Home Theater Lighting...do I need it?

[SMM]

I've read that a room with no ambient light is best...I've also seen that most Home Theaters have wall sconces to provide some low-level lighting. Suggestions?

 

[MDS]

While a movie theater has almost no ambient light, I don't think that is ideal for a HT. Then again it probably comes down to personal preference. My living room is almost pitch black at night and I don't like to watch movies that way so I dim the light over the fireplace (which is not in direct line of sight of the TV).

One thing is for sure though. Your eyes have a tough time adjusting from pitch black to high brightness in an instant. That happens a lot in movies. For some people it can cause headaches and general discomfort. The theory behind having some amount of ambient light is that the difference between the average light level and the dark and light scenes of a movie is not as drastic as when the room is pitch black; thus your pupils don't constantly dilate and expand.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I've read that a room with no ambient light is best...I've also seen that most Home Theaters have wall sconces to provide some low-level lighting. Suggestions?

Some of the DVD calibration DVDs discuss this issue and suggest 6500K lighting behind the TV. No mention about a projector but same principle should apply.

http://cinemaquestincn.goemerchant7.com/index.cgi?PageToView=catalog&Department=70357&Cartid=24841032748229&Merchant=cinemaquestincn&ExpandedDepts=

 

[Geno]

I've been using a small fluorescent light behind my TV for years. The soft, indirect light is just right, IMHO.

 

[ScottMayo]

Most projectors operate best in very dark conditions. People don't, though.

What I ended up doing was to automate the lighting in my room, using dimmers and some software. A gentle fade down to darkness in front (where the screen is) and down to very dim light (where the door is, behind me) seems to work out well. At the end of the movie, the lights fade back up slowly. This turned out to be annoyingly expensive, but for me it was worth it. As mentioned above, sudden light transisitions are unpleasant.

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

I have a short hallway that shoots off to the side of my theater. There is a spare bedroom at the end of the hall that I keep closed during movies, and a bathroom in the hallway. I typically turn on the bathroom light and leave the door open......LOL

It creates the perfect amount of ambient light so Im not sitting in a pitch black room, and there is no direct light shining in my eyes either..........

Hows that for a simple solution?

hahahahahahah

 

[Bryce_H]

I have a fair number of lights in my dedicated HT. 6 ceiling cans, 3 sconces, and a rope light. They are all on a Grafik Eye light controller and are completely dimmed during a movie (except the rope light under the stage - it stays on). I think it is perfect. You want some ambient light in a room - it just needs to be diffused light with nothing shining directly on the screen.