Media Rooms · Greater Cincinnati

Media Room Design in Cincinnati

A media room is the room your family already lives in, designed to become a theater when the sun goes down — without looking like one at two in the afternoon. A large display instead of a projector, surround speakers hidden in the walls and ceiling, a subwoofer you cannot find, lighting that drops to a scene when the movie starts, and one remote that runs it all. Phantom Sound has been designing media rooms for Cincinnati great rooms, lower levels, and bonus rooms since 1988.

Media Room or Dedicated Theater?

If the room has one job, build a dedicated theater. If the room has to host Saturday morning cartoons, Sunday football, and a Friday movie, build a media room. Most Cincinnati homes want the second — and it costs a fraction of the first.

What Makes a Media Room Work

Sightlines, Sound You Cannot See, and Light You Can Control

Media room design is mostly about restraint. The display is sized to the seating distance, not to the largest box at the store. Speakers are in-wall and in-ceiling Sonance or Klipsch, painted to disappear; the subwoofer hides in cabinetry or the floor. Daylight is handled with motorized shades rather than a darker TV. And the whole thing runs from a Control4 or Josh.ai system, so “movie” means the shades drop, the lights fade, and the display, receiver, and streaming box all come on together. Done this way, the room looks like a living room and sounds like a theater.

Display Sizing & Placement

Sony, Samsung, or LG displays sized to the room, mounted at the right height with concealed cabling — or a laser projector with an ambient-light-rejecting screen where the room can be darkened.

Hidden Surround Sound

In-wall and in-ceiling speakers with paintable grilles, Dolby Atmos height channels in the ceiling, and a concealed subwoofer. No black boxes on the floor.

Lighting & Shade Scenes

Lutron dimmers and shades on scenes: “movie,” “game,” “clean up.” Tunable fixtures keep the room comfortable during the day and cinematic at night.

Seating & Layout

We plan speaker and display placement around your furniture and sightlines, coordinating with your designer so the room still reads as a living space.

One-Remote Control

Control4 or Josh.ai runs display, audio, streaming, lighting, and shades from one remote, keypad, or voice command. The babysitter can run it.

The best media rooms are the ones guests do not notice until the lights go down.

— Phantom Sound, on designing for the room you live in

Common Cincinnati Media Rooms

Where We Build Them

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Great rooms and family rooms

The most common project: a large display over the fireplace or on a media wall, hidden surround, and lighting scenes in an open floor plan.

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Finished lower levels

Lower levels in Mason, Indian Hill, and Loveland often become hybrid rooms — media room by default, theater with the shades down, golf simulator on the weekend.

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Bonus rooms and lofts

Bonus rooms over the garage make excellent media rooms once the acoustics and light are handled.

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New construction

Pre-wiring the media wall, speaker locations, and shade power during framing makes the finished room cleaner and less expensive. See new construction AV.

Media Room Questions

Media Room Design FAQs

What does a media room cost?

A media room built around a display, hidden surround speakers, and lighting control typically lands well below a dedicated theater, which starts around $10,000 and runs $25,000–$80,000 for mid-range rooms. We quote from a free consultation; ranges are on our pricing page.

Can I keep my furniture and layout?

Yes. We design speaker and display placement around how the room is already used, and coordinate with your designer if the room is being refreshed.

Do I need a receiver and a rack?

Electronics live in a closet, cabinet, or a small rack nearby. Nothing visible in the room except the display and the remote.

Can a media room have a projector?

Yes, with blackout shades and an ambient-light-rejecting screen. For most daytime rooms a large display is the better choice.

Will it work with the rest of my smart home?

Yes — the media room becomes a set of scenes in your Control4, Josh.ai, or Lutron system alongside the rest of the house.

Ready to Design Your Media Room?

Free in-home consultation. We look at the room, sightlines, and light, then give you a written design and price. Serving Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and Dayton.