These Are the 3 Home Theater Upgrades You Need in 2023
If you’re a serious movie lover, there’s a good chance that you have a home theater because there’s nothing better than being able to customize your viewing experience to your exact specifications. There’s also nothing better than knowing that you always have the best seat in the house. Having a home theater means that you can enjoy a film whenever you like, without needing to fight your way through traffic first. Most importantly, having a home theater means that instead of spending your money on parking and movie tickets – which now average more than $10.00 each – you can buy some great home theater upgrades to make your future viewing experiences even better.
Are you a serious home theater aficionado with a bit of extra money kicking around? If so, you’ve probably spent at least a little time thinking about ways to take your home theater to the next level – and in this article, we’re going to give you some ideas. These are the home theater upgrades that you need in 2023.
Upgrade Your Refreshments with a Snack Center
Have you ever wished your home theater could provide an experience more like that of a traditional theater – something like what your guests might remember from when they were younger? If that’s your goal, the best way to begin is by stocking the same snacks that your guests would expect to find in a traditional theater. A theater-style popcorn maker, for instance, doesn’t cost as much as you might think and will fill your home theater with a delightful smell that’ll never fail to get your guests in the mood to watch a movie.
Of course, you’ll also want to serve beverages in your home theater. Having your own soda fountain might sound like fun, but soda fountains are expensive and difficult to maintain; the lines have to be cleaned constantly, or they’ll clog or become moldy. Instead, consider buying a mini fridge for your home theater and stocking it with a selection of sodas and beers. Don’t forget that some of your guests will probably be candy lovers; a basket of boxed candies next to the mini fridge will complete the experience.
In any sufficiently large movie viewing group, it’s almost certain that there will be a few smokers. Why ask those guests to spend half of the evening outside when they could stay in the viewing area and enjoy a smoke-free alternative instead? Complete your refreshment stand with a few Lost Mary vapes that you can distribute to the smokers in your viewing group. Who knows – maybe it’ll be the catalyst that helps a few of your friends quit.
Upgrade Your Viewing Experience with a New Screen and Projector
Are you still watching movies on a big-screen television? If you are – and your TV is more than a few years old – there’s a good chance that you’ve considered buying a new TV since the prices for large displays have dropped so much recently. If you’re in the market for a new TV, though, there are two reasons why you should strongly consider buying a projector and a screen instead.
The first reason why you might not want to buy a new TV for your home theater is because of why the prices for new TVs have dropped so much over the past few years – it’s because virtually every TV on the market today is an Internet-connected “smart device” that tracks your viewing habits. TV makers have begun to sell their displays at or near cost, because they can make significantly more money on the back end selling your usage history to data brokers.
If privacy isn’t a major concern for you, though, there is another reason why you should consider buying a projector and screen for your home theater – it’s because a projector produces a more natural-looking image. When you view objects in your everyday life, those items aren’t lit from behind like the images on a TV screen – you’re viewing the light reflected off of those items from other sources. A projector works the same way. Compared to a TV, a projector is much easier on the eyes. Also, as affordable as big-screen TVs have become, a projector still gives you the most viewing area for the money.
Upgrade Your Listening Experience with a Soundbar or Surround Speaker System
Don’t forget that a movie isn’t just something that you watch – what you hear is also a major component of the experience. When you’re watching a film that’s heavy on dialogue, clear separation between the speech and the soundtrack is a great enhancement – and of course, everyone loves to hear a bit of chest-thumping bass when watching a great action movie. If you’re listening to movies through your TV’s internal speakers, upgrading the audio component of your home theater may actually be an even bigger upgrade than buying a new TV or projector. People expect modern TVs to be extremely thin. That doesn’t leave a great deal of room for speakers, and sound can’t develop unless it has space.
If you want to upgrade your home theater’s audio, the best way to do so is by buying a surround audio system. The most common home theater surround standard is the 5.1 standard, which uses a subwoofer and a center speaker along with satellite speakers at the four corners of the viewing area. There are other standards that include even more speakers, though; to determine what’s right for you, you’ll want to see what your DVD or Blu-ray player supports. You should also check the audio tracks of your favorite films to see what standards they use.
Don’t have enough room in your home theater for five speakers and a subwoofer? You can still give your home theater a major audio upgrade by installing a soundbar. A soundbar is a horizontal array of speakers that you place under your TV. Compared to your display’s internal speakers, a soundbar provides substantial enhancements to the depth of the bass and the clarity of the treble. In addition, a soundbar’s speakers are often slightly offset from one another to simulate surround audio.
