Wednesday, December 9, 2020

20 Home Theater Ideas That Kids Will Love

You may wish to purchase a media rack made of sturdy, multi-level, ventilated metal. If the closet does not have natural ventilation, you will need to add a fan to the closet to prevent the devices from overheating. For basements, you may wish to use interlocking subfloor panels that elevate the floor covering over the concrete base. Or to cut costs, you can build your own subflooring from two-by-four sleepers, vapor retarder, and plywood. Insulate all walls, both for energy savings and for sound absorption.

dark home theater ideas

In terms of expense and complexity, your options are nearly limitless, but one guiding element you may use to get started is the size of your home theater space. Specially-designed home theater seating ideas are usually expensive. The conservative alternatives are reclining chairs or a couch you already have. Home theater ideas that are minimalist focus your attention of the movie screen with little decor or distraction. The set-up is modern minimalist, giving you all the essentials of a home theater without putting unnecessary items in your way. This design is perfect for a small modern home theater, with a casual living room feel.

Home Theater and Media Room Photo Ideas

The spherical couch and the massive screen in front of it will be a hit with the whole family. For starters, you can use them as footstools—propping up your feet to turn any seat into a lounge chair. And when you need to accommodate a bigger-than-average audience, you can expand your seating selection by using the plush stools as chairs.

The sound system, which will be one of the most expensive pieces of equipment, costs on average of $969. However, a nice system can cost up to $8,000, so you could spend a lot more unless sticking to a budget. This home theater boasts black elegant theater seats in front of a stylish theater monitor set. Large home theater featuring cozy sofa set on top of the hardwood flooring. A luxurious home theater featuring elegant walls with lights, along with a stunning ceiling.

Red and Gray Color Scheme

In the image above the modern home theater design is tastefully designed, with simple modern lines, comfortable furniture and classy finishes. The home theater paint color scheme is dark grays combined with mahogany wood finish which adds a welcome touch of warmth to the space. Opt for wooden wall paneling in dark brown colors, and add decor pieces that elevate, not clutter, your space. Place seating fit for a king, with a recliner, cushioning, and pillows to lay in the lap of luxury.

A windowless room may sound perfect, yet you will most likely still need a bit of light while you are viewing your movie. Most present-day homes have walls made of drywall, while older homes have plaster walls. To fix the issue, you can include inexpensive, lightweight acoustic boards available from most home improvement stores. You can then cover them with thin indoor carpeting similar to those you find from the walls of movie theaters. This media room/home theater goes an extra mile to give it a more luxurious look.

Use only the best lights

This space is the perfect example to show that you don't have to have dark walls to make it work. Any kid would be blown away by this home theater, as it looks exactly like an AMC or Cinemark, so we can guarantee it will impress. For some, it might be a home theater that is coupled with the kitchen to complete a larger social zone. In other homes the home theater can be an extension of the home bar or the gameroom and might be far more casual in its appeal. While typically I’d say that this is a personal homeowner choice, you want to be more careful with wall colors in a home theater. Because you don’t want light reflecting off of the big screen – that is so annoying!

dark home theater ideas

The floors are fully carpeted in red with embossed patterns in the same color. A movie theater may not be a necessity in any home, but it’s certainly a delight. If your family gatherings revolve around movie night—or if you love the experience of snuggling up with a great film—a home theater may be worth the investment.

Types Of Drawers (Different Design Styles & Uses)

If you don’t have a huge dedicated space for a home theater, that doesn’t mean you can’t have one. You can easily create a small home theater from an unused bedroom, home office or extra space in the bedroom. Even though they provide a real cinematic experience, home theater projectors can be expensive. The cost depends on the features of the projector and the type you need. In order to watch a movie, you will need a good source for them.

If you have a spare room, you can turn it into a beautiful home theater with a movie screen, projector, and comfortable seats. In this elegant home theater, two gray sofas are placed one after another and facing through the large movie screen. The eye-catching ceiling design which is accentuated by black walls takes to this room to the next level. The entertainment cabinet is placed on the wall niche along with the LCD TV. This home theater uses a nice shade of marsala paint for both its walls and ceiling, and is framed by white baseboard and cornice. The floor is covered with red carpet with gold diamond patterns adding to the comfort and elegance of the space.

If you have starker square-footage, you can always create a media room with smart technology. This space by OnHive implements a custom automation system into the living room, so movies can be played with just one touch. A simple couch setup and big screen, along with recessed lighting up top, are all you need to enjoy the scene. On the flip side, home theaters are a great opportunity to get creative with color and pattern.

To create more depth and visual interest, textured and patterned walls are the way to go. This theater's walls are embedded with linear strokes which house the speakers. They are set in a matte hue which shine under the recessed lights. A long couch matches the walls, while oversized ottomans match the console up front. Why opt for just one seating option when you can implement as many as you'd like? This home theater features classic red cinema chairs at the back and a long olive-hued L-shaped sectional at the front for contrast.

If you have a large screen TV, that means you can create your very own home theater in your living room with little adjustments. In this example, a gray couch is placed through the wall-mounted TV with a black coffee table between them. Gray walls and carpeted floor create a sleek look while a small window opening brightens up space. But if you have a window in your home theater, you may need to consider having a window treatment. Otherwise natural light can reflect on the screen and it may disturb you.

dark home theater ideas

The dark home theater has several recliners in a circular formation so everyone can see that large screen that takes over the wall. Putting armchairs in a semicircle may seem a bit strange, but its an incredibly efficient way to lay out your home theater. By choosing a semicircle over a straight line, you can sneak in extra chairs without disrupting anyones view. Home cinema images from our projects, all designed and installated by SONA. To get the riser effect, all you need to do is build a riser made from wood.

Ceiling, Wall, & Floor Coverings

You spent a ton of cash and time setting up your small home theater ideas, yet something doesn’t appear to be correct. Look at our rundown of common mistakes most of us commit when attempting to put together home movie theater ideas. RAYVA-designed entrance hall will make you feel like you’ve stepped into a movie theater at the local shopping mall. It has built-in cabinets in which all media-related items are kept.

dark home theater ideas

23 Home Theater Ideas For Your Inspiration

Invest in a projector from Digitech Custom Audio & Video to cut costs. A basement home theater is an excellent idea because it is isolated and dark. This will simplify the control of sound performance and lighting. Basement home theater ideas are also fun to execute since you have all the freedom to go against whatever theme you have with the rest of your home. We have provided samples of basement home theater ideas below for your reference. Having movie nights at the comfort of your home is a rewarding experience after a long day at work.

dark home theater ideas

CINEAK home theater and private cinema seating - media room furniture - lounge - hospitality - acoustical panelsCINEAK home theat... Some images shared / embedded on backsplash.com are taken from the web and believed to be in the public domain such as, Houzz.com, Pinterest.com, Instagram. Keep the image alive by using classic red velvet all throughout your home theater. It will make your theater look fun and classy, yet it evokes strong images of classic Hollywood. Instead of using a couch or bed in your home theater, supply it with several white recliners.

Choose The Screen Size

You can use curtains to flexibly adjust your lighting set-up, and you can use sleek décor to bring your space together—without disrupting your viewing experience. When it comes to theater seating, you don’t have to stick to just one option. So line the front of your theater with lounge-worthy sofas, and tuck bar seating into the back. This segmented approach will give you the flexibility to watch movies however you want to. And it’ll give you the space to host plenty of guests on your most popular movie nights. Make your movie nights feel more ceremonial by decking out the hallway leading into your theater.

Create an experience so immersive that it truly feels like you’ve entered outer space without moving an inch. This movie room has cool neon green lighting that highlights the gorgeous wood walls. The homeowners brought in some colors with a rug in orange, yellow, blue, and gray, and there are two large pouf seats in gray and orange that the kids would love. If you are someone who likes a cohesive and contemporary look, opt for a red and gray color scheme in your movie theater. These colors will look very regal and modern, but they are also dark enough that they will create a theater-like atmosphere when the lights are turned off.

Setting Up Your Home Theater/media Room

Build an optional wet bar along the side of the room, adding base cabinets, a bar sink, a bar refrigerator, and countertops. Do not install any standalone bars at this time, as they will be in the way of flooring installation. For the best sound quality, all walls should be insulated, even interior walls that face other rooms. Replace your ceiling bulbs with smart LEDs for full brightness and color control alongside lower energy consumption. With LEDs, you can set the pre-film mood however you please and gradually dim the lights as the movie starts. You’re fully immersed in someone else’s story for well over an hour, and even though you know it’s fiction, it feels real.

The sci-fi movie room mentioned earlier gets kicked up a notch with laser galaxy projectors such as the Sky Lite 2.0. Any modern home theater room might look better under the soft but immersive touch of a laser aurora projector like the Ark Ambient Light. These lights can transform your space – and your mind – in just the right way to get you in the zone for movie night. Of course, you should keep them behind the seating area, but still, no home theater is complete without them.

Closet Design Software (Best 21 Free & Paid Programs)

Thanks to both their happiness factor and the fact that they can build a homes resale value. In case youre thinking about installing or upgrading one, youll need to research about home theater room ideas. Something as simple as adding movie-themed throw pillows or a home theater sign can make a big difference in the overall look and feel of your home cinema. The basement is an ideal location for a home theater since light is blocked out. If you were thinking about putting your home theater in the basement, consider decorating the staircase leading to it. Adding popcorn containers, movie posters, and lights on the floor of the staircase can make you feel like you are entering an actual theater.

dark home theater ideas

You’ll need a space where you’ll have as much control as possible for these factors. This is the reason why you can frequently find home movie theater ideas in basements, living or family room, or in an extra bedroom upstairs. It has to be somewhere that is quiet, self-contained, and won’t interfere with the general business of the home when you use it. The simple light colors used in this media room give this home theater a refreshing and cozy appeal.

TYM Smart Homes & Home Theaters has designed a state-of-the-art automated theater room that will provide you with an excellent movie-watching experience. The second common mistake is that the room has windows or lighting issues. Room lighting definitely affects the TV and video projector viewing experience.

dark home theater ideas

Cuddle up together with some of those pillows to enjoy your favorite movie in a comfy space like this. Example of a transitional home theater with brown leather seats, gray and white wall panels, wall sconces, blue LED lights, and a wooden bar. The blue LED lights change the whole atmosphere and make a modern twist against the traditional style of the seats. The geometrical patterns of the wall panels complement this modern appeal. If you're a true-blue cinema fan, you can't go wrong with keeping to the classics. In this home theater, Maximilian Merimee opted for ruby red recliner chairs to set the tone, complete with nooks to place beverages and snacks.

Build Your Own Concession Stand

For the best results, place them so that the lights are more so pointed at the ceiling than at the ground. The movie theater above perfectly demonstrates how you can utilize LED lights to provide lighting without overpowering the atmosphere. If you are willing to build a home theater, then you obviously love movies. If you are someone with a lot of DVD’s or CDs, add a DVD wall to your home theater.

dark home theater ideas

This can be a great way to organize all of your DVD’s while adding an interesting and relevant decor to the home theater. Movie theaters and old movie rental sites, like blockbuster, used to utilize this image all the time in their decorations. If you have a little extra dough, you can also place a mock movie real projector over the electronic projector on the ceiling. Traditional touches create a senses of regality in this home theater. Delicately embellished doors and path lights are just the start — with molded ceilings, elaborate carpeting, and screen-framing curtains to top it off. All of it set in a warm palette of neutrals and sunset hues for a ubiquitous look.

Home theater screens can cost as little as $300, or they can run over $20,000 depending on what you need. Along with white screens on which videos can be projected, there are also electronic projection screens for home theater systems. The type of screen that you choose will depend on whether you’re projecting two-dimensional images or 3D ones. Before you begin shopping for equipment that will bring the cinematic experience into your home, you should set a budget for your theater.

dark home theater ideas

Rather than going for typical path lights or adorning the walls in artwork, this home theater makes a statement with ombre lighting integrated into the walls. Set in a purple hue, it adds fresh color and vibrance, making the space feel like a whole new world — or galaxy. White seats and a flat screen balance out the brightness with simplicity.

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

18 things you didn't know you could do with Google Home and Chromecast

Once you tap on ‘Add’ the TV should become visible under TVs and Speakers in the app. Looking to buy one of the Google Home or Nest Audio smart speakers, or a Chromecast? Perhaps you want to make the most of the one you already own? Here’s a list of the best hidden Google Home and Nest Audio features, along with some Google Chromecast tips. Google Home is a powerful piece of software — perhaps even more powerful than you might expect. But while it’s handy to help out with a variety of commands, some of the best features can’t be found without a bit of digging.

cool things on google home

Well, unlike some smart speakers, with a Google Home you aren’t locked into one of Google’s streaming music services. Users can access the Downtime function in the Google Home app to "take a break" from the smart speakers. Connect your smartphone, Chromecast TV and smart speaker to the same Wi-Fi network. Go to your Google Home app, select ‘Menu,’ ‘More Settings,’ ‘Services’ and then tap ‘TVs and speakers’ to add the new device.

Schedule Actions

Google Home can also display subtitles in another language, for example when users say "Turn on French subtitles." Only the person who set up the Google Home speaker can set up and manage the Digital Wellbeing feature, which is only available in the U.S., U.K., Australia and Canada. You can choose whether the filter should apply to all users, guests or certain users. "If restricted, third party actions will be blocked for the people you've chosen. But they'll still be able to access actions for families ," Google says.

From there you’ll be asked to confirm your pickup address and be told how far away the nearest driver is. Google Home will ask you to confirm you do indeed want to be picked up and summon the UberX driver. At this point, you’re going to have to put in the effort of opening the Uber app on your smartphone to enter your destination. Search giant Google says its AI-powered voice assistant, Google Assistant, can do more than 1 million actions. And all it takes is an “OK Google” with the company’s Google Home smart speaker. Keep track of your daily calendar, any meetings or appointments you may have coming up, and any reminders you may have set for yourself.

cool things you can do with Google Home, Nest Audio, and Chromecast

This feature would be much more useful if you could assign a routine to the device in the room you think you’ll be in when you need it to run. If you've mastered most of the basics and are ready for some next-level Google Home tips and tricks, here are 32 of the coolest, quirkiest and funnest things to do with a Google Home. Just use the routines feature on the Google Home app to perform multiple actions with one command. Haven’t you always wondered what old web pages used to look like? Just type “Google in 1998” into the search bar and you’ll be brought back in time.

cool things on google home

Similarly, on PC, open Google Chrome and type, ‘set a reminder for 2 PM in the search bar.’ Click on Remind me on Google Now. If you want to stop the alarm by manually touching it, here’s how to do it on various Google Home devices. You can even ask Google Home, ‘Okay Google, play music at 8 AM’ and it will ask you what to play. Most of us don’t think twice about using Google search, but you might not want the tech giant to keep a catalog of every search term you’ve used. Everyone loves a good story and Google Home has plenty of them.

“Tell Me Something” Good Feature

Blast whatever music, podcast or audiobook you want from your speaker. It may seem basic, but little reminders during the day can really help! From remembering to record a show to remembering to pick up a family member.

cool things on google home

Broadcast voice messages to your speaker or display— Send a message to everyone in your home by broadcasting messages on all of your speakers or displays. While the main input method for Google Home is voice control, Google has actually built in some touch controls to the device—because sometimes it’s just faster or less awkward to do things physically. Tap the top of Google Home once to wake your Google Home up or to pause or unpause a broadcast. You can also change the volume via touch by sliding your finger to the side; a circle will light up indicating the volume.

Control your Chromecast with Google Home

Exchanging Wi-Fi passwords with guests is a chore at the best of times, and setting up a friend on your smart home is even more laborious, especially if they just want to cast a new song for you to check out. One of our favorite Google Home tips makes this process simpler with its “Guest Mode”. Google Home can connect to thousands of different smart home devices, including color-changing lights and more. Upgrade your lifestyleDigital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks. Google Assistant has some cool features you can use while you’re in the car too.

cool things on google home

When you arrive at the store, pull out your smartphone and say “OK, Google, show me my grocer list,” and it will appear on your display. “OK, Google, find a recipe for ” Google will search websites such as AllRecipes.com to find a suitable recipe for whatever dish you want. You can also find a recipe on your smartphone or tablet and send it to Google Home (just tap the “send to smart speaker” shortcut that appears next to your search result). Google also has a handful of preset broadcasts that will play a fun sound effect alongside a preset message. Preset broadcasts will play on all connected Google Home devices including the one you’re broadcasting from.

You can ask your Google Home to dim the lights, change the temperature, turn on a kettle or microwave, or even start your Roomba. Take the reminders function to the next level using this option. The feature was made available by virtue of an upgrade that extended the reminder functionality to cover location. Though your Google Home remains at home, your smartphone is almost always with you as you go places. To illustrate, you could tell Assistant, “Remind me to pick up batteries when I get to the store.” Due to the location aspect, this reminder will not appear on Google Home.

cool things on google home

And now with Google Home Hub, you can set up a hub for all your smart home products and control them on the screen. The sound usually lasts until I fall asleep, but if you want to be sure it turns off at a certain point, you can also set a sleep timer. I prefer rain sounds to standard white noise, so I usually say "Hey Google, play the sound of rain." The device obliges with a steady downpour. Google Assistant is packed with funny jokes, interactive games and quirky responses.

SERVICES

Once you select your streaming app, you can now use voice control to select channels, search for specific shows and control the TV. You can also cast shows, movies, photos and audio from another source to the TV. One of the best ways to enjoy the liberating experience of voice control is by using Chromecast.

cool things on google home

35 Google Tricks You Need to Try Best Google Easter Eggs Reader's Digest

When you want to take a break from serious work with your smart device, this is the perfect way to goof off for a bit. And as Google Assistant improves further, you can expect even more clever responses. This became a meme and a way for people who use Reddit to identify themselves to other users offline. Next time you see your Google Nest, you can use this as a welcome... Play audio on speakers and TVs— Stream audio to any speaker that has Chromecast Audio plugged in or Chromecast built-in.

There are a bunch of other sounds Google Home has in its lineup. These include the sounds of the ocean and thunderstorms, just to name a few. Expanding your smart home beyond a single Google Home hub opens up a world of possibilities. The first add-on you should consider is a Chromecast, freeing your TV to stream pretty much anything from the internet. If you’re looking for something a little less involved than a story, you can also ask Google Home to read a poem or tell a joke.

Go Back In Time

He has a dangerous obsession with coffee and is afraid of free time. Another good account to link with Home is your WhatsApp account. Once you’ve done this you can simply say “OK Google, send a WhatsApp message to Mary” and then dictate the message. As with video accounts like Netflix, you can also give Home access to your photo accounts, like your Google Photos account. Once you link the accounts together you can simply say something like “OK Google, show me pictures from my Paris trip in 2014” and Home will bring up the photos on your Chromecast-enabled TV. And one of Google Home’s coolest new features is its ability to read you recipes and recipe instructions as you cook.

cool things on google home

Chromecast lets you stream internet content to your TV and use voice commands to get things done. Use it right, and you might never need the remote control again. Once you set up the multilingual feature, you can give voice commands in any of the two languages you have selected. Google Assistant will in turn respond in the language you use. Do you find yourself frantically looking for your phone when it’s time to leave?

How to talk to Google Assistant

You can even tell your TV to stream a specific video on Netflix or YouTube. Once that Chromecast capability is there, your Google Home smart speaker becomes the ultimate voice-controlled TV remote. There are no batteries to replace, no tiny labels to squint at, and you never have to worry about losing it in the sofa cushions. You can request songs by artist, album, even by lyrics you may recall off the top of your head. And if, for some reason, you don’t have accounts with any of those, Google Nest Mini will still happily provide you with free playlists from YouTube Music, which replaced the now-defunct Google Play Music.. Users can activate smart pet food dispensers using their voice once the feeders are connected to Google Home via the app.

The device will be able to recognize which language you're speaking and respond in that language. Google Assistant on phones and tablets has even more languages under its belt, including Spanish and Portuguese. If you have more than one Google Home device in your home, you can broadcast to every single one simultaneously, sort of like an intercom. Broadcast something to every Google Home device in your house at once.

Run Games

For example, users can say "Play yoga videos on TV" or "Play Casey Neistat videos on living room TV" or "Play John Oliver videos on TV." Downtime and Filter form Google's Digital Wellness feature, a set of tools that you can use to "place limits on when and how your Google Home speakers are used." Using the Filters function on the Google Home app, users can block access to music with explicit lyrics. "No Filter is 100 percent accurate. But if you select to block explicit music, it should help avoid most mature language and themes," Google said. The broadcast feature even works when you're not in the house.

"Interactions with pet feeders may include dispensing pet food or water in various quantities and presets," Google says. This can be set up by opening the nickname tab within the Assistant settings of the Google Home app. Choose the "record your own" option to record the name you want the device to learn.

Or trying to figure out which of your roommates used the Google Home to order the pizza that’s now in the hands of a delivery person standing at the front door. Yes, the smartphone does still have to come into play to actually approve the purchase, but the hard work is done. Following the ringtone is the most reliable way of tracking a phone down, and greatly reduces the amount of time spend pulling up chair cushions, going through pockets and looking under couches. However, this requires someone else who hasn’t also lost their phone to call the missing smartphone. That takes effort and a degree of cooperation that a house full of teenagers cannot always muster.

cool things on google home

But, you can stop the Google Home alarm from the phone by removing it from the active alarms. Well, that’s possible with the help of music alarms in Google Home. For that, first, you need to set a default music provider in the Google Home app. You can set Spotify, YouTube Music, etc. as your default music provider.

How to Set an Alarm on Google Home

Google Home can also display subtitles in another language, for example when users say "Turn on French subtitles." Only the person who set up the Google Home speaker can set up and manage the Digital Wellbeing feature, which is only available in the U.S., U.K., Australia and Canada. You can choose whether the filter should apply to all users, guests or certain users. "If restricted, third party actions will be blocked for the people you've chosen. But they'll still be able to access actions for families ," Google says.

For instance, you can ask your Nest Mini smart speaker to remind you to pick up milk or to remember where you hid the password for your computer. When it comes to deciding between Google smart speakers, you may be wondering, "What does a Google Nest Mini do?" Here are 14 things you probably didn't think this small smart speaker could do. Users can choose whether to restrict or allow the ability to ask the speaker questions or perform searches. "If restricted, answers will only allow basic responses for things like time, weather and calculator. However, many answers to questions will be blocked for the people you've chosen," Google explains.

Create your shopping list

"You can control over 50,000 smart home devices including TVs, remote controls, lights, appliances, plugs, thermostats and more," using your speaker, according to Google. This feature really comes in handy for scheduled or busy people who fail to find time to do these minor things. Well, Google now does all the work for them, and reduces the hassle and stress, making it a valuable component in one's house. This smart speaker can allow you to play games, which are really fun for a party.

cool things on google home

Blast whatever music, podcast or audiobook you want from your speaker. It may seem basic, but little reminders during the day can really help! From remembering to record a show to remembering to pick up a family member.

Michael Brown / IDGWhen you find a recipe you want to try, you can send it from your smartphone or tablet to a Google Smart Display, such as the Lenovo model shown here. If you have a Google smart display, such as a Google Nest Hub Max or Lenovo Smart Display, and the recipe has a video attached, you can send it to that device, instead. You probably shouldn’t use Google Home to replace real-life storytime, but it can work in a pinch if you need to entertain your kids . Just say, “OK, Google, tell me a story,” and Google Home will play a short, random children’s story from its library of stories (don’t worry, all the stories are family friendly).

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