Media Room vs Home Theater
A Social Experience? Or a Night at the Movies? The choice is Yours!
MEDIA ROOM vs THEATER ROOM... Do you know the difference?
In comparing a media room to a dedicated home theater, there is one main difference that sets them apart. A Theater room is designed to replicate a cinema experience and that is it, while the flexibility of a media room is more practical for people who want to do more than sit in the dark and watch movies. Simply said... a Media room is used for multiple activities while a Theater room is simply used for one activity.
The term media room has evolved into a generic definition for a multipurpose space. It gives you a more social experience! Friends congregate there to watch the big game. Families go there to watch a movie together. It's party central when guests visit! Things such as bowling alleys, Golf Screens, Pool tables, Movie screens, Bars, etc... have all been used in a media room set up and the possiblities are quite endless!
Media Room: Piano, Theater seating area, Table, Bar, Another TV viewing area, Pool table....
A dedicated home theater is designed to replicate a cinema experience! They usually possess subtle Cinema lighting to preserve the picture quality, and a projector. The next three things are KEY to the success of a home theater room; Screen, Sound & Mood.
When you go to the movie theater, there is a sense of anticipation when the lights go down, there's a lot of magic going on there! Sound is more than half the experience. Many people cut their budget short and focus mostly on the screen, however the best bet is to divide it into three equal parts for the screen, sound and room. A large projection screen or TV is certianly a goal for your theater room but the speakers & sounds are quite important too! No one jumps at a picture of a gun, they jump at the sound!
Setting the mood & comfort level is equally important to the cinema experience too. Lighting scenes, Comfortable seating and an acoustic environment that absorbs sound. Seating is generally arranged in rows, facing forward to replicate a movie theater. This way, everyone fully experiences the impact of the sound and picture.
Decide whether a media room or home theater format will satisfy your viewing pleasure by taking the quick quiz below.
- Do you plan to entertain while watching or listening to media?
- Will you use the media system for purposes other than watching movies (such as gaming or streaming music for a party)?
- Is flexibility important to you?
- Do you want to include anything other than a Movie viewing area in this room (such as a bar or pool table)?
- Do you want to mimic the cinema experience at home?
- Does your home contain a space that can be dedicated solely to movie-watching?
- Do you already have a space in your home where family gathers socially to watch television or movies?
