When you think of theater lighting, you think of something that is generally dim but can be adjusted when the film is over so you can safely see where you are going.
This same effect can be achieved in your home theater on a much smaller scale.
The lighting in your home theater is very important, especially if you are using a projector and screen set up.
The projector generally shows the pictures better when the room is fairly dark.
Most people don't want to sit around in pitch blackness to watch a movie, unless of course it is a horror film.
In order to achieve the correct lighting ambiance, you will need variable or dimming lights installed in your home theater.
Incorrect lighting can lead to glares on the television, whether it be from a window or simply a lamp in the room.
If you have the option of building or designing a completely new room for your home theater, one without windows is the perfect option.
Because glare on the tv is so annoying, indirect lighting is the most common form of lighting in a home theater.
With a little bit of planning, controlling the light in a room is relatively easy.
In most cases, we are using our living room as the home theater.
In that case, you likely have windows, maybe many windows, that will let light in at various parts of the day.
You will want to position your television so that the ambient light from the windows is not reflected in your television.
If there are no areas in your living room that will not reflect the ambient light, it is best to pick the area that is going to reflect the light at the time of day that you are least likely to be viewing the television.
To keep glare from windows to a minimum, try placing the television at an angle to the main window in the room.
Heavy curtains are another way to reduce the light from the windows for daytime viewing or to keep out the light from that street lamp near the sidewalk.
To reduce glare from table lamps, get opaque shades that reflect light downward onto the table, this will keep the glare down considerably.
Wall sconces with small wattage bulbs are a nice way to provide a little light to a rather dark room during viewing times.
By flanking the television or screen with sconces on either side, the reflection is not on the screen and the lighting will draw your attention to the screen.
Your basic sconce can be found at most hardware stores and any of your big box home improvement warehouses.
If you want to get fancy with the whole thing, there are remote controlled lighting systems that can be installed in your new home theater to help create the perfect ambiance.
No matter if you are planning a new home theater or trying to perfect one that you have already set up, you want to make sure that the lighting is correct.
The lighting can mean the difference between just watching a movie with friends and you being the highlight of the neighborhood for any game, movie, or special television moment.