Starting next week, Google is adding one more media streaming option to its smart speakers and displays.

These Echo tricks (and treats) will spook the heck out of the kids this Halloween.

From controlling Philips Hue lights to getting Prime delivery updates, Alexa offers a lot.

When you build out your connected home, don’t overlook the smart home theater.

Everyone has completely different needs here. Whether you want to upgrade the entertainment in your living room or you have a dedicated room crying out for the latest tech, we have something for everyone here.

Rather than attempting to outline
a single solution, we’ve touched upon the core basics by category. You can mix
and match then depending on your requirements and budget.

We’ll walk you through the
following areas:

• Home Theater Projector
• Smart Speaker or Smart Display
• Home Theater Projector Screen
• Smart TV
• Receiver
• Speakers and Soundbar
• Streaming Device
• Blu-ray Player
• Universal Remote
• Wireless Headphones

Home Theater Projector

A powerful projector is the centerpiece of any effective smart home theater.

While the JVC DLA-X590R could certainly not be described as cheap, if you have deep pockets and exacting tastes, it’s one of the strongest options in a crowded market. Also, this model is substantially cheaper than some pure 4K models that can easily run into five figures.

The optical upscaling technology
baked in enables you to get a 4K image from a 1080p chip.

This projector responds best to a totally blacked-out home theater. You’ll be rewarded with exceptional contrast and dynamic range. You’ll also get fine detailing.

Features

The motorized lens locks on to a
handful of standard screen sizes. This simplifies set-up and means you shouldn’t
need to call in a contractor.

If the JVC is priced too high for your liking, you have plenty of choice with budget projectors.

The Epson Home Cinema 2150 is not only keenly priced, but it also packs a real punch, too.

This projector works especially
well in family rooms where you don’t get complete control over ambient
brightness levels.

You’ll also benefit from limited
vertical lens shift which streamlines installation and screen alignment.

With widescreen in full HD to 11
feet or more, you really will get the next best thing to the movies without
needing to leave home. Brightness is rated at 2500 lumens, impressive for a
budget projector.

You’ll be able to stream movies
and games from both wired and wireless HDMI devices with Miracast and MHL
supported.

Although you’ll likely want to build out superior audio, there’s even a 10-watt speaker on board, so you’re really getting more bang for your buck.

Kicking out between 29 and 37 decibels, the projector is not whisper-quiet, but it won’t create too much noise either.

All you need now is something to throw the projected image onto.

Home Theater Projector Screen

The Silver Ticket Products 4K Ultra HD-Ready Projector Screen gives you a sweeping 160-degree viewing angle. Wherever you’re sitting, you won’t suffer any loss in resolution.

The black bevels on the aluminum
frame are designed to absorb the light effectively. You’ll get the perfect
canvas for that blockbuster and it costs far less than you might imagine.

The screen is made from heavy
white vinyl with a 1:1 gain reflectivity. In plain English, the reflective
properties will make the colors pop off the screen.

Installation couldn’t be much
quicker. You’ll get a tensioning rod system so you can customize things
perfectly. Brackets at the top and bottom allow for horizontal adjustment.

Projectors are certainly not the only solution at your disposal, with smart TVs arguably even more popular. Before that, though, a quick interlude.

Smart Speaker or Smart Display

Even if you’re planning to use
powerful dedicated speakers, no smart home theater would be complete without a
digital assistant.

Alexa and Google Assistant are by some distance the most popular virtual butlers. Siri remains lagging in third place with Samsung’s Bixby left trailing in the distance.

Echo

For Alexa, Echo Show 5 is a superb option if you’d like the added benefit of a screen but you don’t want to accommodate the bulkier Echo Show.

With a display half the size of
its bigger brother, you’ll get a nifty little smart home portal without needing
too much space on the shelves.

As with all Echo devices, potentially the key selling point is the way you can control other devices in your smart home. From the kit in your home theater to lighting, heating, and cooling, you’ll be able to take the helm hands-free.

Google

Our favorite Google Assistant vehicle is undoubtedly Google Home Max. While most smart speakers disappoint enormously on the audio, Home Max kicks like a mule. A pair of 4.5-inch woofers give you a deep and pulsing low-end, while a couple of custom tweeters bring higher frequencies to life.

The “room-filling” sound promised by Google is delivered here so you can get that home theater rocking. You’ll even be able to pair a couple of Home Max speakers wirelessly for surround sound.

Although Alexa makes a mighty
fine virtual assistant, the search powers of Google Assistant are even
stronger. You’ll get the same smarts and the same ability to control your
connected home with voice commands.

Whichever route you choose here, a good smart speaker is a versatile piece of equipment and valuable in a smart home theater.

What if you don’t fancy the expense and the hassle of a projector screen? Smart TVs are the obvious solution here.

Smart TV

Many home theaters are actually the living room. In this case, you probably don’t want a projector screen, so go for a solid smart TV instead.

If you want something that makes a real statement while still coming in at a reasonable price-point, this 65-inch Samsung 4K UHD TV is well worth your consideration.

The curved screen serves to grab
you and pull you right into the action. Auto Depth Enhancer makes your viewing
even more immersive than ever. 4K detailing with high dynamic range produces
far more detail than you could expect with regular HDTV.

There’s an easily navigable
on-screen guide for all the streamed content and live TV you can handle. You
can also use OneRemote or your favorite digital assistant for hands-free
convenience.

The SmartThings dashboard extends your control beyond the smart home theater. You can easily manipulate a suite of other compatible devices throughout your house.

There’s also a 55-inch model available if you can’t quite make space for this beast.

For a powerful and exciting viewing experience without spending as much as you might fear, the mighty Samsung delivers once again.

Receiver

The AV receiver in a dedicated
home theater is put through its paces more than most components since it acts
as both the amplifier and the processor for your theater. With audio and video
inputs routed through the receiver then processed and channeled to the projector
or speakers, the receiver is key.

The Yamaha RX-V485BL is a no-nonsense 5.1-channel receiver packing advanced wireless technologies. Along with WiFi and Bluetooth, you’ll get AirPlay 2 and MusicCast.

Features

4K Ultra HD and HDR 10 are
supported. Dolby Vision is a nice touch.

You’ll get 4 HDMI in and 1 out
which is more than enough for most reasonable needs.

A range of streaming services is built-in. These vary from region to region.

As with all the best smart tech, you’ll be able to take charge of your media with voice commands assuming you have an Echo device or Google Home speaker hooked up.

With MusicCast, you’ll be able to build out audio beyond the home theater and across the rest of the house. You can add wireless speakers for surround sound, too.

What else can you do on the audio front in the smart home theater, then?

Speakers and Soundbar

For simple but effective wireless speakers on a budget, it’s hard to rival the classic Sonos One.

Available individually, as a
2-pack or a 4-pack, these understated speakers give you enough oomph to fill a
reasonably large room.

Built out on the PLAY:1
blueprints, you’ll enjoy class-D amps onboard and some highly tuned drivers
giving you a precise and warm soundscape across all frequencies.

By using a pair of Sonos One in
the home theater, you can harness surround sound without needing to spend a
fortune or endure trailing wires everywhere.

You’ll be able to take voice
command and put Alexa to action so you can control all compatible devices
hands-free.

If you’re looking for even more
grunt, how about calling in the big guns?

Well, the Sonos Beam can be added to your One speakers along with a wireless subwoofer, so you have a complete home theater system with no need for cables everywhere.

Sonos shows that you don’t need
to pay silly money for solid whole-room audio. Try out some of their impressive
range and you won’t look back.

So far, so good. How about some
entertainment, though?

Streaming Device

No smart home theater is complete without some form of streaming device.

You have a huge spread of options here, but Fire Stick 4K remains our favorite.

Fire Stick 4K comes with Alexa
baked in so you’ll enjoy hands-free control without needing a third-party smart
speaker.

With support for 4K Ultra HD, HDR, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision, you have all the main bases covered.

If you’re already an Amazon Prime
member, you’ll get access to an enormous library of free content. If you’re not
a member, it’s well worth joining up. Beyond this, you can access a large
variety of free content and there are a number of subscription services
available. Whatever you feel like watching, you’ll find it with Fire TV. There
are over half a million movies and TV shows up for grabs so you’re not going to
run dry any time soon.

What if you want to watch a classic old movie you can’t find, but you still have on Blu-ray?

Blu-ray Player

This Panasonic 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player is a robust unit coming in at a reasonably keen price compared to some of the competition. What do you get for your money, then?

Support is in place for 4
different 4K/HDR formats:

• HDR10
• HDR10+
• Dolby Vision
• Hybrid Log-Gamma

So, you can grab 4K content to
your heart’s content and you’ll also enjoy high-res audio to do the visuals
justice.

Designed to work with Alexa, kick
your feet up and control your entertainment without lifting a finger.

This Blu-ray player is designed
to hook up easily to your audio if you want to build it into your system. If
not, pop it in the drawer and pull it out when it’s time for a disc.

Universal Remote

Depending on how you’ve chosen to build out your home theater, chances are you have a whole suite of devices. The last thing you want is a huge collection of remote controls.

While controlling smart devices
in-app on your cellphone is standard practice, many people don’t want phones in
the home theater.

The obvious solution comes in the form of a universal remote. The Logitech Harmony Elite is by no means cheap, but it’s the slickest remote on the market.

This pack comes with the Harmony
Hub enabling control of devices and appliances inside closed cabinets. It also
allows for remote control.

The full color touchscreen allows
you to swipe and tap your way through your connected home and control anything
you like without getting out of your chair.

And while today has been all
about kicking out the noise, when it’s time to unwind, what else would complete
your home theater?

Wireless Headphones

If you’re looking for the best
wireless headphones so you can relax with some music or a movie while others
sleep, you’re spoiled for choice.

Unfortunately, this is one area where it’s tough to find a bargain that doesn’t let you down. Here at Smarthome, we’ve had our share of cheap Bluetooth headphones and they just don’t last the distance. Why not save yourself the headache and invest in the classic Bose QuietComfort 35?

The QuietComfort line has flown
off the shelves since 2006 when Bose introduced this modern classic.

The fit of these over-ears is
snug and comfy. You won’t end up feeling overheated, a common problem when
you’re wearing headphones.

The sound is very slightly artificial, but precise and pleasurable across all frequencies.

Active noise-cancellation is class-leading and you’ll feel like you’re in a world of your own.

20 hours of wireless runtime is enough for a late-night movie marathon or a transatlantic red-eye flight.

If you can afford the Bose QuietComfort 35, they should give you years of faithful service.

Final Word

Well, you should have all the
essentials in place now to liven up movie nights over the holiday season.
Whether you go all-in on a dedicated home theater or you just spruce up your
set-up in the living room, treat yourself this coming Christmas.

If you’re looking to get even more of a bargain, why not sign up for our email newsletter? As well as all the latest smart home news, you’ll also get 20% off your first order. What better way to use that discount than with some tech for your home theater?      

The post How To Build Out A Smart Home Theater appeared first on Smarthome Blog.

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