Frankie_A
Agent
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2005
- Messages
- 44
I have in my head exactly what I want in my Home Cinema, but while they are simple elements that would create a cinema environment, evidently not a lot of people incorporate them into their setup because finding manufacturers is a real challenge. I am not talking about the obvious -- speakers, amps, A/V processors, projectors, screens, etc., there you have so many choices that it makes your head spin. No; I remember what it was like going to the local movie theatre when I was a kid, and I want to have those thinks I remember were common back then, like curtains that opened for every show as the first frames of, say, the 20th Centure logo played across the opening curtain and the so very distinctive fan-fare and CInemaScope extension played in surround sound. As kids, we were impressed but didn't realize that kind of showmanship wouldn't last forever. Yah, I admit it, I have come to realize that all this stuff we do now is really just to get back the things that awed and thrilled us in our youth.
But I digress; So what I want in my home cinema is all those awesome accouterments the way theatres used to be. Easier said than done. For example, do you have any idea how difficult it is to find some companies out there that make curtain tracks, some even motorized, but try and find a company that makes a CURVED, motorized curtain track! Now all of a sudden it's like you are talking gibberish to the Home Theatre salesman. Sure, he's got a dozen different sub-woofers he'll gladly try to up-sell to you, but curved motorized curtain track and he's not interested, r if he was and thought it was an interesting idea, his Home Theatre store certainly doesn't have such an oddity.
I also want a dimming system that will allow me to control the "house lights," i.e., my room lights and my "curtain warmers" so they fade at different rates -- basically I want to set up cues that will dim the house lights, hold them at half while preshow music plays; as the music ends, then pull the house down to a glow, cue the ceiling star projector as the curtain warmers also fade to 4 /10 and then cue the curtain. I though I could accomplish this with an old X10 unit that connected to a PC. The PC is used to program it, but then it's disconnected and runs the cues independently. After speaking with someone from X10, I was told they discontinued those modules long ago now they are mostly into surveillance (where the big buck are). Sigh. So unlike the rest of the Home Theatre industry that have dozens, maybe hundreds of manufactures for electronics, there was only ONE that came close to a consumer level dimmer system and that's now bust, and NONE so far that sell motorized, curved curtain tracks, although I can't imagine they are not out there, only they certainly haven't tapped into the Home Theatre market...unfortunately for me and anyone else who wants to do old school showmanship.
Next on my hard-to-find list, is an acoustic transparent SILVER screen. Yah, yah, I know, there are quite a few manufacturers who make acoustic screens -- woven fabric that lets the audio thru without too much attenuation. True, BUT, here is the fly in THAT ointment -- I need it to be SILVERIZED so I can show passive 3D on it. And to my knowledge (and believe me I have been searching), the screen manufactured can't seem to do SILVER AT screen because the why silver screens are made is they are sprayed with the silverized coating and that clogs the fabric weave. Oh yah, did I mention, my screen has to be a CURVED screen like the original CinemaScope screens used to be (by Fox's specification actually -- they called it the Miracle Mirror screen and you had to have it installed or they wouldn't let you book CinemaScope films). And yes, you are fight, I need it for 3D. I happen to be one of those 3D freaks and I don't apologize for it either, you 3D haters! I will be using a multiplexing LCD polarizer to separate the Left/Right images. The audience could then use the RealD-3D circular polarization glasses to see the 3D movies. And that device, BTW, while I do have a supplier, it is by no means a commonly found item. Only the Chinese seem to think binocular cinema has value and one company offers a few models of the polarizers .
All that to just to ask...anyone know of manufactures who could supply:
1) motorized CURVED curtain track?
2) a SILVERIZED, acoustic transparent, CURVED screen and frame (10.5ft width/16:9ar)
3) a dimming system that can run a simple cueing system, maybe 4 to 6 channels.
Now yes, I probably can go to the commercial cinema supply route, and I did look into that for the curved track, but they are designed for theatre stages and aside from the exorbitant cost factor, they are monstrous and would pull my ceiling down. Same with 3D movie screens. They can't work at home because the way they are acoustically transparent is they have tiny holes in them that let the sound thru; they rely on your distance from them to make those holes invisible. At home where you are MUCH closer to the screen, you would see the holes. So that won't work. And, yes, you can get dimming theatrical dimming/automation systems that would cost more than all of your most expensive gear put together.
I guess i am also kvetching about the fact that you would think these items that are, at least in my mind, pretty integral to a home cinema experience, would be offered by a least a few manufacturers specifically for this home DIY Home Theatre consumer market. I mean, have you ever seen how many companies offer "theatre seating?" I'm just sayin....
But I digress; So what I want in my home cinema is all those awesome accouterments the way theatres used to be. Easier said than done. For example, do you have any idea how difficult it is to find some companies out there that make curtain tracks, some even motorized, but try and find a company that makes a CURVED, motorized curtain track! Now all of a sudden it's like you are talking gibberish to the Home Theatre salesman. Sure, he's got a dozen different sub-woofers he'll gladly try to up-sell to you, but curved motorized curtain track and he's not interested, r if he was and thought it was an interesting idea, his Home Theatre store certainly doesn't have such an oddity.
I also want a dimming system that will allow me to control the "house lights," i.e., my room lights and my "curtain warmers" so they fade at different rates -- basically I want to set up cues that will dim the house lights, hold them at half while preshow music plays; as the music ends, then pull the house down to a glow, cue the ceiling star projector as the curtain warmers also fade to 4 /10 and then cue the curtain. I though I could accomplish this with an old X10 unit that connected to a PC. The PC is used to program it, but then it's disconnected and runs the cues independently. After speaking with someone from X10, I was told they discontinued those modules long ago now they are mostly into surveillance (where the big buck are). Sigh. So unlike the rest of the Home Theatre industry that have dozens, maybe hundreds of manufactures for electronics, there was only ONE that came close to a consumer level dimmer system and that's now bust, and NONE so far that sell motorized, curved curtain tracks, although I can't imagine they are not out there, only they certainly haven't tapped into the Home Theatre market...unfortunately for me and anyone else who wants to do old school showmanship.
Next on my hard-to-find list, is an acoustic transparent SILVER screen. Yah, yah, I know, there are quite a few manufacturers who make acoustic screens -- woven fabric that lets the audio thru without too much attenuation. True, BUT, here is the fly in THAT ointment -- I need it to be SILVERIZED so I can show passive 3D on it. And to my knowledge (and believe me I have been searching), the screen manufactured can't seem to do SILVER AT screen because the why silver screens are made is they are sprayed with the silverized coating and that clogs the fabric weave. Oh yah, did I mention, my screen has to be a CURVED screen like the original CinemaScope screens used to be (by Fox's specification actually -- they called it the Miracle Mirror screen and you had to have it installed or they wouldn't let you book CinemaScope films). And yes, you are fight, I need it for 3D. I happen to be one of those 3D freaks and I don't apologize for it either, you 3D haters! I will be using a multiplexing LCD polarizer to separate the Left/Right images. The audience could then use the RealD-3D circular polarization glasses to see the 3D movies. And that device, BTW, while I do have a supplier, it is by no means a commonly found item. Only the Chinese seem to think binocular cinema has value and one company offers a few models of the polarizers .
All that to just to ask...anyone know of manufactures who could supply:
1) motorized CURVED curtain track?
2) a SILVERIZED, acoustic transparent, CURVED screen and frame (10.5ft width/16:9ar)
3) a dimming system that can run a simple cueing system, maybe 4 to 6 channels.
Now yes, I probably can go to the commercial cinema supply route, and I did look into that for the curved track, but they are designed for theatre stages and aside from the exorbitant cost factor, they are monstrous and would pull my ceiling down. Same with 3D movie screens. They can't work at home because the way they are acoustically transparent is they have tiny holes in them that let the sound thru; they rely on your distance from them to make those holes invisible. At home where you are MUCH closer to the screen, you would see the holes. So that won't work. And, yes, you can get dimming theatrical dimming/automation systems that would cost more than all of your most expensive gear put together.
I guess i am also kvetching about the fact that you would think these items that are, at least in my mind, pretty integral to a home cinema experience, would be offered by a least a few manufacturers specifically for this home DIY Home Theatre consumer market. I mean, have you ever seen how many companies offer "theatre seating?" I'm just sayin....
