Home Movie Theaters

How is constant image height handled in the video system?
An anamorphic screen is a must if you are a true movie fan. The system's Epson Pro Cinema 4050 projector features lens memories to allow easy switching between screen aspect ratios for normal HDTV viewing and movie watching, and a single button-press on the Control4 remote is all it takes to switch between a 16:9 and 2.40: 1 image size. The 2.40:1 Seymour AV screen is also acoustically transparent, which allowed us to put all three front speakers behind the screen. The benefit here is that dialogue emanates directly from the actor's mouth instead of from above or below the screen. Whenever we show our clients the difference that a 2.40: aspect ratio screen makes in our demo rooms, it always gets a "Wow."

Let's hear details about the room's custom-built infinite baffle subwoofer.
We enjoy bass and feel that it's a necessary ingredient for any home theater experience. For this room, we installed two 18-inch woofers in a custom box hidden in the ceiling that fires directly into the room. Both drivers are aimed at each other to help cancel out vibration, and they are powered by a 4,000-watt amplifier and tuned with custom DSP. The end result is smooth, deep, and powerful bass that you can hear and really feel from every seat in the house.

Were there any specific challenges you encountered when designing or installing this home theater?
Since the entire design is not something you can order off Amazon or buy at the local Star Wars shop at the mall, we leaned heavily on Kelly's deep knowledge of the Star Wars films. Every piece in the installation had to be custom-fabricated from scratch, and it took lots of time to create, sand, and apply final painted finishes. The only pre-made item we used was the Han Solo carbonite panel. However, we even customized that with paint and LED lighting panels to make it into a hidden door for the collectibles room. The windows placed throughout the room were a close collaboration with a local sign company, Sigma Signs. (Special thanks to Reggie Washington for the design of the window prints and acrylics, and to his commitment and passion for making sure that the final product matched Kelly's vision.)

The blast door (entry door) proved to be the most challenging feature of the installation. We went through over 20 blue tape designs and plenty of automotive and electrical parts mounted around the doors to get it just right, but it wasn't complete until graphic artist Salvador Rios, Jr. added the weathered grunge finishing touches.

Overall, this project represents nine months of challenges, fun, and fulfillment for us. We hope we get the opportunity to do it again for someone else. May the Force be with you.

All photos: Menary Studio

Special thanks to Julian Migues for his advice on design, fabrication, and installation. Also, thanks to Misty Sterne for her support, and to Tommy Crisher, Mark Weaver, Patrick Hart, and Mike Thomas.—Steve Withey, Elite Innovations

Equipment List
Projector: Epson Pro Cinema 4050
Screen: Seymour AV Premier with Center Stage fabric (124-inch, 2.40:1 aspect ratio)
AV Receiver: Denon AVR-X4400H
Speakers: Episode Signature 1700 Series (7.1.2 Atmos configuration)
Subwoofer: Custom-built infinite baffle with two Fi Audio 18-inch drivers (IB3 Series – IB318 v2) and Behringer Europower EP4000 amplifier
UPS: WattBox IP UPS Kit - 12 Controllable Outlets/1500 VA
Automation: Control4 EA3 processor and SR260 remote
Smart Lighting: Control4 lighting dimmers and keypads
Rack: Strong FS Series rack system
Other: Dish Network Hopper, Apple TV 4K, Panasonic Blu-Ray player, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV
Smart Lock: August Smart Lock Pro (for Han Solo door, entrance to collectibles room)
Seating: Cantoni Sectional (front row) Palliser Motorized Theater Seating (rear row)