Setting Up Your Own Home Theater

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The glitz, the glamour, the excitement and production of the movies! When you love movies, but don’t like getting dressed up or spending your life savings on concessions, setting up your own home theater is the best option. From purchasing the most reliable projectors, to finding the right kind of fluffy pillow, we have all the tips and steps you need to take to start your home theater journey.

Taking the time to do it right will always be beneficial in the long run. Your home theater is an entertainment investment that will bring you YEARS of amusement. Knowing exactly what your costs will be, how you’ll arrange the room, and bringing out your inner designer will make this project less difficult to handle.

The Right Equipment for the Job

It’s easy to look into setting up your home theater and see nothing but price tags. The sound, the projector, the seating, all of it adds up. But if you’re like any movie lover, and go to the movies every weekend, then the investment may actually SAVE you money in the long run.

Without breaking the bank, you can look into finding quality picture and sound equipment for a bargain. Big sale days like black Friday, labor day sales, or looking into buying gently used items online can all be helpful. Don’t shy away from knowing what kind of product you’re getting, though. You can get some pretty quality projectors for under $500 by doing the research and reading the reviews.

What You’ll Need

• A quality short throw projector is a home theater necessity. Look into resolution quality, the connectivity, brightness and lumens, and of course, price. If you are looking into higher end projectors, research 4k projectors, HD projectors, and 3D capable projectors.
• There are also projectors that are good for presentations, while others are better suited for the movie life. The BenQ HT2150ST is really good for movies and gaming, so that product is highly recommended for console lovers and Blu-ray fanatics. Once you find a projector that fits your needs, you’re one step closer to building the home theater of your dreams.
• Sound equipment and soundproofing materials. Want to hear every terrified breath in the horror film? Want to really feel the explosions in the newest action movie? Then finding the best sound equipment to fit your budget will work wonders.
• You’ll need to invest in some acoustic wall treatments, or a solid way to soundproof the room. When your subwoofer is blaring that helicopter crash, and someone is trying to do homework in the next room, it could potentially lead to conflict. Taking the time to research soundproofing and wall textures is totally worth it.
• Furniture, or lack thereof. Whether you want row after row of leather lazy boys, or a giant pile of pillows and bean bags, how you furnish the room will be completely up to you. Take into account that you’ll probably want to show off your home theater, and not everyone can get down onto the floor that easily. Grandma wants to watch Home Alone Two, too!

Set Up

Start with the right room and go from there. A room that is dimly lit, with great ventilation, and has enough room to fit all your friends on game day would be perfect!

• To set up the projector, you’ll first need to know where your screen is going, or which wall will suffice as your screen (A screen would be best, but sometimes a quality paint job will work). Make sure you know your projector’s dimensions so you have enough room for the possible 300inch picture.
• Find the right height for your projector by starting with mounting your projector on a flat and level surface. The majority of projectors are made to have the lens line up with the bottom of the projection picture. Table mounts are generally best, but you can also mount a projector from the ceiling.
• Running the chords can sometimes be a bit of a challenge as cables will need to connect to the projector. Here is where ceiling mounts will be incredibly useful. Wires are typically easiest to run if your walls are open, so this may require a full remodel. If you can afford it, hiring a licensed professional to create the perfect connectivity is preferred.
• Once you have everything connected, turn your projector on and adjust the picture. Make sure your projector is square, you have the correct user mode activated, and the lens is clean. You can adjust the height and fine tune the angle until the picture is clear.

Aesthetics

Once the equipment is set up, and all the wires are skillfully connected, you can start to work on the aesthetics and design. Arranging the room and adding all your personal touches will make it a room everyone wants to visit.

Seating and line of sight should always be considered. You don’t want to have your friends over to binge watch all the seasons of your favorite show, and half the people can’t see the screen. Arrange the seating how you’d like it, then check out the line of sight from each chair or retro bean bag.

Dark lighting, dark walls, and dark accents are generally considered best for home theaters. This way there is less light bouncing off of your curtains and ruining the projections picture. It’s also a plus if you can hide any sort of wiring from view, so you can focus only on the experience.

After Setting Up Your Own Home Theater

Now that you’ve got all the best equipment, the proper lighting, the comfiest couch, and all those romantic comedy posters up on the walls, it’s time to start the show! You can now enjoy your newly renovated theater!  Watching movies from the comfort of your own home will be something you’ll look forward to every day!