By Bob Gatton
Proper lighting control in a media room is just as important as the picture and the sound. The sun washing out the picture or a lamp reflecting off the screen can make an otherwise well-planned room much less enjoyable. Lighting control for a media room can be as simple as a replacing light switches with dimmers and closing the blinds or drapes or as sophisticated as a fully automated system with a variety of predetermined "scenes" that set lights and shades to levels programmed depending on the activity. For example, you might want the room almost completely dark for movie watching but much brighter for more casual TV viewing.
The first step in lighting control is the easiest: getting rid of that annoying glare from windows and light fixtures on the television screen. Your eye tries to eliminate these reflections when you are watching the TV, but it causes eye strain and fatigue. To solve the problem, turn the television off, and check the reflections that you see on the screen from the main seating areas. Move or turn off the offending lamps, slightly turn the television and close the blinds or drapes.
If you want to automate the drapes and blinds, several companies, including Lutron, Draper, and Makita, make systems that motorize this function, some by remote control.
The next step is controlling the lamps and fixtures in the room that may not reflect on the screen but certainly reduce the contrast and brightness of the image on it. X-10, Vantage Controls and Lutron are among the companies that sell lighting controls, and again, some of these are remote controllable. Systems range from replacing an existing light switch in the media room to being able to control every light fixture inside and outside of a large house.
Some of the whole-house systems let you control the lights from anywhere in the house. You also can preprogram the lights to match your activities. For example, you can have the lights in your bedroom slowly brighten at the same time your alarm clock is set to wake you to simulate daybreak, no matter how dark it might be outside.You can even control some of these systems from your car and never walk into a dark house again.
For the budget-minded, one of my favorites is the Lutron Maestro. For about $60 and about ten minutes spent replacing the standard light switch, the Lutron Maestro will remotely control a fixture in the media room.
Light fixture control and drapery control can often be integrated with the universal remote control for the audio video system. Better universal remote controls can be programmed to do macro commands -- a series of remote commands that are done by pressing a single button. For instance, the remote could be programmed to do any or all of the following:
- Close the drapes
- Turn on the receiver
- Select DVD as the input on the receiver
- Turn on the DVD player
- Select play on the DVD player
- Dim the light(s)
Just imagine: By pressing just one button on the remote control, the audio video system turns on, the drapes close, the lights dim and the movie starts. The family room is now a theater.
See all articles in the Home Theater/Media Room Series
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