Lighting is probably the most neglected aspect of home theater design. Natural light is something that you don’t need much inside your home theater and that is why the basement is probably the best place for setting up your home theater. However elsewhere also you can stop natural sunlight by using heavy curtains. There a number of things you can do with the lighting to enhance your own home theater experience.
Your home theater system may be either located in an exclusive room dedicated for this purpose or it may occupy a portion of the living room. In the living room of course the home theater lighting has to be integrated with the living room lighting so that you can remotely control the lights of both the areas from the same remote control if necessary. In the exclusive home theater you will have more flexibility and you can design the lighting to serve both aesthetic as well as functional needs.
Most people think that home theater lighting is not very important because all one has to do is put off the lights and watch the movie. But this is the old way of thinking. A lot of research has gone into making the home theater experience most enjoyable and comfortable and just putting off all the lights may not be the best option in this context. It has been found that watching the screen in the dark strains, the eyes unnecessarily especially if it is a TV screen. That being said poorly placed lights also affect your viewing pleasure adversely.
It is important to know how both natural and artificial lights affect your viewing during different parts of the day. The light sources should be arranged such that they do not cast a light or glare on the screen which will wash out the images on it. Similarly there should also be no glare from any natural sunlight peeking through those curtains. With the advance in lighting technology you have many options that will enhance your viewing experience. The proper lighting system can enhance the theater room in several ways.
On the functional level the system should provide adequate light for people to move around in the room safely even while others are watching. It has been found that insufficient ambient light while watching the images results in unnecessary eyestrain. In case of rear projection or direct view displays you should place a bias light just behind the display. This will help to reduce eye fatigue as it will provide a constant source of light without compromising the image performance.
Beyond the functional issues lighting can also provide aesthetic benefits. It can make your theater room inviting, comfortable and set the right mood. The new lighting control systems enable to control your home theater lighting from your seat. A single switch can kill overhead lights while at the same time dimming your wall scones. If you are a technology buff you can also have your lighting control integrated into the home theater system remote.
