THE GRAMOPHONE WIRE
HOME THEATERS NO. 2
LOOK INSIDE FOR AWESOME CONTENT ABOUT HOME THEATERS, FROM PRODUCT-INSPIRED DESIGN TO UPGRADING TO 4K AND ON-DEMAND SERVICES. KALEIDESCAPE STRATO 4K ULTRA HD MOVIE PLAYER $4,499.00 The award-winning Kaleidescape Strato is the world's first and only 4K Ultra HD high-dynamic-range movie player. Strato plays movies in true 4K Ultra HD at up to 60 frames per second, without startup delays, buffering messages, or quality drops that are so common with streaming services. Strato supports lossless multichannel audio including Dolby Atmos, and bit-stream pass-through of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. The Strato onscreen user interface is also displayed in 4K Ultra HD, at 60 frames per second, resulting in fluid animation and a stunning visual impact.
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IN THIS
ISSUE 3 10 12
HOME THEATER CASE STUDIES HOME THEATER IN THE ERA OF VIDEO ON DEMAND 4 REASONS TO UPGRADE AV NOW
HOME THEATER
CASE STUDIES There’s a reason we’re coined as a “preeminent installer” of home theaters. Look no further to find out why.
MARQUEES & MARTIAL ARTS
Our client had an existing theater that was outdated, in a basement space that originally felt very small and awkwardly laid out. The family wanted the best look, feel, and performance they could get out of the space, while updating the theater equipment to meet current technical specifications. Using color selection, cabinetry and lighting techniques, Gramophone's Design & Build team was able to make the space feel larger and more functional. To top it all off we created a custom movie poster for the family of black belts using portraits and a movie poster of one of their favorite films.
HIGHLIGHTS
Savant and Lutron Automation make lighting and electronic functions easy to access and manage Dolby Atmos Surround Sound, a Sony 4K Projector, and quality Totem in-wall speakers ensure a state-of-the-art viewing experience A Kaleidescape CinemaOne gives the family access to thousands of 4K movies and shows
THE WARMING GLOW OF MCINTOSH
Our York, PA client came to Gramophone with the intent of having a relaxed bar and theater space. Priorities were great looking picture, amazing sound, and a rack full of McIntosh components to show off to family and guests. Our client wanted his passion and love for the McIntosh brand to influence the style and colors of his new space. As a result Gramophone created a sleek look that incorporated the notable blue glow of McIntosh products, reflected not only in the technological elements but also the millwork and cabinets of the bar. Left behind was a chalkboard tray and gifts from the Gramophone team!
HIGHLIGHTS
Rack highlighted with custom casing that included stainless steel elements drawn from the McIntosh component faces Totem Metal Speakers combined with McIntosh components create deep, powerful movie theater sound Sony 4K Projector supports movies in CinemaScope (2.35:1) without an external anamorphic lens, and widescreen formats with minimal or no black bars
A HARLEY-DAVIDSON HAVEN Our client owns a Harley Davidson motorcycle and wanted a dedicated home theater themed after this passion of his. The Gramophone Design & Build team came into the project to add the finishing touches of the design including columns, custom acoustic panels, front build out, decorative lighting, flooring, and railing installation. Our client also wanted to be able to watch movies and tv shows in their correct aspect ratios while occupying the maximum amount of screen space, without exposed empty space on the screen. The Sony 4K projector and masking screen we installed provided this ability and a wonderful solution to the client.
HIGHLIGHTS
A 4K Sony Projector with Electrimasking Stewart Screen masks between a 100" 16:9 and a 125" 2.35:1 viewing area Left, right, center speakers and a primary subwoofer are concealed in the front wall of the theater, while in-wall speakers and a second, in-wall subwoofer were added to create a 7.2 system A distracting exercise room door was incorporated into a "lobby layout" using a flooring change and decorative ceiling mount fixture Decorative iron railing has an end post capped with a custom top to mimic the iconic Harley Shield
WHY 4K IS WORTH THE UPGRADE
TODAY’S 4K ULTRA-HIGH DEFINITION TELEVISIONS PROVIDE THE GREATEST HOME ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE AT AN INCREDIBLE VALUE. Yet many people who are ready to buy a new TV hesitate when it comes to 4K UHD TVs. Here’s why upgrading to one today is the best path to a priceless viewing experience.
A 4K PICTURE IS THE FINEST YOU’LL SEE The accolades showered upon 4K images transcend hype. They’re true. Spend just a few minutes watching a 4K TV, like the 65-inch Sony XBR, and it will be hard to go back to watching anything else; you’ll be constantly reminded of what you’re missing. But why miss anything? 4K sets pack four times the resolution of a standard HD TV for about the same price you paid for your set five years ago. And 4K TV’s are designed, engineered and built with today’s cutting-edge technology. Film buffs can view an image so crisp it's like owning the original print. Sports fans are transported to the best seat in the stadium. Gamers become part of the action. Simply put, 4K TVs provide a better picture than anything else you can buy on the market.
4K TV PRICES DECREASE, VALUE INCREASES When 4K TVs first launched, even the manufacturers admitted the prices were high. No matter how much you want the best picture available, it’s difficult to justify spending $50,000 on a TV. But 4K technology has been so widely adapted that prices have come down to levels that fit every budget. Sony's XBR series, for example, start at about $2,500 for a 55-inch set. Prices for even larger screen sizes are decreasing, while the quality of the images they produce become more luxurious.
MORE CONTENT IS COMING VERY SOON You may have heard there isn't much 4K content available. That's rapidly changing. Sony, always a leader in home theater, is releasing new and classic movies and TV programs in 4K resolution. Netflix has begun streaming its popular “House of Cards” series and other content in 4K. Amazon and YouTube are also gearing up to stream a variety of 4K content. With the biggest names in streaming video already in the game and 4K movies becoming more commonplace, we can expect much more content very soon.
BLU-RAY DISCS AND OTHER CONTENT LOOK BETTER THAN EVER Many people who buy a 4K TV also purchase an “upscaling” Blu-ray Disc player. Upscaling technology has advanced to such high levels that it greatly improves the quality of almost every image played on a 4K TV. A quality Blu-ray player will render your Blu-ray discs in exquisite detail and add new life and vibrancy to your entire movie collection. If you want the best image possible - and to be entertained in ways you’ve never imagine - choose a 4K TV. Your eyes won't believe the upgrade.
By Daniel Sarath For any movie buff, the home theater is the centerpiece of the house, providing the experience of watching a movie on the big screen within the comfort of your living room. With state-of-the-art modern television screens and top-of-the-range audio equipment, you can tailor the environment to exactly how you want to watch a movie and never sacrifice the quality by doing so. Until recently, there was only one real drawback to the otherwise incredible experience of these home theaters: you were somewhat limited with what content you could watch. You could only choose from the movies you owned on home video, were showing on television at the time, you had rented from your local Blockbuster (remember those days?) or you had saved to your DVR. That, of course, has changed exponentially with the advent of video-on-demand (services like Netflix, Hulu, DirecTV, iTunes and Amazon Prime Instant). Now, viewers have access to libraries of thousands of movies for a small subscription fee. If you can't find a specific title, furthermore, others may let you pay a small $3-4 fee to rent it for 48 hours. And we aren't just talking about movies on home release here; many film distributors now launch their brand new films on video-on-demand because of their popularity, as well as how cost effective it is for them. The new Ryan Reynolds and Ben Mendelsohn film Mississippi Grind has done just that this month. The appeal of home theater has, therefore, never been greater than it is right now. The advance in technology, the availability of brand new movies and the ease with which you can watch content in your own house - it is all making home theaters the new cinemas. In fact, one could argue it is even better than going to the theater; instead of being given a small list of films to choose from you can watch almost anything you desire with on-demand. Netflix alone has over 60 million subscribers in the United States for this reason. To put that into context, that is the entire population of the United Kingdom. There are several small ways that your home theater has to adapt, however, in order to make sure you are making the most of this new movie-viewing trend. The traditional cable TV set-up will no longer suffice. You not only need to have a wi-fi connection as all of these services require decent internet connection, you also need to have the right kind of technology to use on-demand services. Certain blu-ray players and next-generation games consoles will support 'apps' for these services once you have registered to them. You should check online to make sure which devices support which services (here is a Netflix FAQ explaining which ones are compatible for that particular service, for instance). As you probably know, Gramophone is known for their home theater installation and multiple home theater awards. As well as that they offer a variety of media streaming devices as well as disk players. Contact Gramophone today to learn about all of our options and to get started!
Daniel Sarath
is a journalism graduate and online writer who writes about topics including technology, entertainment, finance and business. His articles have been published on websites such as BuzzFeed, Business.com, Yahoo and Number Direct.
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