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Pro's Giving HT a Bad Name  

post #1 of 164
4/6/06 at 7:59am
Thread Starter 
I've been viewing some "professional" web sites to get ideas for my own home theater and I have to say that a lot of these sites are giving home theaters a BAD name. No wonder my neighbors think building my own home theater is stupid. At least they'll see the finished product and be wow'd, but until then if they were wondering what my HT might look like, and did a search on google, they would have come across theses fine examples.

Now I don't mean to impugne the hundreds of great professional home theater installers, but the fact that any security/alarm business can also stick out a "Custom Home Theater Design" sign is definitely NOT good for this business.

Check out these links of work people actually PAID for and tell me what you think.

http://www.avdesign.on.ca/index2.html

From the above size comes this image:
http://www.avdesign.on.ca/images/sit...e/DSC00019.JPG



It doesn't get much better than this ;)
http://www.advancedhomeaudio.com/gal...p?pid=2EEA8AF8

Can it get worse?
http://www.futuretechnologiesofny.com/project1.html

The old system below the staircase trick:
http://www.soundworksandsecurity.com...11&max=14&ID=3

Plasma protected if it falls:
http://www.soundworksandsecurity.com...2&max=14&ID=21

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post #2 of 164
4/6/06 at 8:32am
LOL :D
But still sad at the state of home theater. :(

- Terry
post #3 of 164
4/6/06 at 8:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SimpleTheater
I've been viewing some "professional" web sites to get ideas for my own home theater and I have to say that a lot of these sites are giving home theaters a BAD name. No wonder my neighbors think building my own home theater is stupid. At least they'll see the finished product and be wow'd, but until then if they were wondering what my HT might look like, and did a search on google, they would have come across theses fine examples.

Now I don't mean to impugne the hundreds of great professional home theater installers, but the fact that any security/alarm business can also stick out a "Custom Home Theater Design" sign is definitely NOT good for this business.

Check out these links of work people actually PAID for and tell me what you think.

http://www.avdesign.on.ca/index2.html

From the above size comes this image:
http://www.avdesign.on.ca/images/sit...e/DSC00019.JPG



It doesn't get much better than this ;)
http://www.advancedhomeaudio.com/gal...p?pid=2EEA8AF8

Can it get worse?
http://www.futuretechnologiesofny.com/project1.html

The old system below the staircase trick:
http://www.soundworksandsecurity.com...11&max=14&ID=3

Plasma protected if it falls:
http://www.soundworksandsecurity.com...2&max=14&ID=21
Hmmm... all I can think of right now is that the pictures can't possibly be doing these rooms any justice. :D :D
I would also say that no where in those provided links did I see a Home Theater installation. ;)

Craig
post #4 of 164
4/6/06 at 8:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SimpleTheater
It doesn't get much better than this ;)
http://www.advancedhomeaudio.com/gal...p?pid=2EEA8AF8
Clayton!


Seriously, you have to remember though that these guys are not building what they want to build but what some client wants. You can't always talk someone willing to spend 20 grand with you, to spend another 20 to build a dedicated room. They typically have to work within the strict confinds of a picky client that doesnt' know squat about home theater, and frankly probably doesn't want to know.

Those pictures describe a clients desires, not an installers.

That being said. There are plenty of hacks out there.
post #5 of 164
4/6/06 at 9:32am
You're assuming, of course, these people are "Pros"
post #6 of 164
4/6/06 at 9:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis Erskine
You're assuming, of course, these people are "Pros"
Yeah, these theaters look like someone who did a couple rooms for "friends" and decided to make a go at it for a living. Cruel reality will do the pruning for us. ^_^
post #7 of 164
4/6/06 at 10:22am
Like someone else said, none of these pictures are 'theaters'. They are TV installations. There is a big difference. And anyone who uses Clayton Bigsby, the worlds only black, blind white supremacist in one of their gallery pics is OK by me!
post #8 of 164
4/6/06 at 10:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by fletch999
Like someone else said, none of these pictures are 'theaters'. They are TV installations. There is a big difference.
;)

As I said, they all looked like family room surround systems to me. ;)
Also, as Mntneer stated... these installs were probably demanded by cliental so I would give the installers at least some slack. ;)
you can advise someone all day long, but in the end they are the ones spending the money and if they were happy with the finished product, then that is all that matters.

Craig
post #9 of 164
4/6/06 at 10:43am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mntneer
Seriously, you have to remember though that these guys are not building what they want to build but what some client wants. You can't always talk someone willing to spend 20 grand with you, to spend another 20 to build a dedicated room. They typically have to work within the strict confinds of a picky client that doesnt' know squat about home theater, and frankly probably doesn't want to know.

Those pictures describe a clients desires, not an installers.
I completely agree that many times you are doing what the client wants. My issue is that:

a) These are included in their portfolio under the heading "Home Theater"

b) Regardless of what the client wants, if an install sucks why would you post the pictures on your website, unless you were proud of the outcome.

For the sites I listed, these are what these guys call HT. I guarantee you that if you walked into their business and said "Tell me about HT", they would show you the 50" plasma monitor and tell you they can install your HT anywhere you want.

--SimpleTheater
post #10 of 164
4/6/06 at 10:49am
So, does that mean that manufacturers of "Home Theater in a Box" systems should change the name to something else? Or do you really think there is an entire home theater in that box?
post #11 of 164
4/6/06 at 10:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SimpleTheater
I completely agree that many times you are doing what the client wants. My issue is that:

a) These are included in their portfolio under the heading "Home Theater"

b) Regardless of what the client wants, if an install sucks why would you post the pictures on your website, unless you were proud of the outcome.

For the sites I listed, these are what these guys call HT. I guarantee you that if you walked into their business and said "Tell me about HT", they would show you the 50" plasma monitor and tell you they can install your HT anywhere you want.

--SimpleTheater
But these guys are just playing to the marketplace that says a Plasma on a wall under some stairs with a surround sound system IS home theater. I can't really fault them for that.
post #12 of 164
4/6/06 at 10:58am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by indil377
So, does that mean that manufacturers of "Home Theater in a Box" systems should change the name to something else? Or do you really think there is an entire home theater in that box?
I think a lot of pseudo-HT businesses should change the subject header of their portfolios to "Home Theater in a Box", because that's about all their giving.

This site does it right.
Real Home Theater

--SimpleTheater
post #13 of 164
4/6/06 at 11:01am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mntneer
But these guys are just playing to the marketplace that says a Plasma on a wall under some stairs with a surround sound system IS home theater. I can't really fault them for that.
I don't fault them for doing what the customer wants, but I do fault them for designing a crappy system.

The second link I posted:
http://www.avdesign.on.ca/images/sit...e/DSC00019.JPG

Clearly shows the speakers inside the cabinet. Anyone being paid to install a speaker system (even a stereo system) should never put the speakers in such an acoustically incorrect position.

--SimpleTheater
post #14 of 164
4/6/06 at 11:05am
I didn't see anything wrong with the pics honestly, the one where they jammed the speakers into that cabinet was pretty crappy, but the rest are just nice basic TV setups. The cabinet one was amusing as you can see they did a custom build of supports for the side channels...with the effort made it could have been much cleaner for sure.

My stuff is on a wire cart with Dayton pedestal stands. Ghetto for sure, but it sounds great for the money I spent.
post #15 of 164
4/6/06 at 11:35am
IMO.. 2 different things.

Home Theater & Dedicated Home Theater

Define Home Theater: Can be in a bedroom/living room
1) Large HDTV
2) 5.1 speakers
3) DVD player
4) HDTV receiver
5) Sofa or Couch seating
and so on.

Define Dedicated Home theater:
1) Bigger screen size, often tmes Projected W/Screen.
2) Larger Room, only for use with Home Theater
3) 7.1 sound system or 5.1
4) 15" Touchscreen LCD remotes
5) Dedicating lighting system.
6) Home Theater seating
7) Movie Theater carpet
8) snack bar
and so on.

You can spend $20k on A/V gear and put it all in your bedroom and call it HT.

Does a Home Theater req. Architects and Interior Designers?
Paying money for an architect is for a serious dedicated HT (IMO)

How many people can spend $200k- $900k on a Dedicated Home Theater?
(Meaning, before i spent $500k on a TV viewing room. I would have to have a $70k car, put my kids through college, buy a $800k house, Buy my wife a $50k car. and all that.)

http://audiobydesign.com/shared/Nautilus.jpg
http://audiobydesign.com/shared/Nautilus2.jpg
That HT cost $250k? Its a end part of a ship/submarine.
That Theater required architects planning and all that.
post #16 of 164
4/6/06 at 11:48am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by YoungC55
Meaning, before i spent $500k on a TV viewing room. I would have to have a $70k car, put my kids through college, buy a $800k house, Buy my wife a $50k car. and all that.
You've got your priorities screwed up, 500k Home Theater has got to come first! :D

--SimpleTheater
post #17 of 164
4/6/06 at 11:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SimpleTheater
You've got your priorities screwed up, 500k Home Theater has got to come first! :D

--SimpleTheater
ha.. Or to drink some Grand Cru beer :p

but yeah.. some of theater HT's look bad.. they just just lable it as a 'TV with 5.1 speakers"
post #18 of 164
4/6/06 at 11:57am
It's called "home theater" because it sells. Station wagons and trucks don't sell; but, SUVs and Mini-Vans do.
post #19 of 164
4/6/06 at 12:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SimpleTheater
I'll have you know I'm planning on doing something like that in my living room.
Not my home theatre (basement), in my living room (upstairs). :)


This company
http://www.howellandassociates.com/Home.htm
won several CEDIA awards, and certainly builds home theatres of the kind and quality you are probably thinking home theatre's should always be.
Best Buy bought them last week.
I'd been thinking of starting a thread entitled "Best Home Theatre Designer -- Best Buy ?"
post #20 of 164
4/6/06 at 12:27pm
Any real home theater should have a removeble stripper pole. Then it would be a complete theater. Just my opinion. :D
post #21 of 164
4/6/06 at 12:27pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by BasementBob
Best Buy bought them last week.
I'd been thinking of starting a thread entitled "Best Home Theatre Designer -- Best Buy ?"
I've been noticing Best Buy's purchases of custom installation companies the past three years and can't help but think they are going down the wrong road.

Any large box store would love to get into the high end (read: more profitable), but this is not like carrying Krell instead of JVC. Custom installations require a dedicated project manager, a lot of expertise and a level of professionalism that doesn't come cheap. It's not going to be easy to buy a bunch of these companies around the country and then keep them staffed, because the guys who know their sh**, will be opening their own competitive practices as soon as the non-compete time frame is over.

About five - ten years from now I fully expect these purchases to be money losers for Best Buy.

--SimpleTheater
post #22 of 164
4/6/06 at 12:35pm
Here we go again............ :eek:

:D Redhouse
post #23 of 164
4/6/06 at 12:36pm
Maybe Best Buy will change their name to MCSI?
post #24 of 164
4/6/06 at 12:46pm
Honestly?
I'd rather have any of the pseudo-HTs in the OP than the hideous "Nemo\\Nautilus" pics posted above.

At least then, I would only be a casual viewer with a minimal investment and not a fool with bad taste who just dropped a few hundred K on a turd.

Oh look, somebody won a ribbon!
post #25 of 164
4/6/06 at 1:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Redhouse
Here we go again............ :eek:

:D Redhouse

:D
Yup... I've been thinking its been to long since we have had a good debate on the subject of what is a HT. :D
So Redhouse... when are you going to actually come to a HEMI meet to buy me that beer? :D

Craig
post #26 of 164
4/6/06 at 1:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Milt99
Honestly?
I'd rather have any of the pseudo-HTs in the OP than the hideous "Nemo\\Nautilus" pics posted above.

At least then, I would only be a casual viewer with a minimal investment and not a fool with bad taste who just dropped a few hundred K on a turd.

Oh look, somebody won a ribbon!
Hahahahaha.... LMAO... !!! :D
But hey... it is a HT none the less. The other ones are not. :D

Craig
post #27 of 164
4/6/06 at 1:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SimpleTheater
I think a lot of pseudo-HT businesses should change the subject header of their portfolios to "Home Theater in a Box", because that's about all their giving.

This site does it right.
Real Home Theater

--SimpleTheater
The home theater in that link is no "SimpleTheater." :D
Beautiful!!


Craig
post #28 of 164
4/6/06 at 2:25pm
Quote:
Yup... I've been thinking its been to long since we have had a good debate on the subject of what is a HT.
So Redhouse... when are you going to actually come to a HEMI meet to buy me that beer?

Craig
Soon I hope, I have been taking care of my Mother and her Alzheimers for the last couple of years and so many of my plans have falling apart at the last minute because the nurse don't show up or something else happens and it's not just HT meets it's a million other things. Forgive me, one of these days I'll make it up to the HEMI group.

Back on topic,

It's so amazing to see all the DIY Home Theater's that have been built and how they blow away all those so called pro install's and I agree I din't see any Home theaters either. As I have said before, it's the room not the equipment, with out the theater, you don't have a Home Theater.


Redhouse
post #29 of 164
4/6/06 at 3:00pm
What I don't believe is how people have those huge rooms, and the screen is tiny. Hopefully that's just an optical confusion.

(Then again, in a theater like that nautilus one, the picture is obviously not the focal point.)
post #30 of 164
4/6/06 at 4:09pm
What I can't believe is that people going in there don't get the bends!
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