Home Cinema Systems
Home cinema, multi-room audio, lighting and integrated AV for new builds, refurbishments and existing homes
We design and install home cinema and residential AV systems across London, East Sussex, Kent, Surrey and the wider South East.
Projects range from a single dedicated cinema room through to audio, video, lighting and control across a whole property.
We work directly with homeowners as well as architects, interior designers, developers and other contractors. Some clients come to us with detailed plans already prepared. Others know what they want the house to do and want us to design the system around that.
Many of these clients would rather their homes were never shown online, which we respect.
Dedicated cinemas and media rooms
We design AV around the property and the way the people living there want to use it.
That might mean one dedicated cinema, a media room that doubles as the main living room, music throughout the house or a larger system covering AV, lighting, networking and outdoor areas.
We can work from architectural drawings on new builds and refurbishments or survey an existing home before putting together the design.
Home cinema design
A dedicated cinema gives us the freedom to design the entire room around films, television, sport and gaming.
The screen, loudspeakers, seating, lighting and acoustic treatment are considered together rather than as separate decisions.
Speaker positions are planned around the seating and room layout. Surround and overhead channels, including Dolby Atmos where appropriate, are positioned to create the right coverage rather than simply adding as many loudspeakers as possible.
Subwoofer positions also need careful consideration because bass can vary considerably from one seat to another.
Once the system is installed, we calibrate it from the listening positions in the room rather than from beside the equipment rack.
Media rooms and living room AV
Not every property needs a dedicated cinema.
A media room or living room can still provide a high-quality cinema experience while remaining an everyday part of the home.
Displays can be built into joinery or media walls, speakers can be recessed into walls and ceilings, and amplifiers and source equipment can be housed elsewhere.
The aim is to give the room the sound and picture quality the client wants without the technology taking over the interior when it is not being used.
Screens, projection and displays
The right screen depends on the room.
We consider viewing distance, screen size, ambient light, ceiling height and the layout of the seating before deciding whether projection or a large-format display is the better option.
A bigger screen is not automatically a better screen if the viewing distance is wrong.
Where projection is used, the projector, screen and sightlines are considered alongside the room design, lighting and loudspeaker positions.
Surround sound and Dolby Atmos
Surround sound needs to be designed around the room rather than around a speaker count.
We plan front, surround, overhead and subwoofer positions according to the seating and dimensions of the room.
Dolby Atmos can form part of the design where the room and system justify it.
Where loudspeakers need to remain discreet, in-wall, in-ceiling and other architectural speaker options can be used without compromising the layout of the room.
Keeping the technology discreet
Most residential clients do not want AV equipment dominating the interior.
We work with architects and interior designers to agree speaker, display, control and equipment positions before walls, ceilings and joinery are finished.
In-wall and in-ceiling loudspeakers can keep the equipment unobtrusive. Where an even less visible solution is needed, plaster-over speakers may also be considered depending on the project.
Amplifiers, processors and source equipment are normally installed in a ventilated rack away from the main living areas.
On larger properties, one central rack can serve several rooms, keeping equipment, heat and fan noise away from the spaces people actually use.
Multi-room audio
Multi-room audio allows music to be used across several parts of the house without installing a separate system in every room.
Kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms, entertaining areas and other spaces can operate as individual zones.
Each room can play independently, several rooms can be grouped together or music can run throughout the property.
Speaker choice depends on the room and how visible the client wants the system to be. We use in-ceiling, in-wall, plaster-over and conventional loudspeakers depending on the project.
The main equipment can be kept centrally, with everyday control provided through the chosen interface.
Lighting and control
Lighting can form part of the wider residential AV system where it makes sense.
In a dedicated cinema, this might mean programmed settings for arriving in the room, watching a film and leaving afterwards.
Across a larger property, lighting control can extend through several rooms and work alongside AV, blinds and other systems where required.
We design the controls around the way the household actually uses the property. If a simple wall switch remains the easiest way to operate something, there is no need to make it more complicated.
Where wider electrical lighting or electrical installation is required, we can work alongside our sister company Lake Electrical.
Simple whole-home control
A large AV system may contain a lot of equipment, but the everyday controls should not make that obvious.
We set up the interface around the things people actually do, such as watching television, starting the cinema, choosing music, adjusting the volume or changing the lighting.
Different rooms and users can have access to the controls they need without being given every technical setting behind the system.
We also go through the controls at handover so the client is comfortable using them before the project is finished.
Home networks and Wi-Fi
Larger residential AV systems rely heavily on the home network.
Streaming, television distribution, multi-room music, control systems and remote support all depend on reliable connectivity.
We therefore consider the network as part of the AV design rather than assuming the existing Wi-Fi will be sufficient.
On larger properties, that can include network cabling, access points, switches, equipment racks and fixed IP addressing where required.
For new builds and refurbishments, network cabling is best installed before walls and ceilings are closed.
Outdoor audio and AV
We also install audio and AV for gardens, terraces and other outdoor areas. Outdoor loudspeakers are designed for permanent external installation and positioned around the areas where people actually sit and entertain.
Several smaller loudspeakers distributed around a garden or terrace will often provide more even coverage than one pair playing at a higher level.
Outdoor displays can also form part of the project where required.
Cable routes, weather exposure and neighbouring properties are considered as part of the design.
Acoustic treatment for cinema rooms
Some cinema rooms benefit from acoustic treatment.
The amount required depends on the size and construction of the room, the finishes, the loudspeaker system and the seating position.
Acoustic treatment can be built into walls and finishes so it does not need to look like visible studio equipment.
Where required, we can consider treatment alongside the speaker layout and room design rather than trying to correct the acoustics after the cinema has been completed.
See our acoustic treatment service.
New builds and refurbishments
The earlier AV is considered on a new build or major refurbishment, the easier it is to integrate into the property.
We work from architects’ drawings to establish television and screen positions, loudspeaker locations, equipment racks, network points, lighting controls and cable routes before first fix.
These requirements can then be coordinated with the ceiling design, lighting, joinery, ventilation, electrical installation and other services.
A technically ideal loudspeaker position is no use if it clashes with lighting or bespoke joinery, so we resolve those details while the project is still on the drawings.
Where the electrical package forms part of the same project, Lake Electrical can work alongside OBAV.
AV in existing homes
A residential AV installation does not have to be part of a new build.
We also install home cinemas, multi-room audio, lighting control and wider AV in houses that are already finished and occupied.
What is possible depends on the existing cabling, construction of the property and how much disruption is acceptable.
We survey the house first, including the rooms, cabling, network and existing equipment, before recommending the installation route.
Where minor opening-up and making good would provide a much better result, we explain that before work begins rather than designing the system around avoidable limitations.
An older cinema or whole-home AV installation does not always need replacing completely.
Loudspeakers, cabling and amplification can remain useful long after displays, processors and control equipment need updating.
We inspect what is already installed and retain equipment where it still works well.
This is especially important with built-in systems because unnecessary replacement can mean disturbing ceilings, walls and joinery for very little benefit.
Working with architects and interior designers
Many of our larger residential projects are delivered alongside architects and interior designers.
AV affects ceilings, joinery, lighting, power, networking and the overall layout of the room, so we provide the technical information the project team needs while the design is still developing.
We can work directly with the homeowner’s architect or designer and coordinate the speaker, screen, rack and control positions with the rest of the interior.
This helps keep the technology discreet without leaving important technical decisions until the installation stage.
Installation, commissioning & Support
Our engineers install and commission the systems themselves, so the same team remains involved through to handover and afterwards.
Cinema systems are calibrated in the finished room, with sound checked from the seating positions. Displays, sources, lighting, control and networking are tested together, and on larger properties we check that each room and zone operates as intended.
We then show the client how to use the system and provide the relevant information for the installation.
Support remains with OBAV after handover. Residential AV changes over time as internet equipment, streaming services, software and source devices are updated. Because our engineers are employed by OBAV rather than subcontracted, we already know how the system was installed and can deal with future changes or additions more easily.
Where suitable secure remote access is available, some checks and adjustments can also be carried out without arranging a site visit.
Experienced home cinema and residential AV installers
We design and install home cinema and residential AV for new builds, refurbishments and existing properties.
Our work includes dedicated cinemas, media rooms, surround sound, multi-room audio, displays, residential networking, lighting control, outdoor AV and the infrastructure behind larger systems.
We regularly work alongside homeowners, architects and interior designers and can become involved before first fix where the property is still being designed.
OBAV is SafeContractor approved and ISO [[NUMBER: exact ISO standard to confirm]] accredited. Our engineers are employed by OBAV and remain available for support after handover.
What we can include
Depending on the property and the project, residential AV can include:
- dedicated home cinema
- media rooms and living room AV
- surround sound and Dolby Atmos
- projectors, televisions and screens
- multi-room audio
- in-wall, in-ceiling and plaster-over speakers
- AV racks and equipment distribution
- home networking and Wi-Fi
- lighting control
- motorised blinds
- home automation and control
- outdoor audio and AV
- acoustic treatment
- system programming and commissioning
The scope is agreed around what the property actually needs rather than around the length of that list.
[[CONFIRM: this list against what OBAV actually want to sell. Home automation and control, motorised blinds, and home networking and Wi-Fi are named here as services, whereas the project plan gives home cinema and multi room audio as the residential services and treats dedicated networking as a general strength on large installs.]]
Home cinema and residential projects
What residential clients say
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Home cinema questions
Can you design the cinema from our architect’s drawings?
Yes, and it is the best point to bring us in. Architectural drawings let us work out television positions, speakers, equipment racks, network points, lighting controls and cable routes before first fix. We work alongside architects, interior designers, electricians and other contractors regularly, and it is much easier to sort those details while the project is still on the drawings.
Do we need a dedicated room, or can it go in the living room?
Either works, and they are different jobs. A dedicated cinema gives us the freedom to design the whole room around films, television, sport and gaming, planning speaker positions, screen size, seating, lighting and acoustic treatment together. A media room has to work as an everyday room as well, so the television, speakers and equipment usually need to be less obvious when they are not being used.
Can you hide the equipment?
Most of it, yes. In-wall and in-ceiling speakers keep the bulk of the system out of sight, and plaster-over speakers are an option where the interior design calls for something even more discreet. Those positions need agreeing before walls and ceilings are finished, because we need to know what is behind the speaker and where the lighting and other services are going. Amplifiers, processors and sources can normally live away from the room in a ventilated rack.
How is screen size decided?
By the dimensions of the room and where people will actually be sitting. Bigger is not better if the viewing distance is wrong. Speaker position works the same way: a cinema with more speakers will not necessarily sound better if they are in the wrong places.
Does the room need acoustic treatment?
Some rooms do. How much depends on the size and construction of the room, its finishes and the system going into it. Treatment can be built into walls or other finishes so it does not have to look like studio equipment. We also check the bass response around the seating area when the system is commissioned.
Can you upgrade what we already have rather than replacing it?
Often. Speakers, cabling and amplification can stay useful even when displays, processors or control equipment have moved on, so we check what is installed before recommending changes. That matters most with built-in systems, where replacing everything could mean unnecessary work to walls, ceilings or furniture.
Which control systems do you use?
We work with systems including Control4 and Lutron where they suit the project. We only bring things together where there is a reason to. If a normal wall switch is still the easiest way to operate a light, we are happy to leave it as a normal wall switch.
Will our broadband and Wi-Fi cope with it?
Worth checking before anything is specified, because streaming, television distribution, music, control and remote support all lean on the network. A router from the internet provider can be fine in a smaller property and struggle in a larger house, particularly across several floors, extensions or thick walls. On bigger installations we design the network around the AV equipment and use fixed addressing where it is needed.
What happens after it is installed?
Internet equipment gets replaced, software is updated and new source devices get added, so systems do need attention. Our engineers are employed by OBAV rather than subcontracted, so support stays with the company that installed it. Where the equipment allows it, secure remote access lets us check settings without arranging a visit, and if we do come back we already have the information from the original installation.
Book a home cinema design consultation
Tell us about the room. If it is still a drawing we will work from the architect’s plans. If it exists, we will come and listen to it.
Either way the design comes before the product list.
For existing homes, we start by looking at what is already there and what can be reused before recommending any changes.
The system is installed and commissioned by our own engineers, and we remain available for support after handover.
To discuss a home cinema or residential AV project, call 01892 752246 or get in touch with the OBAV team.
Old Barn Audio Ltd
Unit 15 Wylands Farm
Powdermill Lane
Battle
East Sussex TN33 0SU
01892 752246
enquiries@oldbarnaudio.co.uk
We work across London, East Sussex, Kent, Surrey and the wider South East, and travel further for larger projects.