ARTICLE
My First Media Room: The Home Leaver’s Guide To Home Entertainment
December 14, 2023-4 min read
Congratulations on moving into your first home. One of the most important things that can make a new place truly feel like home is getting your entertainment set-up sorted. Sure, you can just stream on your laptop, but “do you want to come over to squint at my laptop?” doesn’t have quite the same allure as “do you want to come over and watch the game on my giant TV?”
Here are some top ideas for transforming your living room into a home cinema you and your friends will love.
Want to expand your entertainment? Discover all there is to know about Big Screen TVs Here
The Big Screen TV
“It used to be that 55” was considered a massive TV, but these days 75”plus is the gold standard,” says John Milonas, The Good Guys Buyer – Televisions and Accessories. That’s because of the improvements to 4K HDR, which allow you to sit closer to a bigger, higher-definition picture and get a more immersive experience. It’s all about bringing the cinema home, minus the sticky carpet!
Features To Look For In A Big Screen TV
The two most important things to look for in any big TV are definition and dynamic range. ‘4K’ refers to the number of pixels on the TV screen – over 8 million, which make the picture look sharper and more detailed. HDR (high dynamic range) brings a higher contrast, or larger colour range, for more beautiful, lifelike images.
After that it all comes down to personal preferences.
“If you play a lot of video games, you’ll need a TV with a high refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 so you can get the most out of the latest gaming consoles,” says John Milonas. “Or, if you don’t want to have a black mirror on the wall all the time, TVs such as Samsung’s The Frame range will put art on display when you’re not using the TV.”
Save On Your TV
You can now get a 4K HDR 75” QLED TV for under $2000, which was unimaginable just a couple of years ago. The TCL 75" C745 QLED Google TV is full Array Android TV with built in smart controls, making it a great choice. TCL makes the screens for other, high-end brands and knows exactly what they’re doing in this space.
Splurge On Your TV
If you want the best of the best, the brand-new Samsung 75” QN900B 4K Neo QLED Smart TV has all the bells and whistles. Its Infinity Display not only looks good, it creates a more immersive experience.
“It used to be that 55” was considered a massive TV, but these days 75” plus is the gold standard.” John Milonas, The Good Guys Buyer – Televisions and Accessories.
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The Projector
If you live in a sharehouse, don’t want to be confined to one theatre room, prefer to watch the footy outside with friends, or like a rom-com date night under the stars, then a portable home cinema projector is the way to go.
Save On Your Projector
With its own built-in speaker, the NEBULA Capsule Portable Projector is the size of a soft-drink can, so you can take it anywhere. It connects to your phone too, which means you can watch anything, anytime.
Splurge On Your Projector
The Freestyle Portable Smart FHD Projector from Samsung is the ultimate portable projector. It is small and light and, with its 360-degree built-in speaker, delivers clear sound evenly around any room in your new abode.
The Big Sound
The picture is only half the experience; audio takes it to a whole other level of entertainment. The good news is that a sound bar doesn’t just have to be for the TV because many allow you to stream Spotify and other services with the TV off. If that’s important to you, look for Bluetooth capabilities or WiFi streaming features.
Save On Audio
Bose makes great audio products and, despite its affordable price tag, this TV Speaker is no exception.
Splurge On Audio
If you’re looking for the best home audio experience, go for a Sonos Arc, two Sonos One SL's for rear speakers, and a Sonos Sub Gen 3 to bring the bass. This arrangement can be used as a standalone, or as part of a multi-room audio set-up.
Smart Lighting
Lighting can really set the scene, whether it’s soft lighting for a romantic date, or team colours for the big game. Make sure whichever smart lighting system you get is compatible with any smart assistants you might want to use it with (Siri, Google Home, Amazon Alexa).
Save On Smart Lighting
The Laser Multi-Colour Smart LED Strip Light (2M) strip will light up your world and you can control the lights at the touch of a button through the Connect SmartHome or Google Assistant app.
Splurge On Smart Lighting
Make a design statement and add ambience to your viewing sessions with the Nanoleaf Triangles Starter Kit - 9 pk. These modular LED light panels are an artistic take on lighting and can be synced with your favourite tunes.
Moving out for the first time? Check out our guide to the perfect laundry and kitchen set-up.
When you’re ready to take the next step in setting up your first home, come visit us at The Good Guys, either in store or online. We’ll look after you with expert advice and the best deals around.
