Home Theatre Design
GUIDE TO BUILDING A GREAT HOME THEATRE
Design and installation needs to follow a step-by-step process.
Step 1 - Establish your wishes in broad terms. This step finishes with signed authorization and a budget to carry out the next step.
Step 2 - Prepare a detailed design. This step finishes with signing of detailed contract tailored to the scope of work. The contract would include installation and tuning services as desired.
Step 3 - Carry out rough in-wiring as part of a new house or fishing for an existing house.
Step 4 - Install and hook-up all the needed equipment. This will occur after drywall, painting and other finishing has been done
Step 5 - Tuning, calibration and documenting. This is the step to optimize performance.
For larger projects all steps need to be carried out separately. For smaller projects, carrying out steps 1 and 2 together will work and combining steps 3, 4 and 5 is also OK. In some cases step 5 is all that would be done.
DESIGN ELEMENTS
Seating
Seating location is key. Seating needs to provide comfort and not obstruct views or sound. Tuning is carried out to maximize the experience at the seating locations. One seat may be chosen as the sweet spot.
Room Dimensions
To get the best experience, room dimensions need to be carefully selected. Even if the height and width are fixed, adjusting the length may make a difference. If dimensions are not optimized some sounds will be increased and others may be reduced or disappear at selected seating locations.
Sight lines and Distances
Sight lines to the display must be clear from all seats, which could mean working in both horizontal and vertical dimensions. To avoid seeing individual pixels on the screen and to be close enough for the best picture distances must be carefully selected.
Speakers
Speakers for music may be differently placed than for movies. Height and position in relation to walls, the display and seating may all make a difference to the experience.
Speakers need to be matched to each other and the amplifier driving them.
Surfaces
Wall, ceiling and floor surfaces will all have an effect on both the viewing and listening experience. Overly reflective and light surfaces will affect the viewing experience. Surface texture, wall coverings, placement of furniture will all effect the listening experience.
Sound Modifications
Materials to absorb some sounds and to reflect others may be needed to optimize the listening experience. Designs to reduce sounds in other rooms may be needed.
Lighting
Lighting for different scenes may be desirable. For example low light might be desired for a movie and task lights for reading while listening to music might be your preference. The master remote turning lights on and off may be all that is desired.
Heating and Ventilating
Both need to be considered in the design especially if a room is to accommodate more than a few people. Design to reduce noise from this equipment.
INSTALLATION
Drawings and Diagrams
Drawings and diagrams are produced during design and are essential to reduce errors and for communicating with all those involved in installation
Project Management
Producing schedules and task lists before work starts reduces mistakes and requires that the work sequence is thought through and co-ordinated. Working with the trades to sequence and schedule work helps everyone carry out their tasks efficiently.
Construction and Wiring
Labeling and documenting wires reduces costs and makes future work easy.
Setup and Testing
Testing of wires and equipment during prewire makes equipment hookup more efficient
Programming
Programming master remote controls to operate all the equipment reduces frustration and makes the system easy to use and experience
Records and Manuals
At the end a manual containing equipment instruction manuals, wiring schedules, equipment settings, tuning and calibration settings and other desired information will help increase satisfaction and reduce future costs.
SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION
Tuning
Tuning the room and equipment will normally yield very noticeable improvements in rooms where this has not already been done
Calibration
Calibrating displays will also yield good results where it has not already been done.
Optimization
Sometimes it is possible to rearrange furniture and speakers to optimize the experience.
Testimonials
Dear The OneTouch House,
I would like to thank Kevin and his crew at Danamira Home Technologies for the excellent service they have provided me. I was convinced by my family and builders that I NEEDED to install all this "fancy" equipment into my new home.
Having no idea what I was getting into I was very, very reluctant. The cost, the technology that I wouldn't understand. the learning something new. All this did not sit well with me. However, I can honestly say the system is one of the best things I did.
Not only is it fun to use, it is very user friendly. Best of all is the absolute dedication and determination of Kevin and his staff to create a comfort with the equipment. I called several times as I got stuck and in seconds they were able to solve my prblem over the phone.
My favorite thing is the Play List. I can create a set of songs and never have to change a CD for an evening of entertainment. Having music playing at the front dooor when guests arrive is also very special.
Anyone who is hesitating about installing this fabulous equipment should talk to me. I love it.
Linda Pendray
Kevin, Martin and Staff,
We want to thank you for your work on our recently completed home. It is not easy for a homeowner to specify and receive competitive quites on audio-visual installations due to the wide variety of options available in equipment and pricing. We were looking for a reasonably good quality system that is user friendly and would be installed and made fully functional with minimal rework and cost overrun.
This is not the first system we have had installed in homes we have built, but with 46 speakers, 9 TV's, security cameras and all of the associated equipment it certainly is the most complicated, yet it is the one we would repeat if we had it do over again. Your installation crew worked seamlessly with our builder, scheduling work around the other trades and we were very impressed with the professional way your staff worked in our home. And we met budget.
As far as functionality, the Control4 panels were easy to operate from day one, and any issues we did have were resolved easily. After using the system now for several months we are very satisfied with the design and selection of components and are convinced we received excellent value for our money.
The final product is one we are proud to show off, Thanks again
Brian and Cecilia Wagner
Tho Whom It May Concern:
Danamira Home Technologies designed and installed a complete come pre-wiring, home cinema, multi-room audio and video distribution / control system during construction of our house in 2007.
Their design took into account all of our personal requirements and enabled us to complete our home to a much higher standard than we had anticipated. In particular, we are please that the various systems are intuitive, easy to use and upgrade.
The final cost of the installation was within our budget, it was completed in schedule and to a high quality.
Danamira were always responsive ti telephone calls quickly addressed any concerns that we expressed.
We would have no hesitation in recommending them to carry our similar work.
Thank you
Micheal and Janet Peachey
Martin and Kevin,
I am writing to thank you for the wonderful job you did installing our home theater. Your room design worked out perfectly. The contractor who built the room was able to follow your plans with no major changes. The result is a comfortable space that takes full advantage of the audiovisual elements. We are pleased that the equipment is either hidden or blends well with the rooms design.
The equipment itself is excellent. The sound design is incredible. We are able to feel cannons fire, and hear running water behind us, creating an immersible experience. The screen is excellent. Combined with the projector, we enjoy a crisp bright picture.
Tying it together is the remote control system. We love being able to control everything from one remote, From entering the room with the lights up and the music playing, to slowly dimming the lights to start the show, control of the room is intuitive and easy with the Control4 remote.
Despite a modest budget we feel you provided us with a superior home theater experience. The equipment you recommended, combined with your room design has worked out excellent and we look forward to using it for years to come.
Thank you
Hames Marshall
