Entertaining Rooms
Today’s family is making the most of spending time together at home. Simple
and clever uses of space are now taking a turn to be designed around family
interests. One of the key spaces where family living can take precedence is in
the basement. Whether unfinished or yet to be inspired, your basement space can
be transformed into a favorite living area.
One of the most popular
remodels is the home theater, ideal for a basement where natural light may be
low. Today’s technology and home electronics have brought the media experience
home. Why go out when you can experience it the way you like it, from loud and
heart-pounding to acoustically balanced and intimate, right in the comforts of
your own home? No one talking during the movie disturbing your experience, and
no standing in line to get popcorn and a beverage! A home theater customized to
your family’s preferences is an investment in entertainment and
enjoyment.
Unless you are extremely techno-literate, you should do your
home theater homework. Home theater components (TV, speakers, wiring,
audio/video, etc.) quickly add up to a significant venture. You want to plan it
right, without spending a fortune. There are professional companies that
specialize in the addition of whole-house entertainment and automation. You may
want to look into a professional installation dealer to guide you through the
process to the home theater of your dreams.
The first step is to set
your priorities before you shop. Once you start shopping, you will quickly want
it all. If your budget prevents you from getting that right away, your
preferences will help you sort out the incremental steps to take to get your
home theater just right. You may think that the first place to start is with a
new TV, but wait. A new HDTV may improve video quality, but most current DVDs
can be “fully experienced” with your existing TV (true for most models no more
than 12 years old). In fact, the image quality of today’s DVDs may be better on
your current TV due to the video production level of the current DVDs.
If a new TV is your top priority, the latest hot new alternatives are
the high-definition television (HDTV), the flat-screen TV or the large screen
TV. Take a trip to your local electronics dealer and without knowing much about
the differences, go seek what you like. You will quickly narrow down a screen
size you feel comfortable with and a picture quality that you prefer. The
benefits of a plasma or flat screen display is that it delivers tremendous
picture quality without sacrificing room aesthetics. Plasma displays impact a
room like a piece of artwork, while non-plasma displays are more like a piece of
furniture.
High-definition televisions (HDTV) are growing in popularity.
They offer an enhanced picture quality, and the amount of programming available
through cable and satellite is increasing. Wide-screen versions of HDTV sets are
predominant. A wide-screen HDTV is much better at displaying wide-screen DVD
movie formats and as HDTV expands it market, many more broadcasts will fit the
wide-screen. You can get high definition TVs that are not wide-screen versions
from main manufacturers like Sony, Panasonic and RCA. These square screens
appeal to those who mostly watch TV and not DVDs.
DVDs are the new wave
in home entertainment. DVDs play movies and they can play CDs. It may be easiest
to get that all together in what is called a carousel DVD. It generally holds
three to five discs at once and can play CDs as well as DVDs. If you are aiming
for a simple home theater solution, you can consider new products like Yamaha’s
home theater in a box. Retailing for just under $1000, the YHT-940 includes a
five-disc progressive-scan DVD-Audio/DVD-Video player, a 6.1 home theater
receiver, three surround sound speakers, two main speakers and two remotes.
Other home theaters combine VHS player/recorders with projectors. This
is the type of setup you would find in a screening room, now available for you
to take home. This system would work best in a space that allows room to project
an image onto a screen.
No home theater or entertainment system would be
complete without the remote. A universal remote can be that virtual
too-good-to-be-true one remote that does it all. A universal remote combines the
control of multiple electronic components (DVD, TV, audio, etc.) into one
device. Many offer customized features and programmable options. Whether you are
working with an installer or putting your components together on your own,
remember the more sophisticated your system pieces, the more likely that you
will need more than a plug and play remote to make it all work seamlessly with
the touch of a button.
For some families, the high priority is combining
TV with computer so that you can enjoy the best of both. It’s the idea of one
black box for your entertainment room. Called a “media center,” it wires in and
centralizes control of your music library, VCR, DVD player, HDTV receiver,
digital video recorder, digital photo album and more. HP Media Center PC offers
opportunities to watch and record TV shows, surf the Internet, view digital
pictures or listen to MP3 music files. A media center can manage a variety of
activities that take place around a TV such as displaying digital pictures or
surfing the Internet, as well as recording TV programs and showing cable
programs.
While this type of “media center” is not new, the technology
is continually improving and “working the bugs out.” One of the best examples of
an integrated center, according to Electronic House magazine, is the ieHIP from
A5tek. The ieHIP looks like a DVD player, yet it can perform as a Windows XP
computer, a Web browser, a digital video recorder, a surround-sound receiver and
a DVD player. Also integrated is a karaoke machine, as well as a smart card
reader to ensure safe Internet transactions. This just proves that there is a
system for every taste and every entertainment need—all you need to do is
imagine it.
Whatever entertainment experience you install, the sound
system should be engineered specifically to the room specifications. You don’t
need a large space, just a well-mastered space when it comes to enjoying the
sounds of movies or music. Sound systems should be adjusted not only for room
size and shape, but also for the materials in the room that affect sound, such
as hardwood floors vs. rugs.
You can also program your home so that you
can listen to your music in any room, while the kids listen to theirs. By
connecting into a multi-source/multi-room audio system, music is distributed to
any room in the house, including the option to hook in music via CD or PC.
Another essential component you may initially overlook is a good set of
headphones. Even if you are the only one at home, headphones allow you to
envelope yourself in sound. The more people you have at home, the more useful
headphones may be at letting everyone experience their sound levels at virtually
any time.
In any case, follow some general common sense guidelines.
First, pay attention to proper wiring. Your cabling can affect the quality,
performance and life of your investment. In addition, most professional
installers will tell you to buy one consistent brand of speakers. A traditional
home theater system with surround sound can involve up to five speakers: front,
left, right, rear and in the center. Many people don’t purchase all five
speakers at once because that can quickly add up. If you incrementally build
your sound system, you will get the best sound balance if you stick with one
consistent brand of speakers. A good general rule of thumb: try to put together
home theater components that have roughly the same wattage. That way your system
will be operating at its highest possible level of quality.
Maybe a home
theater is not for you just yet. You can start small with a general “activity”
corner, if you don’t have a sense of what family members may really dive into
for entertainment. A comfortable space with a place for books, games, puzzles
and getting together may be all you need. Many families enjoy games, from
playing pool to ping-pong, table games, video games, cards, pinball, foosball,
air hockey…ala the family arcade. Planning a space around such fun function
pieces can enliven any room for entertaining adults, as well as kids and teens.
Depending on the amount of space you have to work with, you can design a
family entertainment space that suits your pursuits. How about a jukebox and
dance floor? Bowling, darts or shuffleboard? How about a small area of raised
floor with some clever curtaining? Kids could use the stage area or set up
multimedia karaoke for fun. Maybe the multimedia experience is focused on music
with space for instruments, practice and listening enjoyment. For the big house,
there’s basketball, racquetball or unlimited possibilities.
With
planning, every family member’s entertainment needs can be accommodated in a
multi-purpose basement rec space. For those escaping the media blitz, you can
establish an area that houses a favorite collection, maybe ’50s replicas or old
albums. It could be a family size hobby center for art, photography, crafts or
scrapbooking. Maybe you are looking to design a kid-sized play space away from a
restful, uncluttered bedroom. Today it may be a soda fountain instead of a bar
for entertaining. If you have a walkout basement, you combine indoor space with
a patio or hot tub. Remember entertaining may mean hosting get-togethers for
family and friends or space to relax and unwind.
Take a passion and make
it happen. The perfect entertainment room is just waiting to be designed around
the things you love to do to have fun.
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