home theater

Will a Home Theater Impact Your Home’s Resale Value?

by

Knowing how home improvements change your home’s value is important. Unless it’s a family property that’s fully owned, chances are you will eventually sell your home to move to a new location or get a bigger house. Whether you have a home theater already or you are in the middle of making a pro-con list, taking the future profitability into consideration is a great choice. Here’s how any home theater can factor into the future sale:

Will a Home Theater Impact Your Home's Resale Value?

Are you making use of an unusable space?

A lot of home theaters are in basements. They’re also in rooms without any windows. These locations are great spaces for a home theater because they might not otherwise be attractive to prospective home buyers. In fact, turning basements from simple storage to space with a definite purpose, such as a rec room, a gym, or a wine cellar, draws in interested buyers. People also tend to buy homes with the improvements already in place so they don’t have to make the renovations themselves. A finished media room checks all the boxes.

Is it a smart theater that’s integrated into your home?

Most new home theaters don’t just have the hardware plugged into the walls. Instead, everything is integrated with a central smart home system. It allows for remote operation, media syncing, and house-wide integration. Smart homes also have other features such as more refined security and remote monitoring of the electrical sockets. If your home already has a smart system when it goes on the market, that’s valuable.

Can the home theater be easily modified?

Everyone has their own idea of what they want their home theater to look like. One person might want deep Cinemark-red walls. Another person might want fixed seating in elevated rows. No matter what style you want, you can get a lot of value out of it if you make it easy to personalize and rearrange.

Go to Audio Video Solutions to get the home theater that you want and that will retain its value for years to come.

What Else Can You Use a TV Projector For?

by

Don’t just watch your TV shows and movies on your projector. While it gives you crystal clear quality that equals or surpasses traditional screens of an equal size, that’s only the beginning of what it can do. What else can you use a TV projector for?

What Else Can You Use a TV Projector For?

Design your home theater to be video game and Wii-friendly.

A projector is a perfect opportunity to make playing video games an even better experience. Whether you have a single-player game with great graphics and you want to completely immerse yourself in the highly detailed settings or you’re playing a multi-player game that splits the screen so each player has a customized view, bigger is better. Set your projector to make wall-wide images so that the games are clearer and easier to see than ever.

It also creates a great environment for Wii games and other motion-based consoles. While restricting the motion integration to characters on a screen was still a game-changer for video games, you can make it even better by making it look like you’re actually in the game.

Make projects easier.

Do you remember tracing shapes on a shaky overhead projector at school? Whether it was to make a map or to trace a silhouette for a biology project, the final product was unsteady because of the blur and accidental shifting. But with a projector, your children can easily trace everything from a last-minute touch-up on a history assignment due tomorrow or fonts for a homecoming or birthday poster. Just roll up the screen, tape up the paper, and let them create.

Go to Audio Video Solutions to find the right projector and installation package for everything you have planned.

How Are Speaker Systems Arranged?

by

Part of a professional home theater installation is fantastic audio. Professionals know the best spots and optimal arrangements for crystal-clear surround sound, and they can work with you to make any room a great home theater. But knowing the basics of surround sound and how different speakers should be placed can help you make more informed decisions about the best place in your house for a media room, what system you want, and how you want to style the room to draw attention to the central focus: the screen.

How Are Speaker Systems Arranged?

What are the basics included in a sound system?

The first part of your speaker system is the front three speakers. The first is the center channel speaker. Whether your center speaker is above or below the screen, it should point directly forward but be tilted up or down to reach your ears when you’re sitting. You will generally have two front speakers, one on either side of the screen and pointed directly towards the seat in front of the television. They are also usually placed at the ear, or headrest, a level which is why they’re either built into stands or installed on the wall.

What about surround sound systems? 

The first number in a surround sound speaker system tells you whether you have five speakers (5.1 surround sound) or seven (7.1 surround sound). If you have the first system, then the remaining two speakers are usually placed to the left and right of the main chair or couch. With 7.1 surround sound, your four remaining speakers are arranged in two pairs: one to the left and right of the main seat, and the second pair is behind you. All of the speakers should be angled towards the audience, and, unlike with the front two speakers, they should be installed a couple feet above ear level.

Sometimes sound systems also come with subwoofers, additional speakers for oddly-shaped rooms, or even sound bars that direct sound in multiple different directions. No matter what the shape of your media room or the level of complexity you’re looking for, our specialists at Audio Video Solutions can help get you what you’re looking for.

Projector vs. Flat Screen: Which Screen Gives You More Options?

by

The best part about modern films and television shows is their high-definition and production quality. The camera catches everything from fast action to infinitesimal details, and the right projector or television can bring them back to life. If you’re thinking about upgrading your current television for a new home theater, you might be debating between a projector and a flat screen. Here are a few factors to keep in mind:

Projector vs. Flat Screen: Which Screen Gives You More Options?

  • How large do you want the screen size to be? Flat screens and projectors with the same specifications give the same crisp quality so you can choose what class of screen you’re interested in based on your preferences, audience, and budget. But one key difference is in the size of the screen: projectors can blow up the image even larger without taking away from the details or giving you blurry or pixelated images. You can even change the size of the image for when you’re watching a movie with just your family or you’re watching a game with lots of moving guests.
  • Do you want to experiment with different rooms for your home theater? While flat screens can be installed quickly by any professional, it can be tedious to reposition and move them around whether you’re making minute adjustments or shifting to a new media room. But projectors can easily be moved across the house, into your backyard, or even over to a friend’s house for any occasion.

As every sort of television, whether on a flat screen, monitor, or projector, increases in clarity and definition every year, it’s important to consider all the factors behind your media equipment. If you’re looking for a larger screen and even a mobile home theater, projectors are an excellent choice. Contact Audio Video Solutions today!

Home Surround Sound With Dolby Atmos

by

The latest big thing for surround sound for home theater setups is called Dolby Atmos. The technology was rolled out in 2012 for cinemas and was first used in Pixar’s “Brave.” Now Dolby Atmos is available for home theaters, and Netflix is starting to produce programming that takes advantage of the technology, according to the Verge.

Home Surround Sound With Dolby Atmos

The way that Dolby Atmos works is that it configures sounds as objects rather than restrict them to individual channels. In a movie theater setting, this involves setting up speakers along the walls and the ceilings of the auditorium. Sounds then seem to originate from the direction they would in real life and then move in the appropriate direction. Hence, an aircraft engine would appear to come from above and move across the sky. The sound of people speaking would move from one side to the other with the characters.

In a home theater system, the set up comes with an AV receiver that is capable of processing Dolby Atmos sound and up to 34 speakers, though most can get away with using fewer. To get the effect of sound coming from above, one has a couple of options. The first option involves using speakers that can bounce sound off the ceiling, thus gaining the effect. For hardcore enthusiasts, specially designed speakers are available that can be mounted on the ceiling. The ideal setup consists of 12 speakers at floor level and two to four on the ceiling as an upgrade.

In the meantime, programming that uses Dolby Atmos is just starting to be available. Netflix has released a film called “Okja” that uses the new surround sound technology and will be rolling out other feature-length films configured the same way periodically in the future.

For more information contact us.

Professional Home Theater Installation Tips

by

Home theater systems have a lot of parts: whether you want speakers that aren’t easily visible or or remotes that control everything, installing your home theater system can be get complicated very quickly if you want it done right. If you want to be sure everything is installed correctly and with optimal placement, calling in an home theater expert can be a huge help.

Professional Home Theater Installation Tips

What does a home theater installation expert look for when setting up your system?

  • Location, location, location! Finding the best locations for every part of your home theater system depends on a lot of factors: equipment needs to be easy to access but also need to be close enough to a room’s wiring for good connections. Speakers need to be set high along a room’s wall, but they need to be installed in such a way that the cords are discreet or entirely hidden. When a technician is installing your home system, they’re keeping a checklist of where to place every piece of equipment.
  • How to protect the equipment: It’s still common to install televisions over an outdoor fireplace, but the increased heat below and behind a mounted television set can damage it and lead to more frequent replacements. Installation experts aren’t just looking for a stable place to mount your screens and speakers; they’re evaluating the surrounding environment for sources of heat and potential damage, especially if your home theater system extends to the outside.
  • What an outdoor theater needs to run smoothly: Outdoor systems are complicated. Regardless of who’s installing your system, they have to take into account temperature fluctuations and the extreme Texas weather, the likelihood of ants getting into equipment and causing damage, and how to position your screens to minimize glare.

Your home theater system should be set up just right to match your house, your family, and your programming. While home theater kits do exist for DIY installation, having a professional install your system gives you a wider range of equipment options and ensures that the installation is done with safety, placement, and your convenience in mind. If you would like to get an estimate or learn more about our services, please contact Audio Video Solutions.

3 Tips for the Perfect Home Theater

by
3 Tips for the Perfect Home Theater
Home theater installation in Aubrey, TX

Want to set up the perfect home theater? A lot goes into making everything just right so that you can enjoy your movie nights. Here are three important things to take into account.

Optimal Viewing Experience

The television screen needs to be situated at just the right distance from your eyes while seated, often measured by double the diagonal size of your screen. However, there’s a lot more to it than that.

For an optimal viewing experience, the lighting also needs to be taken into account. Will it cause a glare and ruin your vision? You also need to make sure that the angle of your seats and of the screen are just right. If you’re watching 3D movies, this is even more important.

Optimal Sound Experience

It’s not enough to just plunk down speakers next to the TV. For a great sound experience, you want speakers situated in just the right positions around your room. For a good and seamless surround sound, they need to be just the right volume. If you’re planning on using headphones, you need the right type that will give you a great experience.

Make Everyone Happy

As mentioned, it’s important to carefully place your seats, chairs, and couches in the right places. However, if you plan on watching films with your family and friends, you need to make sure everyone is happy. If you have the wrong chairs or they are in the wrong place, people’s vision may be partially blocked, ruining their viewing experience. The position of the screen and of the chairs must be carefully planned out.

Want to have the perfect home theater installed in your home? Contact us today!

Three Reasons Why Wireless Audio Speakers Are a Good Fit for Your Home Theater System

by

As you’re moving around your house, a bunch of noisy interruptions can keep you from hearing what you’re listening to on your television or laptop just in the other room. But many people are now switching over to house-wide speaker systems that can play from your phone, laptop, and television throughout the house so you don’t miss a beat, and wireless speakers are just the equipment for it.

Three Reasons Why Wireless Audio Speakers Are a Good Fit for Your Home Theater System

What are the advantages of installing wireless speakers?

  1. You get a clean, minimalistic appearance. Even though many A/V systems can be installed with hidden cables and there are numerous tricks and styles for making wires disappear into the background, having truly wireless speakers gives your system a clean-cut look no matter whether you install the speakers in the corners of your rooms or have them placed near devices around your home.
  2. You can hook them up to your computer or phone. With speakers enabled with Bluetooth or any other system for wirelessly syncing devices, you can play music, podcasts, and videos you’ve found online effortlessly. You don’t have to transfer files to a central device or spend time plugging and unplugging your speakers’ hub to whatever device you want to listen to; you can just push a button and press play.
  3. It’s easy to expand your speaker system. There are no wires or complicated procedures when you’re expanding your wireless speaker system. All you or a technician has to do is sync up the devices, ensure there’s no wi-fi interference or system slowdowns, and adjust the settings, and then you have speakers that now reach more of your house or even the backyard.

If you want the audio portion of your home theater to give you crystal clear, easily controlled sound throughout your house and yard, wireless speakers are the best way to go. Contact us here to speak with an expert or get an estimate.

Sync Up Your House with a Crestron AV System

by

When you think of a home theater system, you might imagine a closed room with a large screen where you can get immersed in a movie with friends and family. While this is certainly part of it, complete home theater system has audio and video components that you can customize throughout the entirety of your house.  Interested in syncing up your house with a Crestron AV System?

Sync Up Your House with a Crestron AV System

Why should you choose a Crestron system for your home theater and home automation?

  • You can sync up whatever you’re watching through every room in the house. Crestron systems incorporate a multi-room video viewing system that lets you access TV shows, DVR recording, and your Blu-ray or DVD player in any room in your house. It also lets you pause as you move between rooms or keeps synced in time so you can move from place to place without having to stop what you’re doing and without missing any of the movies.
  • The audio system allows for customization through each part of the house. once a room is hooked up with Crestron’s home audio system, you can automate it to play simultaneously through every room in the house or have different areas have different audio. You can even customize different settings for different volume and audio specifics based on whether you want the audio to be the primary focus or you want it low enough so that your guests can easily chat.

Home theater system is about much more than just watching movies. If you’d like to learn more about how to customize a complete audio video system for your house, please contact Audio Video Solutions here.

How Can TV Mounting Enhance Your Home Theater?

by

Almost every home has a flat screen instead of a box set television because of the increased clarity, visual experience and visibility it offers to a large group of people watching throughout a room. You can take advantage of the enhanced visuals a flat screen has to offer by mounting it to the wall of a dedicated home theater room or in every room in your house that has a television.

How Can TV Mounting Enhance Your Home Theater?

Why should you get your televisions mounted?

  • Your home theater becomes more like a movie theater. Mounting your television on the wall, whether you have a flat screen television or the screen to capture a projected image, helps transform watching a movie into an authentic theater experience. It keeps your home theater style as minimalistic as possible to reduce clutter and distractions and lets you place it at the best angle for optimal viewing.
  • It lets you take the best advantage of the space in your home theater room. A mounted television can be hung high on a wall without the risk of a TV stand that can be bumped into or knocked over, which means that the television and the chance of knocking it down is kept far out of reach of small children and pets.
  • Experts can mount it in the best place to reduce glare and optimize visibility. At Audio Video Solutions, we’ve been offering professional services for over eleven years. If you want to offset any potential glare or direct sunlight, the type and materials of your wall, and any other TV mounting concerns, hiring a professional who has experienced mounting a television in multiple different settings means that your television placement will perfectly and safely match what you had in mind.

Having your television attached to your wall instead of standing on furniture is a great touch to modernize in your home theater and get the most out of your flat screen, and a professional can help ensure that this is done with long-term safety in mind. If you’d like if you’d like to learn more about how to customize your home theater, please contact Audio Video Solutions here.