Home Movie Theaters

Other examples of high-tech automation in action include a large Sony TV in the master bedroom that folds down magically from the ceiling upon command. The Future Automation retractable lift that makes this feat possible even allows the screen to swivel so the homeowners can position it however they like. When the TV's turned off, the screen disappears back into the ceiling so as not to spoil the room's Victorian character.

Sparing no expense to keep the family safe, the security system is equipped with commercial-grade heat-sensing Mobotix cameras that use thermal imaging to eliminate false positives caused by an animal or other non-threatening condition.

Bringing Hollywood Home
To witness the technology that subtly transforms this stately manor into a modern marvel is, indeed, a sight to behold, but it's no match for the crown jewel of the project: a majestic 10-seat theater. To evoke the feeling of a turn-of- the-century vaudeville theater, Moonshot chose Fortress Seating's plush Guild recliner, featuring tufted, red velvet-like material. Arranged in two rows of three with a front row of four, each seat has a cup holder and reclines just like the seats in a modern movie theater.

Intent on replicating an authentic 4K movie theater experience, the home- owners had the basement excavated to create a more comfortable space that would accommodate three-tier seating, a built-in subwoofer enclosure in the front of the room below the screen, and a suite of cleverly concealed THX Ultra2-certified Klipsch speakers arranged in a Dolby Atmos 9.2.4 layout. For seamless performance, all of the speakers feature Klipsch's signature Tractrix horn tweeters and Cerametallic woofers.

A trio of KL-650-THX LCR speakers, each of which mate a horn-loaded 1-inch titanium-dome tweeter with two 6.5-inch woofers, sit behind an acoustically transparent CineCurve screen from Stewart Filmscreen, outfitted with automated masking panels to accommodate movies with 1.78:1 and 2.35:1 aspect ratios. Sony's $60,000 pro-caliber VPL-VW5000ES LCOS laser projector fills the 11-foot (diagonal) screen with vivid 4K images. Instead of being out in the room, the projector is concealed in its own enclosure high on the back wall—the only thing you see is the port for its lens.

Moonshot opted for a curved screen because Malatesta and his team believe its wider field of view provides a more immersive and less fatiguing experience for movies—and gaming, which is important to the young homeowners.

Four PRO-7800-L-THX speakers, each featuring an 8-inch woofer, are flush-mounted in the ceiling and work in tandem with two pairs of PRO-7800-S-THX speakers concealed in the rear and side walls behind acoustically-transparent fabric that matches the seating. Each "S" model is positioned about 5 feet off the floor and uses two vertically-stacked tweeters to create a diffuse sound field; the speaker grilles were painted to match the fabric to further conceal them. Together, the four height and four surround speakers produce a huge surround bubble to add you-are-there realism to movie soundtracks.

To ensure proper acoustics, Moonshot installed an Auralex Prism sound diffuser with a beautiful staggered cork design in the middle of the room's hardwood ceiling.

A pair of KW-120-THX subwoofers, featuring 12-inch drivers and powered by a pair of 500-watt KA-1000-THX amplifiers, add deep bass (down to 20 Hz) and lots of oomph to action-adventure flicks from that custom enclosure in the front of the room.

"The rationale behind the Klipsch speakers was the THX accreditation, which is not simple to obtain," explains Malatesta, alluding to the rigorous testing speakers must undergo to get certified. "We have used them in past projects with great success. If you're not content with these speakers, there aren't many other choices that will make you more content."

The electronics behind the theater comprise the award-winning Yamaha Aventage CX-A5100 preamp/surround processor, which feeds a Crestron PROAMP-7x400 seven-channel power amplifier. Everything runs through a pair of Middle Atlantic PowerCore 15-240-U2 electrical subpanels, which provide back-up power in the event of an outage, surge protection, and filtering to remove 60-Hz noise from incoming power.

A Kaleidescape Terra Movie Server with 40 TB of storage is the primary source for the theater but the homeowners also have ready access to Apple TV and cable TV. And to extend TV and movie enjoyment across the home, the server supports six DV700 Disc Vaults, each of which hold up to 320 Blu-ray discs for importing, three KServer-5000s, two KPlayer-M500As, and two KPlayer-M300As; video distribution is handled via a Crestron DigitalMedia (DM) matrix switcher which feeds Sony TVs throughout the home.

In case you might be wondering what the cost is to assemble an automated home of this caliber, Malatesta remarks, "Let's just say it's a million plus (Canadian)." When asked what his client likes most about living in a cleverly disguised smart home, he responds: "They love their classic home and the amenities it offers—which is all the modern conveniences of a state-of-the-art home."

A/V Equipment List
Sony VPL-VW5000ES 4K LCOS laser projector
Stewart Filmscreen CineCurve screen with automated masking for 1.78:1 and 2.35:1 aspect ratios
Kaleidescape 40-TB Terra Movie Server
Kaleidescape DV700 Disc Vault (6)
Kaleidescape KServer-5000 (3)
Kaleidescape KPlayer-M500A (2)
Kaleidescape KPlayer-M300A (2)
Yamaha Aventage CX-A5100 preamp/ surround processor
Crestron PROAMP-7x400 power amplifier
Klipsch KL-650-THX LCR speakers (3)
Klipsch PRO-7800-L-THX speakers (4)
Klipsch PRO-7800-S-THX speakers (4)
Klipsch KW-120-THX subwoofer (2)
Klipsch KA-1000-THX power amplifier (2)
Middle Atlantic PowerCore power-isola- tion system
James Loudspeaker Small Aperture (SA) speakers (about 40 pairs)
Crestron SWAMPE-24x8 power amplifier (6)
Fortress Seating Guild recliners (10)
System Capabilities at a Glance
Audio distribution (Crestron)
Video distribution (Crestron)
Climate control (Crestron)
Automated lighting (Crestron)
CCTV for security system Network (Ubiquiti)