5 Essential Considerations for Your Home Theater Installation

With a home theater, you can enjoy all the fun of going out to the movies from the comfort of your home in Lake Oswego, OR. And even better, you can enjoy all the fun in your comfiest lounge clothes and with unlimited free popcorn refills. 

But a home theater installation isn’t a project you should rush into. There are many factors you need to think about before you can create the theater of your dreams. Eighteen Group is here to help guide you through the entire process of installing a home theater. Here are 5 factors you should consider at the beginning of the project.

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1. Room Dimensions

What kind of room do you have for your theater? It’s important to choose a location first because the size of the room will help determine how much seating you can include, where you can optimize speaker placement, how big your display screen will be and how far away from the screen you will be sitting.

You should also take into consideration the amount of ambient light and noise that could penetrate the room. How close is your theater to busy places in the house, like the kitchen? Is there a window or door that might shine an unwanted light in the room during a pivotal movie scene?

2. Screen Type and Size

The display screen will be the centerpiece of your theater, so choosing the right type and size is a priority. First, consider your space. If you have a large room with plentiful seating, you should consider purchasing a projector and projector screen. Advancing technology has made projectors brighter and more affordable in recent years. And a projector screen will enhance the look and feel of a widescreen movie viewing experience.

If you have more limited space and a smaller budget, TVs have become an excellent option for home theater use. Today’s TVs are bigger, thinner and boast clearer images than ever before. High-resolution picture can bring your favorite movie to life in mesmerizing detail.

3. Sound and Speakers

You have many options for optimizing the sound quality in your home theater. If you’re working with limited space, you may want to consider in-wall and in-ceiling speakers that take up less room. Satellite wireless speakers or a soundbar can also be good options when you have a small room.

If you want the surround sound experience, how many speakers do you want in your system? The popular 5.1 system found in many home theaters has 5 speakers and 1 subwoofer. We recommend upgrading to a Dolby Atmos option with a couple in-ceiling speakers as well. This surround sound solution creates an immersive experience that makes you feel like you’re right in the middle of your favorite action flick.   

4. Connected Sources

Think about the types of media you want to watch in your theater. Do you have Blu-ray discs of all your favorite movies, or do you prefer to use web-based streaming services like Netflix and Hulu for viewing entertainment? Before you begin building your home theater, make sure you know what kinds of sound and display equipment you’ll need to integrate multiple types of media into one system.

5. Installation Requirements

If you’ve made it all the way here, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed right now. A home theater installation is a huge task that may require extensive wiring, proper speaker and screen placement and integration of different media types into a single system. Because of the precision involved, we recommend you hire a professional integrator to help you build your home theater.

Eighteen Group specializes in home theater builds, and we’ll seamlessly connect all your devices with one interface for centralized control. Turn off the lights, turn on the movie and turn up the volume with one button press on your smartphone or remote. 

When you’re ready to talk about turning your Lake Oswego, OR, home theater dream into a reality, contact Eighteen Group to schedule a consultation. Call us at 503-515-1192, fill out our online contact form or talk to our staff directly using the live chatbox on the bottom right side of your screen.