Crafting the Ultimate High-End Media Room with BMC Audio Visual

A proper media room should look like architecture and sound like a cinema. That means getting the room, light, acoustics, network, and control right—before you even pick a TV or projector. Here’s our blueprint for a world-class space, plus how BMC Audio Visual partners with homeowners, architects, and builders to deliver it in Melbourne.

1) Start with the brief, not the brand list

We begin by understanding how you’ll actually use the room: streaming and sport most nights, films on weekends, gaming with low latency, or all of the above. From that we scope:

• Screen type (large TV or micro LED Wall vs projector), ideal size, and viewing distance
• Seating layout and riser heights
• Sound isolation (keep the neighbours happy) vs acoustic treatment (make it sound good inside)
• Joinery, lighting, and control that suit the home’s aesthetic

Pro Tip: Spare bedrooms are gold. They’re right-sized, already have a door, carpet and curtains, and can be converted with minimal construction.

2) Screens & sightlines: comfort first, spectacle second

• Size: Aim for a 30–40° field of view. As a rule of thumb, viewing distance ≈ 1.2–1.6× screen width for films.
• Height: Keep the centre of the image near seated eye height (≈ 1,000–1,100 mm).
• TV vs projector:
  • Bright, multipurpose spaces often favour a mirco LED Wall or 98″ TV plus bias lighting.
  • Light-controlled rooms shine with a projector + acoustically transparent (AT) screen so speakers sit at the correct height behind it.
• Above-fireplace fixes: If plans can’t move, we integrate a motorised drop-down mount to bring the screen to eye-line, then stow it away.

Pro Tip: Large Micro LED walls can be showcased as a giant wall art with moving artwork or the large TV can be framed in such a way that it would look like a picture frame.

3) Why discrete speakers beat soundbars (every time)

Soundbars are tidy, but high-end performance needs channels, power and placement.

• 2.1 often beats a premium soundbar at the same spend. Two quality speakers + a subwoofer create real stereo width, depth and bass authority.
• Channel separation: Discrete left/right speakers image far beyond the TV edges; soundbars beam-steer but can’t match physical spacing.
• Power & headroom: An AV receiver or power amp delivers the current peaks films require; compact bar amps clip sooner.
• Aesthetics: Discrete speakers can disappear—in-wall, in-ceiling or hidden behind an AT screen—so you keep the architecture clean.
• True immersion: “Virtual surround” modes aren’t in the same league as discrete 5.1, 7.1.2 or 9.4.6 Dolby Atmos layouts. Heights above, surrounds around, subs placed properly—this is cinema.

Our starting points

• Living room luxury: Hi-Fi floorstanding speakers or 2.1 or 3.1 in-wall speakers with concealed subwoofers
• Dedicated media room: 5.1 or 7.1.4 (ceiling heights permitting)
• Flagship builds: 9.4.6 with multiple subs for even bass

4) Subwoofers & bass management: the feel-it factor

One big sub in the corner = boomy. Two (or more) smaller subs placed correctly = even, powerful bass across the whole sofa. We model room modes, specify locations, and calibrate with the processor so bass integrates invisibly with the mains.

5) Acoustic science that looks like design

Isolation keeps sound in; treatment shapes sound inside.

• Isolation (build phase): double-stud or resilient channels, sealed doors, quiet HVAC paths.
• Treatment (fit-out): fabric-wrapped broadband panels, discreet bass traps, and tasteful diffusion. We turn these into design features—ribbed timber, stretch fabric walls, or printed acoustic art.

6) Lighting that reduces fatigue and elevates mood

• Layered scenes: downlights on dimmers, indirect lighting, wall-wash, LED coves, star ceilings where desired.
• Colour temperature: warm evenings (2700–3000 K), neutral for day.
• Bias lighting: behind TVs for better perceived contrast and happier eyes.

7) Sources, processing & reliability

• Rock-solid sources: Kaleidescape for bit-perfect films, Apple TV/streamers for everyday content, optional UHD disc.
• Video processing: madVR Envy or Lumagen for reference HDR tone-mapping, geometry control and subtitle lift—critical for projectors.
• Networking: wired Ethernet to rack and display; Wi-Fi only for low-stakes devices. Smooth streaming beats spec sheets.

8) Control that anyone can use

A single remote or elegant keypad labelled Watch, Music, Game, All-Off. Behind the scenes, your system can be Savant/Lutron—your family shouldn’t have to think about it.

9) Joinery, cabling & ventilation: invisible but essential

We place noisy electronics in a ventilated rack outside the room, run fibre/HDMI through conduits for future upgrades, and leave access panels for service. Clean façades, no cable spaghetti.

10) Apartments & Rentals: Bespoke, Moveable Media Rooms (No Compromise)

Live in an apartment or lease your place? We design joinery-based media rooms that deliver discrete speakers, dual subs and clean cable management without punching holes through common walls. Our modular cabinetry integrates in-wall–grade speakers behind fabric grilles, ventilation for hidden electronics, and removable acoustic panels that mount without damaging finishes. When you move, the system packs down and relocates—joinery, speakers, subs and control—so you keep the performance (and the investment) for your next home.

Our process (so your build runs smoothly)

1. Consult & concept – lifestyle, aesthetics, drawings
2. Engineering & modelling – sightlines, SPL/bass, HVAC, power
3. Architect/builder coordination – CAD for studs, conduits, back-boxes
4. First-fix & rack – silent ventilation, clean cable looms
5. Fit-out – screens, speakers, lighting, joinery
6. Calibration & handover – audio, video and control scenes tuned to your room. Client training

Why BMC Audio Visual?

• Two decades delivering design-led, reference-grade private cinemas and media rooms in Melbourne
• Expertise in concealed in-wall/ceiling solutions that outperform soundbars while keeping interiors pristine
• Proven immersive layouts (5.1 to 9.4.6) with measured results, not guesswork
• Showroom demos so you can hear the difference between a premium soundbar and a well-built 2.1, 5.1 or 7.1.4

Ready to plan your high-end media room?

Book a free 30-minute design consult—leave with a floor-plan sketch, screen and seating recommendations, and a budget pathway that makes sense.

• Explore options: Custom Media Room (Melbourne)
• Visit our showroom: 2 Florence Street, Burwood (by appointment)
• Call: 03 8683 9910
• Email: support@bmc-av.com.au