Dive Into the Best Home Theater Setups for Shark Week
As the Discovery Channel’s annual shark salute turns 30, sink your teeth into pro tips for screens, sound and seating
Gwendolyn Purdom
July 20, 2018
Lover of architecture, history, dogs, the Chicago Cubs, crowded bookshelves, and homes with a story. Former editor at Preservation mag and Culturess.com.
Lover of architecture, history, dogs, the Chicago Cubs, crowded bookshelves, and... More
When you’re watching a sophisticated underwater predator stalking its unsuspecting prey from the safety of your living room couch, it can be riveting on a standard TV. When you’re watching the same dramatic nature scene play out in high-def, with stadium seating and surround sound, you might as well be witnessing the action from the nearest reef.
The Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, running this year from July 22 through 27, is marking its third decade. And as the splashy celebration of all things shark has grown into the annual hypefest we love, the technology with which we consume Shark Week’s brand of eye-popping nature footage has matured too. Between the feels-like-you’re-there sharpness of today’s images to the new developments in soundbars and VR upgrades, it’s no wonder viewers at home are glued to their TVs when the latest epic nature documentary is released.
There’s even some evidence to suggest that watching this kind of wildlife footage can boost one’s mood. In a 2017 study conducted by the team behind the BBC’s acclaimed Planet Earth series, along with a professor at the University of California, Berkeley and an emotional-recognition startup, participants reported increases in feelings of wonder, awe, curiosity and amazement and a desire to explore after watching clips of Planet Earth II.
So what’s the best way to watch on-screen nature in all its awe-inspiring glory at home? We reeled in some insights from a Shark Week underwater cinematographer and home theater experts to find out.
There’s even some evidence to suggest that watching this kind of wildlife footage can boost one’s mood. In a 2017 study conducted by the team behind the BBC’s acclaimed Planet Earth series, along with a professor at the University of California, Berkeley and an emotional-recognition startup, participants reported increases in feelings of wonder, awe, curiosity and amazement and a desire to explore after watching clips of Planet Earth II.
So what’s the best way to watch on-screen nature in all its awe-inspiring glory at home? We reeled in some insights from a Shark Week underwater cinematographer and home theater experts to find out.
Shark-ready screens. Until fairly recently, homeowners looking for an authentic home theater experience were opting for projectors paired with pull-down screens or a white wall in their designated home theater space. Mary Dewalt of the Austin, Texas-based Mary Dewalt Design Group says her team has seen homeowners forgoing projectors in favor of larger TV sets in home theater spaces. “Generally, TVs are less expensive and the screen quality is excellent,” Dewalt says.
Not only are larger, movie theater-style TVs more affordable these days, they typically do better than projectors when it comes to brightness (projectors’ images can be harder to see when there’s ambient light), sound quality and resolution — a must when it comes to bingeing vibrant wildlife footage.
How High Should Your TV Be?
Not only are larger, movie theater-style TVs more affordable these days, they typically do better than projectors when it comes to brightness (projectors’ images can be harder to see when there’s ambient light), sound quality and resolution — a must when it comes to bingeing vibrant wildlife footage.
How High Should Your TV Be?
Joe Romeiro, an underwater cinematographer and shark expert who’s worked on Shark Week programs for nearly eight years, says TVs (typically 720 or 1080 vertical pixel resolution, or even 2160p, if you have the latest 4K Ultra HD system) have yet to catch up with the high resolution these shows are actually shot in (some content is as high as 8000 vertical pixels), but they’re getting closer.
“The footage is shot on so many incredible cameras that seeing it on the big screen is almost a must,” Romeiro says. “High-definition brings out all the detail that is actually there. The footage is usually shot in much higher resolution than even the smartest, most high-resolution TV systems can display. Things are only getting better every year.”
“The footage is shot on so many incredible cameras that seeing it on the big screen is almost a must,” Romeiro says. “High-definition brings out all the detail that is actually there. The footage is usually shot in much higher resolution than even the smartest, most high-resolution TV systems can display. Things are only getting better every year.”
Stirring sound. Amplifying the rush of water or the snap of powerful jaws as a shark makes its attack heightens the at-home watching experience to a lofty level. At-home surround-sound systems have graduated to re-creating the immersive movie theater atmosphere with new technology like wireless soundbars, surround configurations that include multiple back-surround speakers and object-based surround technology that allows numerous different sounds to come from numerous distinct speaker locations. If you’re a stickler for the real deal and have the budget to invest, these types of gadgets and upgrades may be worth your consideration.
Sound, Romeiro says, is one of the key elements that really helps a viewer get lost in the kind of footage he shoots. “I would have a large-screen television in the highest-resolution display and some deep, rich sound to bring all those heart-pumping moments to life,” he says.
See 10 more ways to make your home theater awesome
Sound, Romeiro says, is one of the key elements that really helps a viewer get lost in the kind of footage he shoots. “I would have a large-screen television in the highest-resolution display and some deep, rich sound to bring all those heart-pumping moments to life,” he says.
See 10 more ways to make your home theater awesome
Set the mood. If you do have a projector-and-screen setup, keeping the room as dark as possible when you’re watching something usually helps with the contrast and quality of the image you’re seeing. But if you have a TV that can handle a little ambient light, Dewalt says wall sconces create a welcoming ambiance. “Wall sconces wash the walls with light,” she says.
Sconces, along with recessed lights or table lamps if you need them, can also take the media room from viewing central to a more flexible game room or living space. With blackout window treatments and darker wall paint, once those lights are flicked off again, the space transforms back into a dedicated watch zone.
Find home theater pros near you
Find home theater pros near you
Pass the popcorn. Depending on whether you’re going for movie theater realness or curled-up-at-home comfort, the seating configuration makes a big impact on the vibe of your theater room.
“Large, modular sectionals that allow for flexibility are very popular and allow for the whole family to curl up together,” Dewalt says. This option works well for media rooms that double as game rooms or other multipurpose spaces.
In some high-end projects, more traditional or upgraded versions of movie theater seats (think cushy recliner instead of sticky felt seat) continue to be popular, she says, as do floor risers added to achieve the full effect.
“Large, modular sectionals that allow for flexibility are very popular and allow for the whole family to curl up together,” Dewalt says. This option works well for media rooms that double as game rooms or other multipurpose spaces.
In some high-end projects, more traditional or upgraded versions of movie theater seats (think cushy recliner instead of sticky felt seat) continue to be popular, she says, as do floor risers added to achieve the full effect.
Top off the seating area with a retro popcorn cart, and you’re ready to bite right into Shark Week or other mind-blowing footage you want to experience.
“I haven’t had a day in over 15 years where I didn’t think of sharks or the next steps I was going to take to capture the images that I dream of getting,” Romeiro says. “It could take a lifetime to be satisfied, if ever, but it’s one thing that I’m happy to experience. I’m very fortunate and I don’t take it for granted. I’m lucky enough to bring the beauty of sharks and all the things I love about them to people and places all over the world. It’s something I feel very humbled by and grateful for.”
Tell us: How do you optimize your nature documentary watching at home? Show us your tricked-out home theaters in the Comments!
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“I haven’t had a day in over 15 years where I didn’t think of sharks or the next steps I was going to take to capture the images that I dream of getting,” Romeiro says. “It could take a lifetime to be satisfied, if ever, but it’s one thing that I’m happy to experience. I’m very fortunate and I don’t take it for granted. I’m lucky enough to bring the beauty of sharks and all the things I love about them to people and places all over the world. It’s something I feel very humbled by and grateful for.”
Tell us: How do you optimize your nature documentary watching at home? Show us your tricked-out home theaters in the Comments!
More
Will Shark Week Create a Decor Feeding Frenzy?
Designing Nemo: 30 Fish Tanks Make a Decorative Splash
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