Creating the Ultimate Home Theater in Your San Antonio Home
Not too long ago you had to be somewhat wealthy to have a home theater room in your home. Projectors, screens, and components used to cost an arm and a leg. But just like a lot of things, as innovations occurred, prices began to drop. Now just about anyone can enjoy watching sporting events and movies from the comfort of their own homes.
And that’s a good thing in these troubling COVID-19 pandemic times. Most movie theaters have been shut down since March. They are just now beginning to reopen at very limited capacities. Sporting events are being held in empty stadiums, if they are being held at all. And besides, just how safe do you think it may be to mingle in a crowd of people today? Home theaters make maintaining social distancing a lot easier.
So the answer is to turn that family room or bonus space into your own personal home cinema. Here is what it is going to take.
A High-Quality Projector
A laser projector is now an affordable state-of-the-art necessity. They are easy to set up, have a greater picture quality then the older technology lamp-based projectors, and can be used in rooms that are less that completely dark. The important features that your choice of laser projector should have include:
- 4K UHD (Ultra-High Definition) resolution
- High brightness, measured in lumens, of at least 2500-3000 lumens
- A contrast ratio of a minimum 50,000:1
- Throw ratio – how far away from the screen can the projector be placed to obtain the image size that you desire (room dimensions need to be considered)
- Zoom lens capability
A Viewing Screen
Yes, you could just use a white wall, but if you are making an effort to create a true home theater, a quality screen is required. There are several types of screens on the market, so you need to explore all of the different options.
- Permanent
- Portable
- Manual pull down
- Electric
Seating
Comfortable chairs to accommodate the crowd has to be part of the plan. The seating doesn’t have to be theater seats, but recliners with footrests are recommended. After all, even a short movie is more than 1 ½ hours long.
Components
Make sure you have a good sound system with surround and rear speakers, a subwoofer, and ceiling-mounted height speakers. You should also have a 4K blue-ray player, computer, or some other device that provides streaming services, like an Amazon Firestick.
Space
You need a room to put everything in. Although an extra bedroom will do, a larger room to fit the chairs and theater equipment would be more reasonable. Remember the number of viewers you want to have and the need for comfortable seating with adequate viewing angles. Your seating should not be in one line from side to side. Seating needs to be arranged in rows, one set of seats behind another, and maybe a row or two behind those.
Conclusion
The entire home theater concept should cost somewhere in the $4,000 to $6,000 range, depending upon how fancy you choose to make it. Dimming lighting features, motorized window blinds, and a conveniently nearby snack bar could add to that overall cost.
If you are in the market for a new home, make sure that your realtor understands that you need room for a home theater. Realtors are hearing this requirement from buyers more and more often these days and will have no trouble finding you prospective homes with room for a home theater.