What makes your Home Theater system

"Exertfluffer":

I too, happen to agree that going to a big local cineplex in order to see movies on the grandest of scales. Since I live in Washington, D. C., you would think that a city like Washington, a city with a lot of history to talk about would have something that is grand and elegant in Los Angeles like "Kotta" gets to experience once in a while with their "Los Angeles Wilshire Theater". But no......... what I have is a mayor who believes that tearing down something that has historical value and meaning in favor that is modern and profitable. And in the end, these newer and more modern movie houses (I don't think they deserve to be called movie "palaces" in my opinion) are something that doesn't no where near the grandular and aura of movie palaces from the days gone by. And while today's huge screens and powerful sound systems are something that is not to be ignored, I cannot help but to lured to the immediacy and intimacy of the older movie houses from the past. Even if they sound more "analog" like than today's digital counterparts. But now, if Washington, D. C. had such a historical movie house for its residents to go to and attend every once in a while, then they'll be doing something. But when I have a mayor who shuts down a public hospital and almost make it impossible for an average working resident to afford to buy a house in D. C. (from the prices of the homes themselves, right down to the property taxes residents have to pay in order to hold on to their properties, and you wonder why people are leaving the city to go live in the suburbs all the time), then I cannot fully expect him to resurrect and preserve a historical movie house in the city. But hey, that's me.

And speaking what to expect when one goes to the movies, I see that everybody fails to mention the highway robbery prices today's movie houses seem to charge, and that consumers have to pay in order for someone to enjoy a night at the movies. You got to think that a movie ticket costs almost $10.00. And if you take a date with you, you better count on pulling out a $20.00 bill just to pay for a pair of movie tickets. Because I tell you right now, taking a date for a night at the movies is going to tear the fuck out of a $20.00 bill. Then you got to think about the cost of the concessions. A bag of popcorn is about $4.00. A bag of nachos is about $6.00. A soda is about $3.00. And in the end, when you add up all of that, then you're talking about $40.00 or $50.00 just for a night at the movies. And for that same $50.00, then the average joe can go to Best Buy and buy themselves a Toshiba DVD Player for about $60.00 or so. And you wonder why people buy DVD's now instead of going to the movies. It's highway robbery.

With that said then, unless it's movie that I just got to see right away, and one that I am absolutely crazy about. Or one that my girlfriend would want to see, I have gotten to the point that I don't even go out for the movies anymore. If it is a movie that I think I am going to be crazy about, I would just prefer to wait for it to come out on DVD. Because if it doesn't do well at the box office, but yet, it is one that I am crazy about, then it will be out on DVD within four months after its thearactrical release. And when that happens, Best Buy will put it on sale for about $16.00 or $17.00 for the whole week it is released on DVD. And that way, I can look at it as many times as like to. Or if it something that I want to see, but don't care to own, then I put my "Netflix" account to work. I have a "Netflix" account too.

What makes my home theater special to me is the small and intimate space that it is placed in (which is my bedroom). I like the fact that since I live alone, then there aren't any others to intervine or to interupt me when I am getting into a flick. And just like "Albertporter" has also said, I also don't like it when other people are talking during a movie. Crying babies also seem to get under my skin as well. And cell phones are a DEFINITE pet peeve of mine (when you are in a public movie theater............. turn that GODDAMN cell phone off.......... PLEASE (!!!!!!)). So, those are definite advantages.

As for the room (I didn't put too much into setting it up since this is also a place where I retire for the day, and sleep at night), it is a squared shaped room that has wall-to-wall carpeting (which should go a long way toward softening the punch that I should get from a subwoofer when I finally install a home theater speaker system to my home theater) that is fully furnished with a bedroom suite. So, I guess that should go a long way toward influencing the acoustics of the room as well.

And my equipment is as follow:

Television/Monitor: Panasonic CT-27SF37 27" Television/Monitor

DVD Player: Pioneer Elite DV-37 Progressive Scan DVD/CD Player (internal DAC's are bypassed. The DAC's in the Harman/Kardon AVR-210 Receiver take care of all of the processing)

Audio/Video Receiver: Harman/Kardon AVR-210 Audio/Video Receiver

Headphones: Sennheiser HD-580 Headphones (these do home theater surprisingly well.......... you really need to try these with your home theater sometimes......... you're going to be astonished.......... I guarantee it)

But what I wouldn't do to have a home theater's like Albert Porter's. I guess when I hit the lottery, a home theater like that (except that I would prefer a solid-state version of that system) would be something for me to strive towards, wouldn't it????

--Charles--

Tvad brings to mind something I've known for along time from working in and around the audio video business, and that's that I think most people really like to SHARE THEIR MOVIE/THEATER EXPERIENCE WITH OTHERS!...after all, most of us(I exclude the engineers, acountants, physicists, and sanitation workers...kidding) are social creatures, and like to share with people! What better place to do that than in an large commercial theater!!! I mean after all, there are women there...which is nice.(oh wait!...there's a woman at my house too!...another reason to get away...haha)
There is something about going out in public to check out the latest "to-do". Again, a social thing.
I like to share my home theater with my friends and family. I enjoy it that much more when I'm with them...even if they don't care as much as me about "the system". They like the experience more than the specifics.
So, from that standpoint, you can't replace that with the "home thing". Still, as men who like to put things together, and are into "things and toys", this is cool stuff!...home theater. And it's got great potential in replicating the real thing. And with the advent of higher def material, better video products, and improved audio(I'd like some more break throughs in speaker designs personally "by-en-large"), the potential for tremendous home theater is just that!(knowledge, experience and proper execution/application are key).
Aside from the obvious drawbacks of the large social experience(if that's for you) of going out, there's no reason you can't expect the same stellar theater experience in the home with the help of technology and skilled competent effort.

I think that most people who watch films at home do not get the same "theater experience" but there are people who have an actual "theater" in their home, rather than a multi-function media room. If you invite enough friends over, you can still get the social aspect of the film, which is very good to have.

The one thing I have that really sets my system apart from the theaters and even other peoples home theaters is the D-BOX Odyssee Motion Simulator. It adds an extra sensation that you cannot experience with anything else. While traditional reproduction systems will play audio and video, I get audio, video and motion.

For those who have never seen a movie in a system with an Odyssee motion simulator, I suggest you find a dealer who has one on display and watch a full movie on it.

What makes my HT special?

I'm not into sharing armrests. And, I get to pause the film when I need a bathroom break. Oh yeah, my chair is much more comfortable than the fake velvet fold down chair in the theater with the gum and nachos stains on it. And I can turn off all the cell phones in the area. Hmm. Plus, there aren't any wailing babies. And I can stretch out my legs and don't end up with mashed knees after a two hour film.

And if that weren't enough, those nasty movie theater owners take exception when I try to bring in my bottle of Macallan 18yo.