Want to set up a theatre at home? Here is how
If you are a movie buff living in a reasonably big house, with a strong desire to splurge this Diwali, read on. But if you would rather sweat it out by driving to the nearest multiplex and queue up for the latest Hollywood flick, this might not be your idea of entertainment.
To start with, let’s make it clear that home theatre bliss does not end with the five speakers that you have propped up around your large LCD monitor. It means recreating the cinema experience in its entirety, though at a much smaller scale, within your home. And this means you should be prepared to spare a room in your house and have at least Rs 2 lakh to spend for the venture. Once done, however, you will find that the effort has been worth every penny. Here is how:

CHOOSE THE ROOM
A room that is 10X20 feet is a good size for setting up a home theatre to seat up to six persons. Ideally, the length of the room should be double the width for good viewing. But since you are most likely to pick from one of the rooms available in the house, a good consultant can work around most dimensions.

SCREEN SIZE
The size of the screen should be half your distance from it — so if you are sitting 16 feet from the screen, the width of the screen should be eight feet. The size of the screen also has to be compatible with the height of the ceiling. Wall-to-wall projection is best recommended for a full movie experience. You have the option of projecting the image on the wall itself. Or you can use fabric or white glass. Since special screen paints for walls are not available in India, a normal whitewash is good enough. However, an 8-ft screen made of fabric will cost you between Rs 5,000 and Rs 75,000. A white glass screen, on the other hand, will cost upwards of Rs 1 lakh, depending on the reproduction quality.

... contd.