Home Theater Installation Tips: Ensuring that the Image Isn’t Too Small

Follow these home theater installation tips to guarantee that your aren’t stuck with a small image size

Your family and friends should have the best viewing experience possible in your home theater. One of the biggest mistakes that consumers make when completing a home theater installation is choosing a screen that is too big or allowing the installer to choose a screen that is too small.
Use these tips to avoid some of the more common screen and image pitfalls that come with home theater installation:
Follow Industry Standard Practices
Many consumers don’t realize that industry standard practices exist for the design and installation of home theaters.
The Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association (also known as the CEDIA) and the Consumer Electronics Association created a set of practices in 2009 that every professional installer should follow when designing and installing a home theater. Some of the basic practices that are discussed include theater layout, measurements, image specifications and calibration.
According to their specifications, the majority of correctly-designed theaters should feature a viewing angle of 43 degrees from prime seating spots within the room. This angle is achieved when the installer is using a 2.35:1 Cinemascope image. Determining the Right Size Screen for Your Home Theater
The size of your screen is essential to creating the best home theater experience.
The best way to avoid an image that’s too small is to discuss the actual size that your installer has in mind. One mishap that is common among professionals is that they are afraid of using an acoustically-transparent screen. Using a non acoustically-transparent screen that is roughly 90 inches wide forces you to put the center speaker below the screen, which is directly opposite from correct speaker placement practices. The best way to avoid this problem is to inform your home theater installation professional to use an acoustically transparent screen. The right screen size not only affects the image quality but also determines where you place your speakers.