of your TV or screen. If you want to get some help, then simply take a look below.

Have a Dedicated Space

A dedicated home theatre room is a space which is solely dedicated to watching any kind of movie on the big screen. With streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime around, it’s safe to say that there has never been a better time for you to make the most out of your cinematic experience. Spare rooms are brilliant for a home theatre as you can dedicate the whole room to your viewing experience. You do need to make sure that you can sit far enough away from the screen if you can though. This is especially the case if you have a video projector.  At the bigger end, your projector will probably need 14-feet worth of throw distance, for a 150” picture to be cast.

10 Ways to Make Your At-Home Movie Experience More Enjoyable

Whether you’re a purist that loves renting DVDs and Blu-Rays from a local store or enjoy watching movies online, there are plenty of ways to improve your viewing experience if you take a couple of things into consideration. In this article, we’re going to list 10 of the best ways to take your movie viewing experience to the next level.

1. Pick the right time to watch a film

Don’t just watch a film because you can. Instead, choose the optimal time to improve your viewing experience. For example, you might decide to watch a film on the weekend instead of a weekday so that you don’t feel rushed, or you might want to watch a film when you’ve come home from work and had a shower and eaten dinner so that you can fall asleep as soon as it’s finished. There are optimal times to watch a film and it’s up to you to decide when you most enjoy it. The key things to remember are to minimize distractions and pick a time when you feel most relaxed and comfortable.

2. Get your favourite snacks ready

Snacks can include virtually anything. You’ll want to prepare some snacks beforehand, such as going to the store on your way home on a movie night or ordering in some pizza so you can eat while you watch. Typical movie snacks like popcorn can be a great way to add a bit of cinema nostalgia to your experience, but you can also add healthier options like pieces of fruit, vegetable sticks and sandwiches.

3. Include some homemade food

It’s best to include a bit of homemade food whenever you gather snacks for a movie night. In fact, you could even mix dinner and your movie to make it a little more enjoyable. Dinner doesn’t need to be at a dining table with your family. There are other options such as eating finger food around a coffee table while you watch a film, or enjoying a social dinner such as fondue or Asian-style hot pot.

4. Decide if you want to enjoy it alone or invite others

You should also decide if you want to enjoy your at-home movie experience with friends and family or on your own. Some people enjoy watching movies on their own and actually prefer it because when they have friends or family around, they might be upset when they make a negative remark and they might be uncomfortable with movie choices. There’s nothing wrong with watching in private and enjoying a night in on your own!

5. Get comfortable for your movie

It’s important to make yourself comfortable enough to watch a film, but not comfortable enough to fall asleep. Many people make the mistake of watching a film in bed but because their body is used to sleeping in bed and the comfort envelopes them, they might end up falling asleep and missing most of the film. Consider comfortable seats like a reclining chair, luvsac bean bags or even just your regular sofa with a blanket and some pillows. If you’re not comfortable while watching, then you’re not going to have a good time!

6. Decide on a movie

One of the hardest things about watching a film at home is picking a movie! It’s smart to pick a movie during the day so that you’re not stuck flicking through Netflix or your movie collection. There’s nothing wrong with watching something you’ve watched before and a lot of people have preferred genres, actors or even directors that they enjoy watching. Everyone has their own tastes, so it’s important to choose something that you personally enjoy.

7. It doesn’t have to be a typical movie

A lot of people mistake movie night for just being about movies, but the reality is that you can watch pretty much anything as long as it’s fun and enjoyable for you. You could marathon two or three episodes of your favourite drama series, you could watch animated cartoons or you could even watch some documentaries. Whatever you enjoy, these tips will work for you and make your at-home viewing experience that much more enjoyable.

8. Try watching a movie while you do something else

A lot of people get bored watching films and it’s understandable if you’re not used to watching movies. To remedy this, you could try something like responding to emails while you watch, chatting to friends and family members on social media or even getting some light work done. Some people even find watching a movie more enjoyable while they’re working out, so there are countless possibilities that could apply to you. It’s understandable that some people find watching a movie to be a waste of time, even if it’s for their own enjoyment. As a result, they’ll want to do something else while watching a movie. If this makes watching a movie more enjoyable for you, then there’s nothing wrong with it and it’s perfectly acceptable.

9. Don’t make it a ritual

A lot of hardcore movie watchers will set specific dates and times to watch a film. Some people will even go as far as to get the same snacks, set up the same comforts and invite the same people. However, you shouldn’t force yourself to watch if you don’t feel like it on the day. You could always skip your movie night, pick a different night or even just do something else with the people you’ve invited around. Just don’t make it a ritual and force yourself into watching a film if you don’t feel like it.

10. Watch a movie for your own reasons

Lastly, try not to be swayed by people too much. Some people are very critical about the movies they watch and will end up telling you not to watch a film even though it’s with your favourite actors and genres. Some people might even try to force you to watch a film and pester you about it because they enjoy it, even though you really don’t want to. Make sure you watch a film for your own reasons and don’t feel like you should be forced to watch something you don’t want to. In addition, don’t listen to movie critics because your opinion is the only one that counts. Whether you enjoy or dislike a film is all your personal opinion, so don’t let anyone take that away from you!