HDTV home theatre trends

Changing standards…

What a difference a decade can make! Ten years ago today’s college graduates were still in middle school. Ten years ago, Blockbuster Video was the king of the movie rental industry for home viewing via DVD or VHS on TV sets that rarely approached the full broadcast standards established back in 1941 for black-and-white or in 1954 for color. Ten years ago one of the nation’s largest theatre chains was starting plans to convert from 35mm film (the professional standard since 1894) to 2k digital projection.

TV is now digital high-definition widescreen, and almost all movie theatres show high-definition digital copies of films from computer hard drives and digital projectors. Theatrical picture/sound quality is nearly identical to what anyone can now get at home with a little effort and only a modest investment (thanks to ongoing developments of HD standards and Blu-ray technology).

A decade ago the high-definition Blu-ray videodisc format was demonstrated for consumers and introduced to the marketplace the following year in June 2006. Due to convenience, more people now stream movies over the internet or “the cloud” than rent or buy physical copies on Blu-ray or DVD, although physical disc ownership retains a strong and loyal market base, even for the lower-quality DVD format. Avid Blu-ray enthusiasts are more particular about image and sound quality, and at least 6,000 of over 66,000 registered members on the website Blu-ray.com each own collections of 500 or more Blu-ray discs.

Digital cinemas in large cities often have 4k projectors (with images about 4,000 pixels wide), approximately equal to the best 35mm film resolution and four times sharper than the 2k projectors that revolutionized the industry over the past decade with their convenience and image equivalent to average 35mm film prints. Standard Blu-rays and 1080x1920-pixel HDTV monitors or projectors can provide 2k theatrical quality in the home, six times sharper than “standard-definition” DVDs and traditional broadcast television.

This fall, manufacturers are introducing 4k Blu-rays that can finally make use of the capabilities of the new 4k HDTV sets introduced to the market several months ago. The higher resolution naturally brings a higher price, about double or triple that of 2k HD equipment, which will likely come down as sales increase. The superior 4k option is now available for everyone, although choice of what to watch is currently far more limited.

Like most commercial theatres, 2k digital images at home are likely to impress the vast majority of viewers accustomed to DVD quality, besides providing the greatest choice of what to watch. Nevertheless, anyone who is just now upgrading old standard-definition TV sets and DVD players may well want to make the extra investment in a 4k Blu-ray player and 4k projector/video monitor (which are backwards-compatible with both standard Blu-rays and DVDs) to have that higher-definition option available when desired.

The quality difference will be most obvious for movies shot on large film formats like 65mm, IMAX, VistaVision, Technirama and Cinerama, and for the newest movies shot with 4k or higher digital video cameras. Other movies may show little or no visible difference in actual resolution on a 4k TV or projector, but the pixels making up the image will be smaller and harder to notice. This factor makes 4k equipment an attractive option for projection onto a large home theatre screen that covers most of a wall, but prices in 2015 are still quite high compared to 1080p projectors. Modest-sized (55-65 inches) 4k TV sets are already down to the $2000-$3000 range, but to see the benefit of 4k resolution on a picture that small it’s necessary to sit very close (about 3-6 feet away).

The Home Theatre…

Movies typically are made to be seen theatrically on a big screen with other people. They lose dramatic impact and ability to convey important details when viewed alone on portable devices or an average TV set. It used to be only the super rich who had home theatres, usually people in the movie industry. A decade ago only expensive commercial equipment could provide the quality people expect from movie theatres. But rising consumer equipment quality and plummeting prices over the past several years have made it affordable for just about anyone to recreate the theatrical experience at home.

Once one becomes accustomed to seeing and hearing theatre-quality movies at home, it becomes more and more difficult to tolerate a movie on a phone, ipad, computer or TV set. Getting wrapped up in a movie on a big screen with surround sound is like having an instant two-hour vacation from the real world. A respectable home theatre can actually be set up for several thousand dollars – the price of a nice vacation or maybe a used car (or a good 4k projector in today’s market). There’s absolutely no need to spend the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, perhaps even a million or more, that the wealthy might invest in a home theatre.

The first thing to get is a Blu-ray player ($60 to $200) and a 1080p video projector with a good zoom lens, which should cost between $900-$2500, sometimes even with 3-D capability. Currently consumer-grade 4k (2160p) projectors range from about $4000-$25,000 and up (prices that 1080p projectors cost eight to 10 years ago). Do not waste money on a projector with less than 1080p native resolution, as they are unable to reproduce the full quality of the images a Blu-ray can contain. A decent 5.1 or 7.1 sound system (amplifier, wiring, speakers) can easily run $1000-$2000. Adapting a room into a theatre (including a screen, seating and décor) might cost another $1000-$2000 and up, as much as you’re willing to spend.

If all you have is a small room or multi-purpose area where windows cannot be completely darkened, you may be stuck using a large flat-panel television, but such a setup can really only be called a TV room, rather than a “theatre.” A true home theatre requires a separate projector and screen, and at least two or more rows of seating. The distance of the front row to the screen should be between 1.5 to three times the screen’s height, with the back row about double that distance. To approximate a theatrical experience you need a decent-sized room that can be made totally dark, a space maybe 10 to 15 feet square, preferably larger. A basement or garage is ideal for converting into a home theatre.

With a few hundred dollars’ worth of lumber and carpet, plus a few days of labor, you can build platforms for “stadium seating.” Seating style depends on taste and budget. Some people prefer sofas and easy chairs (especially those with built-in cup holders designed for home theatres), while others insist on traditional theatre seats, purchased new or salvaged from an old theatre. Folding movie-style “director’s chairs” are another option so the room can be used for other things. Still others do a combination of all of these, perhaps including a bar or areas having small tables for drinks and snacks.

There is no need to invest hundreds of dollars for a premium screen unless for some reason you need one that automatically rolls up and down. Just buy the materials and do it yourself. A smooth wall painted matte white makes a great low-cost screen for any sized picture. A good substitute is a 4-by-8 to 4-by-12 sheet of matte white wall paneling, nailed or glued to a wooden frame to hold it flat. Mount it directly to the wall or suspend it from the ceiling with hooks and chains.

For a professional look, place black flannel or velveteen fabric around all sides of the screen to mask off its mounting framework and fit the size of your picture. Be sure that at least your side masking is moveable, so you can adjust it to fit whatever size image you are projecting, just like in a good theatre. Decorative side drapes complete the theatrical look, and ideally would be motorized to open and close as movies begin and end. Finishing touches can include displaying movie posters and memorabilia for favorite films, and, of course, a popcorn machine.

More and more people are discovering the joys and convenience of having their own home theatres. To see some possibilities on a wide range of budgets, just do a Google search on home theatre galleries. Now that most multiplexes are digital, Blu-ray releases make it less critical to see a movie during its initial run, and finally it is possible to watch classics, foreign and independent films with the theatre-quality they were intended to have instead of being stuck with lower-quality DVD or streaming options.