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Ideas to enhance Home Theater room without construction.... (1 Viewer)

Matt*B

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Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
94
Hey all,

I am proud to say that this is my first post to the forum -- and I'm happy to be here....

I eventually plan on building a home theater from scratch, including constructing a dedicated room, etc -- but that is a few years down the line... For now I have to work with what I have.

What I am looking for is advice/ideas on simple modifications / additions / decorations / tweaks / tips / tricks that I can use/create to make the room feel more like a theater. That is, I already nice a/v equipment and it's setup, I just can't construct and walls or make any major mods like that - so I am looking for other ways to spruce the room up.

The room is the basement of my house; it's about 16ft by 45ft.


So far, I have an entertainment center at one end of the basement with all the equipment. The speakers, including the surrounds, have been ceiling mounted, and the sub is nicely placed. I have movie posters on the walls for aesthetics. I have the Chairs set up in the ideal setting....I also have a professional scrolling Marquee that I will end up putting somewhere that looks good (above the stairs, etc). I also have various autographed pics and movie memorabilia placed around to atmosphere. The DVD racks are also placed to add to the look of the room. I have x-10 modules/capability at my disposal as well.

Here are some inexpensive / simple ideas that I have considered to help make the room:

1) Add a few film reels to the walls and combine them with a strip of film

2) Add 2 floor can lights behind the entertainment center on a dimming system to set up some sort of lighting effect (even when the movie is not playing)

3) Adding "theater" night lights. Have you guy's seen these? They are little nightlights that are covered in little grids so that when they come on, they shine dimly down towards the ground (similar to the lighting on aisle seats of a playhouse, theater, etc) They carry them at HomeDepot

4) A "Now Showing" dvd holder.

5)

Ok, I think you get the idea -- it's ideas like that that I am looking for. This way I can transform my room into a theater without being able to do any construction at this time....

So, I hope this can stir up some conversation and ideas that will help me as well as others reading this...I apologize for any possible lack of details, If there are any questions please let me know.

Once again, it's great to be a part of this forum,

Matt
 

Bob Maged

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Aug 9, 1999
Messages
173
You mention an entertaiment center with all the equipment -- what is your display device? IMHO, nothing else enhances the home theater feel like front projection.
 

Matt*B

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
94
Hello..

The display I am using is a nice 27" TV. It's in the "traditional" wooden entertainment center with the TV on the right and the componnents on the left. The Big Projection Screen will come in a few years when I build a dedicated room...


Thanks,

Matt
 

GeorgeAB

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jan 28, 2001
Messages
522
Location
Denver, CO
Real Name
G. Alan Brown
Matt*B,

The biggest enhancement to your 16x45 foot "home theater" would be to sell all of your movie paraphernalia, couple the proceeds with what you might have spent on additional decorations, add that to what you can get from selling your 27" TV, and then buy a bigger TV. I'm serious!

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
G. Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"
 
Joined
Feb 17, 2004
Messages
29
I must agree...

I had a 21 inch TV with a very good picture (to my consideration). I recently bought a Infocus X1 projector and SHAZAM!!! What a difference!... There's nothing like a 100 inch screen in high definition!

I bought mine for 1 300 $ in canada... if you're in the US, it must be cheaper i guess.

believe me, it makes all the difference in the world.

Plus, you don't have any construction to do as you mentionned :)

Dave
 

Glenise

Supporting Actor
Joined
Feb 5, 2001
Messages
773
To have an HT is more important because without the HT you can't have HT stuff unless you get the HT stuff first before the HT is built.
You need them both in the end.
 

Mike SJ

Supporting Actor
Joined
Nov 10, 2003
Messages
718
Plaques of THX, SVS, Dolby Digital, FOX, and others are on sale online in many places. these remind me of diplomas that professionals hang in their offices. it means weve graduated into the realm of OMG I HAVE AN HT AND IT ROCKS!

there is a store in KC called "vintage Stock" that carries many old movie memorabilia. if its a national chain check it out.

action figures are a good touch if its WAF [dang, that sounds southern for wife] is high. [or if your wife is high] :) Another member has Jason and the Texas Chainsaw guy on pedestals in his HT, very sweet.

possibly old empty movie reels [the flimsy metal circle thing] retouched to look a bit aged, sealed and mounted on the wall would be neat.

one must have if its in your home is a light dimmer for the HT area. If you had some sconces, it would be more "authentic" but I always like to dim the lights 10 mins before the movie to halfway and "get ready" for the movie. which was things like getting high, making sure everything is in place before the movie starts.


hope these ideas help, I know my first post had no value to it.
 

Mike SJ

Supporting Actor
Joined
Nov 10, 2003
Messages
718
ok its changed :)

Matt*B - another idea is to make an "intro dvd"
some here at HTF have made them, with their own intros like you see at theaters personalized. im sure it requires computer knowledge and a dvd burner or just some $.

do you have pics of your HT? im sure may ideas will surface once we know what we are dealing with.
 
Joined
Apr 4, 2002
Messages
16
You need to something that you would not do in your living room. Pick a paint scheme that you would never use in your living room. You can also use curtains or lighting or movie posters. This is your theater after all, you can get away with crazier stuff. Also, if you're sitting on couches, theater chairs will go along way in making your room feel more like a theater rather than just a room with electronics in it.

I still have a traditional living room couch and love seat in my theater, but built a riser for the love seat to go behind the couch. That's easy and inexpensive.
 

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