Home theaters are all the rage, and why not?! All the comfort and convenience of your own home combined with the entertainment value of a movie theater. And with the price of movies these days, it is becoming more and more economical to build a home theater. While home theater equipment can be expensive, it is important to get the best equipment you can afford, from the projector, to the screen, to the speakers, to the cabinetry and sofas (you do, after all, want to be comfortable). However, in the end it is important to remember that, no matter how good your equipment is, it is essential to use a good home theater room design. Indeed, if your room is designed poorly, you might as well buy a 12 inch black and white television and set it up in the living room.
The most important thing to keep in mind when designing your home theater is to let your equipment be your guide. To get the maximum effect out of your equipment, you need to build around your equipment. For instance, the larger your screen, the farther away your seating area needs to be. You also have to keep in mind where the best locations for your speakers are to give you true surround sound. Not surprisingly, the central speaker should be lined up perfectly with the seating area, with the surround speakers behind the seating area just to the left and right.
You should also consider where in your house you should locate your home theater. Your home theater will not work as well in every room in your house. The best place for your home theater will likely be the basement. When you are in the basement, you will not have to worry about preventing light from coming in and taking away from your picture, and you will be able to insulate the rest of the house from your theater's sound. Also, your basement will likely give you the most flexibility in terms of placing your components.
Your home theater room design can make or break the effectiveness of your home theater. Creating the perfect home theater is more than just buying the best equipment. Take the time to ensure you have the best layout possible. The last thing you want happening is putting all that money and labor into it and then it turns out opposite the way you planned it to.
