Click for larger view. “24” (c) 2006 Fox Broadcasting Co. Photo Credits: Randall Perry; Kelsey McNeal/Fox
Sometimes a great spot for a home theater is right under your nose.
After constructing a new building to store his many vehicles, Gary Johnson decided to turn the original two-car garage of his house into a home theater. A construction contractor by profession, Gary gutted the place and installed a radius ceiling made of tongue and groove cedar, put in raised flooring for theater seating and added low-voltage accent lighting and custom cabinetry.
He left the design and installation of the audio and video gear up to OVA Solutions of Naples, FL. When company president Mike O’Conner saw how well the room was taking shape, he knew the systems he selected for the space had to be high-end. A top-of-the-line 1,500-watt JBL 7.2 surround-sound system and a 50-inch high-def JBL plasma TV set the stage for a remarkable moviegoing experience.
Speakers and subwoofers placed within the cabinetry and behind the curtains may not be seen, but they are definitely heard. Because the theater resides in the garage, the Johnsons can crank up the volume without disturbing the rest of the house. The location also makes the room feel like a special destination, says O’Conner, where it’s impossible not to have fun. A pool table, commercial soda machine, two slot machines and a bar offer plenty to do before and after the show.
Ok, the large picture does show the full cutain affect and helps clean up the area, but still leaves the reflective surface under the TV, and also high-lights other design issues.
The large curtain area makes the 50’ plasma look very small, with such a large area the money on the plamsa would have been better spent on a projector and screen. Also, the viewing ‘stage’ is offset from the cieling, which added with the oversized curtain area will throw proportion and balance off for the viewers.
The wood work is very nice though.
Ugh!
No attempt to hide the duplex plugs and a curtain (of sorts) semi-hiding the wire to the L and R speakers.
Strange short curtain above the screen? Prpose?
Bad gossy top on surface under the screen which would reflect the screen’s images and distract from looking at the screen from certain positions.
So he spent some time on the ceiling. No picture to see whether it enhances or detracts from the space.
No mention of lighting. A VERY IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN ANY HOME THEATER.
Too bad.
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Its very elegant assignment to produce a research about this… I purchased at… 
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All that space and only a small flatpanel TV? That area would fit a projector screen really well.