Helpful Tips to Set Up Your Home Entertainment Room

After a long day at work, nothing might be more appealing than diving into your couch with the remote control and some popcorn. From movie nights to gaming sessions, an entertainment room can be a great source of fun for the whole family. However, a lot goes into setting up the ideal entertainment system. Besides achieving that perfect design, there’s a fair amount of technical details to account for. Several factors in that regard can make or break a home entertainment unit. Getting familiar with some of the dos and don’ts will ensure that you and your family can enjoy your entertainment set up for years to come.

Let's Start With the TV

The TV is a trivial part of your home entertainment room, but there certainly are some factors to take into consideration when using, positioning, or mounting your TV.

Mind Your Distance from the TV

The most common advice you will probably hear when it comes to watching television is to not sit too close to the screen. This tip is not only for the sake of your eyesight, but also to attain the ideal perception of graphics from your screen. But what exactly is the right distance? 

The distance you should keep between it and yourself varies depending on the size and resolution of the TV. As a rule of thumb, consider a distance ratio of 1.5 times the TV’s vertical size for 4K varieties and three times for HD varieties. On the other hand, the distance ratio would be six times the vertical size for standard-definition TVs. For instance, six feet would be a good distance to allow for between you and a 50-inch HD TV.

Keep a Healthy Distance From Your TV

How High to Mount Your TV

When mounting your flat-screen on the wall, make sure to account for the viewing angle in an upright and reclined seating position. Determine how high you will be sitting and calculate your seat level accordingly. As for the viewing angle, the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers advises not to exceed 30 degrees. Generally, you want to make sure that the TV is not too high that your neck gets a cramp from looking upwards for too long; moreover, it shouldn't be too low that the view is obstructed by that vase on the table.

Keep it Away From Windows

Nothing can be more annoying than a huge block of light hitting the TV screen, especially as it tends to shine right at the most important scenes. Another disruption is when there’s an additional, even brighter source of light (that is to say a window) right next to your TV. Essentially, you would want to place your TV where it’s neither facing a window nor too close to one. However, if you don’t have another choice, a simple solution to get rid of glare would be to install roller shades on your windows. As for indoor sources of light, you can avoid straining your eyes by adding a 5-watt fluorescent light behind the TV; this would also reduce glare from any nearby windows.

Keep Cords at Bay

An entertainment unit complete with speakers, an Apple TV, a video game console, and other installations will indubitably have a mountain of cords piled up like a den of snakes. This will not only be unsightly but may very well pose a tripping hazard. One slip of the foot could send Playstation 5, TV, and all flying across the room. Consider tucking your cords in cable slinkies and running them behind your cabinetry. Another solution for cord clutter involves using cable concealers; this will allow you to both hide the cords from plain sight and organize their path. 

Keep Your Cords in a Box to Declutter Your TV Space

Choosing Space and Design for Your Entertainment Room

Space and design are of utmost importance when choosing the right factors for your home's entertainment room.

Consider a Whole Room for Home Entertainment

If you’re spending the majority of your leisure hours in your entertainment room watching series and playing video games, why not dedicate the whole room to it? Since a complete entertainment system may require a fair amount of space, you can go all the way and turn the room into a technophile’s haven. You could, for instance, make your windows soundproof for better acoustics. You may also be interested in a mini-fridge to avoid having to pause your movie to fetch a snack or drink. Before going above and beyond with your personal haven, however, make sure the room is big enough to accommodate all the additions. You wouldn’t want to end up with a 60-inch TV, surround sound system, a gaming console, and everything in between, leaving only room for one folding chair to sit on. With adequate space management, however, you could integrate a decent entertainment system in a smaller room. 

Design Your Entertainment Unit According to Your Lifestyle

Determine what aspects of your entertainment room you'll be prioritizing, and set up the rig accordingly. If you’re still holding on to your Blu-Ray disk collection for nostalgic reasons, make sure they are easy to access. If you're a gamer, consider setting up your unit to house your video game console comfortably. The simplest designs, in any case, are often the most convenient — and the most budget-friendly. Keeping your expectations realistic is important for a practical entertainment system that you will not end up struggling with. 

Matching Your Lifestyle With Your Entertainment Room Is Important to Maximize Its Use in the Household

Carry Out an Electrical Checkup

Consider consulting an electrical contractor to determine whether your home’s electrical system can accommodate your state-of-the-art entertainment system. Although a lot of modern electronics are relatively power-efficient, the electrical outlet you’ve plugged your whole entertainment system into is most likely connected to a circuit that’s shared with other rooms; in that case, there might be an overload. Not accounting for the circuitry is grounds for not only power failure, but also equipment failure. One solution is to adapt your electrical components by adding more outlets while taking the load into account. You may also want to check the back of your appliances for their amperage in order to make adjustments accordingly.

Allow for Proper Ventilation

Electrical appliances normally generate heat, and although they normally have internal fans, you will need to keep them in a well-ventilated area. For instance, you may want to think twice about where you’re installing your new Xbox; if it doesn’t receive proper air circulation, you may soon find yourself shopping for a new one. As for a TV, you wouldn’t want to cram it in a cabinet that’s not built for the purpose. If you’re building a make-shift TV cabinet, make sure to account for airflow — especially from the back. For better circulation from the sides, consider a cabinet with wall-mounted or free-standing shelves. Of course, no design would allow for more circulation than that of a floating entertainment system. This design provides both optimal conditions for your electronics as well as a sleek, no-hassle look.

A Floating Entertainment System Might Automatically Solve the Problem of Overheating of Devices

Work With the Interior Design

Even though your entertainment room is more tech-focused than the other rooms in your house, you may want it to clash with the overall theme of your interior design. As you’re incorporating all the technology, make sure that you don’t lose the element of style in doing so. If your house features a rustic interior, you could go for a stone veneer background for the TV, with warm-colored fluorescent lighting behind it. You can even personalize your entertainment system by adding decor among the appliances for character.

Plan Ahead

Of course, you’ll want your entertainment room to have everything, but only everything that you want. Before going out and splurging on all the features you can possibly get your hands on, determine why you’re investing in an entertainment unit. If you’re mainly going to be listening to music, you could prioritize the surround system. For gaming purposes, your priority might be a TV with high resolution. It’s usually better to focus on a single function of your entertainment system than buying the best in all areas only to end up sticking to just one. Set a budget beforehand. If anything, you can just upgrade your system along the way. Starting your unit on a budget will leave room for future additions.

Make Sure Your Entertainment Room Is Customized to Fit Your Wants