Why Home Theaters Are Better

The new "It" trend is building a theater in your home to avoid driving to a commercial movie theater. Sounds great right?! Opinions of this trend seem to swing both ways and several will argue that the home theater doesn't come close to the experience of a commercial theater. Many will say that the home theater lacks the sound and audio capabilities that a real theater can give you. But why? The real question is, " How can a home theater be better?" A home theater that brings together technology and entertainment making it completely accessible whenever you wish. At its core, a home theater system should provide a high-quality visual experience and an immersive audio experience that breathes excitement and life into your favorite movies. There are many options that everyone has when it comes to updating your media room into something better.

Designed For Comfort

While a commercial theater is made up of expansive rooms to view the featured film, you are permitted to sit in this small, cramped and confined seat. But if you are lucky, the chair will be updated and have the option of reclining back and stretching out. With a home theater, there are endless options for watching a film comfortably. First, being in the comfort of your own home is the big one. Nobody except the people you invited to come over and watch the movie will be in the media room. Second, the seating for a home theater is designed with you in mind. You literally get to pick the seating arrangement that goes into that media room. Whether its a sectional with seating around, a beanbag, special recliners placed in front of the screen, a small loveseat (meant for cuddling), or a replica of an actual theater with real theater chairs. And don’t forget about the pillows and blankets available while using a home theater!

Cleaner

We all know that the floors of the movie theater are never clean, no matter if they just swept or pick up after the previous showing. Somebody always spills their popcorn, leaving the crunching for everyone’s feet to encounter. Or there is the problem of someone’s child dropping candy on the floor and then it lays there waiting to be stepped on, creating this annoying stickiness with every step you take. Imagine with a home theater: the amount of  cleanliness you'll get to experience every time (granted it depends upon how clean you keep the room, but it is much easier.) It is a way better feeling sitting somewhere that doesn’t crunch under you or force you to smell the previous person’s odor. A home theater offers the OCD movie watchers a better environment especially (some of us just can't be near the mess)!

Cost

This is a no-brainer, yes, initially the cost of installing everything for a home theater can be expensive and time-consuming at first. However, over time the price will eventually even itself out (pay for itself) and also it will increase the value of your home if you ever move. There will be no standing in line for popcorn ($6 to $10 depending on the size, candy ($2 to $4), and drinks ($5 to $7)....wow that adds up quickly! It is all located in your kitchen (and honestly probably higher quality and a little bit healthier for you). It is much less expensive too! No paying $20 for a large popcorn and soda that will make your stomach hurt later on top of the price of tickets. Moving on to ticket prices, it is reported that on average one ticket costs about $9.01 in 2019, then adding in the popcorn, candy, and a large soda, you’re looking at about $50 for a night out at the movies for two people. In comparison, imagine the experience of being at home in your comfy lounge clothes, you get to have your preferred snacks, your preferred drinks, and ultimately no gas is used to drive to and from the cinemas. 

Convenience

During this day and age, convenience is the number one reason why so many people do the things that they do because it is easier that way! It’s what makes businesses so successful these days. They are finding ways to incorporate an easier process into your daily life. While going to see a movie is usually a fun-filled activity as a couple or as a family, there is often-times a lot of planning that is involved. Syncing up the correct movie time with everyone else’s schedule and then making it there on-time and trying to get a decent seat that allows you to watch the film without straining your neck or squinting eyes. 

In the grand scheme of things, the biggest bonus for having a home theater at your disposal is that you get to watch whichever movie you would like! Usually, the issue with commercial theaters is that they play the same film on multiple screens and there are only so many options to what is available for viewing, and sometimes there isn’t anything that you are interested in seeing. If you are worried that you do not have access to films that have recently entered the movie theaters, there are ways to access these specific films.

There is also no possibility of interruptions from the viewers sitting around you when you’re in a private showing. Some moviegoers can be very inconsiderate and are constantly on their phones and texting during the movie, kids are sometimes brought in and start crying because the movie isn’t interesting enough for them, or someone has to use the restroom during the movie and needs to slide past you, and this forces you to adjust into a position that allows them to get past. With a home theater, you can pause the movie when you please, avoiding the possibility of missing any of the “good parts” or having to run to the bathroom or concession stand.

Customization

The freedom to customize is what makes designing your home theater so exciting! A home theater can be made as small or as big as you so please. With the surround sound systems (amplifiers, speakers, speaker cables, and subwoofers) that are being produced, the sound is now considered to be a huge improvement compared to sitting in a commercial movie theater. Surround Sound is something that is emotion-evoking and elevates the overall experience for everyone, immersing them into the movie. The 7.1 surround sound uses eight channels of audio to really engulf you in this intense bubble of sound. The key is to install quality products that will meet your needs, but how do you know you are investing in a premium product?

For those who are new to the “home theater” thing, don’t worry, it can be broken down. At TruAudio, we provide a long list of professional integrators located around the world and who are trained with proficiency in finding the best product, ensure that it is an appropriate design for the room, and will supply the ultimate experience for you and your guests. 

When it comes to in-home theaters the sound should be so defined that you feel like you are in the film, watching from the sidelines, 10-feet away. To achieve this experience, whether it is a media room reserved only for viewing movies or if it is a family room that is used for more than just sitting and enjoying the screen and sound, the key is to make sure to install speakers at the right level for your ears or reflects just right to them. TruAudio provides the perfect sound system that will make any experience enjoyable and heighten your listening senses. 

Every in-home theater should have at least one subwoofer in the room, two of them are better but the preferred number would be four in the room. The subwoofers will definitely make or break the audial experience of the room and learning where to place them may be slightly difficult.  

Viewing Options

There are so many options available for those who care about their picture quality (which is most of us, right?). Inside a home theater room, it truly depends on the size of the room and the seating arrangments. There are quite a few well-made TVs that would be ideal, although the options seem to be never-ending. OLED TVs are usually at the top of the list for picture quality and you will certainly be paying for the quality. On the other end, to make things a bit more simple, a projector fits nicely into a media room and is meant to be viewed in the dark (to really get that movie theater experience). Projectors make a nice screen because they are so large and less expensive than purchasing an ultra-thin TV. The best 4K projector uses optical upscaling technology to create a premium 4K image. This type of projector is for those that want high-dynamic range and high-contrast that displays a crisper and clearer picture.

Movie Alternatives

We can’t forget the alternatives to watching movies; maybe a "front-row" seat to a live sporting event, you can binge watch a new/old series that has been released on your favorite streaming service, or it can be ten steps-up for the serious gamers out there. Imagine hosting a football game/event for all of your buddies, in a special media room that has surround sound, and you aren’t all squished together on one couch making sure you can see and it lets you hear every play and call. The outside sound is null and everyone knows not to bother you! We all have that lazy day on the weekends where we stay in our pajamas all day and sit on the couch decompressing from our week of engagements. Having the option of sitting in comfort, enveloped in a pile of blankets, just catching up on the latest season of Game of Thrones. For our videogamers, the theater room may make you never want to leave because the whole experience has you physically emerged in what is happening on the screen (it's already difficult to get you gamers away from the screen as is). 

TruAudio

 At TruAudio there are so many integrators out there that can help you turn a plain old room (garage, basement, and empty corner room) into a specialized in-home theater/media room for you, your family, and your friends to experience and enjoy. With the number of "speaker" companies out there now, the decisions that need to be made to complete your home theater should be made with a trusted company that can provide you with the highest quality of products. At TruAudio our goal is to remain at the peak of the market by supplying only top-of-the-line products to our dealers and essentially to their customers.