Bringing the movie-going experience to your own home means upping the immersion factors, and truly engaging with films on your screen.  But half the riveting atmosphere is due to clear, high-end audio enveloping you from all sides.  Along with a 4K Ultra HD screen, perfected surround is one of the many features that will considerably enhance your home theater system in your Dallas, TX space.  Read on below to learn more about these essential audio and video components.

Surround Sound

Where you place your speakers is a vital decision.  To create the ultimate surround sound system, setting multiple speakers around the room, depending on your theater’s size, will create the best sound and help the existing acoustics.  Install your seating in the “sweet triangle” precisely between the left and right speakers, so that nothing muffles the sound – and be sure to choose leather or another fabric that doesn’t absorb noise!

If you don’t want that many speakers messing with your home cinema’s theme or décor, there are plenty of hidden options available.  Whether concealed within the walls or hung from the ceiling, you can still maintain your design without the equipment taking up space in the room.

However, bookshelf speakers are a great option if you don’t mind the look of the components, and want to place them on top of cabinets, tables, and other furniture easily.  Perhaps your theme is a more traditional theater feel.  If so, standing speakers are sure to be the focal points of the room that will make your space look like a downtown commercial theater.

SEE ALSO: HOW TO DEAL WITH AMBIENT LIGHT IN YOUR HOME THEATER SYSTEM

When crafting your Fort Worth, TX media room, you might only be thinking of where you’ll place your 4K TV screen or how to arrange your seating for the best view possible.  But you can use your entertainment space for so much more than a crystal-clear showing of a film!  Read on below, as we highlight the various ways to utilize your multi-purpose media room.

A Place to Jam

Whether you’re home by yourself or surrounded by family and friends, a good song can always elevate the mood.  By setting up a smart audio system in your media room, you can have your entire music library at the tip of your fingers.  Turn on your favorite playlist or change songs on command, all from your smartphone, tablet, or anther smart device.  And with a multi-room music setup, you can also have the high-end audio fill up the room, and then follow you throughout the house as you walk around.

Truly enhance your audio into top-notch quality with the right speakers.  To keep your room from being dominated by the AV equipment, choose bookshelf speakers to place inconspicuously on top of furniture or cabinets.  You could also hide speaker within the walls, so they’re completely hidden all of the time.

SEE ALSO: TOP DOS AND DON’TS FOR MEDIA ROOM DESIGN

Transform the Room

The best part of a multi-purpose media room is how it can fully change into a room of relaxation and tranquility when your TV and speakers are not in use.  Here are some of the great smart technologies that could entirely alter your room.

You might love your media and entertainment, but also hate the clutter it creates.  With the excess equipment and audio video components, it can all be quite distracting from the film or show in front of you.  Plus, when you’re not watching a movie, these products might still be out and going unused during the day or when you have guests.  But with hidden audio video, your media room or home theater can serve an abundance of purposes in your Dallas, TX home.  Read on to learn more about veiling these smart technology features within your interior design.

Hide your Screens

There’s no doubt about it – 4K Ultra HD TVs are ideal in every way for your movie nights and viewing experiences.  But often times, they are extremely wide and take up a large amount of space.  We’ve listed out below several ways to hide your TV screen in your entertainment center.

• Moving Panels: You can feel like you’re in the future with wall panels.  Place your favorite piece of artwork or a picture frame on the panel, so when the TV is not in use, you have a nice addition to the room’s décor.  Then, when it’s time to binge-watch a series or film franchise – press a button, have the panel slide up, and enjoy.
• Furniture Lifts: Incorporate your TV into an actual piece of furniture in the room. The screen can slide up and down out of a TV cabinet or a table countertop, and will effortlessly appear when you are ready to view it.
• Ceiling Lifts: A ceiling lift allows a TV to hang up horizontally above its normal display area. Simply press a button on your smart device, and watch as the screen zooms down from the ceiling and vertically into place.

SEE ALSO: ENJOY FOOTBALL SEASON WITH THE LATEST AUDIO VIDEO TECH

Now for the Audio

You want your speakers to give you the best sound quality available.  This means no obstructions or hindrances to muffle them.  But speakers can be bulky and mess with your room’s style.  Now you don’t have to compromise your taste for quality!  Hidden wall speakers mean the product can be carefully placed within your wall, taking up hardly any space.  You can conceal the speakers’ looks and still hear their top-notch sounds.

If you don’t mind how standard speakers look, but still want them not to take up too much space, then bookshelf speakers are a viable option as well.  You get amazing, high-end sound quality, similar to larger and more predominant floor-standing speakers, but are instead able to place these on top of bookshelves or cabinets – eliminating the amount of room they would normally take up.

Smart home automation is a term that’s thrown around a lot, but isn’t well understood. What’s the difference between smart home automation and smart home control? What are the best technologies to make your Colleyville, TX home into a smart home? If you’d like to know the answers to any of these questions, keep reading!

Defining Smart Home Automation

Smart home automation refers to the process of upgrading different aspects of your home – lights, window shades, entertainment systems, etc. – to be part of the Internet of Things. Essentially, these home components are now able to be controlled via any internet-connected device. The next step is to then connect all of these devices into one complete ecosystem that works automatically to keep your home in the perfect environment for safety, comfort, energy efficiency, and beauty.

SEE ALSO: Frequently Asked Questions about Smart Home Automation

The Difference Between Smart Home Automation and Smart Home Control

These terms are often used interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing. However, most smart home systems use a combination of automation and control. It all boils down to how you want the devices to act throughout the day. 

If you have window shades that detect that too much solar heat gain is causing your home’s air conditioner to work harder than it should have to, those window shades could automatically close to block out the sun. That’s smart home automation because you didn’t have to do anything to achieve that effect. The system intelligently chose the right action to keep your home energy efficient. 

Extraordinary floor-to-ceiling windows and glass walls have become the norm for modern homes these days.  The glass panes are optimal for scenic views and letting in the day’s natural lighting.  But often, they can be a hindrance for privacy and let in the sun’s ray that might damage your interior décor.   Motorized shades can easily solve the issue, and provide a comfortable and practical feel to your living area.  Read on to learn why smart window shades are the perfect fit for you Dallas, TX home.

SEE ALSO: WHICH TYPE OF MOTORIZED SHADES IS RIGHT FOR YOU HOME?

Motorized is the Way

Your lofty windows are stunning, but perhaps not when you’re attempting to manage their shades.  You want to lower them with ease when the sun is directly hitting your living room, or open them up without thinking twice in the morning.  With regular shades, the latter would be a tricky feat to accomplish without spilling your coffee.  But motorized shades take the difficulty out of the equation; all that’s required is the push of a button.  And if you know certain hours of the day you’d like the shades adjusted, then you can set them to work automatically without another thought to it.

Blend In or Stand Out

When enjoying the view from your glass walls or high window fixtures, normal blinds and shades can be distracting.  They don’t blend well with the rest of your interior, and often still prove a noticeable problem when you pull them out of the way.  Specific motorized shades, such as roller or honeycomb style, will ensure that when they are drawn up – you won’t realize they are there until you lower them back down.  These shades roll up into the wall above the window, disappearing completely until you are ready to have them back.  Want the added decoration that lovely patterns and fabrics motorize shades can offer?  That’s always an option too.  Whatever fits your home’s design and your taste, there is a window treatment style for you.

Doubling up

Often, we want the best that both worlds can deliver – and choosing for elegant glass windows shouldn’t be any different.  With motorized shading, you don’t have to compromise.  In one room, you might wish for privacy as you read or lounge about on the sofa.  But other days, you want to enjoy the view and the sun’s light.  Blackouts shades might be a great option for when your family is watching a film in the living room, but not when you have guests over the next day.  Double roller shades are the ideal solution.  Dual-shading means two shading styles and two options to always have on hand for your window treatments.  Choose between UV ray protection, view preservation, blackout, and more.  Now you can determine the lighting and ambiance of every room of the house with ease and without settling.