Get Professional Advice on a Major Media Room Installation
Whether you are a great do-it-yourselfer or a complete novice with a large amount of cash to work with, the best way to get the most out of your own custom built media or home theater room (especially if it requires going into walls and/or ceilings to install components or speakers), is to consult a licensed contractor that also does media room and home theater construction or a licensed media or home theater room installer that does construction.
The best way to evaluate the full potential of your room, is to have someone knowledgeable in the field actually come in, assess the environment in person, and take note of any good points and bad points, as well as suggesting options on where to place your components for maximum benefit and ease of use.
In addition, you will get a much more accurate budget picture of the whole project as the installer/contractor will not overlook small details that you may have overlooked, that could end up being significant.
How to Prepare For Constructing a Custom-Built Media Room
Some of the factors that you and a professional installer need to consider when planning a home theater media room include:
1. What is the primary purpose of the room? - To Watch movies and TV, listen to music, play video games, use as an office as well as entertainment?
2. The size of the room.
3. The shape of the room.
4. Where you or your audience will sit in relation to the TV or projection screen.
5. Acoustical properties of the room.
6. Ambient light issues that may affect the type of TV or video projector to be used.
7. Whether a projection system or large screen television will work best.
8. Whether In-wall or standalone speakers would be most effective for the listening experience.
9. Where your components will be located - out in the open, or in a closet or booth.
10. Room Ventilation for both the viewers and home theater and other media components.
The purpose, size, and shape of the room dictates how the room can be best used as a media or home theater room, and an installer or contractor that specializes in media and home theater room installation that take that information and suggest options on how best to execute your desires for the room.
Best Resources For Custom Installation Help
1. Contact retailers, such as Best Buy/Magnolia, etc... and find out who they subcontract with in your local area for their home theater installations. In addition, there are independent dealers and home remodelers in many cities that specialize in custom home theater construction and installation.
2. Contact CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association for information on a licensed installer/contractor near you. CEDIA is a worldwide association of home theater and custom electronics specialists. In fact, if you are so inclined, you may be able to take a CEDIA sponsored course or workshop and become an expert home theater installer yourself.
Another good source for finding a Home Theater Installer is All Home Theaters.com. This site is a national database of home theater installers and related audio/video and security system installers throughout the U.S.
For more perspective on what to expect when working with a home theater installer, check out my article: The Role of the Custom Home Theater Installer
