Thinking of upgrading your property with a smart home system? You’re probably trying to weigh the options: should you go hardwired or wireless with your audio system? Can you install a home theater by yourself? These are the types of questions that many homeowners face. But the truth is, you’re almost always better off working with a professional home automation installer. Sure, it may seem like the initial investment is higher than what you want to pay, but in the long run that investment pays off. In this blog, we’ll give you four solid reasons to work with an integrator.

See Also: How to Get Started with Smart Home Technology

Reason 1: They Know What They’re Doing

Installing a smart automation system is a bit more complicated than assembling your average Ikea coffee table – and we all know how annoying that can be. But when you’re working with electronics, the challenges can quickly become overwhelming. You may think it’s easy enough to install a smart thermostat, and you may even be right. But when you want that thermostat to talk to your surveillance cameras, or to respond to a single command that lowers the shades and dims the lights while playing a movie on your AV system, you enter a whole different world. 

Think of it this way: you may be able to change a tire or buff out a dent in your car, but you probably can’t fix the transmission. The same goes for your home automation system.

“Home theater system” is a term that can mean a lot of different things. You might consider the television, sound bar, and Blu-ray player in your living room to be a home theater of sorts, but it’s a very different movie-watching experience than what you would get in a dedicated home theater. For homeowners in the Colleyville, Texas area who really want the best audio and visual environment, here is the best approach:

Start with a Dedicated Room

One of the reasons why it’s so difficult to get that great movie quality in your living room is that the space isn’t designed for that purpose. Instead, the room is designed to accommodate other purposes, such as chatting with friends and family. The television’s placement is often an afterthought, based on where the sofa and coffee table look best. And there usually just isn’t a good place to install surround sound speakers.

That’s why it’s best to let your living room be a living room and leave the media systems to a dedicated room. A dedicated home theater is optimized in every way to be perfect for movie-watching. The seating is arranged for easy viewing of the screen, and surround sound speakers envelop you with immersive, robust audio.

Add in the Right Equipment

Not all home theater equipment is created equal, and the best speakers and projector for your system will depend on a variety of factors, such as the size and shape of the room. That’s why you should always leave the decision of selecting equipment in the hands of a home theater professional. A professional installer will be able to design a solution with the right mix of devices. Generally speaking, your home theater system should include a 4K Ultra HD projector and screen along with a Dolby Atmos surround sound system.

SEE ALSO: How Can You Upgrade Your Home Theater System?

Many families these days boast about having home theater systems. Usually, these entail a high-definition TV and a soundbar or surround sound speakers. But what if you could truly recreate the experience you get in a commercial theater? DB Media Solutions works with you to create a custom theater in your Dallas, Texas home that will let you escape into your favorite movies. For that to happen, we urge you to upgrade the following components:

SEE MORE: 4 Reasons to Invest in a Professional Home Theater System

Say Goodbye to Your HD TV

If you want high-quality larger-than-life images, a traditional HD TV is not going to cut it. First of all, it's time to embrace 4K Ultra HD, which has four times the resolution of 1080p (HD). For an authentic theater experience, we also encourage you to go with a screen-and-projector combination. Not only does it help to set the scene, but it is also easier to get larger displays if you opt for a screen rather than television. If you're tight for space, you can invest in retractable screens that disappear into a niche in the ceiling. 

Embrace the Dolby Atmos Experience

A 5.1 surround sound setup or even a quality soundbar is a huge upgrade from relying on TV speakers. But if you want a home theater system designed to impress, you should upgrade to Dolby Atmos. This new technology separates sound into unique objects, rather than relegating them to a designated channel. This way your audio moves freely throughout the room to create a more realistic experience. We help you find manufacturers that offer this technology and design the right speaker layout to optimize your new equipment.

Upgrade Your Media Library

What good is a great home theater setup if you have nothing to play on it? People often focus their investment on expensive televisions and speakers and forget about the rest. Not only do we help you figure out what source components are best for you (streaming services like Netflix, media libraries, Blu-Ray players, etc.), but we also make it easy to manage them. From a universal remote, touchpad, or tablet it's easy to alternate from one to the other, so you don't waste time trying to find what you want.