Best Home Theater 150K+ - Gold, Erskine Group, Atlanta, GA. [Print]

May 2012 - As soon as you open the doors heading to this theater you know you're in a special place.  Custom millwork, stars on the ceiling and illuminated movie posters line the hall that leads to the main theater, where an expectant hush hangs until the system is powered on.  The entire interior room was decoupled from the exterior and damped.  Green Glue was added between layers of drywall to enhance the sound isolation.  The detailed ceiling and custom walls are more then just decorative; they also function as acoustic treatments.  The ceiling works as a diffuser, and the walls, which are partially angled downward, help to direct reflected sound into the carpet instead of at the listeners.  Sound is provided by a suite of Procella Audio speakers, fueled by a QSC Audio amplifier and two QSC digital signal processors, pump out sound from behind the Stewart Filmscreen 12-foot micro-perf screen.  A 3D RuncoSC-50 projector with a Runco Autoscope anamorphic lens system delivers the dazzling images.

Best Home Theater $150K+ - Bronze, DSI Entertainment Systems, West Hollywood, CA [Print]

May 2012 - This theater's massive 13-foot-wide Stewart Filmscreen Director's Choice screen wall features masking fabric that automatically extends from the top, bottom and sides, depending on the image size and format.  The screen can also display up to four images from different video sources at one time, thanks to Crestron's DVPHD processor.  The processor also enables the screen to display side-by-side images for head-to-head video gaming.  Digital Projection International's (DPI) custom-ordered Titan three-chip DLP projector produces CinemaScope (2.35:1) images without the use of a separate anamorphic lens.  Accompanying all of this video mania is a JBL Synthesis speaker system featuring 12 speakers and four subwoofers for a 9.1-channel configuration.  Two of the subs are mounted beneath the riser for the second-row-seats and ported via precision-drilled holes.

Best Home Theater $75,000 - $150K - Gold, Audio Impact, San Diego, CA [Print]

May 2012 - It's obvious when entering this grand theater that audio took priority.  A contact sensor on the door that leads into this 27-by-16-foot space triggers an array of small LED fixtures to illuminate, showcasing a pair of high-grade Monitor Audio Platinum tower speakers.  Audio Impact chose an Integra DHC-80.2 preamp for its ability to work well with other A/V components and numerous audio decoding options, and a Crestron Procise Proamp-7X400 amplifier for its pure, raw output of power to drive the 9.2 channel setup. After the theater door opens, automatically a Crestron thermostat adjusts the temperature to a more comfortable setting, select lights brighten, and the Runco LS-10d projector warms up to throw images onto the 135-inch microperf Stewart screen.

Mile-High DIY [Print]

June 2012 by Robert Roberts - Like most readers, I always dreamed of having my own dedicated space for a home theater.  Unfortunately, while living in Southern California, we never had enough space.  Then came a job opportunity in the beautiful state of Colorado, and our new home had a basement that was the perfect size and location for a home theater.

For speakers, I used GoldenEar TritonCinema twos, except for a pair of Definitive Technology ProMonitor 800s for the back surrounds.  In addition, two Hsu VTF-2 MK3 12-inch powered subwoofers were used, one in the front and one in the back room,  An Onkyo TX-SR806 powers the speaker system and accommodates several sources, including Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player, three game consoles (PS3, PS2, and Wii), and even a Denon DP-30L turntable.  On the video side, a Sony VLP-VW85 projector was paired with a Stewart StudioTek 130 G3, 100-inch diagonal screen.

Stewart Filmscreen Ranks No. 1 in inside track Survey [Print]

April 2012 - Stewart Filmscreen was honored with 15 individual inside track first place rankings in the Home Video/Screen group, including No. 1 in Product Performance, Product Reliability and Product Innovation, as well as overall No. 1 ranking amongst screen manufacturers.  This marks Stewart's fourteenth consecutive year at No. 1 overall in the group, an accomplishment that has never been achieved by any other company surveyed in inside track history. 

As the industry's specialty retail adviser, inside track conducts this annual survey among independent specialist retailers and custom integrators.  Dealers and integrators grade manufacturers on the 16 individual parameters of the annual Supplier Loyalty test, which include five product-related, five dealer profitability-related and six dealer support parameters.

Vendors compete in eight separate groups, including Home Audio/Electronic, Home Audio/Speakers, Home Video Components, Home Video Screen companies, two Custom Installation groups, a Wire & Cable group and a Car Audio group.