What does home theater installation include?
Home theater installation brings the screen, sound and controls together in one room that is built for watching. Every theater is custom, so it starts with a free estimate.
A typical project includes:
- A projector and screen, or a large TV
- Surround sound, often 5.1 or Atmos
- Cable runs for speakers, video and network, hidden where the walls allow
- A universal remote or simple control setup
- Speaker and picture setup tuned to your seats
Dedicated rooms and cabin great rooms
Home theaters around Durango and the lake usually fall into two groups: dedicated rooms and shared great rooms.
Dedicated media rooms
A dedicated room, such as a basement or bonus room, is the easiest space to control. You can keep it dark, place speakers exactly where they belong and run wire inside framed walls. New homes in Bayfield and Forest Lakes often have a bonus room that fits this well.
Cabin great rooms
A great room in a log home or cabin is a different job. Tall windows let in light, vaulted ceilings change how sound spreads, and solid log or stone walls limit where wire can go. We plan around that with screen placement away from glare, a brighter display where needed and speakers that suit an open room.
Projectors and screens
A projector makes sense when the room can get dark and you want a very large picture. We mount the projector on the ceiling or a shelf, line it up with the screen and run the video cable out of sight where we can. In brighter rooms, a large TV or a short-throw projector, which sits close to the wall, is often the better choice.
Seating distance and screen size
Screen size and seating distance should be planned together. A common rule for 4K is to sit about 1 to 1.5 times the screen’s diagonal away. We measure your room and suggest a size that fills your view without making you turn your head. Mounting height matters too: the middle of the screen should sit near eye level when you are seated.
What affects the price of a home theater?
Room size, the equipment you choose, the number of speakers and how much wiring has to run inside walls move the price most. A projector and soundbar in a basement is a smaller project than a 7.1 Atmos system in a vaulted great room. See pricing for how quotes work.
How a home theater project goes
A home theater starts with a visit and a plan. We look at the room, ask how you watch and what you want to spend, and suggest a setup. After you approve the quote, we run cables, mount the screen and speakers, connect and set up each piece, and walk you through the controls. Larger projects may take more than one visit.
Related services
A home theater uses parts of several services: TV mounting, wire hiding, home audio and device setup. For a simpler setup, a Sonos soundbar with a sub and rear surrounds gives a theater feel without a receiver; see Sonos installation and setup. We build theaters in Durango, Bayfield, Forest Lakes, Vallecito, Purgatory and Pagosa Springs. Call (970) 426-8215 or ask for a free estimate.