Setting up your home theater can be complicated. But it doesn’t have to be. With a little help from SkyMall, it can be a fun and exciting experience!
In this home theater setup guide, we’ll discuss everything you need to know to create the ultimate home theater setup at home.
From mapping out your room’s layout to choosing the best projectors and screens, we’ll walk you through each step needed to create an immersive cinematic experience in no time.
Let’s get started!
First, map out your room.
The most important consideration here is the distance between the projector lens and the wall or screen, AKA the throw distance.
To determine your projector’s throw distance, consult the spec sheet that came with it. Then, using throw distance as a guide, determine how big you want your picture to be and decide where to place your projector accordingly.
The main thing to consider when picking your home theater projector is the room you’ll be using it in and the media you intend to watch.
If your room is bright, you’ll need a projector with a higher brightness rating. Remember, though, projectors work best in rooms with minimal ambient lighting, which you can easily achieve with blackout shades or by watching in darker settings.
Next, make sure your home theater projector has all the right connectivity options, whether it’s USB, HDMI, or smart capabilities.
For more help choosing your projector, check out this post on Choosing the Right Projector.
All projectors available on SkyMall come with threading for ¼” tripod mounting, allowing for fast, easy setup and adjustments.
You can also choose to mount your projector from the ceiling, but this setup requires crawlspace or ceiling work and can be a bit more difficult to manage.
Wherever you choose to mount it, the best projector setup will be in the center of the room, within the required projector-to-screen distance, and in an area with minimal lighting and good ventilation.
Next, determine the perfect viewing surface for your home theater.
You don’t necessarily need a projector screen, but it will offer a far better, clearer viewing experience.
Projector screens come in a variety of styles and sizes. For home theater use, we recommend a manual pull down projector.
When it comes to projector size, THX suggests 0.84 x the viewing distance. So, for a viewing distance of 12 ft. (144”), a 120” screen would be ideal. Others suggest a minimum screen size of 0.6 x the viewing distance, so a 12-foot viewing distance would require a screen of at least 86 inches.
Whatever style or size you choose, make sure your screen is crafted from high-quality materials that won’t warp over time, like the quality screens by Kodak.
Now it’s time to mount your home theater screen to the wall.
Choose a wall that does not face direct sunlight, use your level, and mark screw placements first to make sure everything is perfectly horizontal.
Position your screen roughly one-third of the distance from the display to the seats and keep it 24”-36” above the floor for the optimum viewing angle of 15°-20°. For comfortable viewing, make sure it’s positioned at eye level.
Alternatively, if you’ve chosen a tripod screen, folding screen, or other similar portable screen, you can skip the mounting for a less permanent setup.
Finally, get ready to enjoy your new home theater setup!
Connect your media and adjust zoom, keystone, and other settings as necessary.
At this point, you can also connect external speakers or headphones via the integrated 3.5mm audio jack or Bluetooth® for applicable modes.
All that’s left to do is pull up a chair, grab some popcorn, and start the show!
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