Creating the ultimate home theater often requires that someone focus on the entirety of the theater, rather than on one specific element. This means that the room itself, which someone wants to turn into a home theater, needs to be considered with regard to light, acoustics, and similar issues. Within this room, however, someone also needs to think about the various components that make up the theater, especially the way in which video and audio are played. Additional considerations for the ultimate home theater should include furniture, decorations in the room, and features like a snack bar.
The ultimate home theater should begin with the room in which someone wants to create it. There are a number of practical and technical considerations that should be kept in mind with regard to the space that is used for a home theater. Light can have a tremendous impact on the quality of images viewed within such a room, so windows should be either avoided or covered with heavy curtains that block out all light from outside. The acoustics within the ultimate home theater should also provide optimal sound quality while viewing a film, based on both the shape of the room and the materials used in and outside of it.
Once the actual design of the ultimate home theater is handled, then the specific elements and components within it should be considered. Video playback for viewing films, television shows, and playing video games can come from either a large television or from a projector and a screen. Someone should consider the space he or she has for a television or projector, and choose the system that works best within his or her home theater.
Audio quality is determined by the type of sound system used within the room. The ultimate home theater should include at least one subwoofer speaker, and five or more additional speakers to create surround sound. While a single amplifier is all that is required for a basic system, more powerful sound systems can utilize a pre-amp as a secondary component that provides richer sound of higher quality.
Secondary considerations should also be kept in mind while someone designs the ultimate home theater. Furniture is very important, since comfortable seating that is properly positioned allows the audience to remain seated for hours at a time and see and hear a program as clearly as possible. Additional decorations can be used to make the ultimate home theater even more inviting and immersive, such as track lighting along walkways that do not interfere with viewing the screen and decorations that mimic a commercial movie theater. A snack bar can also be provided, including a popcorn machine, vending machines for soda, and even small facilities for preparing appetizers and alcoholic beverages.