Home cinemas are becoming the entertainment trend of the past couple of years. As cinemas closed and people were forced to stay at home, streaming and television viewing records went through the roof, with the irony being that productions were being shut down across the country, so the choice was limited.
With Netflix becoming, not just a crux to rely on but an outright contributor of the milestones of lockdown, it became vital to expand the experience. Suddenly living rooms were transformed into private cinemas, complete with popcorn machines but not including sticky bathrooms. What’s not to love? If you are looking into turning your television into a cinema screen, read on for our tips on how to do it and do it well.
(Source: Pixabay)
Video
Televisions nowadays are getting bigger and thinner, making for almost a cinematic experience to just watch the news. If you’re looking to take your cinema to the next level though, there is the option of buying a projector.
Perhaps feeling like a step backwards technologically, projectors are making a comeback as the way to get the biggest screen your home will allow, without the hardware or price getting in the way. They can be big and attach to the ceiling or can come in small Alexa-sized pieces of hardware that can sit on a shelf.
You might need a screen to go with your projector if you want to decorate your wall when you’re not watching television. It is a convenient way to keep the use of your wall but be able to put away the TV screen at the end of viewing. They come in a variety of sizes and give you a stark white background to project your media onto.
Audio
As the adage goes: the ear is more critical than the eye. It can pick up on things that the eye will ignore like fuzzy sounds. Therefore, a surround sound system will be vital to your cinematic home experience. A couple of loudspeakers can make all the difference to make you feel that explosion the hero is walking away from in slow motion.
There are options such as wireless speakers or soundbars. They all can connect to your television with HDMI cables and give your movies and TV shows a crisp, clear output.
Media
Now comes the big choice: what do you want to watch? You can connect almost anything to your TV or projector with a HDMI cable, so the trouble is deciding what.
For an all-in-one option you can connect your laptop to your television and use it to stream. Apple Macs can easily be connected to televisions and projectors to give a high-resolution picture to really make those Titanic tears flow.
Invite the kids of the neighbourhood round for a viewing of The Paw Patrol Movie as a way to socialize but conveniently keep them quiet. Have your teenage daughter sing karaoke with her friends or put on The Rocky Horror Picture Show and reenact it. You can also use your Macs to enjoy iGaming, especially live casinos. Live casinos are fun to play if you have a home theatre. Have your friends over for a night of Las Vegas fun complete with drinks, food, and entertainment. And gaming nights will be elevated when Mario is almost life size.
Atmosphere
The selling point of the cinema over streaming is the experience, but there’s no reason you can’t recreate that experience at home, without someone on their phone the whole time too.
To make sure the sun doesn’t decide to glare on the screen at a moment’s notice and to keep you and your family immersed in the film, invest in some blackout blinds or curtains – or even soundproof curtains. They are a destroyer of ambient noise and are often thermal to keep in the temperature you need.
One of the perks of an at-home cinema is the comfort level. No longer are you forced to wear your jeans in a chair that seems designed to force all your weight onto your tailbone. You can curl up on the sofa you have if you’re not using up a spare room, or put in some comfy squishy chairs, or a bed.
Have an array of snacks nearby. A popcorn maker is always a treat to use, even if sticking a packet on the frying pan would do. And if you want to give your visitors a little keepsake of the night, you can print off tickets for them.
Have fun
There are lots of things you could do with a cinematic environment for a great night of entertainment. Get creative and put together a night that you and your loved ones will adore. At this rate, your living room will turn into a Vegas stage.
