If you want to take your movie watching or game playing to the next level, these tips will help you create the perfect entertainment room.
If you love horror, if you really love horror, it may be worth investing in the kind of entertainment setup that will help amplify the scares and create a more immersive environment — whether it’s for watching your favorite horror movies or playing horror games.
As long as you have an appropriate amount of space within your property to take on this renovation endeavor, it’s guaranteed to bring you joy and happiness for a long time to come. Once you have your bespoke entertainment space in place, you will always have somewhere to retreat whenever you want to escape with killer horror content.
For comprehensive advice and guidance on how to design the ultimate entertainment room for your home, be sure to read on.
1. PICK THE RIGHT TV
The TV screen that you install will have a major impact on the overall comfort of your entertainment room. While you may want to simulate the theatrical experience as much as possible — which often means the largest screen you can afford — the size of the room is also very important to take into account. Nobody is going to feel at ease within this space if your screen is too big or overbearing, which is why you are advised to take the proportions of the room into account before deciding on the right screen size. While bigger may always seem better, you should ultimately select a TV screen that can be watched comfortably from an appropriate distance/angle.
Advice on how to pick the right TV can be found here.
2. ENSURE A STRONG INTERNET CONNECTION
Most of the tech devices that you use within your entertainment room will need to connect to the web. And nothing kills a great movie night or game session than a bad connection. In fact, almost one-quarter (24%) of Americans say they feel frustrated with their internet speed most or all of the time.
If you want to optimize the output of high-performance equipment, it’s highly recommended you invest in a strong and stable Internet connection. This will allow you to enjoy a seamless technological experience every time you, your family members, and your friends spend time within your entertainment space.
You can now choose from a variety of Internet options, including DSL, cable, fiber, and satellite. 85% of the country has access to broadband internet at speeds of 25 Mbps or fast, and the average home now has access to providers which provide maximum speeds between 100 Mbps and 1 Gbps.
Be sure to do your homework before purchasing a plan: check reviews and compare performance on reliable, third-party websites. You should look at the provider’s comprehensive offering. This will, of course, include key factors like speed and reliability. But it should also include value, package options, customer service, and overall customer satisfaction.
With your robust Internet connection in place, you can host your own movie night, watch party, or Casino Night.
For a Casino Night, try serving some Vegas-themed party drinks.
And rather than spending a fortune renting a bunch of Casino equipment, keep it simple — and fun! Access a website with live dealers and broadcast it onto your big screen. You will be able to easily recreate a night out in Vegas from the comfort of your home.
As specified here, Cafe Casino provides a plethora of live casino games hosted by real-time dealers. Whether you choose to play poker, roulette, or blackjack, you and your fellow casino enthusiasts will be sure to have a great night out… without actually having to go out!
3. SELECT THE PERFECT LOCATION
The location you choose for your entertainment room will have a profound effect on the success of this renovation venture.
If at all possible, try to keep this space separate from the rest of your home. This will make it a perfect spot for socializing and throwing parties in the space, or for when you want to relax and get lost with a good movie free from distractions.
You’ll want to make sure the chosen space is large enough for the desired seating, with appropriate viewing distances to the screen, and free from outside light (the ideal room does not have windows, but you can also invest in light-blocking curtains and blinds). High ceilings are very helpful for mounting a projector.
Of course, the ideal scenario is to build an addition to your home if space and budget allow. This allows you to create the perfect space to meet your needs. But that’s not always a practical option.
If it’s not, don’t worry. With some planning and creativity, you can turn just about any space into someplace you’ll be glad to spend lots of time in.
If you have a basement or garage available, those are great spaces to reconfigure for your new home entertainment room.
Basements are ideal choices because it’s relatively easy to control light, run wires, and isolate sound.
If leaking noise is an issue in the room you’ve chosen, incorporate effective sound isolating and dampening materials. Too many windows will make it far more challenging to isolate noise, so consider that when choosing your space. An ideal room will be deep and not too wide, with most seats located in an area not much wider than the screen itself.
For many, finding an indoor space can be challenging because space may already be at a premium.
Perhaps you don’t have a basement or garage you can convert. And even if you do, those rooms may already be serving another very important function. This often calls for more creativity to carve out a space for your entertainment needs.
If your governing body allows it, and you don’t have close-proximity neighbors you’re likely to disturb, why not build your entertainment room at the bottom of your garden?
An enclosed extension is best to weather-proof your room, but those working with a budget can still turn their outdoor area into a movie mecca.
Whether you’re planning to host a small backyard family movie night or a big screening for all your friends and neighbors, setting up a backyard theater can be as simple or elaborate as you choose, and done on a range of budgets.
Outdoor projectors are reasonably priced and can be purchased or even rented for the night. Many local rental stores carry audio-visual equipment and have projectors starting at around $100 per day or $250 for a week.
If you’re on a budget, you can easily make your own movie screen using PVC pipes and a drop cloth — or simply project the movie onto the side of your house (though the latter isn’t ideal for a great movie-watching experience).
Inflatable screens are also an excellent option for outdoor use. Easy to set up and take down, most are weather-resistant and come with their own inflation fan and storage bag.
4. SECURE THE ROOM
When designing your entertainment room, you also have to take safety and security into consideration. You will more than likely store a lot of expensive tech gadgets within this space, which is why it’s highly recommended that you go above and beyond to safeguard it from potential criminality. This is particularly important if you do, in fact, decide to keep your entertainment room separate from your home by, say, basing it at the bottom of your garden.
You can shore up your entertainment room security measures by heeding the following advice:
1. Fit the room with secure locks (opt for mortise over ‘Yale’ and make sure you fit locks on all the windows)
2. Install indoor lighting that operates on a timer or turns on randomly (this will create the illusion that you are inside your entertainment room); install outdoor PIR operated floodlighting (criminals don’t want to be lit up during the breaking-in process)
3. Invest in an alarm system that emits sound whenever anybody steps foot in your entertainment room
4. Plant thorny shrubs, hedges, and climbing roses outside your property, as they will form a natural defensive barrier around your home
5. Store valuables, such as your collection of Blu-ray discs and video games, in a document safe. If you collect special edition sets or rare collectibles, the document safe is an ideal place to hold the items.
6. Install outlet cover locks. The outlet cover goes over the plugs and keeps them secured. Not only will the outlet cover help protect the devices from theft, but if you have children in the home, the locks will prevent kids from messing with the plugs or getting a shock.
7. Consider universal remote locks. You can set an access code on the remote itself. With the access code, a child will not be able to access mature programs or R-rated media. App connections to the remote may also allow you to monitor the remote usage in your home and see when the remote has been accessed.
8. Secure your tv to the wall. It only costs about $10, and it will protect your tv and any small children or pets you may have. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 25,500 people are injured each year in TV- and furniture-related incidents.
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Every home needs a great entertainment space where you can enjoy the things you love most. Just be sure to plan ahead before you start your project.
Determine your budget, consider how big of an upgrade you really need (you may already have a great existing space that just needs sprucing up), do your research and shop around for the best possible deals, review the guidelines and restrictions in your area for home improvement and expansion, and consider whether or not you need the help of a pro to bring your vision to life.
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