Frequently asked questions
Answers to the questions we hear most about Home Theater Maestro. If yours is not here, the About page explains how to reach support.
The application
Is HTM free?
Yes. The Standard version is free and covers the whole design journey: 3D speaker placement, predictive acoustics, importing your REW and Audyssey measurements, video calibration analysis. An optional Pro licence, paid once, unlocks the deepest analyses and professional deliverables.
Which platforms does HTM run on?
Windows (through the Microsoft Store), macOS, Linux and Android. A single download page gathers everything. You can also try the demo in your browser, nothing to install.
Do I need an account or an internet connection?
No. HTM runs fully offline, with no account, no sign-up and no tracker. Your projects stay on your machine. The only network request is the new-version check at launch: a plain anonymous fetch of a static file, which you can turn off in Settings.
Can I try HTM without installing anything?
Yes: the online demo runs in the browser and gives access to the design journey. For a real project the installed app remains the better choice: it is faster and your files live on your machine.
Your room
My room is not rectangular. Can HTM model it?
Yes, and that is one of its specialties: attics and sloped ceilings (with beams), L-shaped rooms, fan-shaped trapezoidal rooms, open-plan living rooms with extensions, and even a free polygon drawn point by point or imported from a 3D model (SketchUp, Blender, phone scan). Speaker placement and acoustics follow the real geometry.
Do I need a microphone or measurement gear to use HTM?
No. HTM is a predictive tool: it works from your room's geometry and your speaker positions, before any purchase or drilling. If you later want to check the prediction against reality, a measurement microphone and the free REW software are enough: see the REW measurement guide.
Does HTM replace REW or ColorHCFR?
No, it complements them. REW measures acoustics, ColorHCFR measures the picture: HTM predicts before the work is done, then imports their measurements to compare predicted and real and help you correct. Both tools stay free, and our guides (REW, ColorHCFR) walk you through them.
Your projects
How do I save or archive a project?
The app saves your work locally as you go. To archive or transfer, export a .htmp file from Settings. The export carries the whole geometry, the audio configuration, imported measurements and the treatment plan.
How do I share a project with an installer or a friend?
Just send them the exported .htmp file, by email or through the cloud. On their side they import it from Settings, or simply open it. The whole project travels in that single file.
Can I work on several rooms in parallel?
Yes: the project manager lets you create, duplicate and compare as many as you need, each with its own restore points.