How I used my favorite Apple tech to make my living room into a movie theater

Key Takeaways

A well-equipped home theater setup can lead to a better viewing experience than a movie theater.
An OLED TV is an excellent way to get incredible color contrast and brightness.
Apple HomePods in stereo pair offer Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support, enhancing the home theater audio experience.

I have what I don’t think is too unpopular of an opinion–movie theatres suck. I’m not old enough to remember the “heyday” of going to the theatre. Instead, when sitting in the movie theatre, all I can do is think about how much my neck hurts by cranking it to see the whole screen, how sticky the floors are, how uncomfortable the seats are, how I can’t pause it, so I have to uncomfortably hold off using the restroom for another 60 minutes, and how annoying it is that the person in front of me in blocking my view. On top of all those fantastic cinema benefits, I paid the GDP of a small nation-state for the so-called “experience.” Also, don’t forget that if you want to buy your ticket online, you might be paying an extra booking if you don’t have the theatre’s monthly subscription.

If you can’t already tell, I’m no in-person movie buff. I certainly don’t believe the theatre is the absolute best place to watch a movie. Frankly, I’m not surprised movie theatres continue to struggle after COVID-19 while other industries are thriving. Franky, having an exclusive theatrical release propped up by the fledging awards industry isn’t enough for consumers anymore. There’s so much content from the likes of Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube, to just name a few, that people won’t pay for sticky floors and overpriced snacks as much as they once did.

I’ll admit this is a bit of a rant piece to unload all my frustrations against the theatre industry. Still, while I may not be a movie buff, I am a nerd — a nerd who loves consuming content, appreciates a good user experience, and loves technology — Apple technology specifically. Let me tell you about how I replaced the painful and disappointing movie theatre experience with some of the coolest technology available.

Which streaming service do you use most?

Nowadays, there are way too many streaming service options. Some of them have channels or services within the service (Hulu/Disney+/Fox), and it can be a bit overwhelming on who to choose. With prices rising on all of them, a lot of people are choosing to only have one or two these days, especially as places like Netflix are making it impossible to share on multiple devices without paying absurd monthly rates. Which ones are you using? What shows/movies have convinced you to use those ones?

My home viewing setup

OLED, Apple TV, and HomePods

Braden Newell / Pocket-lint

A life dream of mine is to have a home theatre. While I’m no film buff, I do love consuming good content. This is my way of saying that even though I don’t have home theatre money, I have made some investments to make my living room a hub for an excelling viewing experience. Thanks to four (technically five) pieces of technology, my living room provides me with an incredible viewing and listening experience. One that allows me to pause to grab a snack or pee and doesn’t hurt my neck.

LG OLED 4K TV

Best 55-inch TV for 2020 Get a fantastic new 55 television photo 18

LG OLED C2

An excellent OLED TV for gamers and movie lovers alike.

The television is easily the most crucial part of the viewing experience. A little over a year ago, I bought a 65″ LG OLED 4K TV, and I’ve loved it ever since. OLED displays are known for their superior color contrast and impressive brightness. This particular OLED is also 4K, has a native 120Hz refresh rate, and supports Dolby Vision and Atmos. The quality of the TV was a significant driver of my decision, along with HDMI-ARC compatibility and Apple Home integration. Using Apple Home, I can control the TV via the Remote tile in my iPhone’s control center and automate turning it on and off with Siri Shortcuts. This is all to say that the TV is the centerpiece of my movie-viewing experience.

4K Apple TV

I rely on a 4K Apple TV as my streaming box of choice. Frankly, I believe the Apple TV is the best streaming box on the market. Apple is a privacy-focused company, which makes me feel better, given how notoriously terrible smart TVs and other streaming boxes are for collecting and selling user data. Plus, the Apple TV has a massive catalog of apps for what seems like every streaming service. The 4K Apple TV also supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, creating an incredible viewing experience. Similar to the LG OLED TV, Apple TV also appears in Apple Home, allowing for automation and control via your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch or your voice via Siri.

Best Dolby Atmos speakers: Spatial audio for your home

Turn your living room into a home theater with these surround sound systems.

Belkin HDMI Cable

Belkin UltraHD High Speed 8K/4K HDMI Cable (2m)

While HDMI cables can be as cheap as a few dollars, I opted to spring for a Belkin-made cable sold at the Apple Store to ensure my TV and Apple TV communicate well, and all features work correctly. This particular HDMI cable seems as premium as they come, supporting 8K resolutions and Dolby Vision HDR.

Apple HomePods

Apple HomePod (2nd-generation)

For audio, I use two HomePods in a stereo pair configuration, creating an incredibly powerful audio experience. Another great feature of HomePod is its support for Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos. Two HomePods in stereo pair set as the default speakers with an Apple TV connected creates an amazing viewing experience with unparalleled video and audio. This must be why Apple calls that feature home theatre audio.

Meross Light Strip

As a bonus, I wanted to include the Meross light strip I use behind my TV stand to add a little mood lighting. Meross is an excellent manufacturer of affordable HomeKit-compatible accessories. I own four around my house and have gifted them numerous times. This particular light strip behind my TV often changes colors based on Apple Home automations that align with the TV turning on and off.