BTZ Audio Video is a “full service commercial and residential audio visual company that has focused on finding solutions for the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex since 2003.” The company offers multi room sound installation, automation and smart home systems, smart television systems, and wall mounting for televisions and projectors. The company is a BBB accredited business and a 2015 winner of Home Advisor’s “Best of” Award.
Charlie Brown Sound is a Flower Mound company offering “expert home theater design and installation” and featuring a team of licensing electricians, free estimates, and 0% financing. A home theater package includes a free design consultation, television mounting, system installation and setup, surround sound setup, wiring, custom cabinetry, theater seating, projector installation, and remote control programming. Estimates can be obtained by contacting the company.
DeVance is an “electronic lifestyle” company in Carrollton, offering smart home automation, audio visual systems, home theaters, and “efficient control systems for lighting, draperies, shades, climate control, and more.” When rooms are prepared for home theater system installation, they are “isolated from outside noise with special acoustic treatments,” with lighting and interior design also carefully customized. Customers can request initial consultations on the company’s website.
Doctor Sound Smart Homes is a “custom electronics design and installation firm” in Flower Mound with 25 years of experience. Services include home theater design, installation, and sales of mid to high-end audio video equipment. The company is certified by the Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association. A five-star client testimonial describes the company as knowledgeable, honest, and offering competitive prices and great customer service.
Home Theater Design Group in Addison has over 20 years of experience in integrated audio, video, and automation systems, offering customers individual design plans to fit any home size and meet any expectations. Some of the company’s hallmarks are “user-friendly controls” and customer training. The company is certified by the Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association.
Honest Install in Richardson serves the Dallas and Fort Worth areas and specializes in flat panel television mounting. Installation services for projectors, screens, surround sound systems, Bose sound and theater systems, and home theaters are also available. The company is BBB accredited and a member of the Custom Electronics Design & Installation Association.
Madison’s Home Theater is a Plano company specializing in home theater installation, business audio-visual systems, satellite television service, and home security systems. The company is a licensed retailer of Sonos home audio systems, DirecTV, Dish Network, and DSC security systems. Pricing can be requested by submitting an online form on the company’s website.
myHomedia is company accredited by the BBB and offering premier audio visual services for custom home theaters, media rooms, and surround sound systems. The company redesigns already existing media rooms and also designs new media rooms from scratch, including major engineering and renovation projects through a partnership with Neil Loving Construction.
myMedia Installer is a Carrollton company specializing in home theater and television installation, whole home audio systems, and universal remote controls. The home theater installation experience includes a site survey to explain the process to the customer, wiring the system and concealing the wires in the walls or ceiling, setting up an audio sound receiver, programming basic functions on the remote control, and cleaning up the work area. The company has 10 years of industry experience and is BBB accredited.
Sonic Boom Customs offers audio and video solutions to the Dallas and Fort Worth areas. The family owned Frisco company has over 15 years of audiovisual experience and treats all clients as if they were “family or friends.” Home theater systems are designed individually for each customer based on viewing habits and needs, resulting in a “full and balanced home theater experience at a price anyone can afford.”
Tekmax Technologies is a “cutting-edge home theater system, design, integration, and installation company” in Plano. In addition to home theater installation, the company provides whole house audio video installation, surveillance and lighting systems, and home automation. The Gold Cinema home theater package costs $5,999 and includes an audio system, projector, screen, Sony blu-ray, DVD, and CD player, remote controls, surge protection, plus labor.
The Audio Guy in Lewisville offers home automation, home theater installation, and products from featured brands such as Bose, Control4, Paradigm, and Anthem. The company’s Bronze Package includes a projector, screen, surround system, surround receiver, projector mount, HDMI cables, surge protection, a blu-ray player, and installation services for $3,500. Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Platinum packages are also available at increasing rates.
Whether your goal is to create a home theater on a budget or you want an extravagant, luxurious space, there are a lot of options available to you. Consulting a professional home theater installer for guidance is one of the easiest ways to make sure you end up with a space that meets your family’s viewing needs.
You can connect your TV sound to your home theater system by running cables from the TV output panel to the system's input panel. If your TV and sound system has Bluetooth wireless capabilities, you can use it sync the two components.
You can build a basic home theater for around $500. However, when you start to add extras to enhance the viewing experience, such as custom seating or a bigger TV, the cost increases. If you're planning a large, elaborate home theater, it can cost as much as $50,000.
Some necessary components include a TV or projector system to display videos and an audio system to receive and play the movies' sound. Other needed components include surge protectors, cables to connect the electronic components, and seating for viewers to watch movies.
When setting up a home theater system, put the subwoofer within five feet of one of the front speakers. This positioning lets the subwoofer work with the chosen speaker so it can deliver richer bass tones.
Match your subwoofer to the size of your speakers or sound bar to create an immersive experience, such as an eight-inch subwoofer with bookshelf speakers. Or, you can match your subwoofer to the room size, for example, pair a 12-inch subwoofer with a large theater space.
You can buy a home theater system at a mass merchandiser, online, or from an audio-visual specialist. Advantages of buying from a big box store or online are lower cost and getting set up faster. Advantages of buying from an audio-visual specialist include professional help getting started and potentially better quality equipment.
Set up your TV and sound system as the focal point of the room. Then, position comfortable seating so each seat has a clear view of the TV. You may have to move things around a few times to get the placement just right. Add side tables to hold beverages and snacks.
The best home theater sound system really depends on your needs and space because these systems are typically customized for each theater room. However, there are some brands that are highly rated by current home theater owners, including Bose, Yamaha, Onkyo, Sony, and Klipsch.
You can buy home theater seats from specialty companies or from big box furniture and electronics retailers. Alternately, you can visit major online retailers to find theater seating, or you can visit the websites of specialty theater seating companies, such as 4Seating or the Theater Seats Store.
To build stadium seating, set up front row seats at the original floor height. Then, build risers for each of the following rows, increasing the height incrementally by 12 inches per riser. Carpet the risers to help deaden unwanted sounds. Position the seats so they’re slightly staggered for unobstructed viewing.
Use the distance between the screen and seating to choose a projector size. Smaller projectors are suitable for distances of five to eight feet. Standard projectors are ideal for distances of up to 13 feet. Additionally, make sure the projector has enough ports for everything you want to connect.
The number of lumens can be chosen based on your main purpose for the projector. A projector with 1,500 lumens is ideal for presentations. One with 2,000 lumens is ideal for watching movies and TV shows. For gaming experiences, a projector should have 2,000 or more lumens.
Some questions may include:
Measure the dimensions of your theater room and make a plan for blocking out any ambient light that could interfere with your viewing experience. Plan a seating arrangement that allows everyone a clear view of the screen, and consider adding soundproofing to minimize sound transfer to nearby rooms.
Choose a room and location that lets you easily block out ambient light and minimize sound transfer. It should also have enough room to comfortably seat the number of people you may want to join you for movie viewing.
Home theater systems use about 2.5 times the electricity to watch movies or play games compared to a standard TV with a cable connection. To help conserve electricity, considering plugging the various components into a power strip that you can switch off when your home theater isn't in use.
Soundbars and speakers each have advantages. A soundbar can provide quality audio in a smaller space, but more speakers may be needed to create a surround-sound effect in a larger theater room. A soundbar is typically less expensive than speakers, so it can be a better choice if you're on a budget.
