There are few people among us who don’t dream of the silver screen. The glamor of the red carpet is an alluring one, echoing back to a rich history of cinematic excellence. Of course, not everyone can, or necessarily want to be, on that big screen but certainly, every film buff loves the cinema. One of the most luxurious things you can have in your home is a home cinema, kitted out with a state of the art television or projector, speakers with clarity, and maybe even a popcorn machine to make it seem like the real thing. Believe it or not, achieving this dream of taking the big screen into your living room is not that far out of reach and not as costly as one might first think. With this little guide, you will be on your way to having the golden age of cinema take place in your own home.
What is a home theater?
Many of us can get a little bit worried about the term home theater as it is suggestive of a lot of time and money that you simply can’t afford without having to drastically cut back on life essentials. However, home cinema theater does not have to be a colossal room with a screen as big as your backyard on the wall. In fact, a home theater can easily be tailored to whatever space you have and whatever budget you have. After all, you aren’t opening your own multiplex for the public but simply renovating an existing room in your house so you, your friends, and your family, can all enjoy cinematic entertainment from the comfort of your own sofa. So, fear not, your dream of having your own piece of Hollywood in your home is not as far away as it first seems.
Knowing what you need
The first thing to sort out when planning to curate your own home cinema is knowing exactly what you need. A great place to start is by going online and finding a helpful checklist that can give you some initial ideas. For example, depending on how much your willing to spend, you could fork out for a top of range flat screen television with high-definition to mount on the wall for a sleek finish or, alternatively, you could buy a good projector and hang up a white backdrop for your films to be projected onto for a more DIY or homey feel. Similar choices can be made regarding speakers and DVD vs. Blu Ray players depending on what suits you personally or what your family wants.
Securing the funds
Whilst cutbacks can, of course, be made, everyone needs a little help with money sometimes, and installing a home cinema is one of the times in your life you might want to go the extra mile for a more authentic experience, if nothing else, because it will add a huge amount of value to your home should you decide to move in the future. By visiting a reputable site that can provide you with quick response credits and information, you will immediately have a better idea of the budget you have to play around with for your latest project. This will give you some security and stability before you begin buying equipment, decoration, and accessories to make your home cinema something breathtaking and one of a kind.
The benefits of Blu Ray
One thing you may want to invest in, if nothing else, is a Blu Ray player. There are many pros to choosing Blu Ray over DVDs not matter whether you decide to have a television or a projector in your home theater. One advantage is Blu Rays will always be high-definition and give you an experience much closer to that of a real cinema. Another bonus is that if you invest in a Blu Ray player, you don’t have to get rid of all your DVDs as many Blu Ray players accommodate to both formats. Besides, getting a player doesn’t mean you have to start buying Blu Rays straight away; you can instead save up and just buy your favorite films on Blu Ray to begin with if this suits you better financially, but the investment in the player will be a great starting point for your home cinema project.
A bit of glamor
Of course, one of the attractive pulls of having your own private cinema right in your front room is that it offers you and your family an escape and a bit of glamor, so you will want to take some time to think about how you might want to decorate this new leisure space. There are many decor ideas online that can give you some reference points and ideas to get you started, but the main thing to remember here is to balance the aesthetic with the practical. For example, unlike a proper cinema, the room you are in will most likely have at least one window, and the light that comes in from it will disrupt the experience of your viewing. A good investment to remedy this to get black-out curtains to drastically limit the light bleeding into the home theater as the film plays. For the aesthetic side of things, you may want to invest in tiered seating or, perhaps an easier option, a very plush and comfortable sofa. You may want to get some side tables with built-in cup and popcorn holders to again get closer to mimicking the real thing.
More often than not in professional cinemas, the walls will be painted black to allow all visual focus to be upon the screen. For a home cinema, however, the chances are you don’t want to black out the whole room. Instead, make sure you choose a neutral color, perhaps a darker shade or a beige or tan which, when the blackout curtains are drawn, won’t reflect the light from the screen or projector back into your eyes.
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