Turn Your Home Into a Cinema

By: Edward Kendricks

We all enjoy watching films and television. When you are looking to have a quiet night in with friend there is no better option than putting your feet up in front of a large screen and whiling the evening away with your collection of DVDs. As the price of flat screen televisions has come down in recent years it is understandable that home cinema systems have become so popular.

The UK market for people who want to recreate the theatre experience in their own home has expanded greatly over the past few years and it is easy to understand why. A home cinema system has lots of very attractive features which will give a thrilling experience to the user. With a large screen you will be able to a enjoy beautiful crystal clear picture and with a quality sound system you will be able to enjoy that authentic surround sound experience. It really does make all the difference when you have a home cinema setup as it brings your films to life in a way that ordinary television just can't do.

LCD televisions and projectors will produce richer colour dynamics which will work best in rooms which have a reasonable amount of ambient light. If there is lots of natural light coming into the room then this could impact on your viewing experience. If you are going to mount a flat screen LCD or high definition television then try to place it on a wall where light will not reflect off the screen. Likewise if you are intent on using a home cinema projector then try to buy one that is as powerful as possible along with a suitable projector screen. It is also worth noting that the room you are installing your home cinema system in should be suitably large enough to provide an adequate distance between the viewers and the screen itself.

You should pay as much attention to the sound system as you have done for the display. Your home cinema sound system should be as brilliant as possible so that it can accurately reproduce the sound quality of the cinema. As much thought goes into the sound design of films as any other element so you wouldn't want to miss out on this by purchasing an inferior set of speakers. A standard surround sound system will come with a set of 4 speakers, however if you are installing your equipment in a larger room then you may wish to invest in a set of 6 speakers instead.

It is also important that the interior design of your home cinema complements the viewing experience. Colour schemes should not be too bright as they are likely to be distracting. Beige or pastel colours would be suitable for the walls and take care any lighting will not be similarly distracting.

It may be tempting to think that even with all this fancy equipment you will never quite recreate that cinema experience, however in the long run it may save you plenty of money. Would you rather spend all your money on 3d glasses and overpriced popcorn or a quality entertainment system that you and your friends will be able to enjoy for years to come?