- Front Projection Home Theater
- Choosing Home Theater Designers and Installers
- Front Projection for Home Theater
- Bringing Home An Authentic Movie Theater Experience
Choosing Home Theater Designers and Installers
01/19/2009 - By Advanced Audio Video, LLC - Rick Creel http://www.advancedaudiovideo.com
Home Theater Design - Asheville/Atlanta
Home Theater designers and installers are a dime a dozen. However, you usally get what you pay for. With so many "home technology" stores out there, how do you know if they're really home theater professionals? Here a a few tips.
Home theaters are the norm in todays modern home construction. With the rapid growth of technology in the home theater industry, one wonders how to keep up. If you're planning or designing a home theater in your plans, what should you be consdering? Maybe our first consideration at this point should be, "What do you consider to be a home theater?"
A home theater can mean different things to different people. Some people go to a "big box" store, buy a large screen TV with a surround sound system, then hook everything up in their living room. Others have a dedicated room with a projector, just for viewing movies and other special events. But still, how do you know you're getting your monies worth and how do you choose a professional home theater designer or installation company?
First, you'll need to determine which one of the previously mentioned situations matches your perception of a home theater. The first is not what we would necessarily call a home "theater". Actually, in that scenario, what you have done is dramatically improve both the performance and sound of your television. However, you're still not going to get the true "theater" feeling in your living room.
For those that can afford it, a dedicated room for viewing is the better way to go. Still, what is needed to get that "theater" feeling and how do you know the company you are choosing is a "home theater professional". Here are a few points for your consideration:
Background. We're not talking how many home theater installation jobs they have done. What we're talking about here is, do they have a "theater", or should we say "cinema" experience. Those that have installed professional, commercial theaters know what is needed besides just a projector and some sound. There are many elements that need to be considered. If you miss even the smallest of these, you could end up with a room that may have cost plenty, but still doesn't give you the satisfaction you wanted.
Aspect ratio. In a real theater, what is the aspect ratio of the screen and why is it this size. Now, if your home theater designer or installer can't tell you the 3 basic ratio's and why they're used, chances are, he may not know what you want. He will be putting in only what he know's, which may not have been what you wanted. This is also a very important factor in determining the correct screen size for your room and projection system.
Projection. There are a plethora of projectors to choose from. Besides the cost, what's the difference? Well, different projectors project the image in different ways. For instance, some use a color wheel while others use rapidly moving mirrors. Then there's the issue of "black". This is what gives you the contrast ratio on your images. Some projectors close the iris on the lens to produce are darker image, but this acutually reduces light output. This means, in order to see a dark picture in your theater, you have to get a higher light output projector to compensate for the darker images (sounds crazy, but it's how things work). This can mean higher cost. However, there are other projectors that accomplish the task of producing the darker images without reducing the light output. These same projectors can give you a high contrast ratio, brighter image, and cost less. Here again, your home theater installer should be able to explain these things to you clearly.
Lighting. Believe it or not, this is a very important element of your home theater. Your lighting can actually be automatically controlled so that the lights will go up or down as the movie starts or ends. However, if you have too much lighting, your home theater will loose that cinema feel you were striving to obtain. Not enough lighting, and you could have an accident waiting to happen.
Seating. While you may not want those seats they have in most commercial cinema's, no doubt you would like to have chairs that will keep you comfortable in you home theater. You may even want to consider how to elevate levels in your flooring so that individuals that may be sitting behind you won't be looking at the back of your head. The configuration of your furniture in this room is very important. Your home theater designer and installer should be able to discuss your options during your planning of your room. If they don't talk about this with you or bring it up, most likely they're more interested in selling you equipment than they are on how you're going to be using the room.
Audio. This is one apsect that is often overlooked, or viewed incorrectly. Some "home theater installers" will try to get you the biggest system with the most wattage. That is not always a good thing. You can make the sound as loud as you like, but if the sound quality is no good, what's the point. Think of it this way; Did you ever ride with that guy in High School that had that massive sound system in his car? I mean, it was so loud that the doors would pop open while you were traveling down the highway! Funny thing though, that you could never understand what the band's were singing. What we're saying here is that "volume" does not equal good sound quality. Nor does lack of volume mean it is any better.
There are many different aspects to sound quality. Too many to go into here, but here are a few things to consider: Equalization, time alignment, standing waves. How does your home theater designer or installer attempt to accomplish these tasks? If he doesn't know what these are, again, you may want to reconsider their "expertise" in the home theater field.
Last but not least is their company. True, not all home theater installers and designers have a store front. Even some of those that do don't have a real "theater" that they can display. None the less, your home theater installer or designer should have something to show you, whether that be in his store or at a clients house. Truth is, if they're that good, most of their clients will be happy to let you see what they have in their home. A real home theater is something that the majority of our clients like to show others. They are proud of their investment and want to show it to others.
There are many other points that you'll want to consider. However, we simply don't have the space to contain all that information here. With so many companies popping up offering home theater installations, it can be frightening. Our company serves as an industry consultant. We give free advice to those requesting it. Simply send us an e-mail with your questions and we'll be happy to answer your concerns.
A home theater project is one of the crowning joys of your home (other than you children of course). If it's done right, you'll be able to spend countless hours together with your family and friends. Your home theater will become your "family room".
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