Skip to main content

9 home theater apps to improve your big screen with a small screen

improve big screen headerCustomizing your home theater is a blast. But what do you do once you’ve already mounted that ultra-thin flat-screen, installed that nuclear speaker system, and hooked up the Blu-ray player that does everything but your taxes? Chances are, your wallet’s lost a few pounds by then; so if you’re not done optimizing your home theater experience, you’ll want a slightly cheaper alternative going forward.

Well, there’s an app for … you know the rest. Let’s try to get through an app-related article without using that particular cliché. That being said, home-theater applications have progressed far beyond the “Wow, I can use my phone as the remote” stage. Apps can now enhance your home theater experience in a ton of creative and useful ways. And the best part is, they usually won’t set you back more than a few bucks. Here’s a list of 9 apps that are great utilities for any home theater system.

runpee app icon movies home theaterRunPee (free) for iOS, Android, Windows 7

Besides being a great conversation piece, the RunPee.com app is actually very useful. Look up whatever movie you’re watching and the app will identify several spots where the action lulls and you can sneak in a bathroom break without missing much. Granted, if you’re all alone there’s something called a pause button, but if you’re the owner of a swanky new home theater system, odds are you’ll be hosting a room full of moochers from time to time.

runpee app android apple windows 7
Image used with permission by copyright holder

home theater glossary iconHome Theater Glossary ($0.99) for Android

This app is a simple glossary of home-theater keywords, with each defined in layman’s terms, rather than in techy talk. Whether you’re trying to educate yourself before making a major purchase, or you want to impress your friends with your technical lexicon, this app is for you.

home theater glossary app
Image used with permission by copyright holder

dijit icon mobile appDijit (free) for iOS, Android

Remember when you used to watch MTV Cribs and gawk as celebrities whipped out their home-controlling remotes? They’d turn on the lights, close the curtains, and fire up the flat-screen, all with a couple of taps on a touch screen. Nowadays, all you need for that kind of omnipotence is a smart phone and an empty bank account. Dijit’s free universal remote app, hooks up to home theater equipment and appliances alike, so you can control your home from the palm of your hand.

dijit screenshot mobile app
Image used with permission by copyright holder

imdb icon home theater moviesIMDB (free) for iOS, Android, Windows 7

If an actor or actresses’ name is on the tip of your tongue and you’re wracking your brain trying to remember, fret not. You can pull up their life story in seconds with IMDB’s free app. You can also screen your movie choices by browsing user-ratings and message board chatter. What cinephile wouldn’t want a movie database at their fingertips?

imdb screen home theater movies app
Image used with permission by copyright holder

 

audiocalc home theater appAudiocalc & Videocalc ($3) for iOS

A duo of apps that essentially function as one, Audiocalc & Videocalc let you optimize your audio and video systems so that you hear every decibel and see every pixel properly. Whether you’re trying to assess your amp power, or figure out where to place your projector, these apps have you covered. At $3 apiece, it’s slightly cheaper than hiring an installer.

audiocalc videocalc screen smartphone app
Image used with permission by copyright holder

itv screenshot home theater appi.TV (free) for iOS

i.TV is one of the dozens of apps that offer mobile TV Guide services, but it simply does it much better than most. Its easy-on-the-eyes interface and streamlined usability are features that set it apart from the throng of apps looking to fill this particular niche. Oh, and its best feature of all? It’s free.

itv screen home theater app ios
Image used with permission by copyright holder

htcables icon home theater education appHTCables ($0.99) for iOS

Another education-based app, the job of HTCables is to guide novices through the process of optimizing their home-theater by choosing the right cables and connections. Cables are typically inexpensive, but choosing the wrong types can diminish your viewing experience. HTCables provides descriptions of most major A/V cables, lists of recommended devices for each, pictures of available products, and links to purchase them – all for just a buck.

htcables screen app ios
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Speaker Pop ($5) for iOS

Speaker pop is a palm-sized polarity tester that will let you know right away whether or not your speakers are wired correctly. The app is useful for both business and pleasure and works by listening for a “pop” sound from the speaker and running a subsequent DSP analysis. Yet another way to make sure you’re getting the most out of your A/V equipment.

speakerpop screen ios home theater app
Image used with permission by copyright holder

db icon iphone decibel appDB ($1) for iOS

DB is one of the more basic entries on our list. It serves as a simple decibel meter, allowing you to calibrate your speaker levels manually. If you’re an avid enough Digital Trends reader, you know that we recommend manual calibration in our home theater speaker setup guide. As an added bonus, those of you who are true audiophiles can use the app to measure the relative loudness of sporting events, concerts, and various other cacophonous events.

DB screen
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Editors' Recommendations

Adam Poltrack
Adam is an A/V News Writer for Digital Trends, and is responsible for bringing you the latest advances in A/V…
How to place and set up your subwoofer for big bass
The Kanto Sub8 in Matte White set up next to a chair.

Whether you're chasing audio bliss for your music system made up of a stereo receiver/integrated amplifier or a bigger, multichannel surround sound system with a sophisticated AV receiver for all your movies or TV watching, you should really get a subwoofer.

These high-performing, cube-shaped cabinets house some powerful speakers and speaker tech designed to deliver bombastic, low-end rumble, punch, and room-filling ambiance that not only sounds great, but can give your speakers a break from all that heavy bass lifting for a cleaner sound with better separation.

Read more
Best Super Bowl 75-inch TV deals — Get a big screen from just $530
2023 TCL Q7 4K QLED TV.

The Super Bowl is right around the corner. If you’re playing host to a Super Bowl party this year or simply want to ensure you have access to the game on a big screen TV, there’s some amazing TV deals taking place right now. Among them are 75-inch TVs, and that’s where we’ve turned our focus for the big game. With a 75-inch TV you’ll have plenty of room to gather around, cheer around, and eat snacks around, and with these 75-inch TV deals you’ll have plenty of opportunity to save as well.
Toshiba 75-inch C350 4K Smart TV — $530, was $800

The Toshiba 75-inch C350 4K Smart TV, like all of the best TVs, produces a stunning 4K picture at four times the resolution of Full HD. It utilizes a high performance 4K engine, Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10, and DTS Virtual X scaling technology to create a highly immersive viewing experience. It also features FireTV, which brings live, over-the-air TV, streaming channels, and your favorite apps together onto your home screen, which makes navigating and exploring content more convenient than ever. Apps such as Apple TV+, Disney+, Hulu and Netflix are accessible from within the Toshiba 75-inch C350’s interface, bringing even more convenience to your home theater. Free shipping is included with this deal at Best Buy, as is in-store pickup at your nearest Best Buy where inventory allows.

Read more
Want Dish in your home? They’ll install it free if you act now
Man watching NFL on Dish.

One of the worst parts of signing up for cable or, to be honest, any new service is the part where you have to wait on the service installation. It can take hours and, even if you're lucky enough to get it done on time, it is costly. But, if you act now, you can get Dish — one of the best live TV services — to come to your house and install your Dish and set up your receiver for free. That's a savings of $200 over the usual charge. Tap the button below to check out how simple getting Dish is, and keep reading to see our take.

What to expect with free Dish installation
Waiting is the worst part of the installation game, of course, almost worse than paying. Once you've ordered the service, you can get it professionally installed for free as soon as tomorrow. But, it can almost ruin your day when a tech is set to arrive at any point over the course of 10+ hours. This is why, on the day of your technician's scheduled visit, you'll get a 75-minute arrival window so you can go about the rest of your day as planned. You'll also get access to My Tech, which takes a page from services like Uber and Lyft to show you exactly where your tech is at on a GPS map. There's no wondering if you'll get a tech today and no wasting time calling support and waiting through the lines.

Read more