What Color Light Is Best For Home Theatre?

Most of us are guilty of neglecting our home theatre lighting setup. It is because we think that why does a home theatre need lights anyway? Isn’t it supposed to be dark?

The answer is no!  I’m sure you wouldn’t want to stomp on someone else’s foot while you get up for a drink.

With that said, let me tell you that a home theatre lighting setup is a crucial component. Your room’s appearance and atmosphere will completely change with the right lighting. In addition, after the space has been constructed, feel free to add more lights if needed.

Let’s discuss this more for further clairty… shall we?

Why should I care about my home theatre lighting?

I am not surprised that you’re asking this to yourself at this very moment. Well, no worries! I’m here to help you out. With that said, here are my top 3 reasons why you must take your home theatre lighting seriously-

a) Showtime

Naturally, this one is one of the most significant moments in your comfy home theatre. Right off the bat, a well palneed lighting setup can mimic the appearance and atmosphere of a commercial movie theatre.

Imagine that your lights will immediately go off and turn dark when you hit play….. Cool, isn’t it? Also, imagine you could turn on a few lights along the pathway so that you don’t stumble on anyone or anything. I guess you know what I’m saying…

b) Grabbing a snack

You may have a snack bar in your home theatre setup. It would help if you only had to switch on some of the lights whenever you wanted to walk up and fetch something to snack onto. Well, as I said moments ago, this will only be possible if you have a well-planned lighting setup for your home theatre.

c) Date night

You may bring date night indoors by to your home theatre. How cool will that be? You can relax with a drink without worrying about how to go back home after watching a movie at a theatre anymore….pretty convenient, right?

Use your lighting control to make the experience as a commercial theatre to make your date night a memorable one. For example, you can adjust your lighting to have a candlelight appearance or include some red tones.

With the right set of lights, the possibilities are just endless!

d) Clean up

After you’re done watching a movie, you should prepare the space for your subsequent viewing. The “Clean-Up” button will set all your lights to maximum brightness.

This way, you can clean the mess you have made. Remember to not be lazy keep it tidy for your next session!

What types of home theatre lighting can I choose from?

Trust me, you don’t want the light to be overly bright in your home theatre. So, I recommend you try dimmers. Bright lights will interfere with your viewing experience. It may even distract you while watching movies.

On the other hand, dimmers will enhance your movie time mood.

Here are some quick tips for each kind of lighting for use in home theatres:

This is what you need-

Overhead Lighting

This should be the main light source for your home theater. Just make sure you can dim them if needed

Wall Sconces

A sconce is a type of light fixture that is attached to the wall. They are not necessary, but if you want some great accent lighting, don’t miss out on this.

Fiber Optic Lighting

Fiber optic lighting is the star effect in some high-end home theater rooms. This is optional, yet the game-changer. So, I leave it to you.

Things to Consider while choosing Home Theatre Lighting

You’ll need some basic technical aspects of lighting for the best results. So, let’s have a look-

a) Color temperature

White light’s color temperature can be either amber (warmer) or bluer (colder). In case you didn’t know, color temperature is measured in Kelvin (K). so, Higher Kelvin numbers are colder. Whereas, lower Kelvin counts are warmer.

The color temperature of a standard incandescent lighting at maximum brightness is around 2700K. So, 2700K is what we must consider for our home lighting setup.

Nowadays people even go for 3000K for a more modern look and feel. It is because 3000K gives a more cooler light.

b) CRI

The color rendering index (CRI) statistic is what you can use to decide how well color looks when exposed to various lighting conditions. When illuminating artwork or brightly colored backgrounds, a high CRI index is a wise choice.

c) The much-needed extras

Finally the thing you need is a control system to tie the home theatre lights together. Remember that not all fixtures can be set simultaneously when using LED light sources. There are several dimming platforms, including 0-10V dimming, TRAIC, Magnetic Low Voltage, Electronic Low Voltage, and Low Voltage are all that you need to take care of!

Each distinct lighting type should be set independently. It is because certain LED lights may dim using various dimming platforms. By doing this, each fixture will fade as effectively as possible. Most fixture makers also provide dimming compatibility tables, which helps you pick the most optimum dimming hardware.

The Key Takeaway

You know by now, lighting for your home theatre is a crucial bit to consider. With the right set of lights, you can transform your home theatre onto something that you can enjoy and be proud of! So, that’s it for the day. I hope you can make the most informed choice and have a great movie time ahead. Thanks for sticking around…

CAUTION: I’ve discuss about certain lighting type that involves high-voltage electrical wire. Ensure that you handle them with utmost care and extreme caution.