1. The Room
Before anything can happen, you need to determine what room will be used for the theater. The space of the room will determine certain aspects like the size and type of video display that is needed while the lighting, the wall covers, and the flooring compliment the ambiance and overall aesthetics of the room (commonly known as creating a “scene”).
2. Speakers
The audio speaker system for a home theater is tailored around the size of the room or space it will encompass and comes in a variety of speaker combinations that allow for sound to come at you from all directions. In order to accomplish this, speaker placement is extremely important and is based solely on the optimal seating position of the room.
Audio configuration used for these kinds of rooms typically contain a center channel speaker, left and right main speakers placed at 22-30 degrees from center of room (optimal seating position), left and right surround speakers placed at 90-110 degrees from center of room (optimal seating position), and a subwoofer which creates the bass frequencies from 80Hz and below.
- Center Channel:
Positioned in the front center of the room just below or above the video display; this speaker acts as an anchor for the on-screen dialog.
- Left and Right Main:
Positioned in the front of the room; these speakers provide additional support to the center channel so that the dialog is fully disbursed throughout the seating area.
- Left and Right Surround:
Positioned on the sides and in the rear of the room; these speakers provide lots of ambience associated with special effects like gun shots, screeching tires, falling rain, etc.
- Subwoofer:
Positioned in the front, side, or rear of the room; this speaker provides low-end frequencies for a deep full effect associated with special effects within a movie.
Home Theater Speaker Guide
Home Theater Speaker Guide
Home Theater Speaker Guide
3. Seating
No home theater is complete without the proper seating for family and guests. So, it is important to make sure that the seats you chose for your project are both comfortable and durable. Customization also plays a key role when it comes to the design element of the room and should not be overlooked. Some features to go over and decide on for your theater chairs should be the configuration for the space being used (platform dimensions, aisle depths, seats per row), color, trim, arm styles, back rest, cushion firmness, and material (leather, silk).
• Popular Layout Ideas for Home Theater
7 Seat Configuration (2 Rows)
9 Seat Configuration (2 Rows)
12 Seat Configuration (2 Rows)
19 Seat Configuration (3 Rows)
4. Projection Screen
The video source is an integral part of any home theater as it is what allows you to enjoy what you and your family are about to view. Projection screens come in all shapes and sizes and are made for specific environments. More and more home owners are including these kinds of screens not only in a home theater setting but are also being used in multi-functional entertainment rooms and for outdoor entertainment. Many choices are available when deciding on a screen from different mounting styles (fixed frame, portable) & mechanisms/retraction, to different fabrics which determine the gain (brightness) and viewing angle you will obtain, to the size (aspect ratio) of screen required for the space.
