Home Movie Theaters

Located in the Soho district of lower Manhattan, the Savant Experience Center is an actual living space complete with a media/living room, home office, master bedroom, kitchen, dining room and a dedicated 800 sq. foot theater. Close to the Apple store, the Experience Center showcases the latest technologies in home entertainment and control to dealers, architects, designers, industry associations, and prospective clients.

New construction has its advantages, especially when building a home theater. Since Innerspace Electronics of Port Chester, New York, was brought in on this project early in the construction, they could ensure that this theater was designed adequately for best picture and sound.

You’re probably asking the same question we asked when we saw this tantalizing video wall: How’s it work?

Prather Warren, owner of Innovative Home Media (IHM), had no idea what he’d signed up for when he agreed to take Triad’s CinemaPlus demo theater after the 2009 CEDIA Expo. It’s not uncommon for manufacturer’s to sell off some demo gear after a trade show so they don’t have to ship it back to the factory...but a whole room?

Bang & Olufsen (B&O), known for their killer designs, makes their 103" plasma TV available in the United States. The Beovision 4-103 is one of the largest TVs on the market. What makes the Beovision 4 stand out from all the others is that special B&O touch. The motorized floor stand lifts the TV from it's position near the ground, when you are ready to view movies or TV. By resting the TV inches from the floor, it becomes less prominent in the room when not in use, according to the B&O press materials. However, I'm not sure how a 103-inch TV is not prominent, no matter where in the room it is located.

<I>Creative solutions for a theater's, er, shortcomings.</I>

Acoustical treatment is an essential part of any great sounding entertainment space but most people look to hide it or subdue it with panels that blend into the room, often masquerading as modern artwork.

Then there are people who crave the unconventional — in this case, a home theater with unique aesthetics instead of the stereotypical designs often seen in Sound & Vision and other magazines.