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Kensington Home Technology has been featured in The Sunday Times, as their Tech Consultant under the banner 'Ask the Experts':

I am looking to install a home cinema in my basement. What factors should I consider and how much is it likely to cost?

JW, Ealing

When installing a dedicated home cinema it is a good idea to consult an audio-video consultant early in the planning stage. They can manage the whole process — from sales to fitting — to ensure you get the best solution for your space and budget. If the room is not going to be used solely as a home cinema, it can be designed for mixed usage.

Next you need to decide whether you want a projector-based or LCD/plasma-based system. Projector-based solutions provide bigger imagery but are more complex to install. The screens can be either drop-down (discreetly recessed into ceiling cavities) or fixed, such as the XScreen range from Planar. Fixed screens are easier to install but are not appropriate for everybody’s lifestyle.

To create surround-sound you can buy “cinema in a box” products — they are available from Primare, Denon and Arcam for about £1,000.
For better quality surround-sound, you need to install separate components. This will allow for future upgrades. The heart of the solution is the receiver: this is a tuner, a multi-channel amplifier and a signal processor all in one box. Prices for receivers range from £200 to more than £4,000. Companies such as Lexicon and Parasound use separate units for processing and amplification, which provide the best performance but start at £6,000.

Speakers can be free-standing, in-ceiling or in-wall and need to be positioned correctly in relation to the screen and the viewing position. You generally have five, six or seven speakers and a sub-woofer. The range of types, finishes and styles available is enormous, so you can find ones to suit your budget and interior design. Home-cinema speaker packages range from £500 to £5,000, but you can spend a great deal more.

Finally, you should consider the room itself. The correct lighting will greatly enhance your viewing pleasure. Being able to eliminate ambient light will improve the quality of the image, particularly with projector-based solutions. Acoustic materials, video servers and specialised seating will all give the true home cinema experience — budget willing.

Malcolm Stewart is co-founder of Kensington Home Technology, a custom installation company

e-mail your questions to propertyexperts@sunday-times.co.uk