CASE STUDY

Dedicated Home Cinema

The Journey

A common request we receive when a Homeowner purchases an existing property is to upgrade the existing Cinema or Media Room. Usually homes that include a dedicated room for movie viewing we refer to as a Cinema, rather than an open Media/Entertainment Room.

This Home came with the existing 20-year-old projector, in-wall speakers, projector screen and a storage cupboard at the rear of the room for the media players.

This included the following outdated specifications:

With the update in current technology bringing new formats, cabling types and resolutions, none of the existing equipment was suitable for the likes of a 4k UHD disc player, gaming console, or even Free-to-air television channels.

The clients request for an updated system incorporated the following:

Projector image resolution to allow for 4k inputs
Projector screen size to 140 inches at a ratio of 16:9
Surround Sound to a 9.2.4 format (this added another dimension being the ceiling, referred to as ‘Dolby Atmos’)
2nd row of seating, being a single step higher than the front row seating

The room had joinery construction based around the projection screen to add to the aesthetics of the room at the date of original installation. This gave limitations to the installation of the products needed to meet this design. The limitations included were the sizing of the room to suit the projector and the location of the door being positioned in a required speaker location.

Fortunately, we were able to have the construction of the room modified to allow for the correct installation of these products. This construction included recessing the projector into a custom niche at the rear of the room, which was built into the room/cupboard backing onto the same wall. This required moving a few plumbing related services. This was needed for the projector to throw the correct sized image onto the screen.

To allow for the size of the speakers and screen size we created a void at the front of the room so the speakers were able to be installed behind the screen, which being made of acoustic material allowed for these speakers to be hidden. The door was relocated and modified to allow for the correct positioning of the speaker and acoustic panels, and reinstalled to create a more sealed installation. A heightened stage was built at the rear of the room to allow for 4 seats at the rear and 3 seats at the front. This was enough to allow no interruption in viewing from the front row of seating.

All speakers installed were recessed into the wall and ceiling cavities to allow for maximum room size and feel.

Acoustic Treatment Enhancements

To be able to improve the room even further, acoustic treatment practices were applied. This involved acoustic panels being installed in precise locations on the wall, eliminating hard surfaces on the floors by choice of a carpet. Filling all the wall, floor and ceiling cavities with a dense insulation was added by having all the plasterboard sheeting removed. A foam-panel type material was used to cover the whole of the ceiling, which incorporated a twinkling night sky ceiling.

The room also had an air conditioning outlet as a part of a whole home ducted system. Unfortunately, this did not have an air return vent in the room, which applied an increase in the pressure of the room and a limit to the cooling functions of the projector. Even though it was a two-storey home, we were able to connect a return air vent into the existing system which allowed the room temperature to be more consistent and remove the extra heat from the projector. This played a large role in making sure there was no physical or audible movement with any of the doors within the room vibrating.

Integrated Services

To allow access to the media devices for the use of discs and gaming controllers, a sleek piece of joinery was installed under the screen at the same depth of the recessed speaker installation, so no space was wasted in the extra constructed wall. All other devices required to operate the room were built into multiple communications racks. Luckily, the front of the room had backed onto an under-stair void. The room was able to be sealed from dust and have a temperature-controlled ventilation system installed.

This is where all the components which the client did not need access to were able to be hidden, yet still accessible by our technicians for maintenance. All devices were integrated into the same control system which meant one universal remote was able to control all devices, whilst keeping the cupboard doors being shut to avoid unnecessary distracting lights and noise at the front of the room.

All lighting was reinstalled, this included the starlight ceiling, multi-coloured lighting in the joinery piece, underneath the platform step and feature downlights. This was also integrated into the handheld remote control to adjust whilst being seated throughout a movie.

The Team

To achieve the high quality required result, a team of qualified contractors involving Carpenters, Plasterers, Painters, Plumbers and Joiners were all needed in addition to our AV and Electrical qualifications. Our package was designed to remove any need for the homeowner to manage any trades and have their plans and schematics drawn for the installation. This was all managed and designed by the Gold Class Team.

Once the installation of items was complete the room received calibration over the image and sound. This resulted in a certified Krix Cinema System Design for the audio and an ISF calibrated Sony True 4K Projector for the image.

Our existing build solutions do not just involve working within the constraints of the existing construction but being able to make modifications to deliver exactly what our client has requested, or even better.

These designs can be given to your Builder if needed to help with the accuracy of the construction for a new build or renovation.