When the owner of a magnificent mansion in St. Paul, Minnesota took on a remodeling project, he had something special in mind for his office — one that brought history and modern technology together in a most impressive way.
Delivering up to 14TB of centralized network storage, Envive's TheaterStation Multi-zone Digital Media Management System keeps all your media in one convenient location. A single TheaterStation Client can connect with a variety of 4TB, 6TB, 10TB and 14TB storage units that fit in standard rack mounts. As your video and audio library expands, so will your Envive system. Users can easily transfer, store and sort music and movies, whether they are created, purchased on hard media or downloaded from the Internet. The complete TheaterStation product line is ideal for either single-zone or multi-zone installations.
In celebration of 60 years developing some of the highest quality sound reproduction products in the world, McIntosh releases the MXA60 Executive System, the company's first standalone integrated audio system.
An Israeli A/V enthusiast faced a quandary not uncommon among home theater builders: Is the space I've set aside big enough for a no-compromise audio solution? The question loomed large as he pondered the entertainment options for a new luxury penthouse he was planning to buy in the heart of Tel Aviv. Making the situation even more challenging, the space had to be acoustically isolated.
Imagine walking into a room with a colossal TV screen 7 feet wide by 4 feet tall, a surround-sound system you can hear but not see, smart lighting and shades, and a ceiling that mimics a beautiful star-lit sky. You plop into one of the six comfy leather recliners, kick back and say: “Alexa, turn on the theater.” Like magic, the lights dim, the shades draw, and a radiant night sky appears above. The popcorn machine turns on and the TV and sound system come alive.
If there's a heaven on earth, it might well be Sedona, the town and breathtakingly beautiful region in northern Arizona famous for its reddish-orange sandstone formations— majestic creations that rise up from the desert landscape and glow brilliantly when the sun rises and sets. Sedona is serene, a place of mystical energy—the embodiment of America the Beautiful. It's easy to see why Wisconsin native John Hayward and his wife Bonnie were drawn there, and why they chose to build their dream home there in 2020.
Mike Baturin is an avowed technology enthusiast and proud owner of a Tesla Model 3, one of his "favorite pieces of tech." As cool as the Tesla is with its cutting-edge all-electric design and ability to rocket to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds, it still ranks second behind his most prized possession—a dedicated theater he designed and built from scratch for his new home in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
Simplicity and home theater equipment don’t often seem to go together. With the constant influx of new products and upgrades, it’s hard to maintain a user-friendly environment. After all, how can you simplify your surroundings and stay ahead of the technology game at the same time? Media servers can help solve this problem. They bring all of your movies, music, and photos to a central location and then let you access it from all around your home. Media servers also provide the integration you need so you’ll be able to just sit down and enjoy your movies and music. What a concept.
Like most readers, I always dreamed of having my own dedicated space for a home theater. Unfortunately, while living in Southern California, we never had enough space. Then came a job opportunity in the beautiful state of Colorado, and our new home had a basement that was the perfect size and location for a home theater. I have a demanding job in the aerospace industry, so my available time to work on the theater was extremely limited. The process of design, prep, construction, and finishing took about two and a half years to complete. Outside of blowing insulation into the walls and ceiling and installing the carpet, I did all the work myself.
Nearly 5 years ago, I read an article in the Lifestyles section of the Orange County Register that caught my attention. A family in an average Orange County neighborhood put in a front projector and large screen to enjoy big screen movies at their house with friends and family. They told of how wonderful it was to see movies at home this way and I wanted to explore that experience.
Tips and tricks for making your system tweakin’ awesome.
Unless you have really expensive tastes, it’s easy to see how spending several thousand dollars on your home theater system can make some very noticeable improvements. That kind of cash could buy a bigger TV, a larger projection screen, a brighter projector, a beefier amp, or a stouter subwoofer. Any of these would put some extra kick in an already kick-butt system. But maybe—like me—you don’t have piles of cash sitting around begging to be stuffed into a store’s cash register. Perhaps you just bought your first HTIB, recently added to your existing system, or (again, like me) you’re simply a classic cheapskate. Whichever it is, let’s say you’ve maxed out your A/V budget for the year. Now what?
What makes a home theater unique depends on the personality and vision of the homeowner. In this Tiburon, CA home, the client, who is a playwright, wanted a comfortable space that was also dramatic and transitional where she could relax for hours watching independent films, invite friends in for deep conversations, or be enveloped in creative thought.
In the past, creating a movie experience at home meant setting up a big screen in the basement and putting in a few recliners. These days, many homeowners are transforming living rooms on the main floor of their homes into home theaters. Some homeowners may even convert a room that’s right beside their kitchen.