Ensemble Theatre Group

Today, for many people, watching a movie is something that takes place at home, not in a movie theatre. The introduction of DVD’s and projectors and sound systems targeted at the Home Cinema enthusiast, allows anyone to create a film experience that often beats what is on offer at the local cinema!

When it comes to budgeting for your home theatre, you have some big choices to make. It’s possible to spend anything from $1000 to $1,000,000 on a home cinema, although typically a good setup will cost no more than $3000. The key is to budget wisely, don’t spend all your money on a Projector while buying cheap speakers or your experience will suffer!

Typically, a Home Theatre setup will consist of a DVD (or nowadays a Blu-Ray) player, a Home Theatre Amplifier, a set of surround sound speakers, and a Projector and screen. Some people prefer to use an LCD or Plasma TV, but while these are good enough for TV programs, sports or video gaming, nothing less than a proper projector and screen setup will give you the real “big screen” feel you get at a movie theatre. When budgeting, don’t forget to include the cost of extras like cables, and seating, and even dedicated lighting and remote controls if you want them.

With the death of HD-DVD, Blu-Ray is now the only hi-def movie format, so the heart of you system should be a good quality Blu-Ray player. There are now plenty to choose from, with prices starting from around $300, but surprisingly, one of the best Blu-Ray players is a the Sony Playstation 3. Not only is it a very capable video games machine, but it’s video output is of a very high quality, and it benefits from very speedy menus and loading due to it’s powerful processors.

Your next purchase should be a Home Theatre Amplifier (Amp). Home Theatre amplifiers are different from Stereo Amplifiers, in that they can decode the sound formats used by DVD’s and Blu-Rays, and have outputs for 6, 7, or 8 channels. A good amplifier is a must, look for one that is powerful enough for your room, and can also decode the latest sound formats. Some amplifiers will also switch your video between multiple inputs and outputs, which can be useful if you want to hook up several sources to your projector and speakers.

Speakers should be chosen to match your amplifier. For home cinema the most popular setup is 5.1, where there are 5 main speakers, and 1 “subwoofer”, a speaker dedicated to producing very low “booming” sounds. If you want to feel every explosion or gunshot of a film, buy a speaker package with a high-quality subwoofer! The 5 normal speakers are placed around your seating position; one in front, one each to the front left and front right, and one each to the rear left and rear right. 6.1 and 7.1 systems are available with even more speakers, but 5.1 is good enough for most rooms.

Lastly, you will want a projector and screen. The models that are right for you will depend on your room size and the level of ambient light when you watch your films. In general, look for the brightest, most high-contrast model you can afford, and buy a model that produces at least a 720p image, although preferably 1080p.

While the actual decorations and theme of a home theatre can run the gamut from old-time movie house to modern whimsy, there is a set pattern that should be followed in designing the room. Home theatre designs are patterned for a reason, and that’s to ensure optimum viewing pleasure. Precision and even personal preference are key when putting together a design.

When putting together home theatre designs, there are several major things to consider. These include:

Room size: Having the dimensions of the room where home theatre designs will be brought into play is important for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the size will dictate the screen that can be used. A giant screen in a room that’s 10-feet-by-10-feet won’t likely look very good. In fact, the quality might be degraded since seating will be almost on top of the screen. A general rule of thumb to follow is the larger the room, the larger the screen can be to provide optimum seating for viewing.

Screen size: As has been already stated, the room size and the screen size are fundamentally married in creating home theatre designs. This is so for a number of reasons. Take a look at a big screen or even projection screen television up close and the method behind the madness will be evident. Just make sure the screen size fits the room and provides for good viewing angles from every seat in it, or just about.

Seating: Seating, too, is a big concern for those looking at home theatre designs. Comfort is absolutely important, but so too is placement. A large room with a large screen won’t work if the seats have to be placed right on top of the screen. Make sure when looking at seating that it fits the room and can be adjusted to work well for viewing. A good rule of thumb is to have the seating back as far as possible from the screen to ensure that every inch of it can be viewed with ease. There are formulas for this based on the screen size, but individual’s eyesight might dictate some variations. All that really matters is that viewers are happy with the seating and the views.

Sound: Most home theatre designs include a surround sound system of some sort. It doesn’t matter whether that system is a $5,000 top of the line creation or a budget $300 package, setting it up right will be important. Make sure directions are followed to the letter to ensure the sound quality is the best it can be. Even a less expensive sound system can sound fantastic when the speakers are placed where they are meant to go.

Putting together home theatre designs can be a fun undertaking, but there is a set pattern to how furniture, the screen and even the sound system should be set up. There are pretty precise formulas for these listed generally on manufacturer instructions. When these are followed to the letter, it’s very easy to make adjustments to fit anyone’s personal needs.