Proper home theater design includes accounting for more than just your TV and speakers

Whenever you sit down to watch a movie in your home theater, the most obvious elements of the experience are your TV and sound system. But for the absolute best in entertainment, you have to think about more than just the quality of your screen and speakers. Other room features have a significant impact on how you and your guests feel as you watch.

With that in mind, we have a special blog for residents of Brentwood and other nearby parts of Tennessee. We’ll walk you through three crucial traits to remember when you’re thinking about home theater design.

SEE ALSO: Why Choose Symspire for Your Home Theater Installation?

SCREEN SIZE

When it comes to your screen, it’s important to remember that bigger isn’t always better. You want lots of detail in your image, but a screen that’s too large will overwhelm you and your guests, especially if the seating is too close.

Screen size and seating position are linked. One rule many installers follow is that the distance between the screen and the viewer should 1.5 to 3 times the size of the screen. As an example, that means if you have a distance of about 10 feet (120 inches) between your TV and your seats, your potential maximum screen size is between 6 and 7 feet (72-84 inches). Our team can help you find the perfect size and model of TV or projector screen for your space.

ACOUSTICS

Soundproofing plays two essential roles in your home theater: Keeping the noise from your home theater out of the rest of the house and preventing any noise from bleeding into your viewing space. Proper acoustic treatments, meanwhile, ensure the top sound quality within the room.

The ideal way to soundproof your home theater is to start during construction. You can build your home theater using materials in your walls, floor and ceiling with strong sound absorption capabilities. Xero-sound drywall is an option. We can also add a layer of material between the walls of your home theater and the rest of the house to absorb the sound.

If you’re worried about the strain on your budget, there are sound absorbing “chips” that are installed between wall layers to lessen the amount of vibrations that pass through. It’s also important to have a tight seal around the door; even smalls gap between the door and frame allow for a great deal of sound to pass through.

Acoustic treatments keep sound from bouncing around the room, resulting in muddled echoey sound. Two available options to remedy this are acoustic panels and bass traps for your room. Acoustic panels absorb sound waves and turn them into heat energy. Bass traps are made from a special foam or fiberglass and are placed in corners to better absorb low-frequency vibrations. You also get better bass clarity.

SEATING

We’ve talked about how screen size and your seating are linked, but there are other things to consider when it comes to the furniture in your home theater. Firstly, it’s important that the seats are properly placed within the room for optimal visual and audio reception. A few inches can make a drastic difference in performance, and you and your guests want to capture every detail. We have extensive experience with such projects and have specialized equipment to help us gauge the right position

The other element to remember with seating is comfort. You’re going to be spending a LOT of time in this room, so you want seats that you could spend several hours in at a time without issue. One option is to go with theater-style seats. Our brand partners make recliners and loungers in a wide range of colors, styles and fabrics. You can also choose from larger sofas that fit multiple people, individual seats, or some combination of the two.

An experienced integrator like Symspire will make sure your home theater dreams are realized without any hiccups. To get started on your project, call us today at (615) 332-0093 or visit our contact page. You can also chat with a customer service representative by clicking on the message box below.