A home theater can transform your living room into the place to be. Whether it’s for watching the biggest sporting events or cuddling up on a Saturday night for a movie, a home theater system can enhance your free time and make everyday entertainment a cinematic experience.
Of course, getting the professionals in to install a home theater system can eat into your bank account, so what do you need if you want to install your own home theater on a budget?
A Room
You will, of course, need a space for your home theater. You may choose to use your living room, but if you have an unused room in your home already that would make a lovely home theater, separate it from your everyday living space.
Even a room as small as 10′ x 10′ can be converted into a home theater. An unused basement is perfect, as the lack of windows prevents light reflecting. If your home theater room has a window, cover it up with drapes. Pale or white walls can reflect light so paint the walls a muted color, but avoid black as it can be a bit depressing when you turn on the lights. You will need carpet on the floor to prevent sound distortion, but any carpet will do.
Furnishings
There’s no need to shell out for expensive lazy-boys or cinema-style seating. Just make sure that your seats are comfortable and arranged in such a way that everyone can see the screen. Consider placing side-tables for snacks and drinks or you may find you need you clean up spills after the show. Don’t forget to put in some storage for your movies and other media.
A Screen
You can choose to buy a large TV and mount that on your wall or you can use a projector and a screen. If you are using a TV or one of the various projection screens that are available, make sure that it either comes with hardware to mount it on the wall or remember to buy the appropriate materials for the screen you have chosen.
You can also use special paint on one wall that will serve as a projector screen. Projectors range in cost from a few hundred dollars to a few thousands and will need to be mounted on the ceiling wall or placed on a shelf.
You can also browse some of the available models on the Dell projectors page that are multi-functional and can also be used for computers simultaneously.
The Sound System
There are so many different sound systems available from home technology stores, from budget to bank-buster. The most important thing to remember when installing your speakers is that you will need to adjust their placement to fit the acoustics of your room, so make sure you have set up your drapes, furniture and everything else before you decide on their final placement.
After reading about home theater, you’re probably interested in learning more about actual installation. Guest post written by Shane Jones. This article was written by a guest author. Would you like to write for us?
