Are you interested in adding a private home cinema for football season or movie nights with the family? Not all home theater systems are created the same—at least they shouldn't be—so how can you find the right solutions for your McKinney, TX space? Designing a home theater is all about finding technology that suits your family’s needs and room limitations.

But regardless of your home’s design, there are essential features that we think all home theaters should include, even if they're incorporated differently in each scenario. Make the most of your viewing experience with these tech upgrades for an overall improved AV quality and a comfortable atmosphere.

SEE MORE: How to Find the Perfect Screen for Your Home Theater

4K Video Resolution

With 4K content available through streaming services, cable providers and Blu-ray movies, there's no reason to hold off on 4K video resolution anymore. Enjoy images with four times the pixels of standard HD and experience High Dynamic Range (HDR) which results in deeper colors and better color contrast.

How can you bring 4K to your home theater system? Enjoy the ultimate video quality with Sony's premier line of 4K displays, projectors, and AV receivers. Work with an AV contractor that will integrate these seamlessly to pull up any 4K content you want quickly on your brand-new displays.

Dolby Atmos

Listen to your favorite movies and sporting events like never before with Dolby Atmos surround sound. Regular surround sound uses dedicated channels with each speaker responsible for specific sounds. The most obvious example is the center speaker, which usually handles all dialogue. But with Dolby Atmos, audio moves freely throughout the room to create a more immersive experience. While the video plays, it will feel like an airplane is flying overhead or a ball just flew past you during a baseball game.  

You'll need to use speakers designed for Dolby Atmos layouts—so either in-ceiling speakers or upward-firing speakers that bounce sound off the ceiling. It's also important, like with 4K video resolution, to ensure the entire signal path is compatible with Dolby Atmos. Processing sound for Dolby Atmos is different than regular surround sound, so you’ll need an AV receiver equipped to do it.

Lighting & Shading Control

Creating a comfortable viewing experience should be a top priority for any home theater system. Lighting plays a vital role in your comfort, as well as your overall theater quality. Take advantage of lighting control to quickly dim lights when it’s time to start the movie and turn them back up when you want to get some snacks.

Although you’d ideally want to install your home theater system in a room with no windows, we know that’s not always possible. In those cases, you can integrate blackout shades that automatically close when you hit play or turn on your display. Place motorized drapes in front of your screen to truly recreate the old-time cinema experience.

Centralized Control

Any home theater system that isn't easy to use will go to waste no matter how superb the audio or video quality is. In all our installations, we include centralized control solutions that make it simple to manage audio, video, lights, shades and even climate.

Usually people still like the feel of a remote in a home theater setting, so we often include URC total control remotes that include all the features mentioned above. As for users that are a little more tech-savvy, they can also access their technology via dedicated touchpads or mobile apps.

Do you want to learn more about how to optimize your home theater system in Frisco, McKinney or Wiley? To set up a one-on-one consultation, give us a call at (972) 757-4002 or fill out our online contact form.