Pro Football Player Specifies his Dream Theater

Home theaters can be big, small, modest or elaborate. The owner of this medium-sized media space (a pro football player whose name we can’t mention) wanted his theater to reflect his football career and suit the unique needs of his family. First and foremost, the audio had to come through loud and clear, but not so it would disturb his newborn child or wife. Custom sound baffles were installed to keep the home theater’s audio isolated from the rest of the home, even when the volume is cranked.

The seating had to fit exacting requirements; he’s a defensive player, a.k.a. a big guy- too big for most standard seating. Instead, he wanted seats that could combine as a couch and recline individually.

Last but not least, he asked that custom electronics (CE) pro Todd Puma of The Source Home Theater, Staten Island, N.Y., design a family crest and inscribe it into the carpet of the theater. Of course, the video had to be stunning, the lighting controllable and the entire environment immersive.

“What I loved about this project is that the customer came with all of these unique needs,” Puma says. “Sometimes [integrators] need to tell their clients that what they want can’t be done the way they want, but we didn’t have to say this to him.” The Source has a holistic approach to home theater—it custom builds everything—so when the homeowner asked for sturdier seating, they already had the people on staff to build it. Ditto for the family crest: The Source used its in-house craftsmen to inscribe it into carpeting. The Source also custom-built the seating so that it could hold an entire defensive team. Organized into three rows, the seats can serve as a couch or as individual recliners.

To complete the space, The Source went with an Anthem LTX 500 projector and Screen Innovations Black Diamond screen. “I’ve never seen a projector and a screen work so well together,” says Puma. “There was no wash out; it looked like a large plasma TV. The projector is great, and the screen is 10 years ahead of its time”.

Now, that’s a big claim; 10 years in home electronics is huge. So what is it about this combination that is so revolutionary? To begin, the LTX utilizes a liquid crystal on silicon technology, which results in a 50,000:1 native contrast. With this projector, you get darker blacks and clearer whites at the same time. The Black Diamond screen contributes through a design that’s maximized for high light output from a projector. The materials of the screen absorb the light so well that the projector’s high contrast can be effectively used; the blacks aren’t washed out, and the whites are crisp and clear.

Check out some of the photos to see this installation from beginning to end.