In 1953, the cinematic masterpiece The Robe debuted.  It was the first major motion pictures shot in CinemaScope.  Scope, as it is known, had an aspect ratio of 2.55:1, which at the time was way wider and more enveloping than anything seen up to that point.  Prior to this, most movies were filmed in 1.37:1, known as Academy, most silent films were 1.33:1(or 4:3).  TV’s, whose shape is based on the 1.33:1(4:3) aspect ratio, were gaining popularity in people’s homes.  Hollywood and the movie theaters needed something to bring people back.  This led to the development of ideas like widescreen formats and multichannel surrounds.

For almost 50 years we lived with this void where our blockbuster movies were filmed in wide screen formats like Scope, 2:35:1, or a a variety of other widescreen formats, while our TV’s 4:3 aspect ratio boxed us in with those black bars at the top and bottom.  There was just no comparison between the experience you got from a well done theatrical presentation of a movie to the experience of trying to watch the same movie at home on a 4:3 TV screen, not to mention the difference in the audio.

Thankfully in the last 15 years or so, our technology in home a/v systems has dramatically evolved to bring us closer and closer to the cinematic experience the directors and filmmakers intended us to see, and rival if not exceed the experience offered at local multiplex.  Now we have HDTV, 16:9 aspect ratio televisions, and Blu-ray high-def movies in lossless multichannel surround sound.  More and more homes are now being built with dedicated custom home theater rooms.  A/V equipment gets better and cheaper each year.  A well-designed custom home theater that rivals the experience of commercial theaters is becoming more and more within reach of many homeowners.

The latest development is added Scope to your home theater setup.  At his point, this technology is only achievable in dedicated home theater using a front projector and screen.  This involves using a 2:35:1 aspect ratio Screen along with an anamorphic lens attached to the front of the projector.  Finally we can bring movies shot in widescreen Scope, while preserving our resolution and eliminating those pesky black bars at the top/bottom of the screen. Below is an example of a 2.35:1 movie on a 16:9(1.78:1) screen and on a natural 2.35:1 screen:

(image courtesy of panamorph.com)

To achieve this, companies like Panamorph (www.panamorph.com)  make lens attachments that fit on the front of the projector that allow for 2.35:1 images to project on to 2.35:1 aspect ratio screens while preserving the high-definition images created by the projectors chipset.   You will need to be sure your projector has the scaling/processing features to utilize a lens system.  Projectors like JVC’s Reference Series have this scaling built in.  For the ultimate viewing experience, 2.35:1 is the way to go.

This made me think about how for a time, these companies seemed only interested in having Big Box retailers sell their items rather than smaller independent custom integrators.  It seemed for a couple of manufacturers they were not interested in the collective power small integrators had at successfully selling, explaining, and installing high-end a/v equipment.  It’s good to see a possible reversal of this trend.  I believe these manufacturers are beginning to realize that mass volume with no margin is not as good as smaller volume with higher margin.  Something you get when you invest in smaller local custom integrators. 

Big Box retailers will never be able to provide the expertise and unique personal interaction with clients as a local custom integrator.  Their just not designed for that.  They are designed to move boxes and that’s it.  They can try all they want to convince people that their sales staff is knowledgeable and really cares about their purchase,  but as soon as you walk out the door your on your own.  Typically the employees are young adults who are usually poorly trained.  To most, not all, its a job, nothing more, nothing less.  Compare that to a local integrator, who the person you deal with is either the owner or right underneath the owner.  There is a lot more concern over insuring the customer is well-taken care of.  There is a very personal interest when the owner is selling you and installing your products.  That owner wants you to be satisfied.  He/she knows that the authentic and genuine satisfaction for his customers is what will generate return business and referrals. 

The key for small integrators is to differentiate themselves from the Big Box retailers.  First by continuing to promote the genuine levels of customer service they provide.  Secondly, by carrying products and services that Big Box retailers cant offer.  This is where CE manufacturers like Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, etc can contribute by eliminating access to their high-end lines to Big Box and online retailers and exclusively selling them to certified, local custom integrators, who have been trained and are better skilled at integrating technology into customers homes.  They can still look at pricing strategies to ensure margins are profitable.   This will allow integrators to compete solely on the quality of their service and how successful they are at implementing their technology into their customers home and how well their customers enjoy and understand this technology.

I am glad to see more attention is being paid to the small guys who make up this industry.  Having been a local custom integrator myself, I am much more passionate about what I do and genuinely concerned over my customers long-term satisfaction.  I care more about the area I serve and my money stays in the same place.  It seems no matter what industry, the more we support our local companies, the better we all are.

1. The Room-(the most important element of any home theater)
2. Seating
3. Screen
4. Front Projector
5. Theater Interior & Acoustics
6. Speaker System
7. Equipment Racks or A/V Furniture-(Where to put all the equipment?)
8. A/V Receiver or Separates(individual Preamp/Processors and Amplifiers)
9. Source Equipment-(i.e. Blu-ray Player, Game Console, HD Cable box, Karaoke Anyone?)
10. Control System (One remote to control it all)
11. Networking Equipment (Routers, Gigabit Ethernet Switches, Ethernet-Over-Power,etc) to supply robust network connection to your a/v devices and control system
12. Power Management-(Power-line Conditioners, Surge Protectors,Pure-Sine Wave UPS Systems)
13. Cables & Interconnects
14. Installation Labor/Programming/Calibration

The budget for your home theater will be divided amongst these categories.  These categories may vary slightly depending if your building a new theater or simply outfitting an existing room.  If your building a home theater as part of new home construction, then there are areas related to the construction of your room that you will also need to consider.  In this situation, I highly recommend seeking out the services of a professional consulting firm like Kasabe Designs to help guide you.  They can help make all those decisions  and oversee the project to completion to ensure your theater is built right.  They also can potentially save you thousands of dollars and help you avoid the disappointment of not getting the experience you were expecting. I can’t stress how important proper planning is to any home theater project regardless of budget.

No matter what your budget may be, it is important to make well thought out decisions regarding products and services you choose to complete your home theater.  It is also important to take a holistic approach to your system design.  The goal is to choose components that compliment each other and, most importantly, compliment the room they will be installed in.  In fact, every decision you make should be made with the room in mind.  Depending on what you envision for your home theater or what you have seen of how you want your theater to look  or sound like will help you to determine how much your willing to invest in your home theater. The great news, nowadays, is the cost of systems components as drastically come down, while the technology has exponentially improved.  It is now possible to design fantastic system for very little compared to just even a couple of years ago.

In upcoming blogs, we will explore more, in depth, each category and discuss how to choice the right components to begin your home theater.