How to Create a Home Cinema
Even when home video viewing – now superseded by DVDs – became commonplace back in the very early 1980s, many agreed it could not really rival the magic and the experience of actually seeing a film in the cinema.
The argument doesn’t stand up quite so much today, however. Not when a trip to the cinema will set you back more than it’s ever done. You’ll then be blasted with over half an hour of trailers revealing all the best bits of upcoming releases and a constant low hum of voices that once upon a time, would have ceased by the time the opening credits had gone by.
Nevertheless, who doesn’t love a trip to the cinema? Equally, who doesn’t like viewing a film in the sanctuary of their own home, on their own sofa, with their own home comforts all around them? There is a way to experience the best of both worlds without the worst of either – and that’s to create your own home cinema experience. Read on to find out how.
The screen
Fifty-inch flat-screen HD and LED TV screens with built-in DVD players already create a more ‘cinematic’ viewing experience than the traditional cathode ray sets they gradually usurped over the last decade, with their ultra-clear pictures, flat surfaces and the ability to be wall-mounted. Built-in Freeview means that you won’t even have to necessarily dig out any DVDs, given the plethora of film channels that will be available to you. Check out TV deals at The Co-operative Electrical shop for some great bargains on flat screens.
The setting
If you’re lucky enough to have a room – a basement, cellar or large spare bedroom – to set aside for a home cinema room, then why not go all-out? Rather than lining up mismatched chairs in rows, why not invest in a corner or C-shaped sofa from which to view your films with friends and loved ones? Display your DVDs on shelves around the room to whet your cinematic appetites. Frame some posters of your favorite film stars. If you’re also lucky enough to have a vast, bare expanse of white wall, you don’t even have to use your TV. Why not project the entertainment straight onto said space? The Co-operative Electrical do a range of portable, lightweight projectors, some with 3D vision and HD ready components.
Whatever else you do – if there are any natural light sources, don’t forget to invest in some blackout curtains.
The films
If you’re going to create a home cinema, you’ll also have the chance to become a curator of your own mini film-festivals. While there’s nothing wrong with kicking back with the latest blockbusters now and then, why not treat your friends to something they’ve never seen or considered viewing before? A good film can change your mood, but a great one can change your life. You could show silent films, Bollywood films, French comedies, cult British films, Japanese horrors or Mexican B-movies from the ’60s. Cinema is nearly 120 years old and more of its output is available for home viewing than it has ever been – take advantage of this great opportunity.
You could serve up popcorn and hot dogs, or you could even serve up food themed around the film you’re going to watch. You could even ban all mobile phones, silent or otherwise, from being brought in. After all, it’s your home cinema, so you make the rules!
