7 Factors that Will Take Your Home Theater to the Next Level

It can be a bit daunting when you decide to upgrade your current entertainment system. Finding the right equipment for your ideal home theater design could involve hours of reviews and spec sheets that would bog down even the most devoted AV specialists. From the projector to the seating, it’s not only about finding the right products but making sure they’re the right ones for your space. In this blog, we highlight the seven most important features to include in your San Francisco, CA home theater.

SEE MORE: Why You Should Hire a Professional for Your Home Theater 

Projector 

When it comes to home theater projectors, it’s time to upgrade to 4K Ultra HD. With streaming services, Blu-rays and even cable channels offering up content in the new resolution’s standard, there’s no reason not to embrace the technology. Beyond video resolution, you also need to consider your projector’s brightness. With a custom home theater design that limits ambient lighting, you will likely need one with 1,000-1,500 lumens.  The last consideration has to do with placement. If there are space limitations, you may want a short-throw projector that can be closer to your screen. 

Screen

You’re also going to need a professional home theater screen to match your high-end projector. These screens are designed to absorb light coming directly from the projector for the most dynamic, high-quality images. If your theater is in a room that gets a lot of natural light, you can opt for special gray or black screens that reject ambient lighting to make sure your images aren’t washed out. 

AV Receiver 

If you’re going for a real theater experience, you don’t want to rely on your source’s audio and video processing. You should invest in an AV receiver with Dolby Atmos capabilities to get sound to flow freely throughout your theater for a truly immersive experience. It also needs to be able to process 4K Ultra HD content and upscale it to whichever size screen you’re using. 

Speakers 

When it comes to getting quality surround sound, you need the proper equipment and layout in your home theater design. We recommend going with Sonance speakers that can blend into your walls and ceiling without sacrificing the sound. For the layout, there should be speakers in front, to the side, and behind the viewer along with a subwoofer in front. In a Dolby Atmos setup, you also need overhead speakers, which is when Sonance’s in-ceiling speakers are a great solution.  

Sources 

What good is a great theater if you’ve got nothing to watch? There are a few recommendations when it comes to finding content for your theater. First and foremost, you should install a Blu-ray player to enjoy all the latest releases in 4K Ultra HD quality. Add a media server to upload your existing collection while getting access to your favorite streaming services including Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Video. 

Seating 

No matter how great your home theater design, you’re not going to spend a lot of time in your brand new entertainment space if it’s not comfortable. That’s why we include dedicated theater seating as part of our installation. Through years of experience, we can find seating that won’t interfere with your audio or video. For example, we avoid reflective material that could disrupt your sound and find the right layout so the seats don’t interfere with anyone’s view. Upgrade to seats with special areas to place your drinks or universal remote.  

Control 

Speaking of remotes, with so many different systems in your theater they can get overwhelming. You could end up with a different remote for your Blu-ray, AV receiver, speakers, projector, and screen. With our smart control solutions, we let you manage everything from one place be it a universal remote, dedicated touchpad, or mobile app. Create smart scenes so, at the press of a button, your projector turns on, screen lowers, and lights dim.

Want to learn more about our home theater design services? Contact us to set up a consultation by calling (970) 510-5489 or by filling out our online contact form.