Creating Your Ideal Home Theater

Meneely says LCD sets tend to have a longer life span, consume less power and don’t have problems with burn-in, which can occur on plasma televisions when an image is left on the screen too long. But plasma is the most affordable when looking for a large screen, and plasma television manufacturers are making great strides, he says, in correcting some of the problems like burn-in. For really huge screens, however, projection is hands-down the best choice says Allyn, who has designed luxury home theaters for Hollywood luminaries. “When you want a really crisp, large image, projection theaters are the only option,” he says. “And when you’re going with projection, it’s important to consider not only the quality of the projector but also the quality of the screen, which is incredibly important in itself.” Joe DeAngelis of DeAngelis Studio. © www.deangelisstudio.com. Photo courtesy of Advanced Communication Technologies. Consider Your Components No longer are home theaters the exclusive domain of men. Now the home theater has to serve to the needs of everyone in the household. “These days, home theater products cater to entire families and their friends,” says Bala. “Everything from wall décor to seating design, to user-friendliness of controls and integration of gaming systems for everyone’s enjoyment is available to create an experience that is fun and flexible.” Because of the number of uses a home theater has for different members of a household, choosing the right components is an important factor in having a room everyone can enjoy. Some components, however, are more important than others when it comes to making sure your room has that “wow” factor, says William Fried, vice-president of operations for Anthony Gallo Acoustics in Chatsworth, Calif. “The two most important components in a home theater are speakers and the A/V [audio/video] receiver,” Fried says. “Without the proper power and features you get in a good A/V receiver, you won’t be able to bring out the best qualities in the speaker system.” This, in turn, will affect the overall experience in the room. Don’t Forget Sound Experts say people almost always underestimate the importance of sound quality in the design of the home theater. Good home theater sound is about more than great speakers, though having quality products is important. “The goal in any home theater is to re-create a movie theater setting, where you are positioned to watch video or listen to audio in a cozy social environment,” says Fried. “You can have a big plasma, a high-performance audio surround sound system and powerful A/V equipment, but if the setting is designed for looks, not sound, you will be disappointed in the result.” Fried says one problem people run into is good acoustics aren’t always compatible with the decorating style of the homeowner. “In a home theater room, there will always be a compromise on sound quality versus interior design,” he says. The best solution? “It's always good to have the interior designer and the home theater installation company collaborate on the room design so everybody is happy with the result.”

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