Watching TV has more to do with the way we live as opposed to having to adapt our lives to the way we watch TV. That’s why the look and definition of home theater varies from home to home.
“The first thing we like to know are things about the family – how they live, and whether they want a place to watch news, weather and sports – although we find most of the people we work with are movie buffs,” said Bill Langejans, sales engineer of Grand Home Automation in Novi.
The next step in planning a home theatre is determining whether a family wants a multi-purpose room – perhaps a family room off a kitchen – or a dedicated viewing room that will need room-darkening shades, remote-controlled dimmable lighting, and theatre seating complete with two or more tiered levels.
Regardless of the type of room, the size of the room and where seating is placed will dictate what kind and how big of a screen a family will want. Langejans noted that high-definition televisions will allow viewers to sit closer to the screen than analog TVs. In addition, theater seating can be custom-made according to how big and how tall family members so they can be comfortable and not tire too quickly while watching TV or movies.
Two trends Langejans said to avoid are investing in wireless components and hanging flat-screen TVs above fireplaces. “There’s an awful lot of talk about wireless products, but so many of them aren’t very reasonable and they’re the most-often returned products. And even though designers are placing TVs above fireplaces, it’s too hot and it will shorten the life of your TV drastically. Put the TV on an adjacent wall. There are also roll-down art facades on motorized screens to hide the TV away without using cabinets or doors,” he said.
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