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How to get a cinematic experience right in your own home.
Remember when having more than one TV in your home was considered a luxury? Now ordinary family rooms are turning into high-tech home theaters with everything from theater style seating to hideaway, pop-up consoles.
EQUIPMENT
Home theater rooms have evolved since they first started to become popular in the ’80s. TVs used to be big, bulky monitors with push knobs and antennas. Now, sleek flat screens with high resolution quality have become a mainstay in many homes. LCD flat panel televisions and plasma screens are the most popular televisions on the market today. Some big national department stores don’t even carry regular television sets anymore. LCD panels have grown bigger in size, measuring up to 50 inches across. They’re also becoming less expensive, giving homeowners a wider variety of options to choose from.
Homeowners aren’t keeping TVs in only one area of the home. Philips has designed a TV specifically for the bathroom that is just the right size, complete with HDTV resolution and HDMI input.
But for the full theatre experience, you’re going to want one of the sets designed for the media room. Whichever screen you choose for your home theatre, look for the best picture quality and have it installed by a professional.
TAKE A SEAT!
You can’t have a media room without plenty of seating for family and friends. Theater seating is a popular choice for home theater rooms because of the comfort and functionality of its design. Salamander offers a variety of seating such as the Alex line that has a modern and sleek appeal combined with comfort for the perfect home theater setting. It’s available in micro-suede or leather in an assortment of colors allowing you to easily match your existing décor. These seats can be used as a loveseat or for theater rows. It also saves space with a hidden footrest and separate ottoman. It comes complete with built-in cup holders to make it super functional. Modern seating with a relaxing appeal is on the top of many homeowners’ list when creating a home theater room.
Life is hectic and sometimes turning on the TV and relaxing can be the perfect solution. La-Z-Boy furniture produces comfortable and stylish recliners that are a huge step up from your typical ordinary recliner. The Arc recliner created by Todd Oldham for La-Z-Boy furniture is hip, modern and comfy. With its curved lines and sleek design, it will give your home theater the style you’re looking for without the high price tag. It comes in numerous fabrics from funky geometric designs to cool floral prints.
WHERE DO YOU PUT ALL OF THIS STUFF?
Space saving storage solutions for media rooms is more than just about finding places to hide cords and store DVD’s. The ultimate home theater does it all by using hideaways and ample storage for screens and equipment. Unique rotating hardware for TV screens is all the rage by hiding the screen behind a rotating painting or bookshelf. Plasma/LCD furniture lifts can hide your TV from view inside a stylish console. With just the touch of a button, watch as the TV rises from underneath the console. Hooker furniture offers a variety of plasma lift consoles from traditional styles to more modern designs.
STAY TRUE TO YOUR STYLE
The audio/video industry is catching on to the demand of modern and sleek designs. Entertainment centers and seating have gravitated towards clean and simple lines combined with functionality. Nicole Miller furniture offers a modern spin on the entertainment wall unit by combining simplicity and functionality. Her Empire Wall unit is the perfect setting for your plasma screen and loaded with tons of storage space for equipment, DVD’s and décor. Its’ eye-catching stainless steel pole allows for the plasma screen to swivel for optimal viewing. Big, bulky unattractive speakers are a thing of the past. Well-hidden speakers using functional décor are all the rage. Turn off the lights and turn up the sound on the Duo floor lamp by Soundolier. This cool and easy to use floor lamp has it all including a light dimmer. It’s available in a variety of designs and colors to blend in with your home theater decor. Don’t want to hide your speakers? Many audio companies have come out with speakers in cool and modern designs to blend in with your decor.
GADGETS GALORE!
You can’t have a home theater without gadgets to control everything! Go hands free with a voice-commanded universal remote control from Hammacher Schlemmer. This remote control does it all and listens to you, too! It has an extensive preprogrammed library of codes and commands. For instance, if you say “sports,” it will show you sports channels. Get the picture?
Looking for the ultimate remote control? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have one remote control that worked for everything? Vantage has come close by offering a remote that can control it all from fireplaces to home theater systems. The TouchPoint 1210 by Vantage Controls is a touch screen with customized options, making it easy to control your entire home theater system including the lights. With just a touch of the screen, you can control the music, lighting, sound and much more throughout the entire house! It comes with an in-wall, desk top mount and kickstand for mounting the remote. Some of its key features are the operating system: Windows XP Professional and a rechargeable 40w Lithium ion battery that lasts up to four hours. Plus, it’s available in three colors to coordinate with your décor.
HOME THEATER TAKES A STEP OUTSIDE
Outdoor entertaining has become a huge trend, so why not make a space for an outdoor home theater?
Home theater companies have picked up on the outdoor living popularity by creating all-weather products. Wow your friends and neighbors with LCD TVs that are resistant to rain, dirt and wind. Also included are an internal thermostat and ventilation system and water tight cables. Over the years, the audio/video industry has been creating better products to suit the outdoors such as waterproof remotes that can float.
Since outdoor living rooms have become all about functionality and style, so has home theater. When your guests sit down to enjoy a movie or listen to some music, they may be surprised to know where the sound is coming from! Sound can be hidden with planter speakers. That’s right. There’s no reason to have obvious speakers taking away from your outdoor décor when they can be hidden underneath a flower filled planter. James Loudspeakers offers teakwood and fiberglass planters that can hide speakers from view.
Speaker rocks have been around for awhile, but are still a great way to hide speakers. Have a professional install them around your yard or deck to create the ultimate sound. Speakers can even fit inside outdoor lighting! Many companies provide all weatherproof speakers in numerous shapes and sizes that can be attached to a wall or placed under an eave. Even if the lighting is visible, many companies offer modern looking fixtures to easily fit in with the popularity of modern décor.
Now that you’re all set up for movie night under the stars, the perfect seating is in order. Theater seats made from vinyl, look and feel just like leather and fit right in to your outdoor theater. Vinyl seats are ideal for resisting mold and mildew and are easy to clean. Sit back and relax in these comfortable and luxurious seats, most of which come with built-in cup holders.
Have a professional set up your screen and audio system to ensure maximum safety and usage. Professionals can make sure that no wires or cables are in the way to distract from the beautiful outdoors.
Remember, this is not a do-it-yourself job. Home theater rooms have come a long way. It’s not as easy as simply plugging in the TV and turning it on. Home theater
companies can work with you to create a custom home theater that will fit your needs.
