It All Depends on How You’ll Enjoy It

Media room or home theater? Should you care, and why does it matter? As an experienced home theater design company serving Long Island, NY, Home Technology Experts isn’t much concerned with what you call your media space; it’s all about how you like to enjoy your audio and video entertainment. That said, there are some differences – and many similarities – between media rooms and home theaters.

So, how should you think about home theaters versus media rooms? We will answer this question starting with more questions! Keep reading below for more. By the way, there are no wrong answers!

SEE ALSO: 3 Benefits of Having a Pro Handle Your Audio-Video Installation

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO WATCH?

Here are a set of questions that can help you narrow down what’s important in the design of your media space or home theater:

·       Do you watch regular TV like cable or satellite?

·       Do you sit to watch your shows or do other things at the same time?

·       Do you watch a lot of sports?

·       Do you like to watch mostly streaming?

·       Do you watch series or movies?

·       Are you a video gamer? Or are your kids?

·       Do you like to listen to music in surround sound?

This set of questions is not complete but can set a direction as to seating, sound systems, screens, and other choices that determine what the best media solution will be for you. 

HOME THEATERS

Home theaters will be spaces for more immersive watching experiences, be they movies or Netflix dramas. Theaters will be optimized for comfortable long-term seating like reclining loungers. Home theaters are (typically) precisely designed for a set of seats where they are all optimized for both excellent viewing and sound.

Home theaters may also have themed décor. Whether the design is evocative of movie palaces from Hollywood’s Golden Era or the latest midcentury styles, the décor is part of the immersive experience. Home theaters also tend to be windowless spaces, or at least the windows can be fully covered for light control by motorized shading or custom automated window treatments.

MEDIA ROOMS

Perhaps the biggest difference between a media room and a home theater is the seating. Media rooms might employ more casual seating arrangements that lend themselves to entertaining and conversation with or without something playing onscreen. As such, perhaps not every seat will be the best in the house. The media room might also accommodate watching while standing up or sitting at a high-top bar in the back of the room. Generally, this setup can better accommodate watch parties for sports, events, video gaming, and other entertainment that isn’t as demanding of full-time attention. Media rooms might employ large OLED or LED flat panels instead of projectors, or even a combination of screens in larger rooms to keep track of multiple sports games simultaneously – like both the Giants and Jets games. Media rooms also might do well for movies with seating for smaller groups but can also accommodate larger entertainment gatherings where not everyone is concentrating on the media.

Work with an expert home theater designer to build the media solution that fits your lifestyle. Get in touch with us here to get started; we would love to work with you!