Here’s How to Turn Your Place into a Movie Theatre Easily

Wondering how you can turn your room or backyard into a theatre where you can have a fun time with friends and family? Read our article to know all about it. 

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Nothing compares to seeing a movie on a big screen. For many of us, that delight was cut short when the pandemic struck, and even though restrictions have relaxed, some individuals may still be hesitant to visit a movie theatre for a while. Hence, why not turn your place into a movie theatre.

 

Building your own movie theatre is much easier than it appears, and it can be adjusted to fit your budget. From a simple projector and sheet to a full-fledged theatre with a large outdoor screen and speakers to really boost the film and audio quality, is all you need.  Here’s a rundown of what you’ll need for your own home theatre, as well as some pointers on how to make everything work together.

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Ideal Space

 

A dedicated home theatre room is a space set aside only for watching movies on a large screen. This means that nothing but screening activities in this home theatre happens. Today, streaming services like Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Hulu, BluRay movies, video gaming, and conventional cable TV are much more than ever before. They have an array of things that you can watch and enjoy with your family, friends, and partner.

 

The cinematic experience is lowered when the home theatre shares space with other activities. Cooking sounds and odours intrude when the non-dedicated home theatre shares open floor plan space with the kitchen. When the theatre is transformed into a living room, children run around and it is impossible to control the lighting.

 

Spare bedrooms work well, but they must be long enough for spectators to maintain a comfortable viewing distance from the screen. With video projectors, this is extremely critical. A projector needs a 14-foot throw distance to cast a 150-inch diagonal picture at the extreme end; however, short-throw projectors are available.

 

Viewing Screen

 

TV technology is better and less expensive than it has ever been; even entry-level screens are much closer to the theatrical mark than the TVs we grew up with, and screen sizes of 50 inches and larger are no longer prohibitively expensive.

 

Pay little attention to spec sheets; statistics like refresh rates and contrast ratios aren’t strictly regulated, so go with your gut and pick the picture that appeal to you. Unless you’re a die-hard techie who needs to be on the cutting edge of everything, avoid costly features like curved panels and 3D displays in favour of a high-resolution 1080p monitor or a (relatively) future-proof 4K display. Your HD movie collection will appear even better on a 4K TV with an integrated upscaler.

 

Modern home theatre projectors provide outstanding picture quality and, in most cases, a much brighter image than you might expect. However, they are not light enough to watch outside during the day, but bright enough for a movie night beneath the stars. Sounds perfect when building a backyard movie theatre!

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A Budget Option

 

Of course, the simplest way to view an outdoor movie is to simply project the image onto a wall of your home, but we do not encourage this method. The smoothness of cinema displays is there for a reason. Regardless of how brilliant the projector is, you’ll be able to see the texture and surface of the “screen” material.

 

A large white sheet is the most cost-effective option that yet produces a good image. The texture issue described earlier can still be an issue, but it will be less if the sheet is kept wrinkle-free. Even a tiny breeze will cause your screen to shift, so pull the material as taut as possible when connecting it to a wall or improvised frame for the greatest, least-distracting experience.

 

Lighting

 

Don’t overlook lighting while creating a home theatre experience. Blackout curtains improve the contrast of your TV, reduce muddy sound, and keep your neighbour’s noise at bay. To truly make your picture pop and add a lot of ambiance to the action, add a basic bias lighting kit — soft lights that go behind wall-mounted TVs, sometimes even changing color depending on the onscreen content.

 

If you have hard flooring, add a thick area rug in front of the couch to assist absorb rogue sound waves and create a clearer, richer soundscape.

 

Avoid Reflective Objects 

 

Anything that reflects light back at the viewer, that isn’t the screen itself, should be minimized or avoided. This means that you should use paint with a flattering gloss, preferably matte or flat. In the important zone between the screen and the viewer, gleaming doorknobs, hinges, light fixtures, recessed light trim kits, countertops, and fireplace inserts should all be avoided. If you have reflective objects, consider spray-painting them with dark-colored matte paint to dull their gleam.

 

Sound

 

Even the most high-end TVs lack good built-in speakers, and if the bassy hum of a lightsaber or the skull-rattling scream of Godzilla has taught us anything, it’s that sound is a significant part of the theatrical experience.

 

A 5.1 (five speakers plus a subwoofer) system is required to duplicate the theater’s multi-directional sound. If you’re going to set your speakers on a cabinet, go with bookshelf-sized speakers rated at 80Hz or below, or go with floor-standing speakers to fill a large space with sound. If you’re short on space, consider size-efficient 5.1 soundbars, which nonetheless deliver a punch while being excellent for small spaces.

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Media Player

 

How will you view the movies? The days of bringing a DVD or Blu-ray player out to the yard along with the projector are long gone. Sure, you could do it, but there are more convenient solutions.

 

A streaming stick, such as the Roku or Amazon Fire TV, connects directly to the projector’s HDMI input, pulls power from the projector’s USB port, and streams movies from the internet using your home’s Wi-Fi. Just make sure your projector has a USB connector that can be powered.

 

Comfy Couch

 

Your next movie will be more enjoyable if you sit on a plush couch. Although a marathon is a no-brainer, amenities such as independently reclining sections and built-in cup holders help to heighten the theatrical experience.

 

When you get your couch home, make sure it’s positioned at the right distance from your TV. Sitting 6 to 10 feet away from a 50-inch HDTV is excellent; for a 60-inch screen, increase the distance to 7.5 to 12.5 feet, or 8.75 to 14.5 feet for a 70-inch screen. As a general rule of thumb, if you’re going 4K, subtract a few feet from those guidelines.

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Converting a Small Space?

 

It may appear that putting up a home theatre necessitates all of this room. Even if you only have a studio apartment, you may put up a home theatre. All you’ll need is a little imagination and possibly some sci-fi-looking elements. You can always keep the furniture you already have. Simply add cushion ottomans to turn your sofa into a lounger, or swap your love seat for a compact sectional to create the perfect lounge space for binge-watching your favourite shows.

 

However, investing in a portable smart projector and a retractable screen is the only way to turn your cramped room into a home theatre.

These can turn your wall into a massive movie-theatre-style screen, great for displaying your favourite flicks. Plus, because most of them are fixed to the ceiling and can be rolled up when not in use, they don’t take up any wall space.

 

So what are you waiting for? Turn your place into a movie theatre — especially since you can no longer head out for that experience — and enjoy some of your favourite dramas and movies with your favourite people.

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