Upgrading a Bonus Room into a Home Theater
At Sound Advice, when I began my journey in audio/video and home theater design and installation, I converted many upstairs "bonus rooms" or "media rooms" into dedicated home theaters. These rooms generally had sloping sides formed by the roofline and were isolated from the bedrooms or main use areas, making them perfect for a remote theater room. Over the years I have seen fewer of these floor plans, but whenever I come across them it reminds me of past projects.
A New Client with a Familiar Challenge
Recently, we met a client who moved from a house with a beautiful, dedicated home theater to a home with a bonus room. The room was probably meant to be an extra space with most of the kids' toys, but the family figured, "why not have a theater there as well?"
The problem in this room was the sloping sidewalls had a more severe angle to them which narrowed at the top and reduced the overall width of the available screen viewing area.
Overcoming Design Challenges
This client desperately wanted a 120" movie screen, and we wanted to give him that immersive experience which a larger screen provides but the roof line limited the size by several feet. While discussing options, the idea of a floor screen came up.
We ordered and received a Severtson Motorized Rising Screen. Although you may not have heard of Severtson Screens, they are used by IMAX, NASA, Disney, U.S. Air Force, Warner Brothers, AMC Theaters, Cobb Theaters, Regal Cinemas, and Carmike Cinemas. That is an extremely solid lineup! When the screen arrived, we unboxed it, plugged it in, set the lower and upper limits, and watched it do its magic. I was very impressed; it rose smoothly, was quiet, and the aluminum enclosure was nicely made.
Here is a quick recap of where Severtson Screens are used:
| Organization | Type |
|---|---|
| IMAX | Large-Format Cinema |
| NASA | Space and Research |
| Disney | Entertainment |
| U.S. Air Force | Military |
| Warner Brothers | Film Production |
| AMC Theaters | Cinema Chain |
| Cobb Theaters | Cinema Chain |
| Regal Cinemas | Cinema Chain |
| Carmike Cinemas | Cinema Chain |
Installing the Essentials
Once the screen was dialed in, we worked to address the next high-importance piece of equipment, the Sony 4k projector. The client had much of his necessary equipment removed from his prior theater, including the projector, receiver, surge suppressor, front and center speakers, and subwoofer.
All was current, high-quality equipment, so we had no problem reusing his gear. We added a Chief projector mount and also ran an HDMI and some Cat6 cables for future use if needed. The equipment was installed in a mini rack to the front right of the room, the front Martin Logan towers were located right and left of the screen, dual Martin Logan subwoofers were beside the fronts. The Martin Logan center was located in the "wait for it" the center.
To complete the 7.2 surround sound system, we wired and installed 4 Monitor Audio in-ceiling speakers for the surround sides and back. The client's Marantz receiver, Panamax surge suppressor, and a 4k AppleTV were all installed in the equipment rack, all calibrated and configured for optimum performance.
Here is a quick recap of the equipment used:
| Equipment | Description |
|---|---|
| Sony 4k Projector | High-definition projector |
| Chief Projector Mount | Mounting equipment for the projector |
| HDMI and Cat6 Cables | Connectivity cables for current and future use |
| Martin Logan Towers | Front tower speakers |
| Martin Logan Subwoofers | Dual subwoofers beside the front towers |
| Martin Logan Center | Center speaker |
| Monitor Audio Speakers | Four in-ceiling speakers for surround sound |
| Marantz Receiver | Audio/video receiver |
| Panamax Surge Suppressor | Power protection |
| 4k AppleTV | Streaming device |
Completing the Transformation
The transformation was complete. The kid's playroom, full of toys (and yet to be organized, since they were just moving in) was now an official "Multi-use Room" with the title of "Home Theater" now able to be added.
Judging by the client's smile when we demoed the system, this "Multi-Use Room" may be less "Multi-Use" and more "Home Theater." In this case, I think the kids may lose out on this one.
