Do I have to have a special room for my home theater?

Home theaters can be integrated into several room environments. You can have a home theater in just about any room of the house, a small apartment, office, or dorm, depending on your needs or desired entertainment options.

·        Movie Watching Room – A movie watching room may be what typically comes to mind when we think of home theaters. More and more people are creating dedicated home theater spaces. These rooms are often designed with special seating, décor, sound insulation, and completely controlled ambient lighting. Many times a finished basement serves as the movie watching room. As a general rule, movie soundtracks sounds richer and more realistic in a rectangular room than in a square one.

·        Media Room – A media room is generally a special room in the house designated for watching movies, listening to music, and using the computer. Home theater components may be installed and used in this room, but the room also includes furnishing and electronics that reflect a variety of other uses. This may be a spare room, basement, attic, or bonus room.

·        Integrated Family Room – An integrated family room is often a first step people take towards a home theater, as it utilizes a space already designated for family entertainment. It is simply a living room or family room with home theater equipment installed and hidden away. If you have hardwood floors in your family room, try to cover them with large rugs, as hard surfaces can distort sound. Also, hang draperies on windows and replace toggle-style switches with a dimmable switch to better control light. Generally, quality sound and picture can turn even a small room into a functional home theater.