Creating the perfect home theater setup doesn’t have to be complicated. And, with Kodak Projectors, it’s easier than ever.
Whether you’re transforming your living room into a cozy movie haven or setting up a dedicated theater space, getting started is all about planning.
From mapping out your room’s layout to choosing the best projector and screen for your home theater setup, each step brings you closer to an immersive cinematic experience – right from your home.
In this home theater setup guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know to set up your home theater using Kodak projectors, so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the show in no time!
Map Out Your Room
First things first, decide where everything will go.
The most important consideration here is the throw distance – the distance between the projector’s lens and the wall or projector screen.
To determine your throw distance, check out the throw ratio listed on your projector spec sheet. Most Kodak projectors are designed for a 1.6:1 throw ratio, which means that for every 1.6-feet of distance from the screen, you get 1-foot of image width.
Using your manual as a guide, decide how big you want your picture to be and calculate your throw distance accordingly.
Once you’ve got your throw distance established, it’s time to decide which is the best projector for your home theater setup.
Pick Your Projector
The main thing to consider when choosing your home cinema projector is the room you’ll be using it in and the media you intend to watch on it.
For brighter rooms, look for something with a higher brightness rating, but remember projectors perform best in rooms with minimal ambient lighting, which can be achieved by using blackout shades and watching in darker settings.
Make sure your projector for your home theater setup has all the right connections for your desired media input. All Kodak projectors feature USB and HDMI connectivity for easily connecting your laptop, phone (via adapter), memory stick, and more.
To experience the ultimate in home streaming, we recommend purchasing one of our smart projectors or smart TV projectors, which feature easy screen sharing via Wi-Fi, making it easy to connect directly to your favorite streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Google TV, and YouTube.
The best projector for home theater will fit comfortably in your space, support your desired viewing inputs and settings, and be within your budget.
Mount Your Projector
All Kodak projectors for home theater setup come with threading for ¼” tripod mounting, which means they can easily be mounted to most standard tripods, or ceiling mounted.
Tripod mounting allows for faster, easier setup and adjustments, but if it’s not placed in a suitable area, it may get in the way and is at risk of being bumped into.
Ceiling mounts offer a more permanent setup that keeps clear of any furniture, but setup requires crawlspace or ceiling work, and subsequent adjustments may be more difficult to manage.
If you mount it from the ceiling, you’ll have to install it upside down, and then adjust your projector settings to reverse the image so it is right side up.
Wherever you choose to mount your projector, the best projector setup for home theaters is in the center of the room, in an area with minimal lighting and good ventilation, and within the required projector-to-screen distance.
Choose Your Home Theater Projector Screen
Next, make sure you choose the perfect viewing surface for your home theater.
For the best viewing experience, we highly recommend using “projector paint” on your wall, or investing in a quality projector screen. Home theater projector screens come in a variety of styles and sizes, each designed to provide the flattest, most cinematic image you can get.
For home theater use, a manual pull down projector is the ideal choice.
THX suggests the ideal screen size is about 0.84 x the viewing distance. So, for example, if the viewing distance is 12 ft. (144 inch), a 120-inch screen would be the “ideal” choice (0.84 x 144).
Another industry rule of thumb recommends a minimum screen size of 0.6 x viewing distance. So, according to this, for a 12 ft. viewing distance, your screen size should be at least 86 inches (0.6 x 144).
Whatever the size, all Kodak projector screens are crafted from high-quality materials that won’t warp over time, allowing for a pristine viewing experience in any setting.
Setup Your Screen
Now it’s time to get your screen set up and ready for use.
When mounting your home theater screen to the wall, choose a wall that does not receive direct light, use your level, and mark screw placements first, making sure everything is perfectly horizontal.
Position your screen roughly one-third of the distance from the display to the seats in the room and place it 24”-36” above the floor to achieve the optimum viewing angle of 15°-20°. Make sure it is positioned at eye level for comfortable viewing.
Alternatively, if you’ve chosen a tripod screen, folding screen, or other similar portable screen, you can skip the mounting, but this is a less permanent setup option.
Enjoy!
Last but certainly not least, get ready to enjoy your new home theater setup!
Connect your media and make sure all the settings are just right, adjusting zoom, keystone, and other settings as necessary.
All Kodak projectors come with built-in speakers, but if you’re looking for some extra sound, you can connect speakers via the 3.5mm audio input, or even via Bluetooth® for applicable models.
Now all that’s left to do is grab some popcorn, pull up a chair, and let the show begin!