Custom Home Theater
Home Theater Installation in Portland & Hillsboro
We design and install dedicated theaters, media rooms and living-room systems for homes across the Portland metro. The room is planned around how you watch, the gear is picked to fit your budget, and the whole system is calibrated before we hand you the remote.
★★★★★5.0 from 19 Google reviews20 years installing in the Portland metroOregon CCB# 201122
What we do
Custom home theater design and installation, from one local crew
Most of what makes a home theater great is decided before anything gets mounted: how big the screen should be for where you sit, where each speaker goes, how the room handles light and echo, and where the equipment will live.
We work through those decisions with you, then build it. R&D Audio Video has been installing home theaters around Portland for about 20 years, out of our shop in Hillsboro, and we work with every budget size. One client wants a dedicated cinema with a star ceiling. The next wants a living room where the speakers disappear into the wall and the TV hangs clean over the fireplace.
Either way, you deal with the same people from the free quote to the follow-up call, and you can read about them on our About page.
Room and system design
Screen size for your seating distance, a speaker layout for the room, and options at a few price points.
Projector and screen, or a big TV
4K laser projectors and Dragonfly screens for dark rooms, Samsung, LG, Sony and TCL TVs (up to 115 inches) for rooms with daylight.
Surround sound and Dolby Atmos
In-wall, in-ceiling and freestanding speakers from Episode, KEF and Origin Acoustics, with SVS and REL subwoofers.
Wiring and an equipment rack
Cables run inside the walls to one organized, ventilated rack. See structured home wiring.
Lights and shades that follow the movie
One press dims the Lutron lighting and lowers the motorized shades.
One remote for everything
A Savant, URC or universal remote, plus wall keypads if you want them.
Acoustic treatment when the room needs it
Panels that cut echo and sound bleed, like the slat wall we built for a clinic.
Calibration and a walkthrough
We dial in the sound and picture, show you how it all works, and check back a few weeks later.
Three ways to build it
Dedicated theater, media room or living room
Every one of these is a real R&D install. Pick the one that sounds most like your house.
A dedicated home theater
A room that exists for movies. You control the light, so a projector can throw a picture bigger than any TV, and Dolby Atmos speakers in the ceiling put sound above the seats as well as around them.
- Sound
- 5.2.4 Dolby Atmos, Episode Signature 7 Series
- Electronics
- Marantz Cinema 50 AV receiver
- Picture
- Sony 4K laser projector, 145" Dragonfly screen
- Extras
- Fiber-optic star ceiling, LED-lit AV rack
A media room
A room that handles movie night and everything else. This one has a 120-inch screen and 7.2 surround, and it runs from the same Savant app as the lights, music and thermostats in the rest of the house.
- Sound
- 7.2 surround, Marantz amplification
- Picture
- Sony 4K projector, 120" screen
- Control
- Savant touch panels, remote and app
- Also
- 8 audio zones, landscape audio, a DJ booth
A living-room theater
Theater sound in the room you already use. The speakers go into the wall, the TV hangs flush, and the equipment hides in a cabinet, so the room still looks like a living room.
- TV
- 55" Samsung The Frame
- Speakers
- Two Episode Signature 8" in-wall speakers
- Power & bass
- Sonos Amp, Sonos Sub 4
- Source
- Roku Ultra
The client texted the same night to say the movie sound was amazing.Add music to the other rooms too
Surround sound, explained
What 5.1, 7.2 and Dolby Atmos actually mean
Two speakers, left and right. Fine for the news. Movies are mixed for a lot more than this.
Scroll to build the room out, one layout at a time.
A center speaker carries the dialogue, two surrounds sit beside the seats, and a subwoofer handles the deep bass.
The first number counts speakers at ear level. The second counts subwoofers.
Two rear surrounds fill in behind the seats, and a second subwoofer evens out the bass so every seat gets the same punch.
Good for bigger rooms and wider rows of seating.
The third number counts speakers overhead. Four in the ceiling let sound move above you, so rain falls and helicopters pass over the room.
This is the layout we built in the Dream Theater.
Plan view of a typical theater room. Not to scale.
How it works
How a home theater installation goes with R&D
Free walkthrough and quote
We look at the room, ask how you watch, and talk budget before we recommend anything.
Design
Screen size, speaker layout, where the rack goes, and a couple of options at different price points.
Pre-wire or retrofit
Building new? We wire before the drywall goes up. Existing home? We run cables through the walls and ceiling.
Install and calibrate
Everything gets mounted, connected and tuned, and we show you how to run it from one remote.
Follow-up
A few weeks later we check in to make sure everything still works the way it should.
Featured project
A 5.2.4 Dolby Atmos home theater under a star ceiling
The brief was the best possible room for movie night. We built a 5.2.4 Atmos layout on Episode Signature 7 Series speakers, put a Sony 4K laser projector on a 145-inch Dragonfly screen, and finished the ceiling with fiber-optic stars. The rack behind the scenes also runs the home's whole-house audio and network.
- Project
- Dedicated home theater
- Location
- Portland metro, OR
- Format
- 5.2.4 Dolby Atmos
- Speakers
- Episode Signature 7 Series LCR, Atmos and surround
- Picture
- Sony 4K laser projector, 145" Dragonfly screen
Gear
Home theater brands we install
We recommend whatever fits your room and budget best, whatever the brand. These are the names that show up in our theaters most. See every brand we carry.
Projectors & TVs
Projectors
Screens
Speakers
Speakers
In-wall speakers
Subwoofers
Subwoofers
TVs
Control
Remotes
Lighting & shadesReviews
What clients say about their home theaters
Dan and his team did a great job on my theater room. It looks and sounds amazing! I wish you could hear it!!Adam Hamide, Google review
These guy's did a fantastic job. Very clean and quick. Dan showed up on time and was very friendly. He hooked up some rear speakers for me and calibrated everything. Super good pricing. I highly recommend.Matt Mootz, Google review
Dan did a great job installing our new TV and integrating the Yamaha surround system. Dan wall mounted the TV, speakers and IR extender with all the wires hidden in the wall! It looks great, I will definitely use R&D for all future AV needs.Jasen Levasseur, Google review
Dan and Nate did an outstanding job setting up our home av system. Thoughtful cost effective solutions that look and sound great. Can't see a wire or box anywhere. Follow up and communication were excellent. Very highly recommended!S George, Google review
How much does a home theater installation cost?
It depends on the room, the screen and how many speakers you want. A living room with a TV and in-wall speakers costs far less than a dedicated Dolby Atmos theater with a projector and a star ceiling.
We work with every budget and our quotes are free, so the quickest way to a real number is a walkthrough of your space. Request one here.
Should I get a projector or a big TV?
A TV is brighter and handles rooms with windows and daylight better. A projector and screen make sense when you can control the light and want an image bigger than a TV can practically go.
We install both: projector theaters with 120 and 145 inch screens, and TVs up to the 115-inch TCL we hung at PDX.
Do I need a dedicated room for Dolby Atmos?
No. Atmos height speakers can go into the ceiling of a living room or media room. A dedicated room gives you the most control over light and sound, but plenty of great systems live in rooms that get used for other things too.
Can you install a theater in an existing home, or only new construction?
Both. In new construction we pre-wire before the drywall goes up. In an existing home we run cables through the walls and ceiling so nothing is left showing. More on that on our home wiring page.
Do you calibrate the system after installing it?
Yes. We set up and calibrate the sound and picture before we leave, walk you through how to use it, and follow up a few weeks later to make sure everything still works the way it should.
Can the lights dim when the movie starts?
Yes. With Lutron lighting control and motorized shades, one button on the remote can dim the lights, close the shades and turn the system on.
What areas do you install home theaters in?
We're based in Hillsboro and install home theaters in Hillsboro, Beaverton, Portland and across the Portland metro.
Other services
More ways we can help around the house
Multi-Room Audio
Different music in every room, each at its own volume.
View service 03Universal Remote
One remote that runs the whole system.
View service 04Outdoor Audio/Video
Speakers and screens for the patio, pool and backyard.
View service 05Home Wiring
Structured wiring, all run back to one panel.
View service 06Control Keypads
Wall keypads and touchscreens for every room.
View service 07Network & Wi-Fi
Fast, reliable coverage with no dead zones.
View service 08Lutron Automated Lighting
Scenes, schedules, and lights that follow the sun.
View service 09Lutron Automated Shades
Quiet 25 dB motors that open and close with the sun.
View service 10Surveillance Cameras
Wired cameras on every side of the house, day and night.
View serviceFree quote
Get a free home theater quote
Tell us about the room and how you like to watch. We'll come take a look and give you a straight answer on what it takes.
Home theater installation in Hillsboro, Beaverton, Portland and the greater Portland metro.