Does the color of my theater matter?
Today's Home Theaters are exciting entertainment options that provide you and your family with a great space that you can enjoy together. Whether you're watching the latest blockbuster movie, entertaining for the Super Bowl, or playing video games, a home theater is a great investment for your family and your home.
Choosing a color for your theater or media room can seem like a simple task, but if the wrong colors are used, the results can be disastrous. Some colors and shades will react with the image on the screen causing colors in the image to not be accurate. Some colors effect perceived black levels and can make the image appear washed out. Choosing not only wall colors, but furniture colors correctly can have a dramatic impact on the end result.
One of the biggest mistakes to avoid is painting your theater in bright, highly saturated primary colors. As the projector creates light on the screen, our eyes will take in not just the light from the screen, but the reflected light from the walls as well. If the walls are reflecting a large amount of, let's say, red, then the image will appear to be overly red. If there is any ambient light in the room and it is reflecting off of the walls, it will have the same effect. While this effect exists with any color, it is most noticeable with the primary and secondary colors. The primary colors red, green, and blue, and to some extent the secondary colors (yellow, cyan and magenta) are the biggest offenders, however any color that is highly saturated will have this effect.
This does not mean that you cannot use a certain color in your theater. Using various shades of a given color and choosing a shade that is not highly saturated will minimize this effect. Typically, the darker the shade, the lower the impact will be on the image. Black is typically the best color, especially on the front wall, but the effect is lowered as we move towards the rear of the room. If black is not an option, than choosing a neutral shade like grey, brown, or, a dark beige will yield the best results. As with other colors, the darker the color the better.
The ideal color set-up for a high-end theater is using what is known as an AT (acoustically transparent) wall for the front of the theater and then a color like dark brown or grey for the side and rear wall with accents in other dark shades. The AT wall is a false wall that is built in the front of the theater that accomplishes several things. The wall allows the speakers to be placed behind it and moved as needed for optimal acoustic placement. The wall is covered with an acoustically transparent fabric that is also a non-reflective surface for light. This creates a deep black for the front wall around the screen that can be significantly darker than a wall painted black. The AT wall also can house items like curtains to cover the screen when not in use for the ultimate theatrical experience.
Using paints or furnishings with low Light Reflective Values (LRV) will also help with light reflecting from various surfaces. Avoid gloss or semi-gloss paints. Try to use flat paints or paints especially designed for theaters that list a low LRV. Avoid placing highly glossed furnishings in the room such as cabinets or wood accents. While these can look great while the lights are on, once the lights go out, these become little mirrors in the room reflecting light from various angles. While these may not cause the image to wash-out, they can pull us out of the movie experience when we notice the points of light reflecting from the walls. Also try to keep light sources such as electronic equipment out of the room or behind closed doors to avoid the distraction of those little blinking lights.
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