5 Key Elements of a Home Media Room

If you’re one of the over 6 million people who have installed a home media room, then you will have probably agonised for a long time throughout the design process.

There are many different elements that go into designing the perfect home media room, but some have a much bigger impact than others.

In this guide, we will look at five key elements your cinema room really can’t do without, and let you know just how you can make sure you always choose the right equipment for you.

Let’s take a look.

Choosing the Right Components for Your Home Cinema Room

Although we are only listing five key components here, there are plenty more which can make your room perfect for you.

These are what we consider to be essentials, and we will start with the most important element of all.

The Screen

Picking the right screen can be the making or breaking of a home media room.

The first thing to consider is the size.

You want to pick a screen that fills your field of vision without feeling too big and causing you to strain. The size of the room is an important factor as well here.

There are other factors you also need to consider, such as should your screen be a fixed frame? If your budget allows, you could get a motorised screen which appears after the press of a button.

You should also look into the aspect ratio. If you want your room to feel like a cinema, then going for 2.35.1 is a good choice. For something more like a television choose 16:9 which is common in high-definition screens.

Finally, where will you place the screen so that all seats have a good angle and you can get a clear image? Once you have worked this out, find the right material (projector screens have a few options) and the first step to your perfect home media room is complete.

Seating

Now you have the screen, you need to add somewhere to sit and look at it.

The key word here is comfort. The last thing you want is to sit down for a 3-hour movie and find you don’t like the feel of the seat.

If you want the full experience, why not add a reclining option for ultimate comfort?

The seats are also a style feature of your room as well, so make sure you take your theme into account when choosing your perfect seats.

Another thing to consider is how many people are going to be sitting in the room. If you have a smaller space but want a lot of people to fit in it, then large armchairs aren’t going to work, and you may have to look for a more space-efficient option.

There are many types of seat available, but some final things to think about are the material used (leather is a good option that is easy to clean) and also any extra accessories that you think would be handy such as power outlets and cup holders.

Sound System

So, you’re sat in the perfect chair staring at your ideal screen. The next step to creating the ideal home cinema experience is to add some audio.

When it comes to sound systems, quality is everything. You want something that leaves a sound that is crisp and clear and doesn’t take up too much room in the process.

The most common set up for a media room is 5:1, which means 5 speakers and a subwoofer, but you could choose to go 7:2 if you have a bigger room or want to add surround sounds and speakers to the back of the room.

For a cinema room, you would more likely choose something bigger such as 11.2 speakers. A really popular choice of system here is Dolby Atmos, which can link up with you system to provide an amazing audio experience.

Search through some reputable brands and read plenty of reviews to make sure you are adding a high-quality system with good bass and no distortion to the sound.

You must also check the sound system is compatible with all of your other electronic equipment so that it all works well together.

You don’t want to go too far in this stage so focus on the size of your room. If it is small, you may only need a 5:1 system, but something larger may need a bit more decibels to really fill the space.

Lighting

Next up is the lighting of the room.

If you’ve been to the cinema recently, you will notice the lights slowly dim until they are fully off when the film begins.

You want to replicate this in your cinema room, so try to find a system that allows you to dim it to different levels so you can really feel the cinematic atmosphere.

One thing you want to avoid here is glare on the screen, so where you place your lights is important. Try not to have them too near the screen. On the walls or behind the seating area are a good option.

Your cinema room should be a comfortable, warm place, so get lights that create this atmosphere and try to avoid anything too bright as this can leave the room feeling cold and harsh which is the opposite effect you would like.

And don’t forget, lights can form part of the theme as well, so if you are going for a certain style, don’t be afraid to add your lights into the mix and get something a bit out of the ordinary.

Something that works great with cinema room lighting is automation. These can be controlled with a smartphone or tablet or can be set to dim as the film starts, which makes it feel like you’re in the cinema and not in control of your own space.

Accessories

There are other features to a home media room that are classed as accessories but can be hugely important in designing the ideal space.

The first of these is storage. If you plan on having a games console or a laptop in your room, then you need somewhere to place it that doesn’t leave the room feeling too cluttered.

You can also store your remote control or tablets in here and any other items that you need to have nearby.

If you want to keep the sound just right in the room, then why not add soundproofing to drown out any unwanted noises.

And of course, you must remember this is your room, so decorate it how you like.

Maybe you want it to feel just like a normal cinema, so you opt to add a dark, sleek interior. Alternatively, you may want to have a vibrant and colourful media room.

Everything from the colour of the furnishings to adding posters and images on the wall can add a different feel to your media room and leave it feeling unique and personalised.

And finally, if you really want the at home cinema experience, then you can add a popcorn machine to bring the smell and the taste of a night at the movies straight to your home.

Build the Perfect Cinema Room with CEAV

If you would like a media room in your property and need advice on how to design and install it, then why not get in touch with CEAV.

Our team of professional engineers can bring your vision to life and create a media room like no other to transform your home and create the perfect entertainment room for you and your family.