by Theatron | Dec 23, 2015 | Home Theater
The party this New Year’s is at your house — in your home theater. A movie party is super fun to plan and host, and the best part is that you don’t even have to brave the cold or travel anywhere to have a great time!
Which Flicks?
Your first order of business is to decide what movies you’re going to show. Sure, you could choose New Year’s Eve, but that might be a bit too obvious. You might want to choose 200 Cigarettes instead, but if there’s a chance children might be wandering in and out of your party, mmmaybe not. If you’re looking for something G-rated, you could always turn on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.
Select a Genre
It’s fun to choose a theme independent of the holiday — horror, science fiction, action. Once you decide, you can ask guests to dress up as their favorite characters from the movies on your list. You might get Freddy Kruger, Darth Vader or the Terminator!
Seating Accommodations
Your guest list may depend on your seating arrangement. If you have theater-style seating, you’ll be limited by the number of chairs you have. If you have more space, you can use the floor for seating, or set up folding chairs once you’re ready to start the screening. Unless your chairs are affixed to the floor, you can push them to the perimeter before or after the movies to make more room for mingling.
Snack List
Don’t forget to plan your menu ahead of time. Of course you have to have popcorn. Consider renting a commercial popcorn maker, and get some red-and-white-striped bags for authenticity. Have boxes of Mike and Ike’s and huge candy bars on hand too (but don’t charge your guests $4 apiece for them — that’s too authentic).
Hard and Soft Drinks
Of course you’ll want champagne, but also get some 44-ounce plastic cups for servings of soda so large they’d outlaw them in New York! If you look online, you might be able to find cups to match your movie choices, providing they’re recent and/or really popular (read: Hunger Games, Star Wars, etc.).
Memorable Invites
Go all out with the invitations. If it’s possible to snail mail them, make up cards that look like movie tickets and tell your guests they must bring them for admission. Don’t use cardstock that’s too heavy, though, or you won’t be able to tear them in half easily.
Home theaters are great for parties, small get-togethers, children’s sleepovers and date nights with your sweetheart. To learn more, contact the experts at Theatron Home Theater and Smart Home Automation . Stop in for a free consultation — we can help you with all aspects of your home theater — setup, seating, installation, upgrading and more.
by Theatron | Sep 23, 2015 | Home Automation, Home Theater
Do you have a jumble of remotes on your coffee table? Would your speakers look great at the
Brady Bunch estate? Are you watching video that looks like something from the VCR era? If
you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then you are due for an A/V upgrade. And there
is no better time to do it than summer—before back to school and the upcoming holidays
require your undivided attention. Plus, major advancements in video quality, wireless
technology, surround sound and sources mean that even swapping out one or two components
can make a world of difference in performance. Here are a few ways we recommend stepping
up your A/V game.
Up your resolution
4K Ultra HD is the latest in video, at four times the resolution of HDTV. With larger TV sizes,
the image look so good, you feel like you can reach out and touch it. Anything you watch—
whether it is Blu-ray discs or HDTV content—will look better on a 4K Ultra HD set thanks to
their internal video processors.
Bigger really is better
Perhaps it’s not the resolution you’re concerned about in your media room, but the size of
your set. The old adage “Bigger Is better” has never been more true, and—thanks to enhanced
HD and Ultra HD resolution—you can sit closer to the screen than ever before and still get a
great image. If you are ready to go really big, consider a two-piece projection system (a
projector and screen). The industrial design on screens these days is phenomenal, with some
manufacturers producing edgeless rigid screens that look great when not in use, and look
even better fired up, with a gorgeous ‘floating image’ effect that will impress friends and
family. Dark, ambient-light-rejecting screens even look great in media room with less than
ideal lighting situations. You really don’t have to sit in a pitch-dark room anymore to have an
immersive home theater experience.
Get ready for bone-shaking surround
Have two speakers and want a more enveloping, cinematic experience? Then consider upping
your audio game with true surround sound. Come in or call us to experience the latest
formats that offer an über-realistic 3D sound field. The most important speaker in any sound
system is the center channel. The center channel reproduces all of the dialogue or vocals and
up to 60% of the audio signal. We also have an array of subwoofers that will literally rock
your world. You won’t believe your ears.
New audio options for all
If you have a smaller room where a full surround system isn’t feasible, there are many
fantastic sound bars that simulate surround sound and offer audio much better than what you
can get from your TV’s speakers. Flat panel TVs, due to their elegant slim design, are not able
to house speaker elements that can deliver the audio quality George Lucas or Neil Young
intended you to hear. Sound bars don’t necessarily require a receiver because many can
perform the HDMI switching needed for all your high-definition sources. Wireless speakers are
also extremely popular, and some sound great, allowing you to inexpensively outfit your home
with wireless multi-room audio without having to run cables. Come in for a demo to see if
wireless is right for you home.
Whether you need audio or video upgrades or want to see how Theatron Home Theater and Smart Homes can subtly enhance your
system with content options like on-demand streaming sources. We’ll show you how to make your system the envy of the neighborhood!
Call today 703-883-0970
by Theatron | Aug 2, 2015 | Home Security
CCTVs Create Effective Surveillance in Your Home or Business
A closed circuit television (CCTV) system operates with signals that are not publicly distributed but monitored only by the owner for surveillance and security. Whether you’re at home or the office, this security solution has many merits. In this blog, Theatron Home Theater and Smart Homes shows you the different ways CCTVs can be used and the various features included in the product.
Access to Footage on Your Mobile Device
You could be anywhere in the world and know if someone is in your home, what they are doing, and then take action to respond to the situation. While traditional security systems do offer a degree of protection, CCTV solutions add another layer of security because home and business owners can monitor their property in real-time with high-quality images.
Integration with Your Entire Home Automation System
A surveillance system doesn’t have to live on its own. If you have lighting control, media rooms, or whole house music in your Northern Virginia home, CCTVs can be added to your control panel so you have access to everything in one place.
CCTVs can also be an added convenience for your family or business. See on the monitor that the babysitter just arrived and needs to come in while you’re at an important business meeting? Press a button and the door unlocks; then you can keep an eye on the kids while she’s there as well.
Image Capture with Smart Technology
Full motion sensors can be installed and tied to CCTVs to track movement in a certain area. This saves memory space so that your cameras only capture activity and not an empty room. In the event of an intrusion, CCTV footage provides a solid support for the police or insurance claims.
Quality Video and Imaging
Older CCTV systems used small, low-resolution black and white monitors with no interactive capabilities. Modern CCTV displays can be color, high-resolution displays and have the ability to zoom in on an image.
CCTVs often play a crucial role in home and business management and protection. The team at Theatron aims to make protecting your investment simple, and in the unfortunate case an incident does occur, CCTVs and integrated surveillance systems help provide a solid and reliable basis for any claims. If you live or work in the Northern Virginia Washington DC Metro area Theatron Home Theater and Smart Homes can help you get CCTVs and a surveillance system up and running in no time. Call us at (703) 883-0970 or fill out the contact form on our website today to get started!
