5 Tips to Make the Best out of your Home Cinema
While it may look effortless, home theater design can be tricky. Geting a media room that has both the performance and aesthetics you desire isn’t as simple as plopping a bunch of gear into a room and hitting play.
If you are just getting started on your own media room or home theater, here are a few design and technical tips to dial in your room of magic.
1. Just Say ‘No’ to Wires
Undeniably, the biggest media room blunder of all is exposed wiring, which is especially heinous with flat-panel displays or speakers that are mounted on the wall. Imagine your gorgeous living room wall defiled by black coils creeping down the wall. For best results, wires should be hidden inside the walls, which most likely means you, or your installer, snaking wires from your TV/speakers to the equipment.
2. Get the Right Furniture
Without using furniture specifically designed for audio and video components, you’re not only running the risk of a media room with tragic feng shui, but potentially damaging your equipment as well. AV furniture has the proper ventilation needed to keep your components from overheating plus the structural reinforcement needed to support heavy gear.
3. The Room Makes a Difference
Did you know that one of the biggest factors that contribute to whether or not your media system performs well is the room itself? Its shape, the materials that were used for flooring and interior design, and even the colors make a difference. Bright wall colors, for example, tend to reflect light back onto the screen and can wash out the onscreen image, while dark or neutral shades minimize light reflection and screen coloration. Of course, designers take this more seriously in a dedicated home theater than in a multipurpose media room for obvious reasons.
4. Pay attention to the lighting
Lighting doesn’t get enough credit in the world of home design, and the same holds true for home theater. I liken it to the salt of interior design. The psychological effects of the right lighting are invaluable, and it is even more pronounced when you are dealing with dark rooms and light-sensitive equipment. Consider blackout shades, an antiglare TV, or an ambient-light-rejecting screen for rooms with lots of sunlight.
5. Tweak Your Tech
Last, but certainly not least, it’s important that you tweak your audio and video to get the perfect image and audio in the space. Calibrating your image can be as simple as adjusting settings in your picture menu or as complicated as calling in a professional.
