Where to Start?

I know I want a home theater but where do I start?  Can I have one in my home?  What do I need and how much will it cost?

These are all questions most home owners have when thinking of a home theater.

Follow these few steps to get started.

1.  Choose the room in which you would like to have your Theater.
        In an existing home, be mindful of ease of access above and below the room for channeling and running wires.  Ex.  Try to plan for a room that will have either a crawl space underneath or an attic directly above the room you have chosen.  If you have a home in the pre-construction stages, much time can be saved by planning ahead and configuring your system before any walls are finished.

2.  Determine whether you want a 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 or greater system.
        What do these numbers mean?  in a 5.1 system, the "5" refers to the number of surround speakers, and the ".1" refers to the number of sub woofers you will have.  In most cases, a 5.1 systems will be sufficient in an average size room.  With larger rooms and larger budgets, systems can expand up to 7.2, 7.4 even 9.4 and greater.  Determining which setup is best for you will depend on the size of the room and overall budget.  Very large rooms will often times require the use of at least 7 surround speakers.  Also, this is a good time to decide whether a in wall, on wall, or free standing speaker arrangement will best suit your needs.  If there are little ones in your house, you may want to consider an in wall or on wall system to keep your equipment from getting damaged, or even worse, your loved ones.

3.  Choose your screen type.
        In smaller rooms, it may be best to use a LCD / LED flat screen TV for your video source.  In larger rooms, you may want to have more of the cinema feel and go with a front projection system.  With today's technology, large projection screens are just as clear and fast, if not more than mainstream flat screen TVs.  If using a projection system, consider how your projection screen will be mounted.  There are several options, such as electric roll down, manual pull up or down, as well as fixed mount.  Screens can also be painted on a flat non porous surface with great end results.
        Also keep in mind, if you have a bright room where light can not be controlled easily, it can become costly to make a projection system effective.

4.  Choose a location for your A/V equipment.
        Finding the right for your equipment to live can make the difference is you enjoying your theater, or dreading turning it on.  Find a location that is easy to get to, yet will no be in direct line of sight or close to the viewing screen. 

5.  Determine the type of seating to use.
          Theater style seating is synonymous with home theaters.  You will most likely be sitting in them for extended amounts of time, so don't forget about this crucial piece.  If you become uncomfortable half way through your favorite movie, you will not enjoy the experience nearly as much as if you feel completely relaxed.  These seats take up more room than average couches or armchairs, so plan accordingly to how much space you will need for the added width of the seats.  There are many options when considering theater seating.  Do you want them to recline, be electric, have cup holders, have mood lighting, match other furniture in your decor?

There can be many more options when building a home theater, though considering these few steps will go a long way in helping you to build the Home Theater your family will love.  Once you have an idea in mind of what you are looking for, come talk with our trained professionals to work out all the small details and make your project become a large success.