:: High Definition TV & Home Theater ::

Dorothy said it and we at AllMedia Custom Video & Sound agree with her! Why should you have to check the schedule, pick up the sitter, search for a parking space, and then ... wait in line for a ticket and refreshments when you can own the theater?

With cutting edge technologies (e.g. - High Definition TV, DVD, Dolby Digital and DTS Surround Sound) and the latest High Definition tapes (D-VHS DTheater), you can have a theater in your own home that rivals or even surpasses the performance of the best cinema in town. Unless you've been lucky enough to attend the Premier of a movie in New York or LA you've never seen it as clear and sharp as it was intended to be. And the sound ... wouldn't it be great to be sitting in the sweet spot of 6 channels of crystal clear, enveloping surround sound? Why not experience all that the director intended for you to see and hear! With an AllMedia Custom Video & Sound dedicated Home Theater you can! Plus, you'll enjoy the absolute freedom to stop the action at any time for any reason and then pick it up right where you left off with the touch of a button. We must warn you though ... you may find that you have suddenly gained popularity with your friends and family! AllMedia Custom Video & Sound can install speakers in or on walls and ceilings so they will blend into your decor without compromising quality. You can enjoy your favorite movies, TV shows and sporting events in the comfort of your home... and you can control all this with the touch of a single button. Control options range from a relatively inexpensive custom programmed universal remote to a state-of-the-art Video touch-panel that can be programmed to do just about anything except watch the movie for you! Wish you could see more of your kids ... with an AllMedia Custom Video & Sound High Definition Home Theater, you'll know where to find them as they will be inviting their friends over to enjoy big screen movies, concert videos and interactive games with AWESOME images and sound.

The goal of AllMedia Custom Video & Sound in installing a High Definition Home Theater is to create an experience superior to that which you have ever known before ... all in the comfort of your home! Achieving this goal requires not only expertise but a meticulous attention to detail and a firm commitment to quality and value.

• Whether I choose to install a dedicated Home Theater or I want to blend my Home Theater into a family room or den, AllMedia Custom Video & Sound can help me create a home entertainment experience that everyone in my family can enjoy and share.
• I can simply push one button to start the show. My system does the rest.
• I choose the volume of sound.
• I can watch the movies I enjoy whenever I desire.
• With an image up to 9 times more detailed, High Definition technology can provide me with an image so sharp and realistic that I may think that I'm looking out an open window rather than at a video screen.
• I'll be able to experience movies at home the way that the film maker intended ... with film-quality images and better sound than the local multiplex cinema.
• The aesthetically pleasing design of my in-wall and/or in-ceiling speakers blend in seamlessly with my decor, can be painted to virtually disappear and have no exposed wires while providing evenly dispersed, rich, balanced sound throughout the room.
• If I'm having a party...I can treat my guests to a cinema experience far beyond their expectations!
• Whether I decide on a budget system with a 40" display or go all the way with a mammoth 120" screen, AllMedia Custom Video & Sound will calibrate and adjust my new system for an optimal viewing and listening experience enabling me to get the most out of my investment.
• Combined with an AllMedia Custom Video & Sound WholeHouse Audio System I can make my Home Theater equipment pull double duty and maximize my investment's value even more. Instead of many individual audio systems spread throughout my home I have one centralized high quality, reliable, multi-functional system.
• I never need to see the equipment that comprises my system except when I want to add to my software collection. The equipment can be hidden away in a safe location to which only I have access.

How does this system work?

For the technically minded...

• High Definition Home Theater is comprised of two main elements: pictures and sound. Opinions vary on which is most important in creating a realistic cinematic experience. We at AllMedia Custom Video & Sound have decided to avoid the argument altogether and offer carefully balanced systems designed to give you the best pictures and sound that can be achieved at your chosen level of investment.
• The guiding principals that we use in order to achieve this balance are the following:
  1. An image large enough, given the chosen seating distance, to cover a viewing angle of 60?. This helps achieve the so-called "suspension of disbelief" by substantially filling our field of view.
  2. An audible envelope (holistic soundfield) around the viewer that makes it impossible to audibly determine the location of the speakers even if they are visible. This enhances the effect of being a part of the experience depicted on screen, not just a spectator.
• AllMedia Custom Video & Sound hdht starts with an High Definition display such as a CRT, LCD, DLP, or D-ILA rear or front projection device, or Plasma. At this time there are no direct view TV's capable of the resolution of true HDTV and only some of the Plasma sets out there have this capability. As far as direct view sets are concerned, the failure to reach HDTV resolution is simply a physical limitation of the technology (i.e. the maximum pitch of the shadow mask is the limiting factor).
• HDTV is the highest form of Digital Television. Pictures and sound are turned into digital information, in the same way that information is stored on a computer. The digital information can be compressed, so that it takes up less space, without a noticeable loss of information. This translates to huge amounts of information being transmitted efficiently, making it possible to deliver extremely high quality images to your home.
• The digital stream of data is transmitted to your home via antenna, satellite or cable (future). Once received it is converted back into pictures and sound by a decoder that's either built into your HDTV or in a separate set-top box. No more ghosting, snow, poor reception, flickering, etc. With digital TV, it's either perfect or it's not there at all.
• The standard sound format for High Definition Home Theater is Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound which provides for up to six independent(discrete) channels of sound. Five of these channels(the 5 in A5.1") are capable of fullrange sound (that is, all of the frequencies (tones) that a human can hear) while the sixth one(the .1 in A5.1"), called the LFE channel is for low frequency sounds only (bass). There is a second surround sound format called DTS which works in a similar way but is preferred by most audio/video purists. All of the components installed by AllMedia Custom Video & Sound make both of these formats available to you. You may have heard of other formats that are available such as: Dolby Digital Surround EX, THX, DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, DTS-ES Matrix 6.1, DTS Neo:6 and Dolby Pro Logic II..
• Surround Sound is now available from a variety of sources including: Broadcast HDTV, Satellite HDTV, Standard Satellite, Digital Cable, Digital HDTV Cable(future), DVD, VHS, D-VHS, DVD-Audio and SACD.
• Producing the highest quality surround sound requires a digital processor(the so-called brain of your AllMedia Custom Video & Sound High Definition Home Theater) and amplifiers for each of the channels of sound. These components are usually combined into one chassis to form an A/V Surround Receiver.
• Of course all that processing power and amplification can't get to your ears without high quality, accurate, properly matched speakers. Your AllMedia Custom Video & Sound High Definition Home Theater will require 5 to 7 un-powered speakers and one or more powered subwoofers(to handle the bass sounds). All of these speakers - even the subwoofer(s) can be hidden out of sight if you so desire. These systems utilize very high quality, interconnects and high-current carrying audio wire for the most demanding speaker choices.
• You might be thinking ...why do I need so many speakers? Well, the truth is, it's all because we have to trick our brains into forgetting where we are - so it feels like we're right in there with the performers. Here's how it works:
  1. The left and right front speakers, located on each side of the screen, provide the majority of the sound from the film score, the side to side motion of objects and/or characters on the screen, the on-screen sound effects and some of the dialog; creating a dynamic stereo image.
  2. The center speaker, located either above or below the center of the screen, provides the majority of the dialog and those elements of the soundtrack which occur in the center of the action. The clarity and intelligibility of virtually all of the on-screen dialog is dependent on this one speaker. Because of this, the center channel speaker is the most critical speaker in your system.
  3. The left and right surround speakers, located on either side or behind your seating position, provide ambiance, a sense of space and complete the 3-D effect of being in the middle of the performance. The surround speakers provide the majority of off-screen sound effects and also enable forward and backward motion effects like aircraft fly-overs.
  4. A recent development, and an optional enhancement of your AllMedia Custom Video & Sound High Definition Home Theater, is the addition of a "back surround" channel found in some soundtracks such as "Star Wars" Episodes 1 & 2 and "The Haunting" that take the 3-D effect to even greater heights of realism and improve the "you are there" experience. This type of soundtrack is sometimes called 7.1 Surround Sound because it can utilize two additional rear speakers but is actually 6.1. The misconception is brought about because there can be two more speakers employed to play identical sounds in the rear of the room but there is only one more channel of discrete information provided by the soundtrack. All but the most basic AllMedia Custom Video & Sound High Definition Home Theater systems include this enhanced capability.
  5. Finally, one or more powered subwoofers are installed in your system to reproduce the LFE channel as well as the low frequency bass sounds (earthquakes, explosions, etc.) from the other 5 or 6 channels that your main speakers may not be able to efficiently reproduce.
• Optimal placement of all of these speakers is critical to achieving the highest possible performance. Likewise, the types of surfaces (hard surfaces reflect sound while soft surfaces absorb it) in the listening environment play a critical role in performance. AllMedia Custom Video & Sound will work with you and your architect/interior designer to help you choose colors, lighting, materials and furniture that supports your system's maximum performance.
• Bringing film-like images to your home requires the best components you can afford. Whether you decide on a 40" CRT display, a 61" state-of-the-art Plasma panel or the latest CRT, LCD or DLP front projector with a ten foot screen, you can count on AllMedia Custom Video & Sound to bring you the best for your entertainment dollar. The quality and performance of these products varies greatly and the specifics of the installation environment and even viewing preferences will determine the proper choice of equipment to be used. The best pictures are produced through a combination of high resolution, accurate geometry, proper color temperature, contrast, brightness and detail settings. In the wrong hands and/or conditions, a 20,000 CRT projector can look worse than a properly selected and calibrated 2,000 Rear Projection TV! Having your system professionally selected, configured and calibrated cannot be underestimated.
• These days, technology is changing and the price of the best gear is coming down so fast that it is hard to keep up with it - even for us. For this reason, AllMedia Custom Video & Sound does not carry an inventory of merchandise that could be obsolete before it is sold. All of our offerings are readily available within 3-5 days of ordering, so you can be sure of getting the latest version of the components we sell. This policy also minimizes our overhead so you know you're getting the most performance for the lowest possible investment.
• Obviously all of this technology can be very confusing and you shouldn't need an engineering degree to use it! That's where AllMedia Custom Video & Sound custom configuration and programming comes in. We do all the techno stuff so you don't have to. Your system will be one-touch easy. Control systems are available which can be operated by a young child. What could be easier than pressing a button labeled, "Watch Disney" or simply, "Barney"? With a professionally installed AllMedia Custom Video & Sound system, that's all it takes!
• Custom cinema seating, automated lighting and, if appropriate, ambient light control devices such as motorized window coverings can provide that extra bit of control, comfort, functionality and performance when you want the ultimate Home Theater experience.

:: "The Big Game" ::

With an AllMedia Custom Video & Sound High Definition Home Theater your whole family can enjoy a new dimension in Interactive gaming. With the latest Play Station 2 and other Windows and MacIntosh based computer games, the stunning visuals and multi-channel sound presented by your High Definition Home Theater will take you to a new level of the gaming experience. No longer will a 17" monitor and tiny computer speakers be acceptable. "The Big Game" is the ultimate in the convergence of Home Theater and the computer.

How does this improve my quality of life ?

• "The Big Game" is a great way to make my High Definition Home Theater investment pull double duty. It's not just for watching movies and TV B it will come alive with interactivity.
• I will be able to keep the kids >hanging out at home'.
• Once my computer is linked to my High Definition Home Theater, I can not only play games, but also, by simply adding a wireless keyboard and mouse, I can browse the net, check e-mail and do other computer tasks right from my favorite chair ... and I still have access to TV, movies, whatever.

How does this system work?

For the technically minded ...

• The video output of a high-spec computer (high end graphics board, DVD-ROM, P4 processor, at least 512 Mb RAM, high capacity hard drive) is connected to my High Definition display.
• The digital output from my computer's high-end audio card (e.g. SoundBlaster Audigy) is connected my High Definition Home Theater system pre/processor or receiver
• Optionally, a wall plate will be installed which houses serial connections for the joysticks.
• Optionally, infrared sensors will be installed to pick up the signal from a wireless keyboard and air-mouse.
• The computer functions as another Audio/Video source in your High Definition Home Theater system. Sound from it is selected in the same way you would select a DVD or VCR ... with the touch of a single button on your advanced system remote!