CEDIA Knowledge Hub is a home for news and announcements from CEDIA, a global community  for homeowners smart home technology.

Discover the future of living with our Smart Home Inspiration Gallery. Explore innovative setups, top tech, and design tips for every room!

Home Cinemas and Media Rooms

Go big and go home with the perfect home cinema. The definition of perfect is up to you, your imagination, and your CEDIA integrator.

Things to consider in your home cinema

From your speaker package to the layout, we can help you decide on the crucial factors that will impact your home cinema.

Cinema design

First, you need to think about your home space. The room size will impact your display screen and sound systems. If your room is smaller, for example, it might be easier to work with a projector.

Home cinemas often lack windows and have fixed seating. A relaxed media room can move things around and may work better with freestanding tech like a centre speaker.

Think about your WiFi connection too. Will poor signal affect playback if you’re streaming?

Source components

Source components are the tech that plays your media, such as:

  • CD or Blu-ray player
  • Turntables
  • Streaming boxes
  • Cable and satellite.

You may even have a smart TV, which offers built-in streaming. This in turn will affect your tech. Rear speakers are ideal for an immersive cinema experience, whereas an amplifier could work for pumping out your favourite playlist.

Speakers

Speaker packages offer several options, from Sony Soundbars to full-on Dolby Atmos for that immersive experience. You may choose integrated wall or ceiling speakers, or Bluetooth wireless speakers for mobility.

You’ll need to think about how your tech links up. An AV receiver works with inputs like HDMI to display images and play sound from multiple sources.

Display

For full home theatres, the ‘golden ratio’ is H (Height) x 1.28H (Width) x 1.54H (Length/Depth). This means multiplying the ceiling height by these values.

Media rooms work better with projectors, offering various screen sizes and layouts. Brands such as Samsung offer up to 292-inch 4K displays, ideal for flexibility and crystal clear imagery. If yours is a fixed screen and you want sharp contrasts, think about an OLED or LCD display.

Play

How much does it cost?

A home cinema or media room is a significant investment – but they more than pay for themselves. While there’s no exact figure, a whole installation might start at five figures.

If you’re just paying for individual technologies, this could lower the price. A regular price for source components, for example, usually hovers around the £1,000 mark.

Our award-winning teams will be happy to help you based on your budgets and requirements.