STACK #195 Jan 2021

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Tips for creating the perfect family movie night 1 Plan it in advance and make it an ‘event’, so everyone can get excited. 2 Keep digital devices like phones and tablets in a separate room until the film is over. 3 Consider installing some mood smart lighting to set the scene. 4 Pick four films and vote for the movie to be shown. 5 Schedule a toilet break or intermission halfway through the film. 6 What’s a movie without popcorn? Throw it in the microwave and fill up the biggest bucket you can find.

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Turning your residence into a cinema is the ultimate in home entertainment.

I f there’s one positive we can take from last year, it’s the realisation that our home entertainment space is an important part of modern life. With Hollywood in shutdown, digging into the back catalogue of movies presents the perfect opportunity to upgrade what you watch them on. So if you’re keen to create your very own home cinema space, it’s never been easier – all you need is a wall, a projector, and a stack of films to binge in big screen luxury. So what are the benefits in creating your own home cinema? Well, if you’ve got kids, you’ll know all about the financial fear of a family trip to the movies, where you can drop $100 before reaching the candy bar. Then there’s the trying experience of attempting to watch a film amidst constant distractions from glowing smartphones, noisy eaters, and folk who choose the cinema as a venue to catch-up on gossip. Plus, you can’t go to the cinema in your PJs.

7 When the film finishes, spend ten minutes critiquing it.

Grab a projector! If you’re setting up a projector at home, screen size is key in replicating the best cinema experience you can – and the bigger the better, where possible. With that in mind, the following models hit the brief nicely:

The Hisense 100L5F is effectively a smart projector with inbuilt Android TV, 4K UHD resolution and HDR. It delivers a cinema- like experience with a rich colour palette that’s projected onto a generous 100-inch screen (included). And the inclusion of dbx-tv cinematic sound via an embedded 30-watt speaker eliminates the need for an external audio source.

The BenQ TK850i smart projector is powered by Android TV and is ideal for a home cinema, packing a 100”-plus 4K UHD picture that isn’t compromised in brightly lit rooms. It’s easy to set-up, has 2 x 5 watt speakers onboard, and also features HDR for that truly authentic image. And with AirPlay functionality and built-in Chromecast, you can cast content directly to the big screen.

Punching well above its price tag, the excellent BenQ TK800M with 4K UHD resolution features excellent colour accuracy, with HDR making those big screen blockbusters pop with perfect clarity. There’s also an optical zoom option, making it the perfect fit for practically every room size. And when you’re done with movies, it’s also excellent for big sporting events.

If you want a mega-screen experience, opt for the single laser Samsung LSP7T that can hit a whopping 120 inches, or the triple laser Samsung LSP9T that stretches to 130 inches. Despite the impressive screen size, these laser projectors can be positioned mere centimetres from the wall (11.3cm to be exact). HDR10+ will enhance the finer details, while 2.2-channel audio (inbuilt into the LSP7T) and 4.2-channel (in the LSP9T) adds big sound to a big screen.

34 JANUARY 2021

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