How to Create the Optimal Home Theater Experience

For hardcore movie and TV watchers, nothing beats watching your favorite movie or show in the comfort and style of a custom home theater. A dedicated home theater is also a significant investment, so you want to know you’re getting the best results for the money you’re spending.

Do you know what display, speakers and other equipment are the right choices for your home theater? If you’re not sure, we can help. In this blog, we’ll walk you through everything you need.

SEE ALSO: Check out our interactive smart home demo!

YOUR SCREEN

There’s an easy answer for the type of screen you want for your home theater: A 4K UHD display. All 4K TVs or projectors aren’t created equal, however. For example, a TV or screen that incorporates High-Dynamic Range imaging, or HDR, offers greater color contrast and creates a more intense image.

Another feature to look for is the screen refresh rate. The refresh rate measures how often the image on the screen is updated. A higher refresh rate results in a cleaner image when anything on the screen is moving. As a general rule, the refresh rate on high-end 4K displays is 240 Hz (this means the on-screen image updates itself 240 times per second).

We would also strongly recommend purchasing a 4K TV with an OLED screen. In contrast to LCD and LED TVs, every pixel on an OLED TV is individually lit from behind the screen instead of from the side. This technology greatly helps separate brighter from darker tones within an image.

SOUND

The major advantage movie theaters have had over home theaters for years is sound quality. But that’s no longer true; with Dolby Atmos, you can get the same sound quality and immersion at home as you would at your local multiplex.

What makes Atmos systems superior to other surround sound systems? The level of immersion. A standard surround sound installation feeds audio from your receiver to speakers placed throughout the room. The sound is channel-based, and the surround sound effect is created by center, left, right, and rear channels.

With Dolby Atmos, every sound on the screen becomes an individual audio object. Each sound is then placed in a three-dimensional environment created by speakers placed to your left, right, in front of you, behind you and overhead.

INTEGRATION AND YOUR NETWORK

The main goal of any smart home technology is to make life at home easier and more fun. Therefore, integrating your home theater with your other automation systems is a logical step.

Two automation systems that integrate well with your home theater are whole-home audio and lighting control. By combining your home theater installation with speakers throughout your home, you can listen to whatever you’re watching in any other room. Similarly, integrated lighting control lets you manage your TV, speakers and lights from a single device.

If you’re ready to take your movie and TV experience to the next level, call us today. You can get in touch by calling (201) 620-2929, or check out our online contact page.