Building out the perfect home theater room is not nearly as complicated as it sounds. W you are a great do-it-yourselfer or a complete novice with a large amount of cash to work with, the best way to get the most out of your custom built home theater/media room is to either pay a licensed contractor that also does home theater construction or a licensed home theater installer that does construction.
The best way to evaluate the full potential of your room is to have someone knowledgeable in the field actually come in, assess the environment in person, as well as suggesting options on where to place your components for maximum benefit and ease of use. In addition, you will get a much more accurate picture of the whole project as the installer/contractor will not overlook small details that you may have overlooked, that could end up being significant and costly.
How to Prepare For Constructing a Custom-Built Home Theater Media Room
Some of the factors that you and a professional installer need to consider when planning a home theater media room include:
1. What will be the primary purpose of the room? – To Watch movies and TV, listen to music, play video games, use as an office as well as entertainment?
2. The size of the room.
3. The shape of the room.
4. Where you or your audience will sit in relation to the TV or projection screen.
5. Acoustical properties of the room.
6. Ambient light issues that may affect the type of TV or video projector to be used.
7. Whether a projection system or large screen television will work best.
8. Whether In-wall or standalone speakers would be most effective for the listening experience.
9. Where your components will be located – out in the open, or in a closet or booth.
10. Room Ventilation for both the viewers and home theater and other media components.
These, and other, factors can be determined best by an on-site inspection of the actual room or by looking a architectural plans for a home to be constructed with home theater in mind.
Best Resources For Custom Installation Help
1. Contact retailers who specialize in installs, such as Best Buy and find out who they subcontract with in your local area for their home theater installations. In addition, there are independent dealers and home re-modelers in many cities that specialize in custom home theater construction and installation.
2. Contact CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association for information on a licensed installer/contractor near you. CEDIA is a worldwide association of home theater and custom electronics specialists. In fact, if you are so inclined, you may be able to take a CEDIA sponsored course or workshop and become an expert home theater installer yourself.
Another good source for finding a Home Theater Installer is through the Home Technology Specialists of America. This site has an extensive database of home theater installers and related audio/video and security system installers throughout the U.S.