Indoor and Outdoor Home Theaters, Phoenix
Mar 17, 2010 4:46 PM
Carefree Electronics of Phoenix recently completed an illustrious 23-seat home theater featuring Digital Projection International’s 15,000 lumen Lightning 30-1080p precision projector. In addition to the large and elaborate interior theater, a 6,800 lumen Digital Projection dVision 30-1080p provides beautiful and bright imagery for an outdoor theater in the backyard of the home. The state-of-the-art residence also includes an audio system that rivals the precision video equipment found throughout the home.
Many home AV service providers might consider the audio and video integration of a 2,318 square foot theater too daunting a challenge to accept. David Marsh, president of Carefree Electronics, approached the project from the opposite perspective. “Having known in advance how the equipment we specified would perform, I knew the size of the room wouldn’t be an issue,” Marsh says. “The end result is, as I expected, pretty incredible.” Marsh’s client wanted the best, and the entertainment aspect of this home is truly stellar, enlisting Digital Projection’s precision displays, a Focal Grande Utopia Beryllium loudspeaker system, Stewart projection screen, and TruAudio BB 465 in-wall surround loudspeakers, and Crestron touchscreens for control.
Given the 21ft. Stewart screen featured in the theater, few projectors were viable candidates from the outset. Furthermore, the projector needed to be as efficient as possible with respect to energy consumption, as it was to be operated in the client’s personal home. As a final challenge, due to the sheer number of seats in the theater, the projector would have to be both remarkably bright and be capable of a very long throw distance, as it would have to be installed in a dedicated room at the back of the large theater.
Marsh chose Digital Projection’s commercial cinema-grade Lightning 30-1080p, as it represents one of the most efficient projectors available in terms of lumens produced versus energy consumed. When asked whether the client was intimidated by the projector’s overall footprint, Marsh replied, “This client likes high technology, and he really likes the fact that projectors of this magnitude are used in commercial theaters.” Video sources include a Kaleidescape movie server, Blu-ray DVD, HD satellite receiver, and eight laptop computer stations for presentation opportunities.
In addition to the home’s main theater, the client also wanted an outdoor entertainment area to compliment the luxurious Olympic-size swimming pool. Both brightness and image quality were of equal importance, so Marsh chose Digital Projection’s single-chip dVision 30-1080p projector. The 6,800 lumen, 7500:1 contrast dVision projector sits in a custom nook behind the bar and projects on a rear projection screen that is approximately 9ft. wide. Equally viewable from both the pool and the sitting area, the dVision 1080p displays beautiful Hollywood and broadcast entertainment, day and night.
