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Create a cinema room at home

home cinema solutions from Projectorpoint

Are you an avid movie watcher with some space to spare in your home? You should consider creating a cinema room at your place!

Creating a cinema room at home can be easy and affordable. Getting the key details right, like the sound and acoustics, room layout, and ambience, is essential to creating a cinema room you’ll love using over and over.

Our guide below has detailed everything you need to know about creating a home cinema room, including benefits and costs. So, without further ado, let’s begin!

What are the benefits of creating a home cinema?

Creating a home cinema is a big step. So, before you go on and turn a spare room into a film theatre, it is important that you are aware of the benefits that come with it.

  • Catch movies on the day of release – With platforms like Netflix and Apple TV now gaining access to premiering films on the same days that renowned cinemas do, there is absolutely no reason to leave your home for a movie experience ever again.
  • Unmatched gaming experience – Gaming inside a cinema room is a whole other experience. Nothing is more immersive and life-like than playing a video game in a home theatre.
  • Always sit at the front row – Couldn’t get tickets for your favourite football game? Well, worry not because you can stream whatever you want at your home cinema, and at each event, you get front-row tickets. Moreover, with the surround sound, it will feel like you are right there in the stadium.
  • You have the reins – At your home cinema, you have complete control over everything. Whether you want to stop the show for a break or rewind during a football match, everything lies well within your domain.
  • Better experience than a cinema – At your home cinema, you can watch the same movie you would in the cinema. On top of that, you don’t have to wait in line to get tickets or buy overpriced popcorn. You can bring the food of your choice.
  • Choose your own furniture – Whether you want sofas, armchairs, or recliners for your home cinema, it is entirely up to you as you deem comfortable.
  • Impeccable sound and acoustics – In a home cinema room, you would get the perfect sound and acoustics. The reason is that these parameters are considered integral to a first-grade home cinema room, so they are catered to on a priority basis.
  • Turn the room of your choice into a cinema room – As the owner of your place, you have the luxury to choose just about any room and turn it into a cinema room. The basement, being quiet and dark, is a popular choice for this purpose, but you have other options as well, such as a living room, garage, playroom, and bedroom.
  • Added value to your home – If you’re looking to add a luxurious cinema room to your home, you’ll need to be prepared to spend a few thousand pounds. However, this investment will add value to your home in the long run.

What are the fundamentals of creating a home cinema

There are a few things you’ll need to consider when creating your home cinema, such as choosing between a TV and projector, the lighting and ambience of the cinema room, and the room’s layout.

Projector or TV?

Create a cinema room at home

When creating a home cinema, you first need to decide whether you want a projector or a TV.

With a TV, the only upside you will get is that it can be watched comfortably in a light-filled room, making it a good choice for multi-purpose spaces.

On the contrary, when it comes to a projector, there is no limit to its screen size, and you can go for a screen of more than 100 inches. Furthermore, projectors are portable, so considering that you have not mounted yours with a ceiling or wall, you can adjust its position at your convenience.

You can also opt for a drop-down screen if you want to use the room for other activities when the projector is not in use. Also, now that projectors are readily available in the market, there is not much of a price difference between them and TVs.

However, it is worth mentioning that while using a projector, keep a check on the ambient light in the room to ensure window curtains effectively block light.

Screen size

Now that we know a projector is a better choice for your home cinema than a TV, let’s discuss the size of the projector screen you will need.

Projector screens are available in a variety of sizes and the size suited for you depends on the activity you are going to use it for. If you intend to convert your living room into a cinema room, a screen size between 100 inches to 150 inches should be ideal.

Sound and acoustics

The next two fundamentals you need to consider are sound and acoustics.

To ensure that your sound is evenly distributed, be sure to position your speakers correctly. This way, you’ll be able to hear all the different layers of sound.

Most cinema rooms use 5.1 surround sound. The “5” in this sound system represents the five satellite speakers – three behind or around the screen and two at the rear of the room. The “1” after the point is the subwoofer that controls the low-pitched frequencies or bass.

There are other surround sound systems, such as 6.1, 7.1, and 7.2, but for good quality sound at an affordable price, 5.1 surround sound is your best bet.

You also need to consider ambient sound. Some examples of ambient sound could include sounds from outside the house, plumbing noises, and people in other rooms. These sounds can potentially ruin the viewing experience so here are a few steps that you can take to minimise it:

  • Seal cracks in walls and ceiling with caulk.
  • Soundproof your room by adding a second layer of drywall.
  • Replace your hollow-core doors with solid doors.
  • Install thicker curtains that both block light and absorb sound.

As for acoustics, you must ensure that the surfaces absorb sound rather than reflect or transmit it. As such, lightweight acoustic boards, carpet tiles for the walls, and acoustic tiles for the ceiling are all quite effective.

Thick curtains for windows, upholstered seats, and upholstered walls – all result in good acoustics.

Lighting and ambience

Ambient light refers to light that fills a room. This is usually unintentional and some examples include the light coming from outside the cinema room, under and around doors, and from artificial light within the room. This unwanted light interferes with the display of the projector, reducing the image quality.

The best way to deal with ambient light is simply to stop it before it starts, i.e., choosing a space with little light, such as a naturally darker room.

If that’s not possible, there are certain measures that you can take to fight it, such as using light-blocking curtains and shades and a projector with a high ANSI lumens rating.

However, some lights form the backbone of an owner-built cinema room. These include soffits, rope lights, dimmers, and recessed lights. In any case, make sure to keep the majority of these lights behind the viewer to avoid degrading the viewing experience.

Furthermore, anything which reflects light back at the viewer that isn’t the screen itself should be minimised or avoided. These include shiny door knobs, light fixtures, hinges, recessed light trim kits, heating registers, countertops, and fireplace inserts.

Similarly, to reduce the shininess of the walls and ceiling, they should preferably be matte painted with a dark colour.

Room layout

Finally, when it comes to the layout of your cinema room, no one in the room should have their view of the screen blocked or be too close, or far away.

Tiered seating is your best bet as it allows you to accommodate the greatest number of people in your home cinema in a tidy and efficient manner. As far as the blockage of the view is concerned, it can be tackled by raising the rear seats on a platform – even a modest 6-inch boost is enough to clear the sight lines.

Additional home cinema accompaniments

Besides the fundamentals, there are some additional accompaniments that go with a home cinema for the optimal experience.

Comfort is key

As a film typically lasts for at least a couple of hours, you should pay special attention to comfort in your cinema room.

Choose armchairs and sofas that are spacious and supportive. You can pick any shape, height, and style you like.

Snacks at the ready

A home cinema is not complete without snacks. Nachos are usually a crowd-pleaser!

And who can forget the classic popcorn and movie-watching combo?

How much will a home cinema cost?

It really depends on how much you are willing to spend.

If your budget is flexible, by spending around £10,000 – £40,000, you can create a multi-purpose cinema room with a high-end projector, drop-down projector screen, decent surround sound, sofa seating, and dimmable lights.

Frequently Asked Questions

How small can a cinema room be?

Cinema rooms can be any size. However, in the ideal case scenario, a cinema room should be a large room with a high ceiling to ensure the best viewing experience. At a minimum, your cinema room is recommended to be 9-12 feet in size with a volume of 1,000 cubic feet or less.

Does a cinema room need a window?

Ideally, there should not be any windows in a cinema room to reduce ambient light and ambient sound. However, if your cinema room has a window or two, you can opt for thick, black shades to cover it or install windows that automatically close down for movie mode.

Summary

Creating a cinema room carries many benefits, some of which are added value to your home, complete control over everything, and always getting front-row seats.

A projector would be a better fit when creating a cinema room than a TV due to its versatility in all departments. Apart from that, you should have a projector screen of between 100 and 150 inches and a decent surround system (for example 5.1). The room’s ambience should be such that there is minimal ambient light and ambient sound. Also, don’t forget to pay special attention to your comfort and that of your guests.

And yes, be sure to have some snacks prepared at movie time!

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