This month, we feature the home theater of a film-industry professional, who took comfort to the next level. As always, thanks to Anthem AV for sponsoring these articles. We encourage you to show some love and check out their amazing products at www.anthemav.com.
From an early age, A.J. (@ajbriones) was determined to work in the film industry. "I've been interested in home theater since I was in high school, when I used to make movies on VHS with my friends. During film school, I lived in a house with four other people, and I had my first home theater in my bedroom. It was a cobbled-together 5.1 setup with a LaserDisc player and a subwoofer under the couch to rattle the seats."
![Wood Window Flooring Floor Hall]()
The house plans called for a large bonus room and outdoor patio on the third floor, which A.J. would use as a dedicated home theater.
After working for about 10 years in the video-game industry, A.J. moved to Los Angeles in 2007 to work in the film industry. "My background is in motion capture, keyframe animation, visualization, and virtual production. I'm currently working as a Sequence Supervisor on the Avatar sequels."
"When I met my partner Cat, we realized that we both share a love for movies and home theater. It's not every day that a guy with a home-theater hobby meets a girl with her own movie-theater popcorn machine!"
![Window Fixture Flooring Ceiling Building]()
The home builder installed the drywall.
In 2020, A.J. and Cat decided to build a house based on some plans they saw. "The house included a large third-story bonus room with an outdoor patio. We weren't planning to move, but when we saw that layout, we thought it was a perfect place for a home theater."
"We wanted a theater that was comfortable not only for watching movies, but for hanging out, hosting parties, and using as a working space. We like to cuddle when we're watching movies, so traditional reclining theater seats were not an option. We opted for a pit sofa where we could sprawl out in like a giant dog bed, and that we could reconfigure to accommodate more people. We also wanted third-row seating behind the couch with desk space for eating snacks that could double as a work surface. Large floor pillows in front of the couch are there for people who like to sit in the front row and be immersed completely."
![Window Building Fixture Flooring Shade]()
The bonus room provided a big, open canvas for A.J.'s theater.
"Planning was done throughout the entire build phase. We didn't do 3D modeling the space or anything like that, just lots of visits to the construction site to take measurements. For planning the speaker placement, screen size, and projector mount location, I used resources from Dolby as well as Audio Advice's Home Theater Design Tool and Projector Central's projector throw calculator."
"Our home builder, G3 Urban, pre-wired the overhead speakers, installed our Zone 2 patio ceiling speakers, and ran power outlets in the ceiling to power the projector. Speaker Guy Audio and Video installed the projector and in-wall and in-ceiling speakers, and Island Pro Painting painted the theater and speaker grills as well as the rest of the house."
![Window Fixture Wood Flooring Floor]()
The front LR speakers and subs are freestanding; only the center speaker is in-wall.
"The rest was done by us. I worked on the theater while Cat took care of the concessions, which feature a popcorn machine, pretzel/mini-pizza oven, nacho cheese warmer, and beverage refrigerator."
"I did the acoustic design as well as the audio and video calibration. For audio calibration, I used ARC Genesis on the Anthem AVM 70. I recently got help from AVS Forum member David Lawson (@Yonettes), who made some tweaks to my ARC Genesis file. I was happy with my calibration, but his file really opened up the spatial imaging and improved what I thought was an already amazing-sounding room."
"I did the video calibration with some much needed research and guidance from folks in the AVS Forum, though I plan on getting professional calibration this year, now that the room has settled." In fact, AVS legend Kris Deering (@Kris Deering) is scheduled to do a full video calibration right around the time this article is posted. "I am very happy with the image now, but I hear he does magic."
![Window Fixture Wood Interior design Lighting]()
The surround and overhead speakers are all in-wall and in-ceiling.
"Being on the third floor, our theater opens up to a patio deck with a two-person sauna, couches, and teepee for hanging out. You can lounge in the teepee and casually watch football inside with audio from the Zone 2 ceiling speakers."
"Some of the theater components sit in a rack in my office. There's an 8-bay Synology NAS with 64 TB for my physical media rips; a Raspberry Pi for Home Assistant, Lutron, and other device automation hubs; my gateway and switches; NVR (network video recorder); and other components. My office is also where my physical discs live. Most of them have been ripped for easy playback in every room in the house."
![Property Comfort Building Couch Television]()
The finished theater includes thick drapes over the sliding-glass doors on the right and acoustic panel on the left. Pepper looks right at home on the pit sofa.
"Controlling ambient light was our biggest challenge in this space. There are eight windows and a large sliding glass door to the deck, which brings in a lot of sunlight. It's great for a bonus room, but terrible for a home theater."
"After some research, the first thing I did was install blackout window covers on the windows behind the roller shades. They work great for blocking out the light, and they also help keep the theater cool in the summer. Cat found a very heavy floor-to-ceiling curtain with a velvet-like dark fabric. With the curtains closed, we can eliminate all outdoor sunlight from the theater. The curtains also help with sound absorption/diffusion. Also, the sliding glass doors are heavy, double-paned, and do not rattle even with the volume at reference level."
![Property Furniture Building Comfort Interior design]()
The windows are all covered with light-blocking panels.
"The room is painted in two shades of matte black, darker on the screen wall, including a complementary satin dark grey on all the trim and powder room door."
"This is my first projector-based theater, so I had to put myself through a crash course about it, and AVS Forum was an invaluable resource. My goal was to find the best components that would fit my budget and work together to punch well above their weight class."
![Output device Product Wood Camera lens Interior design]()
The front speakers and subs flank a low-profile equipment credenza.
"I could have spent the majority of my budget on something like a JVC DLA-NZ8, but I would not have much left for a good screen, which would result in a subpar image. I decided early on that I would use an external video processor for HDR tone mapping and aspect-ratio switching, which allowed me to ignore those specs on the projectors I was comparing, knowing that they would be handled externally."
"I built a PC as a madVR processor to test out its tone mapping and auto-aspect switching features. In the end, I went with a Lumagen Radiance Pro, and I'm very happy I did. The Lumagen does everything I need in a virtually silent device, and it gets better with every firmware update."
![Wood Rectangle Audio equipment Hardwood Electronic device]()
Most of the equipment is hidden behind slotted doors.
"Consolidating sources was also a challenge. I have always been a big believer in physical media, and I have a large Blu-ray and LaserDisc collection that is still growing. I think it's a misconception that any one service like Kaleidescape can replace the full gamut of home-theatrical viewing. We ended up with a Kaleidescape system for new releases in the highest quality 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos, physical media for boutique remasters and film reference (e.g. Criterion Collection, Second Sight Films, Arrow, etc.), and streaming for movies we want to see but don't intend to own."
"There were a lot of memorable moments in the process of getting this theater built. The first was on the night we got the keys to the house. We projected Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse on the bare wall to test it out. It was the first time we got a real sense of what the space could be."
![Communication Device Finger Gadget Telephony Portable communications device]()
A.J. uses a Harmony Elite universal remote, but the equipment remotes are handy just in case they're needed.
"Another milestone was after installing the Seymour screen and activating the motorized masking for the first time. There's something magical about selecting a film in a 16:9 menu and watching the screen expand to 2.40:1 when the movie starts."
"The first time everything was installed and working, we watched Blade Runner: 2049 from the Kaleidescape. With the dual SVS subs shaking the room and the gorgeous image filling the screen tone mapped by the Lumagen, we both turned to each other and said, "Wow, this is for real."
![Shelf Shelving Interior design Bookcase Publication]()
A.J.'s large disc collection lives in his office, guarded by Pepper.
And the cost? "About $50,000, furniture included. This does not include AV equipment that I already owned from our previous home and theater."
Does the theater have a name? "My Kaleidescape calls it 'Pepperoni Cinema' after our dog, Pepper, but we just call it 'upstairs.' Pepper loves to go upstairs!" And who can blame her? Well done!
![Property Furniture Table Couch Comfort]()
Pepper often hangs out in this ultra-comfortable home theater.
Unfortunately, A.J. does not have a build thread.
Special thanks to Joanna Cazden for editing the photos in this article.
If you'd like your home theater considered for HT of the Month, send an email to HToftheMonth@avsforum.com with a few photos, a brief description, and a link to your build thread if available.
EQUIPMENT LIST
Sources
Kaleidescape Strato C, Compact Terra movie-server system
Oppo UDP-205 UHD Blu-ray player (w/all-region mod)
Apple TV 4K streamer
Zidoo Z9X media player
Windows 10 HTPC
Synology NAS (64 TB Plex/Roon server)
Pioneer DVL-V888 LaserDisc player
Nakamichi MB-4 CD player
Technics SL-1200 MK3
turntable
AV Electronics
Anthem AVM 70 preamp-processor
Outlaw Audio 2220 monoblock power amps (3, LCR)
Outlaw Audio 7000x 7-channel power amps (2, surrounds, overheads, Zone 2)
Lumagen Radiance Pro 4242 video processor
RetroTINK-5X Pro video-signal converter (LaserDisc S-video to HDMI conversion)
Projector
Epson Pro Cinema LS12000
Screen
Seymour AV Center Stage XD (146", 2.4:1, acoustically transparent woven, gain 1.2)
Motorized masking & magnetic panels for 1.33:1 & 1.66:1
Speakers
KEF LS50 (2, LR)
KEF Ci3160RL-THX (center)
Polk Audio 265-LS (4, side & rear surrounds)
Polk Audio RC80i (6, overheads)
SVS SB-2000 subwoofers (2)
Cables
Tributaries UDHM Max 48G (HDMI from sources)
Ruipro fiber optic HDMI (HDMI to projector)
Emotiva balanced XLR interconnects (AV processor to amps)
Monoprice speaker cables and interconnects
Control
Harmony Elite universal remote
Apple HomeKit smart-home system
Hoobs smart-home system (bridge non-compatible systems to Apple HomeKit)
Pepper Jobs W10 Gyro remote
(for HTPC)
Power Conditioning
Emotiva CMX6+ AC line filters with surge protection (3)
Acoustic Treatments
GIK Acoustics 4A Alpha Pro Series
Thick curtains, carpet, and other soft materials for supplemental diffusion.
Seating
Arhaus Coburn pit sectional sofa
Cube seating for eating/desk area
Extra-large floor pillows for upfront seating
Room Dimensions
19' x 20.5' x 10' (LxWxH)
Seating Distances
Main viewing position: 11'
Third row cube seating: 14'
Front row floor seating: 6'
From an early age, A.J. (@ajbriones) was determined to work in the film industry. "I've been interested in home theater since I was in high school, when I used to make movies on VHS with my friends. During film school, I lived in a house with four other people, and I had my first home theater in my bedroom. It was a cobbled-together 5.1 setup with a LaserDisc player and a subwoofer under the couch to rattle the seats."
The house plans called for a large bonus room and outdoor patio on the third floor, which A.J. would use as a dedicated home theater.
After working for about 10 years in the video-game industry, A.J. moved to Los Angeles in 2007 to work in the film industry. "My background is in motion capture, keyframe animation, visualization, and virtual production. I'm currently working as a Sequence Supervisor on the Avatar sequels."
"When I met my partner Cat, we realized that we both share a love for movies and home theater. It's not every day that a guy with a home-theater hobby meets a girl with her own movie-theater popcorn machine!"
The home builder installed the drywall.
In 2020, A.J. and Cat decided to build a house based on some plans they saw. "The house included a large third-story bonus room with an outdoor patio. We weren't planning to move, but when we saw that layout, we thought it was a perfect place for a home theater."
"We wanted a theater that was comfortable not only for watching movies, but for hanging out, hosting parties, and using as a working space. We like to cuddle when we're watching movies, so traditional reclining theater seats were not an option. We opted for a pit sofa where we could sprawl out in like a giant dog bed, and that we could reconfigure to accommodate more people. We also wanted third-row seating behind the couch with desk space for eating snacks that could double as a work surface. Large floor pillows in front of the couch are there for people who like to sit in the front row and be immersed completely."
The bonus room provided a big, open canvas for A.J.'s theater.
"Planning was done throughout the entire build phase. We didn't do 3D modeling the space or anything like that, just lots of visits to the construction site to take measurements. For planning the speaker placement, screen size, and projector mount location, I used resources from Dolby as well as Audio Advice's Home Theater Design Tool and Projector Central's projector throw calculator."
"Our home builder, G3 Urban, pre-wired the overhead speakers, installed our Zone 2 patio ceiling speakers, and ran power outlets in the ceiling to power the projector. Speaker Guy Audio and Video installed the projector and in-wall and in-ceiling speakers, and Island Pro Painting painted the theater and speaker grills as well as the rest of the house."
The front LR speakers and subs are freestanding; only the center speaker is in-wall.
"The rest was done by us. I worked on the theater while Cat took care of the concessions, which feature a popcorn machine, pretzel/mini-pizza oven, nacho cheese warmer, and beverage refrigerator."
"I did the acoustic design as well as the audio and video calibration. For audio calibration, I used ARC Genesis on the Anthem AVM 70. I recently got help from AVS Forum member David Lawson (@Yonettes), who made some tweaks to my ARC Genesis file. I was happy with my calibration, but his file really opened up the spatial imaging and improved what I thought was an already amazing-sounding room."
"I did the video calibration with some much needed research and guidance from folks in the AVS Forum, though I plan on getting professional calibration this year, now that the room has settled." In fact, AVS legend Kris Deering (@Kris Deering) is scheduled to do a full video calibration right around the time this article is posted. "I am very happy with the image now, but I hear he does magic."
The surround and overhead speakers are all in-wall and in-ceiling.
"Being on the third floor, our theater opens up to a patio deck with a two-person sauna, couches, and teepee for hanging out. You can lounge in the teepee and casually watch football inside with audio from the Zone 2 ceiling speakers."
"Some of the theater components sit in a rack in my office. There's an 8-bay Synology NAS with 64 TB for my physical media rips; a Raspberry Pi for Home Assistant, Lutron, and other device automation hubs; my gateway and switches; NVR (network video recorder); and other components. My office is also where my physical discs live. Most of them have been ripped for easy playback in every room in the house."
The finished theater includes thick drapes over the sliding-glass doors on the right and acoustic panel on the left. Pepper looks right at home on the pit sofa.
"Controlling ambient light was our biggest challenge in this space. There are eight windows and a large sliding glass door to the deck, which brings in a lot of sunlight. It's great for a bonus room, but terrible for a home theater."
"After some research, the first thing I did was install blackout window covers on the windows behind the roller shades. They work great for blocking out the light, and they also help keep the theater cool in the summer. Cat found a very heavy floor-to-ceiling curtain with a velvet-like dark fabric. With the curtains closed, we can eliminate all outdoor sunlight from the theater. The curtains also help with sound absorption/diffusion. Also, the sliding glass doors are heavy, double-paned, and do not rattle even with the volume at reference level."
The windows are all covered with light-blocking panels.
"The room is painted in two shades of matte black, darker on the screen wall, including a complementary satin dark grey on all the trim and powder room door."
"This is my first projector-based theater, so I had to put myself through a crash course about it, and AVS Forum was an invaluable resource. My goal was to find the best components that would fit my budget and work together to punch well above their weight class."
The front speakers and subs flank a low-profile equipment credenza.
"I could have spent the majority of my budget on something like a JVC DLA-NZ8, but I would not have much left for a good screen, which would result in a subpar image. I decided early on that I would use an external video processor for HDR tone mapping and aspect-ratio switching, which allowed me to ignore those specs on the projectors I was comparing, knowing that they would be handled externally."
"I built a PC as a madVR processor to test out its tone mapping and auto-aspect switching features. In the end, I went with a Lumagen Radiance Pro, and I'm very happy I did. The Lumagen does everything I need in a virtually silent device, and it gets better with every firmware update."
Most of the equipment is hidden behind slotted doors.
"Consolidating sources was also a challenge. I have always been a big believer in physical media, and I have a large Blu-ray and LaserDisc collection that is still growing. I think it's a misconception that any one service like Kaleidescape can replace the full gamut of home-theatrical viewing. We ended up with a Kaleidescape system for new releases in the highest quality 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos, physical media for boutique remasters and film reference (e.g. Criterion Collection, Second Sight Films, Arrow, etc.), and streaming for movies we want to see but don't intend to own."
"There were a lot of memorable moments in the process of getting this theater built. The first was on the night we got the keys to the house. We projected Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse on the bare wall to test it out. It was the first time we got a real sense of what the space could be."
A.J. uses a Harmony Elite universal remote, but the equipment remotes are handy just in case they're needed.
"Another milestone was after installing the Seymour screen and activating the motorized masking for the first time. There's something magical about selecting a film in a 16:9 menu and watching the screen expand to 2.40:1 when the movie starts."
"The first time everything was installed and working, we watched Blade Runner: 2049 from the Kaleidescape. With the dual SVS subs shaking the room and the gorgeous image filling the screen tone mapped by the Lumagen, we both turned to each other and said, "Wow, this is for real."
A.J.'s large disc collection lives in his office, guarded by Pepper.
And the cost? "About $50,000, furniture included. This does not include AV equipment that I already owned from our previous home and theater."
Does the theater have a name? "My Kaleidescape calls it 'Pepperoni Cinema' after our dog, Pepper, but we just call it 'upstairs.' Pepper loves to go upstairs!" And who can blame her? Well done!
Pepper often hangs out in this ultra-comfortable home theater.
Unfortunately, A.J. does not have a build thread.
Special thanks to Joanna Cazden for editing the photos in this article.
If you'd like your home theater considered for HT of the Month, send an email to HToftheMonth@avsforum.com with a few photos, a brief description, and a link to your build thread if available.
EQUIPMENT LIST
Sources
Kaleidescape Strato C, Compact Terra movie-server system
Oppo UDP-205 UHD Blu-ray player (w/all-region mod)
Apple TV 4K streamer
Zidoo Z9X media player
Windows 10 HTPC
Synology NAS (64 TB Plex/Roon server)
Pioneer DVL-V888 LaserDisc player
Nakamichi MB-4 CD player
Technics SL-1200 MK3
turntable
AV Electronics
Anthem AVM 70 preamp-processor
Outlaw Audio 2220 monoblock power amps (3, LCR)
Outlaw Audio 7000x 7-channel power amps (2, surrounds, overheads, Zone 2)
Lumagen Radiance Pro 4242 video processor
RetroTINK-5X Pro video-signal converter (LaserDisc S-video to HDMI conversion)
Projector
Epson Pro Cinema LS12000
Screen
Seymour AV Center Stage XD (146", 2.4:1, acoustically transparent woven, gain 1.2)
Motorized masking & magnetic panels for 1.33:1 & 1.66:1
Speakers
KEF LS50 (2, LR)
KEF Ci3160RL-THX (center)
Polk Audio 265-LS (4, side & rear surrounds)
Polk Audio RC80i (6, overheads)
SVS SB-2000 subwoofers (2)
Cables
Tributaries UDHM Max 48G (HDMI from sources)
Ruipro fiber optic HDMI (HDMI to projector)
Emotiva balanced XLR interconnects (AV processor to amps)
Monoprice speaker cables and interconnects
Control
Harmony Elite universal remote
Apple HomeKit smart-home system
Hoobs smart-home system (bridge non-compatible systems to Apple HomeKit)
Pepper Jobs W10 Gyro remote
(for HTPC)
Power Conditioning
Emotiva CMX6+ AC line filters with surge protection (3)
Acoustic Treatments
GIK Acoustics 4A Alpha Pro Series
Thick curtains, carpet, and other soft materials for supplemental diffusion.
Seating
Arhaus Coburn pit sectional sofa
Cube seating for eating/desk area
Extra-large floor pillows for upfront seating
Room Dimensions
19' x 20.5' x 10' (LxWxH)
Seating Distances
Main viewing position: 11'
Third row cube seating: 14'
Front row floor seating: 6'
