Library style media room with a charcoal Greenwich sofa, bookshelves and a billiards table

Guides

Everything we wish clients knew on day one

Straight answers to the questions people ask before they build a private cinema or media room, written by our team.

Media room with a charcoal Montclair sofa facing a projection screen framed by lit shelving

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Home theater or media room: which should you build?

The real differences between a dedicated home theater and a media room: light, sound, seating, cost and how each fits the way your family lives.

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Large home theater with black leather recliners, a chaise front row and a lit bar along the back wall

How much does a luxury home theater cost?

Planning ranges for media rooms, private cinemas and reference rooms.

Wide home theater with taupe Sophia sofas on three tiers and linear wall lighting

How big should a home theater be?

8 minute read

Navy Arezzo recliners in three rows under a starfield ceiling with deep blue fabric walls

How to choose luxury home theater seating

8 minute read

Acoustic panels and diffusers mounted on a theater wall before fabric is applied

Acoustic treatment vs soundproofing: what your theater needs

7 minute read

Private home cinema with a cream modular sofa facing a widescreen image, warm wall sconces and fabric-wrapped acoustic walls

Projector and screen or a big TV: which belongs in your theater?

7 minute read

Dark home theater with a starfield ceiling, vertical light lines and light gray seating on lit risers

Dolby Atmos speaker layouts for a private cinema

7 minute read

Designers reviewing theater drawings at a table inside a home theater

How long does a custom home theater take?

6 minute read

Dark home theater with cognac high back recliners, pillows and tiered rows

Building a basement home theater in New England

7 minute read

Home theater with a fiber optic starfield ceiling, tiered recliners and a cream sectional in the front row

Star ceilings: how a fiber optic sky is designed

6 minute read

Grand home theater with arched gold wall panels, a starfield ceiling and royal blue chaise seating

Lighting a home theater the right way

6 minute read

Theater rendering that fades into the line drawing it was built from

Planning a home theater into a new home

8 minute read

Designer flipping through a stack of upholstery samples

How to choose a home theater designer and installer

6 minute read

A conversation about your theater

Tell us about the room, the way your family watches, and the feeling you want when the lights go down. We will bring CinemaTech's design team, our engineers and a plan.

Begin Your Theater How design works

Or call us at (781) 333-8003