Creating a home cinema for you

Looking to take family movie nights and sports screenings with friends to the next level?

Find out why a home cinema set-up installed by HiiLIFE, a bespoke provider of luxury technology packages, is the ultimate indulgence for homeowners. HiiLIFE’s showhome, Queenswood, features a premium home cinema set-up which utilises the latest technology to deliver an optimal viewing experience.

Jake Stephens, technical director at HiiLIFE, shares his recommendations for designing the ultimate home entertainment set-up.

1. Invest in high-quality audio and video systems

The foundation of any home cinema is a top-tier audio-visual setup. It’s essential that the screen can handle ultra-high-definition content with exceptional colour accuracy and brightness.

At Queenswood, the home cinema’s focal point is ‘The Wall’. Developed by Samsung, The Wall is a bespoke super-size screen built to the customers’ specification, serving as both an entertainment hub and digital canvas to showcase art or personal style. It features MicroLED technology and HDR image enhancement, eliminating the need for colour filters or backlighting to provide an image that adjusts peak brightness and contrast on a scene-by-scene basis. The Wall also has built-in black seal technology, an energy-efficient solution, that delivers the deepest blacks possible and therefore unmatched contrast between pixels.

To accompany The Wall, you’ll need a surround sound system for multi-dimensional audio that brings the display’s action to life. Queenswood utilises a 5.2.4 audio system with K-Array line array speakers in a custom 24ct gold finish. The set-up is driven by advanced Trinnov altitude audio processing and amplifiers specifically engineered to create a surround sound experience for viewing media.

To achieve the best performance, it’s essential to calibrate both audio and video components to the specific acoustics and layout of your room.

2. Control lighting

Lighting makes or breaks the home cinema experience. In HiiLIFE’s showhome, you can view how dimmable, layered lighting can be installed to create the perfect ambience. Queenswood uses a mixture of Rako wireless lighting systems for versatility and Luton lighting panels, both of which are fully integrated with the house’s Control4 smart home displays and applications. By integrating smart lighting systems such as these into the cinema setup, homeowners can adjust the atmosphere and mood at ease with preset functions.

Consider installing blackout shades or motorised blinds that eliminate glare and control natural light when watching films.

3. Prioritise acoustics for optimal sound quality

Great sound relies not only on having high-quality speakers, but also on the room’s acoustics. Sound-absorbing panels, carpeting, and heavy curtains minimise echoes and sound distortion. You should also arrange furniture in the home cinema to ensure guests are seated centrally in the optimal zones for sound quality, avoid seating people too close to rear speakers, walls, or overly reflective surfaces. Hard, smooth surfaces reflect sound waves strongly, which causes echoes, reverberation, and interference between reflected sound and direct sound, resulting in poor sound quality.

4. Adaptable settings

The Wall offers access to Samsung’s Smart TV services and all forms of media. From live TV to movies, games, and more, it provides a fully immersive experience for every member of the family to consume their favourite media.

When not using the screen, turn on ambient mode to enhance the interior of your home. The Wall seamlessly transforms to showcase art pieces, personal images, refined decorative motifs, and even framed wall templates. It’s the perfect installation for those looking for the ultimate flexibility between aesthetic home décor and a premium entertainment hub.

5. Use smart home technology for seamless control

The Wall synchronises harmoniously with all elements of home automation systems to streamline the control of an entire home. Queenswood uses Control4 smart home systems, creating a fully integrated system that allows you to enjoy the entertainment without interruption or having to juggle multiple remotes. By installing one system, a single remote or voice commands can adjust the home cinema’s lighting, start movies, and control sound levels.

To view the ultimate home cinema set-up, visits to HiiLIFE’s showhome, Queenswood, in Victoria Water, Surrey can be arranged by telephoning 020 37400220. Guests can enjoy a full tour of the home’s luxury installations which demonstrate the latest in cutting-edge technology.