According to a recent poll by Ipsos for the Associated Press and AOL News, 73% of Americans prefer to watch movies at home, with only 22% preferring to see a movie in a movie theatre.

If there is any room in your house to paint a dark color, this is the one. If you have existing furniture that you will be using, pick a color that works with your furniture, but from the dark end of the paint sample card. There are also wallpaper borders available that depict movie motifs. Home Theatre Interiors (www.hometheatreinteriors.com) has a nice selection.

Do you have windows in this room? You will need room darkening window treatments, whether shades, drapes or a combination of the two. Many custom drapery and shade fabricators offer blackout lining as an option. You can find a wide selection of blackout lined curtain sizes at HTmarket.com, with over 30 fabric colors to choose from.

There are several types of lighting you can use to enhance your home theatre experience. For “raising the house lights,” recessed lighting on a dimmer switch will allow you to have overhead lighting where you can control the brightness. If you set up a counter/bar area (or for the purposes of this article a “concession” stand) you can use a couple of pendant lights on a separate switch, so at “intermission”, people can see what they are eating and drinking. Sconces spaced along the walls will add that theatrical touch. Cinema Shop (www.cinemashop.com) has wall sconces with movie themes, as well as other lighting, that is functional while enhancing the décor.

Movie posters can be found at many sites on the internet. You may be able to get some for free at your local movie theatre; ask if they have any they are going to throw away. Poster frames can also be found on the internet, at very reasonable prices. Frames-Direct (www.frames-direct.com) has a large selection to choose from.

You can also find movie reels at online auction sites that you can either hang on the walls with your posters, or use them to make other home theatre accessories. For example, a couple put together can become a wine rack; one laid down on a coffee table or counter area could hold small bowls of nuts, candy or dip. Several of the websites listed have signs, lighted and unlighted, that you can personalize for your theatre or place in your “concession” advertising your favorite drink. To really bring the drama home, you can put up velvet drapes on either side of the television.

If you do need furniture, many stores and warehouse clubs offer theatre seating. Cinema Shop, amongst all the other items it carries, also offers theatre seats, as well as cinema loungers. La-Z-Boy (www.la-z-boy.com) offers a line called “Matinee”, which has a wealth of choices in fabric and leather. From Home Theater Mart (www.htmart.com) you can find studio chairs, which are the height of a bar stool, for your concession/bar area. These chairs can also be used as extra seating, and can be folded up and stored when not in use. There are coffee tables, side tables and DVD storage shelves that have a movie reel look to them.

You can also find those little finishing touches at many of the businesses listed in this article, such as pillows, throws and area rugs keeping with the home theatre theme. The possibilities are endless.

Finally, pop some popcorn, pour yourself a soda and get comfortable – it’s show time!

Kathy Passarette is a Certified Interior Decorator and Affiliate member of the Interior Design Society. She is the owner of Creative Home Expressions located on Long Island, New York. You can contact Kathy through her website at http://www.creativehomeexpressions.com

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A surround system does not only add louder music and movies to your home theatre, but it also immerses a viewer in the movie-watching experience. It has a system called multichannel that allows several speakers deliver a specific sound. As a result, you will feel in the middle of the action, and the reality of the movie is intensified.

The key to the best system is the set up. The excitement you feel in opening those boxes that contain your new system component usually turns into despair as you start to anticipate the assembly task ahead. There are some things you can do to get your home theatre system up and running sooner than possible. Bear in mind that installation is much an art as it is science, and that since you paid for it, then you and your family should enjoy it. Go with what sounds and looks right for you and the rest of the family.

Plan your installation properly. Be aware of the limitations of the room and plan accordingly. A sunny, bright room with several windows may not be the best location for a projection TV. If there is no other room, you can put blinds, drapes or shutters to shield out sunlight. Plan on where to place your system to allow placing the surround wires along the baseboard walls. Consider wall mounting the speakers to avoid them being knocked over. Find out the weight of the speakers and make sure that the mounts could handle more than the speaker weight by fifteen percent. Ensure that the mounts are securely held in the walls.

The surround system has at least five speakers and an optional subwoofer and receiver. All the components must be wired through the receiver, and install all the speakers in the best positions in your living room or anywhere you will be watching movies.

All TV DVRs have white and red stereo audio output jacks. You can use the red and white ends of the system to connect to one of the stereo audio inputs in your home theatre system or A/V receiver. Remember to turn on your theatre system and choose the right input when watching shows.

Some TiVo DVRs have optical digital audio outputs. If your home entertainment theatre supports digital audio, you can use optical digital cable, which is sold separately to connect your TiVo DVR to the optical digital audio on your theatre system.

If your home theatre system supports video connections, use the yellow end of to connect video from your TiVo DVR to the video input jack on the system. For a better video quality, you can use an S-Video cable if the system supports it.

Above everything, take your time in installing your home entertainment theatre. A few moments could save you a lot of time undoing a mistake. You are going to have plenty of hours enjoying your system, so take some extra time to ensure that you do it right. This especially goes to measuring and running the speaker wires, setting up the cable wires behind the equipment. Each extra time spent in proper setting up of your home theatre will save you from hours of fixing later on.

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These days, a good home theatre system can easily equal the quality of any local cineplex, and except for the screen size, it’s easy to exceed it!

But if you are thinking of dipping your toes into home theatre for the first time, you may be a bit daunted. It doesn’t help that most sales people don’t know, or don’t care about what they are talking about, as long as they get the sale. Unless you know someone who is already into home theatre, you may find yourself lost for good advice. Luckily, it really not hard at all.

First, here’s what you should not buy under any circumstances: A home theatre in a box.

My reason is a little different from most. In general they have a reputation for poor sound quality, due to the cheap speakers. In reality, some of them are actually not all that bad, if used in a small room. The real problem is build quality, I have seen so many of these broken very early if their lifecycle its not even funny. My advice is just don’t bother.

What you should do it purchase a decent receiver and speakers separately. It need not be the most expensive receiver in the store. In fact, for most casual users, the difference between a cheap receiver and an expensive one probably won’t be obvious. Just be sure that it has HDMI, and support for the latest sound formats, such as Dolby Digital HD, as these are used on current Blu-ray discs. Some good receiver brands are Denon, Pioneer, and Harmon Kardon.

The speakers are the most important feature of you home theatre, and what will contribute most to duplicating the theatre experience at home, not the TV! That being the case, do not cheap out, buy the best speakers you can afford. There are many fantastic, inexpensive speaker brands on the market. I am partial to Infinity, but take a look as Paradigm, Energy, and Klipsch, to name a few.

I suggest buying bookshelf speakers for home theatre and avoiding the fancier designs. This will allow your system to double as a stereo more seamlessly. A home theater has a minimum of 6 speakers to mains, a center channel (for dialog), two surrounds, and a subwoofer. Many modern formats use up to 8 speakers (adding a left and right rear speaker, and addition to the standard two surround speakers.) In my personal opinion, the difference of adding the two extra speakers is extremely subtle, and really only noticeable in a very large room. I recommend you save some money here, or put it towards your other speakers.

Make sure you don’t cheap out on the subwoofer, a good place to get an amazing sub for your money is SVS Subwoofers.

Now hook it all up to your TV and blast the floorboards away.

The Limelight is about living life creatively and finding inspiration to do so. It is not restricted to any one narrow focus, and so you will find articles here on topics ranging from money to food to photography, and anything else that contributes to living an inspired, creative life.

Jonathan Timar is a naturally creative person. Creativity is his life’s blood. He’s an actor and filmmaker, a writer and a photographer. He is also a graduate of broadcasting school. He is and avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction. His favourite novel of all time is Tai-Pan by James Clavell followed closely by Shogun, also by James Clavell.

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What are You Using as Your Player?

The first thing to check out is what are you looking at as the player for your home theatre? Have you got a music system attached to your television which would be able to play CDs, DVDs and also help to channel out the music received through your TV, or is it primarily going to be a computer that you are going to use as the music player?

Computers come with a wide variety of sound cards. Both computers and music systems can support 3.1, 5.1 and 7.1 channels. Depending on the configuration that you can possibly get out of your music system, choose the home theatre speakers for the best results.

Even if you decide to go for a 7.1 system when your computer or the music system only supports a 3.1 channel, the results will not be the optimum for the high performance speakers, and you will end up spending money uselessly. So consider the hardware or the configuration of the source before you buy the speaker system.

The Size of Your Room

You must also consider the size of the room where you are going to be setting up the home theatre. You must understand that if the home theatre is being set up in a smaller room, chances are that speakers of higher power might not match the room to result in the best quality sound. There is no harm in spending more money and getting the highest powerful speakers available. But you will never be able to use them at their optimum power.

Similarly in a larger room, you must opt for a system that features higher power if you want to be able to hear the sound clearly without distortion or the quality cracking up. This should also be considered while purchasing the home theatre speakers for the best results.

The Price and the Brand

Lastly, decide on the brand and the budget. Once you know what you want from your speaker and what you need to look for, decide on a budget. Once you have a budget ready, visit a number of stores dealing in such speakers, and check your options with the brands, the features and the varieties. Try to go for the maximum number of demos for a better idea.

Depending on the brands that you think suit your budget and requirements, check out the reviews on the products to find out how they have performed for their earlier users. Only then purchase the home theatre speakers, and rest assured that you have probably bought yourself a great home theatre system!

Click the links for more information about computer speaker systems or home theatre speakers.

Steve
Computer speaker systems

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Not everyone can afford to buy the top of the line in everything, however. Fortunately, there are some places where corners can be cut without greatly impacting the overall viewing experience. The home theatre speakers are one consideration that can be found on a budget and still perform quite well. Shopping for the best within a budget will be important to make sure quality is king in a set that runs $200 or $2,000.

When looking for home theatre speakers, it’s wise to do the following things:

Budget: Setting a budget is a first and foremost concern. Since home theatre set ups can run into the thousands, having a dollar amount for the home theatre speakers can really assist in the process of locating the best for the family in question.

List out requirements: A lot of bells and whistles can be found even on a budget, so go ahead and list out what features are important for your personal set up. If Dolby is a must, put that down. If having a master control device included with the speakers will be necessary, jot that down, too.

Look at makes and models: With desires for home theatre speakers clearly stated and a budget set, it’s time to start researching different makes and models. Start out by finding all those that fall into the right budget range. Then weed out different designs based on the desired features. When a few potential winners are found, it’s time to hit the books, so to say.

Look at what consumer reporting agencies or magazines have said about particular makes and models and even seek out reviews from past users. The important things to consider are sound quality, warranties and overall performance. A $300 set of home theatre speakers might just happen to have better consumer reports than that $2,000 set that looks fantastic.

Home theatre speakers purchased in sets should include at least five separate speakers to create the surround sound effect. A main control device might also include a stereo receiver, but the important thing is that it takes input from the projector and or DVD player. Make sure a minimum set up is included and that past user reports are good and almost any speaker system that’s set up correctly will sound a thousand times better than a regular television set.

Shopping for home theatre speakers can be a little intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Do a little homework in advance and the purchase should be a snap.

http://www.hometheatrefun.com brings you the latest on the home theatre. We want to bring you the most up to date information online! Be sure to check out our latest information page on home theatre speakers.

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For some individuals the task becomes so daunting that they choose to hire professionals. It is possible to put together a great home theatre design, but there are a few things to consider in the planning process.

One thing right off the bat is to decide whether or not to use a professional. There is nothing wrong with using a professional, in fact this industry has been booming because these individuals are trained to design a home theatre so that the sound and quality is the most efficient. One prime example of how expertise can help is how the speakers are set up.

Most individuals who set up their system have the speakers integrated near the television, as opposed to actually setting the speakers around the room to play surround sound. Many individuals think they have a nice set up, and then jump half way to the ceiling when they hear surround sound for the first time and that creak behind the character sounds like it’s coming from right over your shoulder behind you!

For others the problem with designing a home theatre starts in the beginning during the planning process. One of the most important details that can not be overlooked for a perfect home theatre is making sure to choose the perfect room for it. Maybe you have a furnished basement that works perfectly, or maybe it’s too cramped. The living room sounds like a good idea, but how often is a living room designed well for a home theatre?

The room design for your home theater is much more important than many people might think. Looking good is important, but it’s not nearly as important as having a system that is tuned in perfectly to blow away company with its awesome sound once the DVDs start playing.

The placement of furniture in the room is important as well. The location of the speakers, television, and even the furniture all add to the home theater experience. Where the speakers should be set up is partially determined by what type of chairs or couches you have, and where they are located in the room, as well. Sure you want comfortable furniture, who doesn’t? But make sure they are comfortable and the right size to situate around the room, or else the home theatre you choose will not have its full effect. Designing a home theatre system can be difficult, but if you mind the details and do your homework, the experience will make all the hassles worth the reward.

http://www.hometheatrefun.com brings you the latest on the home theatre. Home theatre’s are very popular, and we want to bring you the most up to date information online! Be sure to check out our latest information page on home theatre designs.

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The idea of watching movie in home is getting huge popularity in the UK market. People now want to have a theatre experience in their home itself. The system has many attractive features which gives a thrilling experience to the users. You can enjoy the amazing sound quality and picture resolution of home theatre. It gives a real experience of watching a better size pictures sitting in your home. It is a fun to watch your favourite stars on home theatre which provides an unmatchable enjoyment.

We all have been watching a movie in the theatre by spending money for buying tickets. The cinema hall is designed in a way that it makes to realise that you are too a part of the characters of the movie. Now, this opportunity comes in your home after invention of Home theatres. You can watch your favourite movie without paying cash everyday. All you have to do to go a megastore and book one for you. You can also browse different websites and select the best one for you. There are certain points that should be taken care of when you decide to purchase a theatre system.

* First of all, the picture quality must be of high standard as it gives the real impact. Suppose you are watching the Spiderman movie, so the scenes like flying or throwing enemies should give a real experience of watching. A Home theatre is more than a TV. So, it should be placed in a bigger hall so that it can accommodate more people to watch.

* The sound system should be brilliant so that it can give you the similar sound quality of a theatre. It comes with 3-4 speakers but you can use 6 speakers too depending on the size of the hall. These speakers should be placed to all corners of the hall.

* The interior design of the theatre room should also influence the experience of watching a movie on your system. The factors such as colour schemes, lighting, the seats, air conditioning and many other things should be adequate.

Therefore, it is better to spend some more money to get a system since the quality is very significant in this case. Also you should invest money to find a better quality sound system in order to convert your theatre room to a cinema hall. Basically, there are four equipments generally found in a Home theatre system. These are as follows.

1) A DVD player capable of scanning process

2) A television with the measurement of 40 inches

3) A receiver with multi-channel facility. The number of channel should be at least 5.1

4) Minimum 6 large speakers capable of producing a digital sound quality.

There are many online options which provide you a good quality Home theatre system at a reasonable price. You can also take benefit of different offers and deals there. The market share of Home theatre system is rising in the consumer durable goods industry. The lowering price has also helped in this direction. The manufacturing companies are raring to go to capture the undiscovered markets. Hence, it is going to be a win-win situation for both the manufacturers and the consumers.

Jayson Pablo, a dedicated writer of Rupizcompare.co.uk which provide information on consumer electronics as home audio systems.

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A TV by itself is not enough, though, since an important factor is viewing distance. In that respect, it’s like going to a movie theatre. Most people do not like the very front because not only do they have to crane their necks, but there is so much to take in all at once and it can be overwhelming.

Then there are those individuals who think home theatre system, and that means having an actual screen and projector. Technology is amazing, and now many individuals can afford to own an actual home movie theatre complete with projector and screen. If this sounds exciting, by all means, look for the right projector and home theatre screen for your perfect vision of a home theatre, but make sure to do your research first.

If you are looking to purchase a home theater screen, you should know that there are specifically three types of home theater screens available. The first one is the fixed home theater screen. These are the simplest, and most common, screens. They are usually designed to be permanently mounted on the wall. The disadvantage of this screen is that once it’s set, it’s set. There are advantages, however.

One advantage is you can hide ugly wires and cables quite easily with this type of installation. The screen itself is made of a fabric that will be stretched onto a frame and then fastened into place. A wrinkle free white surface should be the end result. If it is not wrinkle free after a professional puts it in, demand the job is done right.

The second type of screen is the tripod home theatre screen. These are the types of screens that are portable because they are attached to a tripod. These are best for meetings, like a business demonstration requiring slides, or an outdoor training. It is okay for these types of purposes, but they are not designed for actual movie watching.

The third type of screen is a wall mounted retractable screen. Remember the screens teachers would use in elementary school when they had an overhead projector? That’s exactly what this is. These types of screens are usually installed on the wall, but they can be pulled down. These are more expensive than the fixed home theatre screen, and are best for homes that are smaller and therefore have less area to work with, otherwise they don’t give any advantage over the basic model.

If you want a true to life movie viewing experience at home, these are your three options. Do the research, figure out your budget, and then enjoy the unique experience of having your very own projector to see the DVDs as if you were still in a small town theatre.

http://www.hometheatrefun.com brings you the latest on the home theatre. Home theatre’s are very popular, and we want to bring you the most up to date information online! Be sure to check out our latest information page on home theatre screens.

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Finding the best in home theatre systems can be a tricky prospect. There’s so much to consider, it can make a person’s head spin. To make it a little more simplistic, there really are only four basic components to consider when choosing to put together a system. Each one, however, is very important. This isn’t to say that pricing needs to be outrageous either. There are some great systems that have been built using budget products. As long as the components are well chosen and installed correctly, a $1,000 system can seem like a $10,000 system to a homeowner.

The four major areas to spend time researching buys for a home theatre system are:

* Projector or television: Home theatre systems can involve projector screens or they can involve actual larger screen televisions. Both have their perks, but they should be chosen carefully. Things to consider here are pricing, room size, screen size and even personal tastes. Some people simply love the look of a projection screen, while others prefer the sleek appeal of a giant plasma screen television hanging on the wall. What’s right and what’s best depends on who is buying the equipment.

* Sound system: Don’t discount the importance of having surround sound to make a home theatre system really stand out. One of the biggest things that sets the movie theatre experience apart from watching television is the sounds. These can be achieved at home – even on a budget. Just look for the best set up within personal means and remember there should be multiple speakers and a control system for a true surround sound experience.

* Auxiliary devices: A projector and a surround system can be very lonely without a good DVD player, VCR or other movie-playing device. Whether you intend to pipe in movie downloads from a computer or you want to play your own DVDs on your new big screen, these devices are key in making a home theatre function properly. Fortunately, these devices offer very good options in just about every price range imaginable. A $40 DVD player can work extremely well when put in the mix with a higher priced television and surround sound system.

* Furniture: This might not seem like a major component for a home theatre system, but it is. A theatre room won’t get the use it’s intended for if people aren’t comfortable sitting in it. This is especially the case for planned movie marathons. The more comfortable and functional the furniture the better. Plus, the furniture can even be designed to really add to the atmosphere, as well.

There are a lot of things to consider when putting together a home theatre system. As long as the four major components are covered and covered well, a room should function to its owner’s expectations. Bringing the movie theatre experience home doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, but it does require some planning.

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When you think about furniture for your home theatre, the first thing that jumps to mind is chairs and seating. This isn’t a bad thing. The chairs and seating are extremely important in a home theatre set up, but don’t let your mind stop there. If you do, you’ll be robbing yourself, and those you entertain, of a lot of potential fun from setting up the room in any style or theme that you want!

Part of the fun of having a home theatre, is having a separate room for it. You don’t have to stop with a leather sofa, or a few recliners. Find posters of your favorite movies, or often times video stores will have cardboard cut outs that they eventually just throw away. You can make your home theatre look like a normal place to watch a movie, or it can look like half the movies made in the 1970s came to life around your surround sound speakers. The room can be a place to watch the game, or it can have green carpet, and football field wall paper. The possibilities really are virtually endless, limited only by your imagination and a reasonable budget.

Aside from the ambiance and furniture, don’t forget that you need furniture to hold your home theatre. Obviously the entertainment center has to be the center attention of the room. What kind of TV do you have? Is it an HD/TV, a Plasma? Do you have your own fine wooden cabinet for the entertainment center already picked out? What does the wood look like? If you have a TV that hangs on the wall, well how do you accessorize that? Where do you put the speakers? Where do you put the DVD player? All of these questions are considerations you need to keep in mind, and the selection of furniture is critical to all these elements.

There are a lot of different options as far as what kind of furniture you need and/or want. Accessories for this area could include audio visual cabinets, video cabinets, TV cabinets, stereo cabinets, multimedia storage cabinets, or entertainment cabinets. There are cabinets of every shape, color, make, and design that can accommodate almost any need or desire you have for the room.

Beyond the necessities, there are even the fun little things people don’t expect. Popcorn machines are cheaper than they used to be, and for the bachelor with the great home theatre, why not build a bar right in the back of the room? It’s your home theatre, why not get the home theatre furniture and other miscellanea that gives it your personality?

No one ever made a good impression by following everyone else, so find the home theatre furniture and accessories that will make that home theatre distinctly yours. After all, you’re the one spending the money, you’re the one putting in a home theatre, shouldn’t it be something you can truly enjoy?

Brainstorm all the ideas you have, make a list, and do your homework. Do these three things are you’ll be sure to end up with the home theatre system, sound, and furniture you want to make it one of a kind.

http://www.hometheatrefun.com brings you the latest on the home theatre. Home theatre’s are very popular, and we want to bring you the most up to date information online! Be sure to check out our latest information page on home theatre furniture.

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