Creating the perfect setup for home entertainment is always a top priority for homeowners, and these five must-have features will set you on the right track for perfecting your automation system and maximising enjoyment, comfort and convenience.

1. Ultra HD Display or Projector for a Cinematic Experience

Choosing between a screen and a projector can seem tricky at first, but your viewing preferences and the surrounding environment will help you decide which is right for you. If you’re designing a dedicated home cinema space, complete with dark lighting and a large viewing screen, then a 4K projector will deliver an optimal viewing experience. However, if you want to enjoy movie nights in a multi-purpose space, such as a living room or games room, then an OLED or QLED display may be better suited to your needs. Both OLED and QLED perform better than projectors in brighter rooms, which makes them a perfect choice for displays that will be used for multiple purposes, such as watching TV shows and gaming. While QLED displays perform best in very brightly lit rooms, OLED screens tend to offer more immersive colour and contrast due to their self-emissive pixels. Depending on the natural brightness of the space, either a QLED or OLED display can offer a fantastic cinematic experience.

2. Surround Sound That Immerses You

Whether you’re planning a dedicated home cinema or a living room cinema experience, you’ll want to enjoy exceptional sound quality that transports you into the storyline. From Artcoustic on-wall, in-ceiling, soundbars and subwoofers to complete Sonos home cinema sets, we can help you find the right audio solutions to create a truly immersive and exhilarating experience. Combining a range of features and functionality, such as Dolby Atmos surround sound, speech enhancement, Apple AirPlay and Sound Motion™, you can create a personalised audio experience that complements the room’s acoustics and delivers unparalleled audio. 3. Smart Lighting That Sets the Mood The ultimate home media set-up always incorporates smart lighting that sets the mood and enhances the atmosphere. From dimmed lights for a full home cinema feel to lightbars for gaming and coloured lights to accompany your favourite TV shows, the right smart lighting system can transform your surroundings. Both Rako and Lutron are popular options for residential smart lighting, with each brand recognised for its quality and design. Next-gen automation options ensure you can create preset lighting scenes to accompany media activities, so the perfect lighting is only ever a tap or voice command away. With adaptive lighting, you can even rely on your smart lighting system to create an optimal viewing experience without any input from you. By responding to input from sensors, your automated lighting system can determine the perfect level of illumination.

4. Intuitive Control System for Effortless Use

Creating the right home media automation system may mean combining technology from multiple brands, such as Sonos, Rako, Artcoustic, Sony, Lutron, JVC and more, but you won’t need numerous control systems or user interfaces to manage your media. Instead, you can incorporate a single, centralised platform for seamless control of all equipment and appliances. Both Crestron and Control4 act as holistic operating systems that enable you to manage all home automation, including AV, climate, security and lighting, via touchpads, keypads, remote controls, apps and/or voice controls. Designed to offer a user-friendly interface, consistent navigation and effortless connectivity, you can enjoy whole-home automation with media in every room via a single control system.

5. Acoustic Treatment for Professional-Level Sound

If you want to take home entertainment to the next level, consider employing acoustic treatments to enhance your surroundings. Soundproofing and acoustic panels can be a great option if you want to minimise sound leakage from one room to the next, while strategically placed rugs and window treatments can also be a savvy way to optimise sound quality and clarity.

Design Custom Home Media Automation with Element 29

At Element 29, we know that every home – and every family – is unique, which is why we take a bespoke approach to every project. Working with you in an initial consultation, we’ll take the time to learn what features are most important to you and how you enjoy media to recommend the best setup for your needs. We’ll also assess the layout and materials used throughout your home to suggest the right equipment, optimal installation methods and performance enhancements.

With your custom design approved, our in-house team will plan and undertake the installation process before commissioning your system and providing any training you need. From there, we can provide regular or ad hoc maintenance and upgrades to keep your home media automation system functioning perfectly.

To find out more, get in touch with our team now on 0207 720 7877, email us at info@element29.co.uk or send us a message here.