Acoustics and Your Home Theater

When it comes to your Winnetka custom home theater, sound and a custom home theater go together hand in hand.  Part of the experience of having a custom home theater is the sound quality.  To truly bring your custom home theater system to life, consider the acoustic aspects of your custom home theater system's sound.

The Total Home Theater Experience

As a home theater company, we have learned that what everyone considers the total home theater experience is different.  For some homeowners the custom home theater experience is all about a larger than life, HD television and for some a booming sound system becomes a necessity.  Perhaps you're not looking for the top of the line sound system, that's fine, but you still must address any issues in the room that holds you custom home theater as it may be causing your system to sound less than desirable.

Sound and Your Custom Home Theater

When it comes to your custom home theater system's sound quality, it is important to address the space or the room that your custom home theater system is located in.  Every home theater space presents its own challenges and every home theater owner has his or her own style when it comes to a home theater set up.  When you have a custom home theater installed in your home your chosen home theater installation company will address all the concerns associated with the room in which you wish to place your custom home theater.  They will typically start by addressing aspects of your room's acoustics such as sound absorption, reverberation, diffusion, and reflection.  All four aspects will effect sound quality.  Acoustical solutions are available to control all aspects of your room's acoustics to ensure that you are getting the most of our your custom home theater's sound.

Acoustic Kits are Available

There are a variety of kits available to ensure that a homeowner is getting top of the line sound quality.  Kits come in a variety of designs and styles that add both performance and style to your room.   Panels, like the one in the picture above, can greatly approve your custom home theater's sound quality.  There are a variety of pieces that make up the kits to help improve the parts in your home theater that interfere with sound quality.  Most acoustic kits include the following pieces:

1- Sidewall Acoustical Panels: Most acoustic kits come with sidewall panels.  Sidewall panels are positioned in such a way that they are able to absorb and control any harsh sound reflections.

2- Pressure Zone Bass Traps: These pieces absorbs hard to control low-frequency sounds in a room's corners.  If the corners of your room have been assessed as an issue, these pieces could certainly correct it.

3- Frontwall Absorption Panels: These panels are positioned around the screen to also aid in your custom home theater's sound and can greatly improve your sound quality.

If you're looking for more tips on improving your custom home theater's sound quality, feel free to comment below or contact us.

New Year, New Home Theater

If you're looking to kick off the new year right why not consider making an upgrade or two to your home in the form of a new custom home theater?  Purchasing a custom home theater might just be exactly what your home needs.  If you aren't sure whether purchasing a custom home theater is right for you and your family, perhaps you just need some solid reasons why you should purchase a custom home theater. Here are a few reasons why you should consider home theater installation this year:

Boosts resale value on your home

Having a custom home theater installed right in the comforts of your own home instantly helps to boost the resale value on your home.  If you're not planning to stay in your home for the long haul you should look at creating an in home custom home theater as a nice little upgrade or addition to your home.  Buyers today are looking for little added bonuses in homes that they consider purchasing and that's exactly what a custom home theater will provide.  Think of a custom home theater installation as an investment in the future of your home.

Opportunity to save money

Having a custom home theater installed gives you the opportunity to save money.  With outside the home entertainment options rapidly rising in price, it might be a good idea to bring the entertainment straight to your home by installing a custom home theater.

Many cost effective options

If you're worried about how much a home theater system and home theater installation costs keep in mind that there are many cost effective options.  Perhaps the room you're putting your custom home theater in is on the small side, well great, no need to purchase the largest television there is.  Maybe you could cut costs by purchasing a moderately size television rather than the biggest one out on the market.

Give yourself a treat this year

Lets face it, we all work pretty hard, why not give yourself a gift that keeps on giving this year.  A custom home theater is a treat that you and all of your friends, family and house guests can enjoy for years to come.

Looking for more reasons why you should purchase a custom home theater for your home?  Feel free to contact us.

Home Theater Gadget Gift Ideas

The holidays are finally here.  Over the next few days the gift buying is only going to get more intense as people embark on that annual shopping trip for the perfect holiday gifts for loved ones.  Looking for some great gadget gift ideas for that high tech lover in your life this year?  Here are a few great home theater-themed gift ideas:

1- Home automation system: Give the gift of full home control this holiday season.  A home automation system has started to become very well recognized over the years and as a home theater company that does home theater installation and a variety of other home theater services, we have been getting asked more and more about home automation systems.  What does a home automation system enable you to do?  It gives you the ability to control the lights in your home theater or TV room with a universal remote.  It can give complete control over climate, whole house lighting, blinds, pool and spa, lawn sprinklers, access gate, surveillance, securing, A/V and much more right at your fingertips.  What a great holiday gift to give this season.

2- Universal remotes:  Another great home theater-themed holiday gift to give this season is the universal remote.  With all the components we use these days just to access our favorite entertainment sources, wouldn't it be great to only need one remote? No need to shuffle back and forth with several different remotes when a universal remote offers full control over all of your components. An all-in-one remote makes for a great gift this year.

3- Room darkening shades:  Consider some room darkening shades as a gift for your home theater lover this year.  A custom home theater is a great addition to your home, but what makes it even better is recreating the movie theater atmosphere.  Room darkening shades give the room added darkness providing ambiance and the true movie theater experience.  

Looking for some more home theater-themed gift ideas or have a few of your own great gift ideas?  Feel free to leave us a comment below or contact us.

Choosing a Home Theater Projector

As a Winnetka Home Theater Company, we know all things custom home theaters and are very skilled at the art of home theater installation and frequently we are asked what types of home theater equipment are "the best."  Each piece of equipment has its own pros and cons, so it is hard to say which pieces are really the "best of the best."  Many times it is based on preference.  Have you recently made the decision to use a projector to complete your home theater?  Great!  So how do you choose which projector is best for you and your home theater?  It can be a tough call since there are so many different types of projectors available on the market today.  Here are some tips on how to choose the right projector:

1- Your budget: When it comes to purchasing home theater equipment you should always keep your budget in mind.  How much are you willing to spend on the home theater equipment that you will be purchasing?  Projectors alone can get quite pricey, so your budget really needs to be taken into consideration.

2- Space: Keep in mind the amount of space you have available in the room that you will be placing your home theater and projector in.  Space is a big determinant for how the projector will look when you use it, so make sure you have plenty of room.

3- Deals: When you begin shopping for projectors ask yourself first if you will be buying brand new or used.  If you are planning on buying brand new you should plan on spending top dollar.  Buying used gives you a little wiggle room to save some money.  Deal are out there, especially if you check Ebay, Craiglists or other similar deal sources.  Another option is going refurbished.  There can be some great refurbished projectors out there as well.

4- Lamp check: One of the most important parts of any projector is the lamp.  Lamps can get quite expensive especially with some projector models, so find out what type of lamp your projector choices utilize.  If you have decided to get a used projector keep in mind that if the projector is older the lamps may be extremely difficult to find.  Make sure you are able to get a replacement lamp.

5- Overall performance: When it comes to a projector's overall performance there are two things you need to keep in mind: lumen vs contrast.  A projector over 1500 lumen's with a contrast ratio of 500:1 will typically work well in most settings.  When it comes to resolution most (but definitely not all) projectors can display 720p/1080i.  Newer projectors typically can display at 1080p, but these are usually pretty expensive.  While you are trying to make your decision check around to see what multiple models offer.

Have your own experience with using a projector for your home theater?  Let us know what you think and leave a comment or contact us.