I’d rather watch it at home!

Home Theatre – it’s big, it’s bright, it’s loud…it’s in your spare room!

One of our most requested installations is the coveted ‘home theatre’ and when it comes to viewing movies at home we know that everyone wants something different. That’s why we’ve done away with the ‘one-size fits all’ formula and design bespoke home theatres for all our clients to fit their specific needs. From twelve seats to two, we can install and maintain the finest quality of home cinema setups you’ll ever experience. After all, who wants to sit in a smelly cinema with noisy strangers rustling their popcorn in the background, when you can be in the comfort of your own home!

So where do you start?

Let’s start with addressing the most basic and common questions we hear when talking to customers about their home theatre – TV or Projector?

Generally this comes down to personal preference. Want a bigger screen and have a dark room in mind? Definitely a projector! It provides a much wider screen and therefore gives you the large picture you need to really get that cinema feeling.

If the room is going to be a multi-purpose space, have much more natural light or with less wall space for projection or separate screen, then go with a TV.  They’ve really advanced in the past few years and the picture quality you can now get is phenomenal.

Alternatively, you might want the cinema room to be discrete and have your TV screen hidden completely!

Either a TV or projector, 4k hardware is where you’ll find the best picture quality and is highly recommended, check out our blogs “4K – What’s All The Fuss About” and “Hidden TV’s – Your Very Own Secret Cinema” to find out more.

What about sound?

Here’s our other favourite part of home theatre…..Sound! To get the best performance out of your home theatre you need to place as much important on sound as you do the visual element. Speakers can be on-wall, in-wall, in-ceiling, floor standing, or hidden all together.

They can be discrete or proudly displayed, depending on your individual preference. Whether it is a small 5.1 or a much larger 11.4 Dolby Atmos setup, we can ensure you’ll be totally immersed, whether you’re listening for the slightest pin drop to the highest intensity war scene, we use the finest quality speakers, amplifiers and sub-woofers – each specifically chosen to meet your needs and budget.

Where do all the black boxes go?

This is a much bigger question than it sounds. Our Pro Media consultant will work with you to see how to make your system work best. It really depends on the size of your source list and whether you are installing a stand-alone cinema or integrating into a full home automation system.

A local AV Rack in the room will typically be the case. All your hardware will sit and work behind the scenes while you sit back and enjoy the film. Typically, high definition DVD or Blu-Rays will be viewed in the cinema room. These can either be made available through a smart storage device such as the brilliant Outclass Server or it could be practical to have a player local (and avoid having to go to a separate central location to physically load a disc). TV cabinets can also hold equipment for smaller installations but this would need to be large enough to house the equipment while retaining the chosen aesthetics of the room.

But, I’ll have eight different remotes for each device?

Remember those wooden boards with Velcro to hold all the remotes – one each for the TV, VHS, Sky, sound system and later the DVD remote (during that awkward transition between DVD and VHS). Well this isn’t an issue anymore. In fact, this is where we shine!

We install Control4 smart home automation systems, and their single room solution can be easily, discretely and inexpensively installed in a TV viewing room. The right devices (amps, subwoofers, TV/projector and speakers) paired with industry-leading integration can provide ultimate control of your home cinema via a SINGLE remote. In addition to the audio and video equipment this could also be extended to include lighting, automated projector screens, curtains or blinds and heating.

If you would like to speak to someone about your home theatre needs get in touch with a member of our team on 0345 505 1760 or drop us an email. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on all the latest innovations in smart home technology.

Photo credit: Control4