Recently Filed in Home Theater

These homeowners have catapulted a 50-year-old ranch-style home into the 21st century with modern, minimalist design, with the help of custom electronics pro London Audio. Blonde woods, glistening stone, premium leathers and polished chrome replaced the Cold-war design elements during this complete home makeover. And the basement bonus room has taken on new life as a dedicated screening room. “This young and stylish couple had little interest in an Art Deco or traditionally styled theater,” says London Audio’s Rick Ho. “They wanted their screening room… View this story
Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Home Theater • Audio • Cool Homes

Randy Murray thinks of his theater as a “modest” effort. While that may be true when compared to the lifestyles of the rich and famous, we prefer Randy’s cozy, complete theater experience. When we say “complete,” it’s because Randy’s entire basement level is dedicated to making the perfect movie night. Walk into this basement, and you’ll be treated to a pre-show experience—as well as a complimentary box of Junior Mints. “We felt strongly that the movie experience was only part of what we wanted, so… View this story
DIY Home Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

Not everyone likes to see their audio and video equipment blinking and buzzing away in the corner. Nor do some people admire speakers set out on the floor. The owners of this renovated basement wanted absolutely nothing but the screen to be seen in their theater, posing an interesting challenge to the home theater designers at Media Rooms Inc. in West Chester, Penn. “One wall was the foundation with very little space between it and the new drywall, while the other three walls abutted living… View this story
Basement • Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

A great theater at a low cost? The result of this nifty project had one designer estimating that it cost $40,000, when the reality was under $15K, according to custom electronics pro Surreal Systems. The room was designed for use for the family including two young children, to enjoy movies and sporting events. Along with keeping costs down, “we had to compete with the homeowners’ desire to have a lot of storage space, which left very little options for front speaker locations,” says Surreal Systems’… View this story
Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Home Theater • Cool Homes

When the Lowes step into their theater, sometimes they don’t even bother to turn on a movie. There’s just too much other eye candy to savor besides the 125-inch screen. Designed in an Art Deco style, the 330-square-foot space is embellished from top to bottom like a 1930s movie palace. Remarkably, nothing was ordered from a catalog, came from a store, or was pulled out of a box. Each piece, from the 8-foot DVD storage cabinet and the comedy and tragedy wall ornaments that flank… View this story
Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

Basements are a prime spot for home theaters. They’re away from the rest of house so you can decorate them as you like and crank the audio without bothering anyone. They’re also a blank canvas, giving you and your contractor the liberty to build them out however you want. On the flip side, there’s always a possibility that the room could flood, and with few (if any) windows or doorways, it could be difficult to escape the room should you need to leave the house… View this story
Basement • Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Home Theater • Cool Homes

This homeowner wanted an authentic looking theater with lots of ornate woodwork and a “real theater feel” for watching sporting events and movies in style. Custom electronics professional Home Systems teamed up with builder Elie Contracting and planned a room that offered isolation from the rest of the home and also had perimeter walls with dimensions that were satisfactory for the theater layout. Other advantages were cement foundation walls and multiple layers of Sheetrock and MDF woodwork, along with wall coverings to limit sound transmission… View this story
Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Home Theater • Cool Homes

How will a video projector and a 100-inch screen fit into my family room? Is there a way to incorporate a suite of seven speakers into a space without interfering with my artwork? What colors will look best in the basement when I decided to put in a home theater? Custom electronics professionals are asked these questions daily by homeowners interested in outfitting their abodes with technology. Many people, no matter how tech-savvy they are, simply can’t envision how a room will look after it’s… View this story
Home Theater • Product News • Research

This theater room is pretty fly — for a Best Buy guy. Sure, we all have our gripes about past retail experiences. However, Jeff Jergerian is the type of guy we’d want to run into when seeking out electronics. He knows his stuff, and isn’t afraid to test some of that knowledge. About five years ago, he took his work experience to task, and turned out a killer basement theater. Jeff currently works in Best Buy’s customer research and development area. “I actually work on… View this story
DIY Home Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes

In “Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith,” Chancellor Palpatine invites Jedi warrior Anakin Skywalker into his impressive office overlooking the capital Galactic City (aka Imperial City). It’s a pivotal moment in the film and the saga, for it is there that Palpatine invites the young Jedi to be his personal representative, setting in motion an inevitable clash. Nothing in the saga will ever the same. Home theater owner Steve Simon had a pivotal moment as well, though his likely didn’t involve Jedi forces and… View this story
Movies and Music • Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

People are fixated on video. After all, it’s the most obvious part of the home theater. But it’s a huge oversight if your system’s audio doesn’t match the quality of its video. Why this happens is obvious: The video guys have done a better job of educating consumers on the benefits of a calibrated video system. Led by the efforts of people like Joel Silver of the Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) and Joe Kane of Joe Kane Productions (JKP), video experts and manufacturers have enlightened… View this story
Receivers • Home Theater • Audio

So you’re up to speed on the Digital TV transition set to take place at midnight on June 12, 2009, right? (If not, read ”Everything You Need to Know About the Digital TV Transition.") If so, you know that the only people that are going to have to take action before the transition are those who are currently watching free, over-the-air broadcasts of TV on an analog TV. Those folks will have to buy an external digital-to-analog converter box in order to continue watching free,… View this story
Displays • Set Top Boxes • Digital TV Transition • How To • Home Theater • Info and Answers • Research