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These empty nesters enjoy pictures big and small, thanks to home networking.
A married couple in Canada were in a quandary: They couldn't go to the movies often because of their two small children. But they loved the cinema experience, so they needed an alternative.
The solution was to have their own home theater room built in their basement and engineered specifically to optimize audio and video for the 14-by-20-foot space. Definitive Sound Inc. was chosen to do the installation, and, according to Definitive's Anthony Lobo, two specific needs had to be addressed. First, the room had to be soundproofed so that the parents could enjoy movies in surround sound without waking the children. Second, the acoustics had to be as perfect as possible so every nuance of sound could be savored.
Solving both of these issues required treating the walls. In addition, a set of bass traps placed in the room's corners and behind the front projection screen should help absorb low resonant sounds and render smooth and clean audio.
For impressive video, a high-definition front projector was chosen. And when it comes time to watch, distinct lighting schemes can be selected through a keypad controller, varying from lighting for movie "intermissions" to watching television and having more light for when the children are watching by themselves.
The entire installation took three months, and the family is so happy that they never go "out" to the movies anymore. The only problem is that now it's sometimes tough refusing visitors who want to come over and watch.
Equipment List
Focus
The high-definition InFocus SP7205 DLP projector provides a large, high-res and tack-sharp image.
Video
InFocus SP7205 DLP projector
Stewart Filmscreen 100-inch 16:9 Studiotek 130
Speakers
M&K S150 THX speaker system
M&K MX150 THX subwoofers
Electronics
Integra DPS-6.5 DVD player
Integra Research RDA-7 7 channel amplifier
Integra Research RDC-7 THX Ultra 2 preamp/processor
Other Components
Owens-Corning ARS room treatment
Acoustic Science Corp. bass traps
Crestron TPS-4000 10.4 LCD touch-panel
Crestron CP2E control processor
Definitive Sound custom-made chairs
Clark Synthesis Tactile transducers
Bell ExpressVu 6000 HDTV satellite dish receiver
Systems and room design by
Definitive Sound Inc. Mississauga, Ontario
905-828-8828
www.definitive-sound.com
