Home Theater Construction

Basements are very suitable for home theater construction. They don't have a lot of light coming into the space, and they are well buffered from noises that might come from other parts of the house. A possible problem could be access. You should have a 36 inch wide door and stair in order to get comfortable seating and a large screen TV into the space.

THE ROOM - In my opinion, comfortable seating is very important since the movie viewers will be sitting for 2 hours or more. The ability to put your feet up is always a nice bonus.

Color of the surrounding surfaces is an important element in home theater construction. Everything should be dark - even the ceiling. You could use black or dark blue fabric to cover walls. And you can buy black ceiling tiles.

This will enable you to have a more vivid picture than if you had light-colored surfaces in the immediate vicinity of the screen. High-hat lighting with dimmers will allow you to control the lighting.

It also helps if the eyes are not distracted by cluttered shelving or blinking lights on electronic equipment. Try to conceal as much as possible with cabinets.

The floor should be carpet or cork tiles to help eliminate resonance. This will improve the acoustic quality of the movie.

However, it's usually not a good idea to put carpet directly over a cement floor in the basement, so I think an area rug or throw rugs, or an engineered wood floor would be better options.

There is a recommended distance between the screen and the seating, determined by the size of the screen. If the screen is 27" to 31", seating should be 6 to 10 feet away.

When the screen is between 32" and 40", the seating should be 8 to 12 feet away. And when the screen is over 40", seating should be at least 10 feet away.

In addition, there is an optimum height for the screen. The bottom of the screen should be between 3' and 4'-6" above the floor, in order to be comfortably viewed by someone who is sitting down.

THE EQUIPMENT - There are 2 schools of thought about the size of the screen. One says to get a 72" screen and feel more like you're in a movie theater.

The other prefers to size the screen according to the size of the room and the distance between the seating and the screen. I agree with the latter, but I don't believe there's a right or wrong answer here. It's strictly your preference. Just make these decisions before you begin your home theater construction.

The DVD player should be able to play in High Definition (obviously). They'll cost a very little bit more, but don't even think about not having one.

ACCESSORIES - Now you can add to the fun with things like movie posters, a popcorn machine, neon signs that say "Joe's Theater". You can go a little over the top if you're inclined. Enjoy the movie.

For Those Interested In 3-D

If you think you want a 3-D TV, it makes sense to create an optimum viewing environment. In this case, you should choose the largest screen you can afford and have space for.

Minimize light and visual distractions. Furnishings made to house components not only create a neat viewing area, they can help protect and preserve expensive equipment.

Finally, don't forget to include a dedicated place to store and charge your 3-D glasses. These can be costly and they're pretty delicate. It will be better to create a safe spot in which to house them, than it will be to keep replacing lost or damaged ones.

I'm not too knowledgeable about the technical aspects of this subject, but if you want to contact me about home theater construction, click here and I'll do what I can.

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