A home theater room adds much more enjoyment and fun to your life enhancing your living experience. With the latest digital entertainment gadgets and media available online, you don’t even need to shop physically to get the electronics and components you need in your small home theater room. And with enough tutorials, you can bring your small home theater ideas to life.
You’ll execute your entertainment and design with a bit of research. Don’t be bogged down by the thought that a good home theater experience can only be created in a large and spacious room, as modern media devices and gadgets can create awesome cinematics even in confined spaces.
5 Components of Great Small Home Theater
There are some inseparable and essential components of any theater system including a home theater system. Below is a detailed guide on the important components that you should amass and acquire to create a memorable movie, sports match, and/or a show-watching experience in your home.
Seating
Seating is one of the most important components of the home theater design for a small or large room, as it impacts comfort directly. There are also customized seating options available for kids and seniors. Depending on your budget and audience, you can also select seats with accessories and features including cup holders, USB chargers, power controls, and swivel trays. Below are some crucial points to remember when you are trying to choose and install seating in your small home theater room.
- The maximum number of audience members your room may have to accommodate.
- The distance of viewing (space between the screen and the audience).
- The age and physical condition of the people that may be a part of the audience.
Once you are clear on the above-given aspects, you can choose the right kind of seating options (such as the recliner sofas) for your home theater.
Calculating the Viewing Distance
The viewing distance between the television screen and the audience can impact the experience and can add to the fun and enjoyment. There is a simple and easy formula to calculate it. First, you need to calculate the horizontal length of the screen. Now you can divide the obtained measurement by two. The value obtained can be multiplied by five and the outcome will be the maximum distance between the audience and the screen.
Also, ensure that there are approximately 20 inches to 24 inches between the different rows of seating (if you are having multiple seating rows in your small home theater room).
The gaming recliners (available online as well) are claimed to be one of the most comfortable seats but are expensive. However, you can find more affordable options in the recliner category. You may choose the latter if you are tight on budget. However, do remember that you may have to compromise with the features and the comfort in some cases of an affordable purchase. Fortunately, the recliners and home theater seats are available at discounted prices during the holiday seasons and online sales times. See if you can get a more affordable deal during the period.
Sound Experience
While we don’t see it, the sound experience impacts the overall movie, sports match, and/or soap opera viewing experience. Fortunately, the best brands are selling their home theater speaker systems online. You can also visit the physical stores to get a more realistic sound experience before you buy your own sound/speaker system for your home theater. However, do remember that the sound quality of the home theater system will impact your overall home theater experience. Therefore, if you are making the purchase online, look at the “customer reviews” of the home theater and sound system carefully. While a 7.1-channel speaker and surround system can be ideal, a 5.1-channel speaker and sound system can also provide you with an enthralling home theater experience in a small room.
- 5.1 channel system: includes a 6-channel sound system and speakers. The speakers may include the rear right and left speakers, front left and right speakers, a center speaker, and a subwoofer.
- 7.1 channel system: includes 8 different sound channels (that has 2 more or extra speakers when compared to the 5.1 channel sound system).
There is one more option of a 3.1-channel sound system that has no surround sound. However, it is less expensive as well. Look for features and technology including Bluetooth, surround sound, and Dolby digital among others for a more convenient and exceptional home theater and movie-watching experience.
Picture Quality
The next vital component of a home theater system impacting the media-consuming experience of the audience is the quality of the television (the visual picture quality). When it comes to the visual picture source in a room, you have options including the projectors as well as the flat-screen televisions mounted on the wall. A projector can be a more affordable option when compared to a flat-screen television. However, for an immersive and memorable experience, you need a flat-screen TV ranging somewhere between 50 inches to 80 inches. If you choose the projectors, the screen and the gadget combination will cost you a lot less when compared to the television.
Television
The ultimate movie match-watching experience can only be derived from a television screen, as it has much better picture quality. Leading brands today offer televisions with ultra-HD and 4K displays that are much brighter, descriptive, and soothing for the eyes. A 4K television is the latest technology that has the best picture quality (even better than 1080p display televisions). You can see the finer details on the screen including the feathers, hair, and other kinds of natural and artificial objects. Also, a 4K television offers a better viewing experience even when the user is sitting pretty close to the screen.
Projector
You can have a viewing screen of 100-inch size at an extremely low cost if you choose a projector over a television screen. However, remember that you may not find the same picture quality here when you compare it to modern television screens.
Different projectors have different “throw” distances. The “throw” distance is the distance between the projector and the projector screen. Look at the description of the projector and the product to find out more about the throwing distance.
Lighting
For home theaters, you do not need very bright lighting. Fortunately, the powerful and latest projectors can also produce excellent quality images on projector screens, even in brighter backgrounds and environments. For a better lighting experience, you may have to treat the wall paint colors as well as the window curtains among other treatments. When you can curtail the daylight well enough, you can create an immersive viewing and audience experience even in a small room.
Overall Aesthetic
The best way to watch movies is creating a truly immersive experience. One where, even though it’s in your home, you and your guests feel like you’ve gone out for the evening to watch the latest film. A few ways to do this include:
- Having concessions: Get a small popcorn maker, add a bar with some snacks and candy, and even a mini-fridge for some cold refreshments. All of these add to the theater and take you farther away from the rest of the house.
- Creating a unique entrance: A couple of ways this happens is by adding an entrance, complete with velvet stanchions and maybe even some posters surrounded by lights. Another way is to create a secret entrance. For instance, behind a closet or bookcase. A secret room allows guests to literally feel like they’re leaving the home — opening them up for a great experience.
- Watch trailers and previews: Create a small playlist of upcoming features to play before the beginning of the movie, which further creates the environment as if you were out!
Ready to Create Some Movie Magic?
A theater experience can be created in a small room easily whether you have a high or a low budget for it. However, remember that the more you can spend and the better the electronics (for instance the screen and the speaker system), the more immersive experience can be derived. A home theater in a small room can fulfill your desire to have a personal cinema where you can enjoy all kinds of movies, series shows, sports matches, and other entertainment content at any time you want.