[Cain]

I'm in the final stages of building a Dennis designed Front projection theater in my basement.


Lately I have had several strangers come by, invited by the fellow who did the majority of the work on the Theater.


My question is this. How do people, particularly strangers, react when they see your theater for the first time.


I get a slack-jawed glazed over look, and they seem to look at me like I have just built a state of the art bomb shelter, or something similar.


Your experiences??


-- Cain

 

[sbradley02]

This would be my old theater, but pretty much the same reaction. And when they see some clips, they ususally saw "Wow, that sounds so much better than the movie theater. I never heard all that when I saw that movie at the theater." For me, that's what HT is all about, that and not having to deal with noisy people and a lot of extra driving .


Seth

 

[Art Sonneborn]

Cain,

The way people react couldn't vary more if one set it up that way. There have been a few who have really stuck in my mind however. One guy covered his eyes as the lights slowly came up and then refused to look saying he didn't want to see any more( later his wife came just to see it). Another said that he couldn't imagine a more ridiculous extravagance!( later I heard he built a dedicated HT in his new house). Many seem impressed since very very few people know that such a thing exists. One man after sitting through The Matrix a few years back, I asked" what do you think of the system" and he said "it's just a movie". After being on this forum it begins to seem like there are a lot of us but we are quite far flung.

The best for me were the HT nuts at the meet I had. These were wonderful people with either theaters of their own or had them in progress. These were the people who could appreciate what efforts you made and what may have gone into producing the image displayed or the sonic experience produced. I was most impressed by their tact and kindness since they, realistically ,were in the best position to criticize from a position of knowledge but did only in a constructive way.

Be ready for a lot of jealousy. This will manifest as pathetic grasping at straws type of criticism. Many will be impressed but it just isn't human nature to show how happy they are for you.

Art

 

[brothermaynard]

Check this thread out, it reads well and is funny.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...threadid=87052



Note: Thread contains very similar concept (a good one at that).

 

[ckaudio]

Thanks Art for the comments. I felt exactley the same way when you came to my Theater. Most people just say wow. Then they just won't leave. I've got 12 squatters right now. I can't get rid of them. I have tried to get rent but legally since their are no plumbing or windows I can't legally collect a monthly fee. What should I do? I'm at my witts end. So far I haven't had any negative comments like " are you rich?" other than from 10 year olds : ) I think a theater is normal in a house, but of course I've installed lots of theaters so I'm biased. Really I did notice that the other people who have theaters or are building are of course the ones most interested . We have some friends though that would love to have a theater and they come over once a month from Grand Rapids to watch movies for a weekend. He is wowed every time. later

 

[Cain]

Thanks Art,


Your comments are thoughtful and insightful.


One guy said in an odd sort of way :"Gee, you must REALLY like movies." I said "Yes I do, but I enjoy sharing them with family and friends more."


I guess the point that all of us here realize is we build these places to share fun and fellowship with friends and family, not to try to make others jealous or envious. For me it is all about the fun of having friends and family over and to share my theater with them.


So far kids are the most wowed, and excited. They immediately want to settle in and watch a movie and could care less about what brand speakers, amps, etc. They just want to watch, listen and enjoy; and that is my favorite reaction.


Take care,


Any more folks want to share their experiences and thoughts??


-- Cain

 

[Mooneyass]

I with Cain on this one. I REALLY like movies but I also really enjoy the social aspect of it. Entertaining family and friends in such an environment is great. After a stressful week at work the HT is a nice getaway without having to travel to a crowded resteraunt or theatre. Another aspect is cost, for others that is.... Our popcorn and pop/Guinness is much cheaper.


The first time my parents saw it my Mom said "Wow, thats alot better than the theatre". What a great compliment.


I have buddies from University that I talk to more now because my HT is a great meating place we can all agree on.


The WAF is very high too ;-) Its also a good excuse to get lots of high priced electronics.


Wes

 

[Neto]

I get the jaw drop followed by the usual question " if you don't mind me asking what does something like that (projector) go for?" that usual leads to another jaw drop and thoughts of my sanity running through there heads.


I love it.

 

[snowmoon]

Right now seating is slim, but I'm working on that. It still neads the finishing touchs like carpet and paint, but it's fully functional and I can't wait to have people over for my first movie night!


Even if people don't come over, it really doesn't make a diffrence. I built it for myself to enjoy after a long and stressfull day.

 

[SVonhof]

Let's see.... I think one thing that needs to be said is that people that just hear about it and ones that see it first-hand are completely different. I have many friends that have watched the construction of my theater through my web site, one week at time. They knew the equipment I was using, how I was building it.... But, the first time they see it, they are still blown away, by the image, the screen size, the room acoustics.....

I have people that, when I am showing other people the pictures, say, "See that seat back there, that one is MY seat!". Others have asked if they can just come over and stay the night, and that the theater would do just fine for sleeping in!

My problem with the younger neighborhood kids is that they get so excited that they cannot sit still!

The older neighborhood kids, love it and ask their parents if they can convert the same room in their house (if they have the same model) to a theater! One wife told the husband that she didn't want him to convert the room after their son moved out, then she saw our theater and is convinced that it would be a great thing to do.


One thing is for sure, friends tell their friends and when you all get together for the first time, their friends say "Oh, so you are the one with the theater! Awesome man, good job, I wish I could do that in my house."

 

[Tim Wilkins]

A co-worker and I were discussing his upcoming trip to Greece and he reminded me of how owning one of those (pointing to a Runco CRT projector brochure ad at my desk) that it didn't attract women or something like that. I reminded him how his BMW doesn't either and what he needs is a 4 X 4 truck like I have for that. That was pretty much the end of that.

 

[Cain]

Tim,


Did you ever see that thread on the digital projectors section that lasted about 45 minutes?? It was by a single guy saying how great his HT was for scoring with chicks.. It was funny, and he was serious. He said no awkward let's go back to my place, because they were already there!!


So tell your bud you can definitely score big with chicks with a really nice theater!!


-- Cain

 

[Art Sonneborn]

Maybe it is my age, my marital status or maybe it is just my personality but my HT is the antithesis of scoring with chics. This is a place where I can get away from the stress of relationships if I want. This is a re-creation of my garage clubhouse from my prepubescent youth. A time when my toys were all that mattered and play ,not showing off for girls was the the most important thing. I've come to realize that the things in my life that bring the most joy( other than loving my sons) are the hobbies and time spent similarly to that spent before impressing girls and doing the things they thought was cool became a priority. My HT is one of those things. I build scale models and this also brings me great pleasure but it would never have gotten me a date.

Art

 

[Cain]

LOL.. Art, I'm with you..


I was merely pointing out to that fellow that a nice HT can be a great thing for a single guy on the prowl. Better than a nice car, IMO.


-- Cain

 

[Dennis Erskine]

Nothing, no where, no how, will beat the sensation of a Ferrari Type 209 engine nicely encased in a classic GT body, leather seats, and stainless steel exhausts.


Well, maybe except landing a small airplane in big winds.....

 

[kloh]

Gotta go with Art here... I think "HT" and "chick magnet" are almost at opposite ends of the spectrum. I might be wrong, but I think most (and I'm speaking VERY generally here) HT enthusiasts tend to be men -- just look at the members of this board. While my wife loves our theater, I'm really the only one who gets all worked up and picky about the picture and sound quality.


I do think, however, that HT is becoming more and more mainstream. Just look at the model homes they're building nowadays. Several that I've seen have attempted to "design" one into the spec (it always has flaws though). I think the biggest difference is that I would guess that the average AVS forum members' definition of HT is a far cry from the average joe consumers'. Regardless, I do think most people say "wow" when they see a room with a big TV and "surround sound". When it comes to rooms like Art's and ckaudios' my guess would be that the jaws tend to drop lower and there's probably a longer pause before any actual words come out of their mouths.


-Ken

 

[Toxarch]

I don't know about after the theater is done yet, but I can tell you about my building my HT right now. I have some family members and parent's friends that know I want to build an HT and they know I am finishing a room in my house. When they ask about it, I just say I am finishing up the room and maybe it will be a theater later. Meanwhile, I am building it specifically for a HT and not telling them. Then they say that I should build an HT so they can come over and watch movies all the time. One lady says her son bought a $4K projector and a drop down screen for his living room. She kept talking big about it saying that it was cheap and simple and clear and I could just put it on a table. I explained that if I built a theater, I would want to ceiling mount a DLP or CRT instead of an LCD like he probably had. She kept telling me that his was perfect and I should do what he did. I didn't feel like argueing.

Then there's my friends that know I am building a HT. Three have offered to help but haven't shown up to help yet. The rest want it done in a hurry so they can come over and watch movies all the time.

Then there's my brother and sister-in-law. They didn't think I would even start on it until december 2002 and wouldn't finish it until 2 years after that. They couldn't believe I had started on it when they came over. They didn't say they want to come over and watch it all the time cause they live 5 hours away.

So pretty much, everyone wants it done in a hurry so THEY can watch movies all the time. Problem is that noone shows up to HELP finish it in a hurry. We'll just see who watches it and who shows up when I am having sudden "technical difficulties".

 

[Cain]

Update:


My wife's mother dropped by and was blown away with the theater. She has not even seen an image on the screen or heard the speakers she was simply blown away by the room itself.


Fabric being put up this week. I'm getting close, very close.


-- Cain

 

[tactical]

Usually when people come over they see my 50" RPTV with my small HT setup in my family room and think it's my HT. I usually play along and show them the rest of the house. At the end I say "Oh, I'll show you the basement quick" and when I open the door to the theater, they go crazy. I like to play it down though and say it's nothing. It's funny to see their reactions.


But they ALWAYS ask me how much it cost to build.

 

[kloh]

matt-


that's a great way to set people up!