Custom Installation How-To

<I>Actor Donnie Wahlberg is not opposed to bringing his work home with him to this sleek, simple, high-performance home theater.</I>

A perfect solution for a secondary AV system or for tight quarters, the Modena Series from Omnimount offers a convenient and inexpensive solution for mounting flat panel TV's and holding AV equipment. The three models (37FP, 47FP and 55FP) range in price from $199.95 to $329.95, depending on the size of your TV. The Modena series offers clean lines, smoky black glass shelves and a striking high gloss finish. OmniMount's Lift n Lock system allows for easy attachment of a flat panel TV and locks it securely in place. The supporting back post doubles as a cable management system, to neatly route and organize cables.

Well known as a leading manufacturer of high-end electronics, Anthem has jumped into the business of high definition projectors with two high-performance three-panel 1920 x 1080p LCOS projectors, the LTX300 and LTX500. According to Jack Shafton, Anthem's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, "<I>The video playback capabilities of the LTX projectors mesh perfectly with the industry-leading A/V processing available on our Anthem Statement D2v and AVM 50v. Our dealers can now offer a high-performance, turnkey video and A/V control solution to their customers</I>.”

In today's economy, everyone is looking for high value equipment, especially do-it-yourselvers. <A HREF="http://www.aperionaudio.com/product/Intimus-4B-Harmony-SA,185,70,453.asp... Audio</A> is a direct-to-consumer manufacturer. This business model allows them to cut the mighty costs of distribution and dealer support. So, what you buy is the product and not a huge chunk of the associated costs to market it. The new Intimus 4B Harmony SA system is a complete 5.1 speaker system for only $999. This is the company's most affordable system complete with center channel speaker and subwoofer. The surround speakers can be mounted virtually anywhere - ceiling, on-wall, on stands, or placed on a shelf. They are available in real cherry wood (pictured) or high-gloss piano black.

Here at Sound & Vision we’ve given quite a bit of coverage to Dolby Atmos so far, and rightly so. Editor Rob Sabin has called it “the most discernible advance in home theater sound since the introduction of lossless digital audio formats on Blu-ray. And it’s one that leaves Dolby Pro Logic IIz and DTS Neo: X (height and width-channel surround formats) in the dust.”

This home was a 4500sq.ft. rancher and Custom Video Audio Components (CVAC) was responsible for supplying and installing a completely automated 7.1 surround sound home theater, an elegant touch-screen audio distribution system throughout the house, a Hide-A-Hose retractable central vacuum system and, in conjunction with Hilco Systems, installed Honeywell security and Bosch CCTV surveillance systems.

Home theater devotees tend to be homebodies at heart. After all, for the quality of the experience, movies look best in dark, windowless rooms with no sunlight. But, for an alternative theater experience, take your movies outside. There are a number of weatherproof options that will entice even the most devout indoor movie lover, with speakers, flat panels, and enclosures that withstand heat, water, and whatever else you can throw at them. Maybe going outside isn’t as scary as you thought.