Do You Know about These Four Hot Home Theater Design Trends?

Who doesn’t love a home cinema? What’s better than settling in to watch a movie with a large screen and great sound that draws you into the action? There was a time when home theaters were built to mimic the experience at a commercial movie house or a classic theater from the past. Today’s homeowners are not just watching movies in home theaters – they’re bingeing on favorite Netflix and Hulu shows, watching sports on the big screen, or even playing video games.

Home theater design has been evolving with the needs of families for different types of audio and video entertainment. No longer does it have to be a fully darkened room with theater recliner seating – it can be anything you want it to be with excellent visuals and sound. Read below for four of the hottest trends in home theaters right now for your Atlanta, GA home.

SEE ALSO: 3 Simple Tips for a Better, Smarter Home Theater Design

Multi-Purpose Rooms

Theaters of old may have lived in a basement or a room with full blackout window treatments. But when watching sports, live music events, or even a political debate, you may not want a fully darkened room, which might hinder the social experience. You might also want a space that's more conducive to food, drinks, and playing games like pool or ping-pong. Today’s home theaters may accommodate many uses, from daytime viewing to that family movie or date night. Features like motorized shades and lighting control make it easy to transform your home theater space for any occasion.

Screen Technology

We've come a long way from the traditional approach of projector and screen for a cinematic picture. Newer options like large flat-panel TVs going over 90 inches in size allow for easy daytime and dark-room viewing. New video technologies like HDR make shows and movies come alive with more vivid and realistic images.

A relatively new projections category is the ultra-short-throw projector. These integrated units can project up to ten-foot diagonal screens sitting only inches away from the wall, making an excellent option in smaller rooms and multipurpose spaces.

Of course, the traditional projector is still the best for the most massive screens. Another hot trend is multiple screens, where multiple flat panels may be used for sports and other programming while a projector with a hidden, drop-down screen may be unfurled for a movie.

4K Content

4K content and equipment are now mainstream, so there's no reason to settle for anything less in a home theater. Conveniently, a wealth of 4K and HDR content is available through streaming services like Netflix, Vudu, and Amazon Video, making it easy to dial up movies and shows in the best resolution in your home cinema. And now, recently introduced services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ are offering high-quality shows and movies with the best available video and audio quality.

Dolby Atmos

Introduced in 2015, Dolby Atmos added a much-needed new dimension to surround sound that must be heard to be appreciated. With Atmos, sound mixing engineers can direct sound over 128 points in a sound field rather than having it emanate from a specific channel. The result is far more immersive audio soundtracks, with a feeling of sound all around you rather than coming from a particular direction. Supported by the latest audio equipment, Dolby Atmos adds the elements of height and breadth to movies and shows. Atmos-mastered content continues to grow, and many films and shows on streaming services are taking advantage of the format. No home theater should be without it!

Sunbelt Technology can design your dream home theater setup in Atlanta with these ideas and more. Call us today at (404) 236-0007 or reach out on our online contact page. We look forward to working with you.