Tim’s note:  there are a number of companies that offer a terrific selection of movie posters and other cinema-oriented accessory items popcorn makers, signs, etc. With a little imagination and just a few bucks, you can customize your own theater to create any setting you desire!

	Toshiba 50HX81 Wide screen RPTV
	PSB Image Series Speakers (5T in front, 2B bookshelf in the rear, 9C for the center, and Subsonic 6 handling the .1 LFE)
	Denon AVR-882 Receiver
	Toshiba SD-3715 Progressive Scan DVD (5 disk carousel)
	Mitsubishi stereo VCR
	Home Theater Master MX-500 Universal remote control
	Monster Cable interconnects and wire
	Peerless Wall Mount brackets for the rears
	Toshiba DST-3000 HDTV DSS receiver
	Channel Master “Stealthtenna” UHF antenna (for local digital broadcasts)

Television size was the most difficult decision. I could have gone bigger (and certainly wanted to!), but after much consideration, this size (50" diagonal 16:9 Wide screen) was chosen to be the most “eye appealing”. The picture screen occupies about 1/3^rd the width and 1/3^rd the height of the room. Along with the wooden racks flanking and the wood finish speakers, the whole system appears to be impressive without being overbearing (kind of a chameleon effect with the wood panel walls…again, great WAF).

I purchased everything from A-V Services.  Tim Campbell did a great job of spec'ing the system and helping me decide what components would best fit my room and my budget.  He put up with a myriad of questions and lots of phone calls, and spent a good two days helping me run wire and then installing the system!  

Once the system was set up, Tim did an ISF calibration on the set (which I strongly suggest for anyone purchasing a big-screen TV--the picture quality is greatly enhanced by this procedure) and then configured the audio gear using a Real Time Analyzer and calibrated microphone. I was prepared to buy an equalizer to help out with sound inequities, but the equipment installed, along with the acoustical ceiling gave almost a flat response across the board in my “sweet spot” viewing position. AND it sounded great using a variety of material--both on DVD and CD.

Other aspects of the Project:

Electrical & Lighting
Ceiling
Acoustical treatment

Future Additions $???

The near future (next few months) will see me adding new carpeting on the Theatre side of the room and some oak parquet flooring on the bar side. Coming soon will be a theater-style popcorn machine. I’ve just gotta have the smell of that popcorn in the theater! Also coming soon will be audio upgrades…well, once you get addicted to this stuff it’s hard to stop!

(Tim's Note:  we would love to help you with YOUR home theater.  Whether you are a do-it-yourselfer like Bill, or want us to handle all of the work, A-V Services is ready to help!)

 

Accessories ($100) A custom painted mirror with a “home theater” theme was designed by me and painted by a local artist. The need for this mirror actually preceded the thought for wall art. The IR receiver for the remote controlled “theater lights” was positioned such that it had no “line-of-sight” to the theater seating. It occurred to me that a mirror on a far wall would be able to bounce the signal to the dimmer quite nicely. Since I needed to mount a mirror anyway…why not make it wall-art? A “movie-reel” clock adorns the space above the mirror. I found this little gem at a garage sale for $1. The rest of the room has various other pieces of art work, pictures, lighted bar signs, bar mirrors, antique movie cameras etc. Most of this stuff was purchase at…garage sales (see any pattern here?). The Total Cost of my Home Theater--including room and gear) was just under $10,000.