Two words that are seemingly ubiquitous today are 'Home Theatre'. Every furniture store claims to offer such products but do they really? For that matter do the big box stores sell, install and program such things for their customers or are they merely paying lip service to what true home cinema can be? The answer to these rhetorical questions is a most emphatic no! Imagine the following scenario and you will realize that only a custom dealer can create a proper cinema experience in your home.
The lights are dimming, the blinds are closing, the screen is lowering from it's housing hidden in your ceiling. You're exquisitely comfortable in you custom home theatre recliner. Snacks and beverages are poised at the ready. The air-conditioning has the room at the ideal temperature. The movie begins. Suddenly your eyes are filled with spectacular cinematic colour and you are immersed in a whole other world.
Further adding to the immersive effect of the home cinema is the multichannel sound emanating from your carefully placed speakers. The sound seamlessly envelopes you. Clear and precise sound is at least fifty percent of a movie experience and it cannot be brought to life with a soundbar or home theatre in a box solution. It is the carefully constructed results of a whole chain of choices made during consultations with your system designer. This is the process that determines the level of automation and audio/video performance in your home cinema.
Whether you will make do with the manufacturer supplied remotes, utilize a simple activity-based remote, or if you would like your home theatre to be a hub for whole home automation from Control 4 or Crestron. The latter two options can run virtually any electronic device imaginable. The limitations are simply those of your imagination. Not only can they provide bulletproof operation of audio and video products but also heating / air-conditioning, lighting, drapery/blinds, security, and even refrigerators, oven ranges, and wine cellars. Home theatre performance will be determined by the quality of bluray player and projector chosen as well as the level of amplification and speaker system selected.
I would dearly love to see the big box and furniture stores try to deliver any of this to you.