It doesn’t have to take much effort to turn a room into a home theater or a home entertainment set-up, for movies, streaming, and music. Here are some simple tips for creating a home theater you’ll love.
Find Your Visual Sweet Spot
Find the optimal viewing distance for your TV. For HDTV’s this is simple to do. Take the diagonal screen size and multiply it by 1.5 to 2.5. This is how far your seating should be placed relative to your television.
For Small Rooms, Try a Soundbar
Most modern HDTVs can produce pretty good sound, but nothing will deliver the cinema sound experience in the same way as dedicated speakers, like BW speakers. For smaller rooms, a sound bar can work well, which will pack multiple speakers into a single low-profile package. Some smaller models will fit neatly below your screen, whereas larger options can act as a base for the TV to sit directly on top of.
Clear Space for Bass
Another easy audio upgrade is adding a subwoofer, which is a bass-only class of speakers that are designed to vibrate the room. Don’t mount bass speakers in a cabinet, where their vibrations will just generate a rattle instead of proper sound, and put them on the floor instead. Make sure there is enough space right against one of the walls, preferably in a corner.
Stow Speakers in Bookshelves
One of the best ways to level up your audio is to set up speakers so that sound effects, dialogue, and other audio can come from different directions, like left, right, and center. You could pull this off with a pair of large floor-standing speakers, but for smaller rooms, place smaller speakers on bookshelves positioned to the light and right of the TV. This will also help to disguise ugly cables.
Mount Up For Surround Sound
The best, but the most complex, audio setup is full surround sound. This usually involves six total audio channels or speakers; one for the center, the right, and the left, two for the back, and one subwoofer. Rear-channel placement is usually the hardest. If you can’t find the right shelves or other furniture to set these speakers on, mount the rear channels in the wall. The upper back corners of most rooms work the best.
Sit Up For 3D
If you’re going to watch 3D content, get a chair with a stiff back. Tilting your head can affect the 3D effect, which means the usual comfy sprawl on the couch isn’t good. Make sure your couch or chair faces forward in a way that encourages you to sit up straight instead of lounging or slouching.
Check Your Angles
Some HDTVs can be viewed from quite extreme angles, while others need a more central position. Before you drill any holes or buy new furniture, put the TV roughly where you want it to go, turn it on, and make sure none of the room’s seating options have a bad view.
