The choice to set up a home theater is a big decision, and a big task.  However, if you do your research, plan ahead and follow the instructions, your movie and television experience will be transformed. Your days of watching poor quality video with uneven sound will be over forever.

Once you have done your research, selected your components and read all of your instruction manuals, it is time to plan your at-home theater.  Whether you are using a big room or a small room, a basement or an attic, the same considerations generally apply lighting, sound, viewing and seating.

Lighting is what provides the “movie mood” in your home theater.  If you are in a room with windows, curtains may be necessary.  If you do not like to watch television and movies in a completely darkened room, you may want to consider installing a dimmer switch on your lights.  There is nothing worse than seeing the glare from your lights or the sun reflected in the middle of your favorite movie.

While the sound quality of your speakers is vital to the success of a home theater, poor acoustics can make even the best speakers sound poor.  If your space has hard floors or concrete walls, something to absorb the sound might be in order.  Area rugs or carpeting will help absorb sound and prevent echoing, so will well-padded furniture.  For concrete walls, you can consider covering them in drywall or hanging curtains to help absorb sounds.

Viewing is critical to creating a home theater. The Home Theater Setup Guide has more advice about viewing angles  but the basics are to consider where you will place your television or projection screen and your seating so that all viewers can see the screen without tilting their heads.  If someone cannot see the movie, the experience will not be nearly as pleasant.  Ideally, the seating should be facing the screen and placed at a distance that is close enough for viewers to see details, yet far enough away that they can see the entire screen and not have to strain their neck to look up or around at the screen.  Once you have arranged your room all that is left is setting up your home theater components, pop some popcorn, turn on a movie, sit back, relax and enjoy!

If you are setting up your home theater with a projector, you will need to make decision on not only the type of projector to buy but also what type of screen would best suit your needs.  Many people opt for the affordable fixed projector screen, especially if their home theater is separate from their main living areas and a screen would not look out of place on the wall. Others opt for a retractable screen, especially if it is in a room that is used for other purposes aside from viewing.

Fixed projector screens are mounted on the wall, usually surrounded by a light weight screen made of aluminum. This is probably the cheapest style of screen you can buy, as there are no motorized or extra parts that would add to the expense.

Deciding on a Projector’s Screen Size

One of the first decisions you will need to make once you have decided on the type of screen to buy is how large the screen should be. There are many factors to take into consideration, including the type of projector you will use, the size of the room, and the general seating arrangement of the room.

With so many variables, there are no hard and fast rules therefore it is probably in your best interest to avail yourself of the help of professionals who have made calculators available online for this very purpose. Most of the online calculators are very easy to use, all you have to do is type in your specifications and they will give you suggested options for the size of screen best suiting your particular needs.

As a general rule of thumb, home theaters usually do best with a screen size of anywhere from 84″ to 92″ in width. If you go wider than that the quality of the picture will deteriorate unless you have a very high end projector. Large screens also use up your projector lamp more rapidly, and these are fairly expensive to replace.

If you are in the process of buying a fixed projector screen, I highly recommend you do your research and also use the handy online calculators to determine what the best size is for you.

There are plenty of things to consider when designing a home theater from scratch. Not only do you need to worry about the type of television and speakers to purchase, you also need to consider things like furniture, seating and even smaller details such as the type of speaker wire you will use. The tendency for most people is to focus on the larger components such as the television, though an argument can be made to spend just as much time on the physical appearance of your theater. One of the most important considerations that can influence the way your theater looks is the furniture that you select; things like TV stands, seating and audio towers all have a collective effect on the way things look.

Although there are a variety of furniture pieces to consider when it comes to putting together a new home theater, one of the most critical components is the audio tower. This is where all of your sensitive electronic components will be placed and powered.

While you may be tempted just to place these devices in just about any nondescript location, you would be doing them a great disservice. These devices need to be placed in a location where they will be shielded from dust and dirt, and they also need to be positioned so that they can expel heat that is generated from operation. What this means is that they need a tower that has enough capacity to house each component on its own shelf. Other factors to consider when selecting a tower include integrated power and cable management, which you will find when shopping high-end audio furniture.

Although audio towers are certainly critical from the standpoint of protecting your valuable equipment, they can also have a significant effect on how your completed theater looks. In order to achieve the most professional look, you should focus on selecting a cabinet that is manufactured with quality in mind. The last thing you want is to purchase a cabinet that will begin sagging or falling apart in a couple of years.