The Perfect Television / Home Cinema

Where should we put our TV? Can it go above the fire? How big should the screen be and how about a projector? Are all questions we are regularly asked.

‘Our’ first question is, have you decorated yet? This is certainly the most important question, because, if you are prepared to decorate after running wires the TV can go almost anywhere and if you want a screen and projector then pre-decoration is the best time to fit it.

Having said all of that, we can and do fit equipment into decorated houses; we just know what is easier and gives a more built in finish.

'Your' first question then, where should we put our TV?

Most rooms in UK houses have a fire place as a focal point and a TV socket in the corner; therefore, a corner sounds an easy option.

Place the TV on a cabinet and hide all the boxes in the cabinet (Try to avoid open shelve units) and this will give a really neat, easy to live with solution.



Please ensure your cabinet will accommodate all your equipment. Wires hate to be squashed and coiled and Sky boxes especially get hot, so the smaller the cabinet, the more likely there are to be problems.

The TV in the corner could be on a wall bracket that would allow the screen to be flat against the wall when off but swing away from the wall and be at an angle for when you are viewing.

This is especially easy to achieve if the wall in question is an outside wall as the cables can exit from the TV, through the wall, down the outside (in trunking) and back in at the bottom, to the cabinet.The TV in the corner could be on a wall bracket that would allow the screen to be flat against the wall when off but swing away from the wall and be at an angle for when you are viewing.

The alternative to running the cable outside would be a surface fitted trunk or to dig in the wall and re decorate. The cables that most TV’s need are power, aerial, and source cables (HDMI or SCART) depending on what you watch.
If the TV is hooked up to an AV System, the AV System will handle all the connections and only need one HDMI cable from the cabinet to the TV.

Next question, can we have the TV above the fire? Well, it’s up to you. Consider the following though. Is the distance from sofa to fire place the narrowest part of the room?

How high will the TV be above the fire? Try putting a picture above the fire and looking at it. Is it comfortable or do you get a stiff neck? How would we get cables up to the TV? If the chimney is not used and if you will decorate afterwards then it is very achievable.

Is the fire used and how hot does it get? Measure the temperature above the fire and check the operating guide for the TV. If there is moderate heat then would a shelf below the TV be sufficient to dissipate the heat.

What about screen size? Screen size is a very personal choice. At home,we have progressed from an 18” TV a few years ago, through a 32” and 37” and now we have a 40” set. We think it’s superb and just right for the room but some people may think it’s too big and others that it’s too small.

Certainly, the larger the set, the better the picture and the more enveloping the experience, so long as it’s not too big. As a rule the diagonal measurement of the TV should be 40% - 50% of the distance between you and it. So, for example 2m from sofa to TV would require a 40” and 3m would require a 60”.

As you may notice the result is a larger TV than most people would expect so don’t be afraid to have a larger TV. Equally, if you want a smaller set, then just have a smaller set.



In the right hand photo (above) I have significantly tidied the room by adding a Bose Lifestyle system to give the customer a superb sounding, easy to use Home Cinema experience to enjoy.

Windows may produce unwanted reflections or adversely affect the picture or even the ability of the remote control to operate the devices. It would be better to locate a TV in front of a window rather than facing one.

Home Cinema or Home Theatre is a really great way to experience the full benefit of movies and TV. After all, the sound is half the experience for most of us, yet most people have a great TV and a poor sound system or only the TV speaker.

There are many great one or two speaker systems out there to bring almost full surround to your living room. If you could accommodate rear speakers (available wired or wireless – front to rear) then your experience can be complete with a 5 speaker set up.

Cables can usually be run in a decorated or pre-decorated room although, of course, the latter is preferable.

Our solutions for Home Cinema are based around Bose speakers with a combination of speakers and amplifiers running from £550 upwards or complete solutions including BluRay DVD and unbelievably simple control from one remote control from £1700. (plus fitting and accessories)

Want to go one step further? Then, how about having a Projector and a Screen fitted in your Lounge, TV room or new Home Cinema room.

Projectors can be mounted on the ceiling or within hidden compartments above the ceiling and screens can be retracted into a small box on the ceiling or can be permanently installed on a wall.

The experience you get from a Home Cinema solution is superb.

  

Having read this, please come and talk to us. We have years of experience and can usually turn your dream into reality at a fair price and with the on-going service to match.