Lights! Camera! Action! Creating a high-quality Home Theater Installation Los Angeles is not the extravagance it once was and is certainly not just for movie moguls. For less than the cost of a good used car – or the monthly payment of a new car lease — you can obtain a top-quality home theater system, professionally installed, that will enrich and enliven your evenings for years to come.
This article provides 10 useful tips to help you develop a workable plan for your new home theater system, how to find a qualified Home Theater Installation Los Angeles, get a fair price, and have years of trouble-free service.
1. Define What You Want
Before starting any home theater project, carefully evaluate what you want done. Take the time to list exactly what qualities your home theater should have and what you want a contractor to do. Speak with your family about expectations for use. For example, you might want a dedicated theater room to escape, the “fortress of solitude”.
Your family, on the other hand, might prefer a multi-function media room where everyone can meet and be entertained. Here are some questions to ask yourself (and your family) before you buy:
- Will your “theater” room be used for multi-tasking entertaining or single purpose?
- What will you primarily watch: movies, sports, TV sitcoms, or variety/entertainment?
- Are you especially impressed (or indifferent) to good quality sound systems?
- Do you have frequent guests for parties, “movie nights” or sporting events?
- Do you want speakers to be out on display or hidden in the walls?
- Are you easy-going or inflexible in your decorating tastes? For example, would you be willing to put in dark-fabric walls and sound deadening panels to perfect the acoustics in a room?
- Do you want to use existing furniture or would you consider specialized home theater seating?
- Do you want to consider expanding your project to include convenience features like automating your home with lighting controls, alarm and security systems, outdoor lighting, or central vacuum systems?
Finally, educate yourself about the technology of sight and sound. You don’t have to be an expert in buzzwords like THX, Dolby HD, HDMI, DLP or the rest of the alphabet, but you should know a bit about the pros and cons of a plasma or LCD flat panel display vs. a front projector. Try visiting informational websites such to get familiar with choices and topics. But avoid getting fixated on a single brand or technology just yet. The more you know in advance about the scope and scale of your project. And prices of the gear, the better prepared you are when you meet with an installer.
Taking your time at the start of a project to focus your choices increases the odds that you will be satisfied with the end result.
2. Define Where You Want It
It might seem obvious, but think about where you want to install your home theater. For example, some people want to convert a basement into a theater room. Others have a specialized den, spare bedroom, family room, even a garage. You’ll want not only a home theater installer/integrator, but perhaps a home improvement contractor to discuss structural elements such as walls, carpeting, electrical and or plumbing issues.