Building The Ultimate Tech-Inspired Entertainment Space
From the time where people would inveigh about bots, we have come to an era where there are bots as shopping assistants, bots as waiters, and bots everywhere!
From denigrating technology as an intruder in the home to accepting it as a family member, we have come a long way.
If you are still a newbie in adopting tech into your space, know that there are plenteous opportunities to explore. Agreed, the jumble of tech gadgets available for a simple home user can be a tad bit intimidating. Delve into it with your eyes and ears open, and you are sure to have your mind blown. Adoption of technology in the home entertainment realm should be a matter of personal choice and not out of FOMO. There are nuances of personal privacy and security that you should be wary of. When you mindfully allow tech into your home with a full understanding of what you are doing, then you would be able to harness the power of technology. You would be able to create an aura in your home that is no less than anything you see in your favorite sci-fi movies. From controlling your appliances with your voice to setting automation and getting simple chores done without moving a finger, tech for the home space has evolved more than anyone’s anticipation.
That being said, how can you redefine the quality of entertainment you deliver for yourself and your family at home? How can you personalize the kind of content you have access to? How can you leave your guests’ mind boggled with the plethora of entertainment-oriented installations you have in your home?
Set the foundation right
The television is the core of most home entertainment systems. Or sometimes it might be a projector. Large screen televisions are easy to come by. From chunky CRT televisions, this segment has evolved after seeing LCD TVs in the recent past to the LED and OLED TVs at present. LED TVs are some of the best in the display technology as they are gentle on the eyes and also energy efficient. Curved screen TVs are the latest that the world of display technology has given us.
Samsung is one of the first brands to make curved OLED TVs a global phenomenon. Take the Samsung RU7300, for example, which is a 2019 edition of 55inch 4K UHD televisions from this brand. This smart TV is also Alexa compatible. When you have a large room, then choosing a large-sized display helps reduce the strain on your eyes and enhance the experience.
Why download when you can stream?
Subscribing to online video and audio streaming services is a rage. To download movies and music, you need a physical storage device with a large storage capacity. Once you have the downloaded file in a physical location, you then have to connect it to your television or computer or laptop or the device where you would like to watch the video. Tackling all the hassles and delivering a fully user-friendly interface came the internet content streaming technology. There are a myriad of streaming services available across the world. With a monthly or annual subscription, these service providers allow access to a wide range of content anytime, anywhere.
Android TV boxes? Bring them on!
A conventional satellite TV box is becoming a redundant gadget as more and more people are moving towards internet TV boxes. These offer the convenience of accessing normal satellite TV channels as well as internet subscription services all in one device. A single connection and a single remote control allow seamless switching across various types of entertainment content. Android TV boxes are among the most popular hybrid entertainment solutions for TVs. Choosing such hybrid services reduces the overall cost. Most of these gadgets also bring a selection of games. One of the biggest benefits is that you can carry your Android TV box wherever you go and access the subscribed content wherever you have high-speed internet connectivity. Get an Android TV box, and you can take your entertainment wherever you go.
It’s time to get those soundbars and tower speakers
A good pair of speakers go a long way in accenting the sound effects of your television. For a small room with limited space, a simple 2.1 channel speaker set with subwoofers would be sufficient. If you are looking for an immersive experience in a large entertainment space, then there are sophisticated 5.1 channel systems. In audio technology, the recent trend is the 7.1 channel Dolby system. With the increased number of channels, your living room instantly feels like a world-class cinema hall. Soundbars help deliver the power of a set of front speakers in a single device. These are easy to set up and deliver the nuances of the sound better no matter what the size of a room is.
Smart home speakers? Not overrated!
While home theatre technology has been around for a while now, one recent addition to the segment is the smart home speaker. From Alexa to Google Assistant and Siri, your favorite anthropomorphic assistants are now accessible from the smart speakers. HomePod, Goole Home, Echo, the choices are plenty in the smart speaker segment. Bluetooth connectivity, spatially aware sound output, and other features make them excellent value additions to home entertainment. These are backed by the strength of artificial intelligence or AI. They can be used to listen to music, get news updates to make calls, access emails and messages from the phone, or even send emails and messages by dictating to the virtual assistant. If you also have other smart home gadgets, appliances, or lights, you can control them with your virtual assistant through these smart speakers. You can choose from a variety of smart home speakers now from different budget categories. As per the current scenario in the world of entertainment, smart home speakers are some of the best investments you can make for your home entertainment.
Unleash the gamer in you
Well, entertainment is not just about movies and music. A tech-inspired home entertainment setup might appear incomplete without a good gaming console. If you are a casual gamer, then a smart TV box with games would be enough. However, for hardcore gamers, various gaming consoles bring interactive games, with motion-sensing controllers and more. A good gaming console from a credible brand can last you for years taking care of all your gaming needs in one place. You can keep adding new controllers as and when they enter the market. There are many virtual reality and augmented reality games available today. If you need to experience VR in the gaming world, there are VR headsets with remote for gamers. You can also make gaming more convenient by adding a set of ergonomic keyboard and mouse and an ergonomic chair to your gaming arena. With this, you can play your games for hours without worrying about bad posture.
Let there be light, or darkness maybe?
At first glance, you might not consider smart lighting options to be part of the home entertainment system. However, have you noticed how the lighting in a movie hall influences the overall experience? You can create a similar effect at home with your smart lights. From dimming the lights to adding mood lighting or hues based on the type of movie you play, you can take your home movie space to the next level. You can control these lights with a smartphone app or even through the virtual assistants on your smart speakers. With the improvement of the home entertainment realm, smart lights also solve the never-ending dispute of ‘who left the lights turned on.’ You can turn them on or off remotely.
Be that perfect party host
Besides the media players and speaker setup that you might use regularly, there are also sophisticated karaoke machines for the home. With some powerful party speakers, boom boxes, and other gadgets, you can create a dance floor at home. Some portable Bluetooth speakers also allow you to tag multiple devices to create a more intense effect. If you are someone who loves to throw grand parties, then with your regular home entertainment gadgets, adding a karaoke machine would also be a good idea. There are many that work with the standard speaker setups to make any party more fun.
Dust that vinyl collection of yours
Turntables are making a huge comeback. This is big news for vinyl lovers. If you have elders at home who have a large assortment of vinyl, they cannot let go, or if you have a prized collection that you have been gathering for years, modern-day turntables might be just what you need. Tabletop designs to compact wall-mounted options are all easy to find. You can pick turntables with multiple input options like a CD player, built-in FM radio, USB port, and even Bluetooth connectivity. These provide an excellent bridge between the old and new in the field of technology for entertainment.
Don’t let your furniture feel left out
As if so much technology is already not enough, furniture manufacturers have decided to join the race. A whole range of smart furniture is now available in the market. This segment is still in its nascent stage. However, there has been a good response so far. Any movie buff would love to add some smart controls to his furniture to enjoy a movie marathon without moving from the couch. Smart sofas, most of them in the market so far, come with a few of the following features-
- Smart lighting
- Easy controls on the sofa
- Built-in speakers
- Wireless charging pad
With these come the vibration effects for a 4D experience at home. On the outside, they might still look like an average sofa and give you a cozy spot to lounge. If you have a small living space where you would like to add an entertainment zone, you can combine the effects of various gadgets by investing in a single such smart sofa. It can change your home automation game forever.
Making the final decision
Exploring all the options presented, you can choose the setup that best suits the room where you would create the entertainment zone in your house. You should also set aside a budget to work with. With all the choices available and the alluring tech features, it is easy to let the expenses go way overboard. Know the type of products that are worth splurging on and the ones where you can stick with non-branded, less expensive ones. Do not compromise on the quality of the cables and connectors in the whole system. This helps the reliability of the system. You can pick wireless connectivity wherever applicable to cut the clutter of cords everywhere. Gone are the days where wireless connectivity was considered to be less reliable than wired. Today, with high-speed Bluetooth standard and dual-band Wi-Fi, it is possible to send and receive data across devices and also connect with the internet hassle-free.
Wrapping up
So, if you are looking to improve the quality of your home entertainment with the help of technologically advanced gadgets, then here are a few things to do-
- Pick a TV with good configuration
- Compare and pick a good online content streaming service
- Choose an Android TV box or a smart TV box
- Complement it with a great home theatre system with a smart speaker
- Equip the room with smart ambient lighting
- Pick a couple of smart furniture options
And you are good to go.
Anyone who steps into your house is sure to be in awe, looking at what a tech-savvy setup you have. You have the convenience of controlling all your entertainment gadgets with your voice or through an all-in-one app. You can then explore automation apps on your mobile to fully personalize the environment in your home. With a tech-inspired entertainment setup at home, you can entertain the whole family, from kids to the elderly, with different choices. At first glance, these entertainment gadgets might look like an expensive affair. When you take a closer look, you realize that most of them are energy efficient. They also help save money in your monthly bills for multiple subscriptions and combining them all into one bill. This tech-inspired entertainment space that you create can, therefore, significantly boost the ambiance in your house on the whole.