Without a doubt, a home theater system is one of the most exciting things you can add to your home. Home theaters can range in complexity from a nice TV with some comfortable chairs to a full-on viewing experience, with a flat screen high definition television, surround sound system, and more. Whatever setup you’re going for, there are a number of different components to think about to make your home theater system as enjoyable as possible. Today we’re going to talk about some of the most crucial components of your system: sound systems, wiring, and projectors.

We could spend five blog posts talking about all the different ways you can use custom lighting in your home theater, but for now we’ll stick to the basics. The most important things to consider when installing home theater lighting are:

Lighting arrangement – you can combine the layout of your light fixtures, blinds, and curtains to create the perfect lighting setup. One thing many people do in their home theaters is arrange recessed lights in rows, but ultimately you can do whatever you want-just make sure you have everything planned out so your electrician can wire things properly.

Lighting intensity – nothing makes you feel like you’re at the movies more than lights that dramatically dim just before the movie starts. And with a remote-controlled lighting system complete with dimmer switches, you can achieve the same effect in your own home.

Of course, the goal for your home theater system should always be comfort. Make sure you have soft, even lighting throughout with no glares or sharp contrasts—any excessive lighting will ruin the mood you want. You also want to make sure your TV isn’t so bright that is looks out of place or hurts people’s eyes—try to find a balance between TV viewing, contrast reduction and optimal visual comfort.

Types of light fixtures – to fully customize your home theater, be sure to take a look at all the options you have available for lighting. These include:

After lighting, wiring and projectors should be your next concern when building your home theater. Keep long wires organized and out of site with cable tidies and make sure to label everything clearly so you know what goes where.

In-wall wiring is something to be handled with caution. It’s best to call an electrician to fit your in-wall wiring. To be safe in the home, in-wall wiring should be well-insulated and kept out of reach of children and drafts.

If you decide to go with a projector instead of a TV, make sure you choose a good brand that will fit your wall or screen size. This is key: a projected image that is too small won’t fill the screen, but if it’s too large it may extend beyond the wall.

Your sound system will make or break your home theater experience. A good sound system won’t be too loud or too quiet. Instead, it should fill the room with good quality sound to make your guests feel like they’re really in a theater (or in the movie!).

You can put literally anything you want in your home theater system. So when you’re ready to set it up, call Kolb Electric! We offer home theater wiring and can help set up your lights and wiring to create the ultimate viewing experience.

The London Olympics are certainly on the tip of nearly everyone’s tongue (and Courtesy of FrenchArt-Deco.com

This piece, entitled “Swimming Pool” by French artist Albert Decaris won gold in the Engravings and Etchings competition.

In 1949, the International Olympic Committee decided to stop all art competitions, reasoning that it was illogical to let professional artists compete, while only amateur athletes were eligible. Instead, cultural festivals replaced the art competitions, and still do to this day. There’s still a chance for the best of the best artists and entertainers to showcase their stuff on an international stage, and for lighting designers, this is certainly a world class exhibition. 

LED is the light source that’s in it to win it this summer, wowing Olympic fans with spectacular light shows and festive monuments alike.

At the opening ceremony, LEDs were at the center of almost everything. The dove bikes used LEDs to light up their wings as they performed a circuit of the stadium.

LEDs lit the screen showing the Queen’s acting debut, with none other than James Bond.

Even on the sidewalk outside the main Olympic Stadium, there are 20 circular slabs that capture the kinetic energy of pedestrians’ footsteps to light up nearby LED lamps for 30 seconds at a time!

Saving on electricity is always the smart way to go, and you’ll find that you can keep monthly bills way down if you just do a few smart things to cut back on your electric power consumption:

Use Fans instead of AC – Winters in Texas may be warm, but the summers are comparable to sitting in the desert. You’ll find that using your AC is the only thing keeping you alive, so the thought of turning them down may be making you sweat. Turn down the AC a few degrees, and turn on some fans around the house. The breeze will cool off the home, and it will blow the cool air around nicely.

Switch Out Light Bulbs – One great way to save on electricity around your home is to use energy saving bulbs. An 18W power saver will produce as much light as a 60W regular bulb, but only use 18W. It will be a steep initial investment to replace all of the light bulbs – the power saver ones are costly – but it will cut your electric bill dramatically.

Use Power Strips – Your TV, DVD player, radio, Xbox, and other devices all use power when they’re turned off, as they’re in standby mode. You should consider plugging all of these devices into a power strip, and just turn off the power strip at night. It will cut down the amount of energy that’s used, and you’ll never know the difference.

Reduce Appliances — Do you really need a toaster, microwave, dishwasher, blender, food processor, juicer, two coffee machines, an espresso maker, and a coffee grinder? You probably need some of these appliances, but you can probably eliminate a few of the ones mentioned above. Use more gas-powered appliances, as gas is cheaper than electricity.

Replace Old Appliances – Did you know that older appliances tend to use a lot more electricity than newer ones? Newer appliances are made according to Energy Star regulations and standards, so they’ll be cheaper in terms of energy consumption. Replacing them will cost you a bit, but you’ll recoup your investment within a year or two.

Turn Down the Heater – If you are using an electric boiler to heat your water, chances are you’ve got it set too high. You probably want to enjoy a nice shower in scalding water, but most people have to turn on the cold water when they shower. If you want to save on electricity, turn down the heater until it’s just nicely hot instead of scalding. You won’t have to turn on the cold water to shower, and you’ll still be able to enjoy a nice hot shower!

Saving electricity isn’t just smart – it’s cost-effective and wallet-friendly as well!