Why Big Summer Movies Are Better in a Home Theater

No need to leave your home to see the best blockbusters – bring the best experience to your Chicago home

Summer movie season is here, and that means it’s time for the studios to show off their biggest, baddest, most awe-inspiring movies. In years past you had to trek to your local movie theater, wait in line, and sit through commercials just to enjoy the best possible visuals and sound, but no longer.

With a professionally installed home theater system for your Chicago home, you can bring the best elements of the cinema to you instead of needing to brave the multiplex. It’s easier than you might think, and we can walk you through everything you need.  Here are 3 elements that make your at-home movie-going experience superior.

SEE ALSO: 3 Trends to Enhance Your Home Theater Design and Technology

 

• YOUR SCREEN

If you’re going to build a home theater, the place to start is your display. And what puts the “theater” in home theater better than a projection screen?

One advantage of using a projector is that you can get a much bigger screen for much cheaper than you would for a TV of the same size. This makes screen sizes of 100 inches or even larger reasonably affordable. For the best picture quality, you’ll want a screen with 4K resolution and High-Dynamic Range imaging, or HDR. HDR gives you a broader, more vibrant range of colors than regular 4K, creating greater color contrast and more lifelike images. The increased resolution helps with motion blur and gives you sharp, lifelike images on screen.

One important thing to note when installing a 4K home theater system: Every component within that system must be 4K compatible. In addition to a 4K screen, you’ll need a 4K receiver, the right cables and a home network fast enough to handle 4K streaming. Choosing Barrett’s to help you through this process will make picking the right components effortless.

 

• SOUND

One factor that can give a movie theater an edge over home viewing is sound quality. But now you can use the same sound systems many as many theater chains: Dolby Atmos. More than loudness or sound quality, what separates Atmos from other sound systems is the immersion factor.

In most cases, you build a surround sound system by placing speakers throughout the room, including center, left, right, and rear channels. But Dolby Atmos works differently; the system renders every sound on screen as an individual audio object. Each sound is then placed in a three-dimensional soundscape created by speakers throughout your home theater, including devices placed behind you and overhead.

A system like this brings you into the action like nothing you’ve ever heard, though it only works with content mastered for Dolby Atmos. That said, you’ll still get immersive sound even if the movie you’re watching is not Atmos compatible.

 

• SEATING AND ACOUSTICS

Your home theater system includes more than what video and audio systems you want to use. Elements like your décor and furniture can have a big impact on your viewing experience. Instead of a traditional sofa or chairs, why not go with theater-style seats instead? Cinematech, one of our partners, makes recliners and loungers in a variety of colors, styles and fabrics. You can choose from individual seats, larger sofas with room for multiple people or some combination of the two.

Cinematch can also improve the sound quality in your home theater with their Acoustic Room System. Instead of merely isolating the sound from your speakers to your home theater, ARS uses acoustic panels placed throughout your space to absorb and reflect sound waves at different points to account for your theater’s unique characteristics. The result is a home theater where everyone enjoys crystal-clear sound no matter where they are in the room.

Don’t be afraid to add some of your own style to your theater, either. You can create a theme for the room based on your favorite movies or film genres. Other options include put theater-style posters on the walls, or perhaps a popcorn machine.

To learn more about our home theater systems, call our Chicago office at (312) 879-9990 or fill out our online contact form.