Although the COVID pandemic has crippled many businesses, one sector that is experiencing a boom is home renovation. With most of us being locked down in our homes for so long, the nest eggs some folks had put away for travel and vacations are now being redirected to home upgrades, including the addition of big-screen TVs and audio systems.

“Because of COVID, people haven’t been travelling, they haven’t been eating out, so they’re spending a money on theatre rooms,” says Justin Andrews, president of HTAV Inc., a London- based home theatre and audio/video company that specializes in custom home theatre design and installation. His company provides free in-home consultations to help guide homeowners through the entire theatre selection process.

Andrews answers the most frequently asked questions about home entertainment systems.

WHAT SIZE OF TV DO YOU RECOMMEND?
Generally, I come from the school of “there’s no such thing as too big,” unless you’re sitting substantially close to the screen. The resolution is so sharp nowadays, but I would say if the TV is 60 inches or smaller you can be within six feet of the screen. You want to be eight feet back for a 75-inch screen.

What’s the best location in a room for a TV?
It’s such a vague question because I’m not there, so I usually do a consultation and come on site. Based on the room, I’ll recommend where the TV should go and where the sound system works best. If you’re going to put the TV above a fireplace, you don’t want the TV to hang past the fireplace – it looks silly. You want to frame the wall that the fireplace is sitting on.

Is it difficult to add a surround system?
If a room is already finished, it’s hard to do because you need wiring in certain places. You need three front speakers, a minimum of two surround speakers and a subwoofer. Getting wires to those locations poses a lot of challenges in a room that’s already finished, so usually the best solution ends up being a good quality sound bar.