How to Make Your Home Theater Even Better Than the Movies

What do we know about movie theaters? They’re loud, they smell like popcorn and they’re just filled wall to wall with people. True, sometimes it’s a multimedia phenomenon when three generations of family members get together for the latest installment of Jurassic Park and Harry Potter. At other times, however, standing in line and trying to hear dialog over someone else’s conversation gets to be frustrating.

Then of course, there’s the inevitable bathroom break! In the old days, movies were longer and intermission periods were given, even in such classic fare as The Godfather. But with movies just barely clocking in at an hour and a half, it’s not practical in this day and age.

Enter the home theater! From the comfort of your own home you can now pause, rewind or flip movies altogether and are not enslaved by the movie theater’s rules. Time for a party where you call all the shots.

Of course…you have to take a few precautions before you start inviting people over and letting them enjoy your Back to the Future 30th anniversary marathon. Here are some reminders of what you need to make your home theater actually comparable to a modern movie theater.

The Seating Matters!

First, know that being a good host is all about the seating. They’re not even going to notice the great movie or the sound system if they are physically uncomfortable. Padded chairs are what make theater seats tolerable, although to be honest, not all theaters have really comfortable chairs. The best chairs are the ones that recline, push back and hold your drinks like a boss. Thick cushions feel the best, and leather is usually the most preferred choice.

However, as the site Elite Home Theater Seating describes, you have options in the way of Valentino leather, with its supple top grain Italian style, or silk leather which is must softer, or even cinesuede which is more along the lines of traditional theater seating. The company even has a Create Your Own Material option if you want to be fiercely imaginative. In addition to comfortable home theater chairs, seat risers can help your audience get a better view, even if there’s a dozen friends.

The TV and the Sound

While 3D screens are certainly not for all tastes, LCD or plasma screens are the best you can do, though they aren’t exactly rivaling the technology of an Imax screen. Still, as long as you have 1080p high resolution video and Blu-Ray (or Netflix or cable with HD ready shows) you will still have a good show. A projector can also help the screen feel larger and more like the theater experience, especially if you choose a projector with high contract ratio for better color. You can literally mount your projector from the ceiling.

Surround Sound makes everyone feel immersed in the sound effects and for this, 7.1 Surround Sound with at least eight channels works just fine. Believe it or not, movie theaters have just now caught up with home theater in terms of utilizing up to 7.1 channels. Of course, Blu-Ray movies are typically the only reason you can hear dynamic sound, unless you have a computer that can send sound to the speakers manually. For high quality sound look for the Dolby Digital or TrueAudio label.

Last but not least, dark is better so find thick curtains that can block out the sunlight so you can create the ideal atmosphere for that exciting and almost hypnotically immersive theater experience.

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