Build a home theater that feels like the real thing
Expert guides, honest product recommendations and free calculators to help you plan, buy and set up the ultimate home cinema — whatever your room and budget.
Independent advice from Sharad Dominic — years of hands-on home theater building, shared free.
Everything you need to plan the perfect setup
With the right combination of equipment and acoustics, you can replicate the cinematic experience at home. Home Theater Academy exists to share exactly how — with in-depth guides, practical tools and carefully researched product picks.
Free planning calculators
Work out room size, projector throw distance and ideal viewing distance before you spend anything.
In-depth educational guides
Meticulously organised articles covering projectors, TVs, speakers, soundbars, subwoofers and AV receivers.
Recommended products
Top-rated picks for every part of your setup — from projector screens to media players and theater chairs.
Get the geometry right before you buy
Setting up a home theater is exciting — and challenging. These simple calculators take the guesswork out of the ideal viewing and audio experience.
Room Size Calculator
Find out whether your room suits the screen and seating you’re planning.
Calculate room size →Projector Throw Distance Calculator
Position your projector for a perfectly sized, perfectly focused image.
Calculate throw distance →Viewing Distance Calculator
Get the ideal distance between your seats and the screen for TV or projector.
Calculate viewing distance →What are you setting up?
Our guide library is organised by component, so you can go straight to what you’re researching.
Projectors
Choosing, placing and tuning a projector for a big-screen picture at home.
Projector guides →Televisions
OLED, QLED, QNED and more — decode TV technologies and pick the right panel.
TV guides →Speakers
Surround layouts, speaker placement and getting true cinema sound.
Speaker guides →Soundbars
Big sound without the rack of equipment — when a soundbar is the right call.
Soundbar guides →Subwoofers
Placement, tuning and picks for deep, room-filling bass.
Subwoofer guides →Receivers & Amplifiers
The brain of your system — choose and configure the right AV receiver.
Receiver guides →Half of the cinema experience is what you hear
A great picture only gets you halfway. Our speaker, subwoofer, soundbar and receiver guides walk you through building audio that matches your screen — including what to buy and where to put it.
Explore all educational articles
Plan your home theater in three steps
Measure your room
Use the room size, viewing distance and throw distance calculators to understand what your space can support.
Learn before you buy
Read the guides for each component — projector or TV, speakers or soundbar, receiver and subwoofer — so you know exactly what matters.
Choose with confidence
Pick from our recommended products for every category, matched to what your room and budget actually need.
Our top-rated picks for every part of your setup
Skip the overwhelm. We maintain curated lists of the best projectors, receivers, subwoofers, soundbars, speakers, projector screens, theater chairs, media players and outdoor screens.
Frequently asked questions
What can Home Theater Academy help me with?
We publish modern home theater tips and in-depth guides to enhance and optimise your viewing experience — covering projectors, televisions, soundbars, subwoofers, speakers, and AV receivers and amplifiers — plus recommended product lists and free planning calculators.
Which free calculators are available?
Three planning tools: a home theater room size calculator, a projector throw distance calculator and a viewing distance calculator.
How are the guides organised?
The article library is organised by component category — projector, televisions, soundbars, subwoofer, speakers, receivers & amplifiers, and general topics — so you can navigate straight to the subject you’re researching.
Who writes Home Theater Academy?
The site is written by Sharad Dominic, who has spent years replicating the cinematic experience at home and shares the knowledge gained along the way.
Do you recommend specific products?
Yes — curated top-rated picks across projectors, receivers, subwoofers, soundbars, speakers, projector screens, home theater chairs, media players and outdoor movie screens, all on the Recommended Products page.
Ready to build your dream home theater?
Start by measuring your room with a free calculator, then follow the guides from screen to sound.
Stock imagery via Freepik/Magnific.