A Home Theater Perfect for Gaming & Sports

Monday, 10 August 2020

Sports and Video Game Fans, Tailor Your Home Theater Design to Your Interests

Home theaters are typically thought of as a room for film buffs to watch movies and nothing more. But, if you’re a sports fan or an avid gamer, you’re missing out on true immersion without a high-end home theater. Suddenly you’ll be transported onto the baseball diamond with the Marlins or part of the action in Call of Duty.

By planning ahead, your home theater design can appeal specifically to sports and video games. For the ultimate game nights in your Lighthouse Point, FL, home, read our tips below.

Home Theater for Sports

Increase Refresh Rate

Have you ever watched a game on ESPN, and the action seems to be followed by a blur during major plays? The TV’s refresh rate was probably not high enough to show the fast-changing action. A refresh rate is the number of images displayed per second on a screen. Most older TVs have a 60 Hz refresh rate, but new LCD screens offer 120 Hz. With a 120 Hz refresh rate, you’ll enjoy smoother videos that show every precise movement.

Multi-Display & Video Tiling

Want to catch more than one game? A multi-display setup is a unique take on the home theater. Rather than use one large projector screen, you might use two or three flat-panel TVs on the front-facing wall to keep your eye on the scores of multiple games. An integrated system like Control4 makes it easy to select which television will display a specific program. And with the video tiling feature, you can enjoy multiple squares of content on one TV or projection system.

Over-the-Air Antennas

Have you heard of over-the-air antennas? They’re still a well-kept secret that allows you to watch channels for free without cable or a streaming subscription. The antenna can be connected to your home theater and deliver live video right to your display. The signal may be spotty or nonexistent in certain areas, depending on your proximity to a broadcast tower. But if you’re close enough, this is an excellent way to bring live sports to your theater without having to depend on your cable or satellite provider. Need more reasons to consider this option? The video quality is absolutely stunning!

Home Theater for Gaming

Reduce Latency & High Refresh Rate

Latency, or input lag, is the time it takes for a screen to process a button’s command in a video game. If you’re playing Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, or another gaming console, you’ll want to find a TV with latency as close to zero as possible. Like when watching sports, your screen should have a high refresh rate so the image doesn’t pixelate and buffer. Some modern televisions even have a gaming feature, which lowers latency and in larger sizes, are a great fit for a home theater.

Hardwired Network Access

If you’re connecting to the internet to make downloads and play with friends, that will certainly slow down your home’s Wi-Fi network. It’s smart to add a hardwired network to your home theater so that all necessary internet traffic is handled on its own network. You won’t slow down the rest of the house and can always expect a speedy performance.

8K Displays

Whether you’re running through a medieval landscape or war-torn cities, an 8K display will transform your gaming experience. The richer colors and precise detail make any scene hyper-realistic. 8K screens provide four times the resolution of 4K, and while 8K gaming content may not be available yet, that’s the direction all entertainment is heading towards. If you’re interested in an 8K theater, the investment will significantly improve future gaming.

Is it time to upgrade your sports and gaming enjoyment? Contact First Priority Audio in South Florida to discuss your new home theater or media room installation. We look forward to speaking with you!