4 Things to Consider When Building a Cinema Room at Home
Is there a better place to enjoy movies than the cinema? All the necessary components are there—from the gigantic wall-to-wall screen to the bone-shaking surround sound system, to the sense of anticipation that comes from sitting in a snug, comfortable chair in a darkened room. It really is an incredibly unique atmosphere.
But now it’s easier than ever to bring the magic of the cinema into the comfort of your own home. Massive technological advances mean image quality has never looked more lifelike, and sound systems are richer, fuller and more powerful than ever before.
That said, the process of putting your cinema room at home together isn’t always going to be a straightforward one. So to make the process easier, we've highlighted four important factors to consider when setting up a cinema room at home.
#1: Room Layout
Before you even think about the sort of equipment you want to buy for your cinema room at home, you first need to consider the space you’ll actually be using. Room size will be a key factor here, and will determine the size and amount of equipment—and number of people—you’ll be able to accommodate.
After all, if the room you’re using is on the small side, a gigantic, oversized TV might make for exhausting viewing if you find yourself sitting a few feet away from the screen. So consider how you’re going to lay things out, and use that to inform your purchasing decisions.
Samsung suggests that you should work out what size screen you should go for by measuring the distance between the screen itself and your couch or armchair (in inches), and then dividing that distance by two.
#2: Screen Setup
Now you need to think about the star of the show in your home cinema—the screen!
Screen or Projector?
Do you want a traditional television, or a projector? Again, the sort of room you’re in could inform this decision, as rooms that let in plenty of natural light will likely work better with a television than a projector.
Image Quality
Then there’s the question of image quality. It can be easy to get bogged down in the various names and acronyms associated with TVs and projectors these days, but it’s HDR and 4K that you should really keep an eye out for. Put simply, 4K relates to screen resolution, or the number of pixels that fit in a screen. The more pixels you have, the more detailed an image will be.
Arguably of greater importance is HDR, or High Dynamic Range. HDR10 is the most widespread form of HDR, but all forms, whether it’s HDR10+, Dolby Vision or HLG, essentially allow a TV or projector to better display the nuances and subtleties between the brightest and darkest colours on screen, to make an image look more lifelike.
The good news is that most high-end screens and projectors now come with both HDR and 4K as standard. 8K screens are also slowly becoming available, but there’s very little content for them right now.
#3: Blu-Ray Player or Streaming Service?
It’s worth pointing out that to get the most out of your new HDR TV or projector, you’ll need to watch content that’s shot in HDR format. Luckily, this is very easy thanks to the widespread availability of streaming services and Ultra-HD Blu-ray players.
Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Disney+ all provide HDR content, so it’s really just a question of signing up to the service that has the films or TV shows you want to watch, and ensuring you have a suitably strong internet connection. Some services ask you to pay extra to get 4k.
Alternatively, if you prefer a physical movie collection, you can buy an Ultra-HD Blu-Ray player, and individual films or box-sets to go with it.
#4: Audio Setup
Do you go for a slick-looking, compact soundbar, or a more expansive multi-speaker surround sound set-up? For those with a large enough room, the full surround sound set-up will ultimately be the best shout.
Dolby Atmos is the latest in-home cinema surround sound technology. It builds upon the more traditional 5.1 and 7.1 set ups (whereby five or seven speakers work in conjunction with one subwoofer), by placing additional speakers in the ceiling for full 360-degree audio immersion—and the results are pretty astounding. These work in conjunction with a special Dolby Atmos AV receiver, which is available from a wide range of manufacturers.
Make a Berkeley Group Home Your Own
With Berkeley Group it’s now easier than ever to bring the magic of the cinema into the comfort of your own home. If you’re looking to buy a home you can make your own, look no further than our new developments of beautiful homes in desirable locations. Explore our range of new homes and apartments for sale.
Our customer commitment means we will support you every step of the way on your house-buying journey. Get in touch with our team today or find out more about Berkeley Group.