Thinking About a Custom Home Theater?

Have you always longed for a completely custom home theater for your Portland home? Maybe the timing was never quite right because of competing priorities. Now your moment has come, and you’re ready to make your dream into a reality.

As you investigate it, all the options for a home theater space may seem a bit daunting. What kind of seating do I want? Do I need special lighting? What kind of speakers should I get? Should it look like an actual theater or go with the rest of my home’s décor?

There is no correct answer for any of these questions: The answers lie in what you want out of your home theater. You can do it yourself, but you are better off with a professional like Encore Audio Video. We are experts in home theater and media room design and installation, and we can guide you through every step of the process toward getting the theater of your dreams. With that in mind, let’s discuss four areas you’ll want to consider to help you make sense of the options.

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Where Does Your Theater Go?

In real estate, the age-old dictum is "location, location, location." Location also matters when choosing where to put your home theater. It may seem obvious, but you'll want to locate it in a part of the house you will use. Even if you have the perfect basement space for one, if you don't see yourself spending a lot of time in that area, it may not be the best fit. A home theater can also be part of your living room, family room, or even the right office or library.

Another vital consideration for location deals with light and sound. You need to be able to have intensive control over both for a great experience. Some rooms might be ideal for a home theater setup - like that basement - but others might need more customization, with blackout window treatment for light control and acoustic treatment for the best sound quality.

Another factor is seating. Do you want theater-style seating or a more informal living areas style? This will affect the room's layout and other areas. It can directly affect how you need to deal with light control and acoustics as well.

Physical Requirements

Theaters can pose a variety of challenges. You need the right electrical capacity as the draw from high-power amplifiers and other equipment may exceed that of different spaces. You need to be able to conceal wiring for speakers, projectors, and other components. In some cases, running wires through walls, ceiling, or under floors might be difficult. None of these challenges can't be overcome - they just need to be addressed in the design. Lighting design and control are essential in theater spaces too. There is likely electrical work to do to incorporate all the features you will want in your theater room, whether it’s the basement or part of your family room.

Audio and Video Equipment

Some people think the equipment makes the most significant difference; while it's critical, some of the physical factors noted above play an important role in what you will need in terms of equipment. Will you be watching football and other programming during the day? Are your kids (or you) video gamers that would enjoy playing on the big screen and sound system? These questions might affect your choice of displays, like a large flat screen or projector. It may turn out you need both, or even multiple flat screens and a projector that you use, depending on the content. Some of the choices will depend on the seating arrangement and the physical layout of the room itself.

Your audio options may even be more daunting - but that abundance of choices means you can get the precise system that fits your needs. Some smaller theater rooms might make do with a high-quality soundbar. For others, only a full-fledged, thirteen-speaker Dolby Atmos surround system will suffice. We can help you navigate the myriad of choices, based on what you will watch, the room, the seating, your décor, and your preferences for sound quality.

Control and Automation

Nobody envisions a home theater that is complicated to operate. You want simplified control, not just of the audio and video equipment but also other items like lighting and motorized window treatments. The custom home theater of your dream should have one-button control to dim the lights, draw the shades, lower the screen, and power up the AV system to all the right settings. All you have to do is press play. For that streamlined control and ease of use, we work with the most scalable, integrated smart home technology like Control4.

Are you ready for the custom home theater you’ve always wanted? We can help! Reach out to our team today or click below to connect with one of our home theater experts.