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Spherical Speakers
Filed Under: Equipment   $$   Contemporary   
Bookmark and Share Posted Tue Jun 9, 2009, 4:02 PM ET — By Kim Wilson

Design and manufactured in Israel, the SoundSpot Music Theater 1 from Morel is as compact as it is stylish. There are two complete 5.1 systems. The SoundSpot MT consists of five 3.5-inch satellite speakers (model SP-1) and one 8-inch powered PSW8 Subwoofer that retail for $1,300.00. The reference SoundSpot MT 2 includes five 4-inch satellite speakers (model SP-2) and the same subwoofer for $1,900.00. Also, the speaker spheres and subwoofer can be purchased separately, if you want to expand your system beyond five channels. The systems are available in three beautiful finishes; black, white and metallic champagne piano finishes. Each speaker can be easily mounted on the ceiling, wall or simply set on a shelf for quick and simple installation.

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Awesome Performance ... and Decorative
Filed Under: $$   Equipment   
Bookmark and Share Posted Thu Jun 4, 2009, 12:02 PM ET — By Kim Wilson

Designed to serve primarily as a high performance center channel speaker for home theaters, the compact Encore TF ($499 each) from Martin Logan uses an ATF™ (Advanced Thin Film) driver, long-excursion low-mass woofers, and sophisticated crossover engineering to produce sound with lifelike clarity and openness. The Encore TF can be discretely mounted beneath a high definition flat screen or used with the included table top stand. Additionally, the Encore TF is highly adaptable, performing equally well mounted horizontally or vertically. The Encore TF can also be used for all 5-channels in a home theater.

Like all MartinLogan speakers, the Encore TFs are carefully hand-built and incorporate the best air core coils and low dissipation electrolytic capacitors, The crossover employ's MartinLogan's proprietary Vojtko topology for extremely low distortion and seamless driver integration. This precision-tuned network is capable of preserving the most subtle sonic nuances while handling the full dynamics of any source.

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Getting the Right Viewing Angle
Filed Under: Equipment   Furniture   $$   
Bookmark and Share Posted Fri May 1, 2009, 10:37 AM ET — By Kim Wilson

Sanus Systems' VisionMount LMT15 motorized tilting mount provides automated movement by remote control, making it easy to adjust the viewing angle of your TV. It can automatically tilt to a pre-set position up to 13 degrees when the TV is turned on, or it can be positioned as desired with the IR remote control. When the TV is turned off, the mount returns to a neutral position, flat against the wall, for a low-profile appearance. It's available in black for $319, and supports flat panel displays from 40-60-inches, weighing up to 150 lbs.

The LMT15 offers a variety of features, including: ClickFit, a technology that allows power conditioners and other small accessories to snap onto the mount, so they're hidden behind the TV yet easily accessible. An open wall-plate design provides for wiring flexibility. The extruded aluminum frame makes it incredibly easy to install the mount and provide a strength-to-weight ratio with corrosion resistance greater than steel. Motion-detection sensors are used for safety reassurance.

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The Man Cave
Filed Under: Reader Interiors   Casual   $$   
Bookmark and Share Posted Thu Apr 16, 2009, 10:47 AM ET — By Jay North

The project to transform my empty basement into The Ultimate Man Cave took about 8-months. The theme is "Transportation" and all of the artwork and décor is based on planes, trains, antique cars, motorcycles, etc. We turned approximately 1400 sq. ft. into a large media room/game room/pool room with a dedicated workout area, home office, wine room and storage/AV Room. There is also a full bath and wet bar.

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Movies Under the Stars
Filed Under: Contemporary   Pro Interiors   $$   
Bookmark and Share Posted Thu Apr 9, 2009, 3:25 PM ET — By Kim Wilson Photography: Jesse Goff

What makes a home theater unique depends on the personality and vision of the homeowner. In this Tiburon, CA home, the client, who is a playwright, wanted a comfortable space that was also dramatic and transitional where she could relax for hours watching independent films, invite friends in for deep conversations, or be enveloped in creative thought.

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240Hz VIZIO
Filed Under: Equipment   $$   
Bookmark and Share Posted Tue Mar 10, 2009, 7:17 PM ET — By Kim Wilson

VIZIO, well known for high value, low-cost LCD and plasma TVs, is now at the forefront of the latest TV technologies with the integration of a 240Hz Refresh Rate and Scanning Backlight in their 42-inch SV421XVT and 47-inch SV471XVT LCD flat panel TVs. Coupled with a Mega Dynamic Contrast Ratio of 50,000:1 these TVs provide a contrast ratio that rivals the performance of plasma displays. The 240Hz refresh rate virtually eliminates motion blur from fast-action movie sequences and video games.

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Victorian Makeover
Filed Under: Reader Interiors   Casual   $$   
Bookmark and Share Posted Thu Feb 12, 2009, 4:13 PM ET — By Doug and Candy Laven

My wife and I own a Queen Ann Victorian home built in 1886 in the Silk Stocking district of Mankato, Minnesota. It’s a large home with each room decorated in period furnishings which isn’t conducive to a large screen TV and visible speakers. This made it hard to watch movies and Monday Night Football, so Doug convinced Candy to build a media room in the basement.

The basement, which occupied two cisterns and a steam boiler, had a six foot unfinished ceiling and Kasota stone walls. As we developed our plan for a theater, we felt it was important to incorporate the Kasota stone and leave evidence of the cisterns, which played an important role in the house at the turn of the century.

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Bose Goes Custom
Filed Under: Pro Interiors   $$   Casual   
Bookmark and Share Posted Fri Jan 23, 2009, 5:19 PM ET — By Kim Wilson Photography:Dave Rutz

Dealers are often advocates of their favorite products but I have found few dealers as fired up over a product line as Dave Rutz, owner of Dave's Home Entertainment. To say he is a strong supporter of the Bose BUILT-INvisible® product line would be a serious understatement. To hear Dave tell it, this specialty line from Bose is perfect for the next generation of home entertainment enthusiasts due to the brands perceived quality, value, and performance.

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Highlight your Flat Panel TV
Filed Under: Furniture   Contemporary   $$   
Bookmark and Share Posted Fri Dec 12, 2008, 1:28 PM ET — By Kim Wilson

As cool as it may look, not everyone wants to hang their new flat panel TV on the wall. Omnimount, manufacturers of sophisticated TV wall mounts also offer entertainment centers to accommodate your flat panel, AV components, media, and more. The sleek and elegant Link Series furniture offers contemporary finishes and a modular design that is sure to compliment any decor.

The Link Series features three distinct pieces—the LT63, LC31 and LS31—that easily stack on each other or next to one another to create a large or small furniture system. With the Link Series, you have the freedom to create the best combination for your particular space.

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Game On
Filed Under: Pro Interiors   $$   
Bookmark and Share Posted Tue Dec 2, 2008, 5:12 PM ET — By Jamie Sorcher

For parents who want peace of mind, there’s no better solution than constructing a game room/home theater where all the neighborhood kids want to hang out. That is exactly what one Frisco, Texas, homeowner and professional home builder did, and the results have been a slam dunk. Project manager Randy Garcia of Audio Video Innovations in Houston, TX, says the installation allows the family’s three boys to always invite their friends over to watch movies or play video games instead of going out somewhere.

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Integra Enters the Blu-ray Fray
Filed Under: Equipment   $$   
Bookmark and Share Posted Fri Oct 31, 2008, 3:42 PM ET — By Kim Wilson

There may be plenty of Blu-ray players out there already but Integra believes they have something special to offer their dedicated customers. Known for their premium performance products, Integra releases the DBS-6.9, their first Blu-ray player, which delivers full 1080p video at 24 frames per second, the native frame rate for most original motion pictures and HD content.

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Projection Screen Disguise
Filed Under: Equipment   Furniture   Contemporary   $$   
Bookmark and Share Posted Wed Oct 15, 2008, 5:52 PM ET — By Kim Wilson

Offering up one of the more unique solutions for concealing a projection screen, Beamax has introduced the X-series Dellegno, which allows an 80-inch screen to ascend vertically from the stylish and contemporary cabinet, transforming a room-friendly piece of furniture into a large screen experience.

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Hidden Gem
Filed Under: Traditional   $$   Pro Interiors   
Bookmark and Share Posted Mon Aug 25, 2008, 8:42 PM ET — By Jamie Sorcher, Photos Neil Wilson

A home with historic heritage goes high tech.

Old-world charm and modern-day technology are balanced in just the right proportion in this Montclair, New Jersey home.

For this 3,500-square-foot Cotswold-style home the task, recalls architect John Reimnitz, “was to create a much larger, modern space for them that still had the same sort of quality and details of the existing house.”

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DIY Reader Home Theater: DIY Made Easy
Filed Under: Casual   $$   Reader Interiors   
Bookmark and Share Posted Mon Feb 4, 2008, 5:04 PM ET — By Ray Coronado

We wired the room, installed the equipment, and calibrated the system ourselves—and we couldn't be prouder.

My home theater desire started in 1994 when I went to a friend's home theater to watch Jurassic Park on laserdisc. All I could say that day was, "Wow. . .that was amazing." For the next 10 years, my living room was my theater, but my wife suggested that we do a room addition to the house and make it my dedicated home theater. I was all in favor.

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All Work and All Play
Filed Under: Casual   $$   Pro Interiors   
Bookmark and Share Posted Thu Dec 20, 2007, 12:24 PM ET — By Krissy Rushing

Actor Donnie Wahlberg is not opposed to bringing his work home with him to this sleek, simple, high-performance home theater.

If it weren't for Hollywood, we wouldn't have home theater. It is not only the old movie theaters that today's homeowners find inspiration in—it is also the film community that pushes the envelope for high-tech theater at home. In fact, many early home theaters were film theaters, with directors installing full film-projection systems in their homes in order to watch the dailies. Of course, this type of theater usually required a special staff, such as a professional projectionist, to make the image look right.

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Poolside Theater
Filed Under: Casual   $$   
Bookmark and Share Posted Wed Nov 21, 2007, 1:48 PM ET — By Krissy Rushing

The breeze off the Pacific brings unparalleled ambiance to this Maui outdoor theater.

Outdoor theaters are becoming more and more popular, although what constitutes a theater is up for interpretation. Many magazines today sing the outdoor theater's praises, but that theater might be just a plasma in a cabana or a couple of outdoor speakers. Engineered Environments in Alameda, California, however, has set the bar high for outdoor home theater.

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DIY Reader Home Theater: Production Home Perfection
Filed Under: Casual   $$   Reader Interiors   
Bookmark and Share Posted Wed Nov 14, 2007, 2:43 AM ET — By Joe Klusnick

For my first true home theater, I didn't mess around.

The first two homes my family and I lived in suffered from the shortcoming of not having a dedicated space for our home theater, so the TV-based systems with huge tower speakers dominated the family rooms. When it came time to search for our third home, my wife and I made sure to find one with a space for me to practice my hobby.

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DIY Reader Home Theater: Once Was Not Enough
Filed Under: Reader Interiors   Traditional   $$   
Bookmark and Share Posted Mon Nov 5, 2007, 4:15 PM ET — By Bill Yung

A reader finds home theater inspiration in his first theater, giving him the craving to upgrade.

As is the case for many others, the motivation for our theater was our previous theater, which was barely 12 feet by 14 feet with a ceiling less than 8 feet high. While constricted by the physical dimensions of the space, this theater was enough to get me hooked on the idea of owning a home theater and brought to light the many possible shortcomings and pitfalls of building one.

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The Greenhouse Effect
Filed Under: $$   Pro Interiors   
Bookmark and Share Posted Tue Oct 23, 2007, 3:29 PM ET — By Krissy Rushing

How one custom-installation firm turned a greenhouse into a multi-purpose media room and lived to tell about it.

When you are designing a home theater, there is literally nothing worse than having a greenhouse-like structure to work with. Glass reflects sound, not to mention that it floods the room with light, which can interfere with a projection system. Frankentek, a New Jersey–based custom-integration firm, didn't let that stop them when they were asked to turn a greenhouse attached to a 20,000-square-foot Old English home in Southern New Jersey into a multipurpose media room. "They actually had a functioning greenhouse that spanned the main house and the indoor swimming pool," says Edward Wickham, CIO of Frankentek. "When we began work on this project, there was dirt instead of a floor!"

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DIY Reader Home Theater: The SmX Theater
Filed Under: $$   Reader Interiors   Traditional   
Bookmark and Share Posted Mon Oct 22, 2007, 2:37 PM ET — By Ruben Ortiz

This homeowner takes DIY to another level.

I fell in love with movie theaters after my first outing—to see Star Wars as a kid in the '70s. Since then, the moviegoing experience has fascinated me every time.

Ten years ago, my wife and I purchased our first house. Not knowing much about home theaters, we built a modest movie theater. Because of the odd shape of that particular home, a professional installation was not going to work. Consequently, we settled for a projector and a wall with some theater decorations.

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