Lights, Camera, Drama!

Don't overlook the power of lighting control in your home theater.

What's the most dramatic moment in a movie? Is it the grisly D-day scene in Saving Private Ryan? Or is it when someone finally reveals him or herself, such as the "girlfriend" in The Crying Game? Or perhaps it's when a certain T–rex plucks a lawyer off the potty like a confection from a dessert tray. Mmm, yummy legal tort.

The drama can shift from film to film, from DVD to DVD. But the most dramatic moment in any movie, many experts contend, has nothing to do with flying limbs or even hungry, lawyer-munching dinosaurs. The most intense moment, they say, happens when the lights go down, before the movie even starts.

Think about your own experiences at the movies. There's the buildup of anticipation for the event that is about to begin, and then, finally, the lights dim. You settle into your seat, ready to be transported to another time or place, perhaps to another world. That's the power of a lighting control system in a home theater. It can add that suspense to even a small, family room surround-sound system.

And that's not all good lighting control can do. You can set the amount of light in the room to your liking for watching movies, sports, concerts or Clifford the Big Red Dog. When you need to take a break, answer the door or grab a snack from another room, the right lighting can guide you safely to the exit. You can have task lighting that stays on over a pool table, for example, while the viewing area of your home theater/rec room is dimmed. And when the movie is over, all the lights can come on again gradually.

You can have preset lighting "scenes" that might dim the lights fully for movie viewing, keep them raised for that Friday night poker game, set them halfway for Monday Night Football, or even activate the strobe lights and disco ball for party mode. Virtually anything is possible.

Lighting control systems can be easily operated through wall-mounted touchpads about the size of a light switch and containing a few buttons or by remote control devices programmed by you or a professional electronics contractor. The lights can even be tied into other housewide home control systems and activated through a touchpanel or touchscreen. (See Control Options, page 74.)

There are a few kinds of lighting control systems, ranging from the basic and inexpensive to the more elaborate and pricey. Powerline carrier and wireless systems are often used for retrofits in homes where new wire can't be routed. But if you're in the process of building your home, a hardwired lighting control system is the way to go. In some cases, you may have a combination of powerline, wireless and hardwired lighting control throughout your house.

Powerline Carrier Systems The least expensive type of lighting control operates through a home's existing wiring, or powerline. These can range from lamp timers available at retail stores to more sophisticated systems that cost thousands of dollars and require the help of a custom electronics installer.

Wireless Control Some newer lighting control systems utilize radio frequency (RF) technology and are used often for retrofit systems, sometimes in conjunction with other wired control systems. A processor is typically placed near the home's electrical box or closet, and delivers control signals wirelessly to locations around the house, eliminating the need for a lot of in-wall wiring. Lamps can be controlled wirelessly by plugging them into RF modules that receive the signals.

Hardwired Control These constitute both the most reliable and most expensive lighting control systems. They often work through communications cable, so it's best to plan for these systems when the house or home theater area is being constructed.

Some manufacturers of high-end home control systems also make scaled-down one-room lighting control systems that are ideal for home theater use.

And with the ability to set the lights to the level you want when you want, those dramatic movie moments will be all the more powerful and enjoyable.

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