Steve's Home Theater
April 25, 2005 3:26 PM Subscribe
When he says "home theater" he means home theater. If you're going to ignore TV Turnoff Week, you may as well do it in style.
They should hire this guy for ABC's extreme makeover, best I've seen.
posted by thomcatspike at 3:39 PM on April 25, 2005
posted by thomcatspike at 3:39 PM on April 25, 2005
my god, the guy went through all this mess to watch extremely bad movies ?
posted by Substrata at 3:42 PM on April 25, 2005
posted by Substrata at 3:42 PM on April 25, 2005
I can do without the gold ormolu, but I really like the skydome, and the fiber optic stars. It'd be great in a bedroom.
posted by crunchland at 3:48 PM on April 25, 2005
posted by crunchland at 3:48 PM on April 25, 2005
I want my whole house decorated in the motif of a mid-eighties high roller suite from Caesars Palace in Vegas. So classy.
posted by Keith Talent at 3:51 PM on April 25, 2005
posted by Keith Talent at 3:51 PM on April 25, 2005
Holy shit, I think we've found the perfect place to watch marathon viewings of Caligua.
posted by Stan Chin at 3:57 PM on April 25, 2005
posted by Stan Chin at 3:57 PM on April 25, 2005
That is absolutely phenomenal. Wow.
posted by vernondalhart at 4:00 PM on April 25, 2005
posted by vernondalhart at 4:00 PM on April 25, 2005
I don't think it's tacky at all. I see the design as a tribute to the real movie theaters of the early 20th century. If you've never been to a golden age theatre, you've never been to the cinema, IMO.
All that effort, and yet - a shortcoming: An inferior sound system!
Even your average run-of-the-mill insane billionaire knows that there is only one true Voice of the (Home) Theatre.
posted by Triode at 4:19 PM on April 25, 2005
All that effort, and yet - a shortcoming: An inferior sound system!
Even your average run-of-the-mill insane billionaire knows that there is only one true Voice of the (Home) Theatre.
posted by Triode at 4:19 PM on April 25, 2005
His equipment list. I'm not media savvy enough to know if this stuff is top of the line or not, but I do know that my wallet burst into flames the moment the page loaded.
posted by LeeJay at 4:25 PM on April 25, 2005
posted by LeeJay at 4:25 PM on April 25, 2005
Actually it brought to mind Tony Montana's house (from Scarface).
posted by clevershark at 4:46 PM on April 25, 2005
posted by clevershark at 4:46 PM on April 25, 2005
Next time YOU want to feel inadequate, just pick up the latest issue of Audio Video Interiors, a magazine dedicated to installations that make this look like an amateur setup. The projects featured in this magazine have better home theaters than mine in their bathrooms. Of their gyms.
posted by robbie01 at 4:50 PM on April 25, 2005
posted by robbie01 at 4:50 PM on April 25, 2005
> I can do without the gold ormolu, ...
I wasn't going to click through until I read that. I think this is excellent. For somebody else to do, not me.
posted by Wolfdog at 4:53 PM on April 25, 2005
I wasn't going to click through until I read that. I think this is excellent. For somebody else to do, not me.
posted by Wolfdog at 4:53 PM on April 25, 2005
And he's got his Nintendo 64 hooked up to the whole thing. Hey, dude, splurge and get a Gamecube for $99.
posted by robbie01 at 4:55 PM on April 25, 2005
posted by robbie01 at 4:55 PM on April 25, 2005
...to watch TV? I don't get it.
posted by fluffycreature at 5:03 PM on April 25, 2005
posted by fluffycreature at 5:03 PM on April 25, 2005
I can't imagine that he will recoup much of his investment in resale. There can't be that many nutjobs like this out there, can there?
posted by leftcoastbob at 5:22 PM on April 25, 2005
posted by leftcoastbob at 5:22 PM on April 25, 2005
With all that work you'd think he would put the projector in a nice case that blended in with the decor. As it is, it stands out like a sore thumb.
posted by Four Flavors at 5:31 PM on April 25, 2005
posted by Four Flavors at 5:31 PM on April 25, 2005
I think it looks really cool. I'd love to see a movie in that theater.
posted by nickerbocker at 8:23 PM on April 25, 2005
posted by nickerbocker at 8:23 PM on April 25, 2005
Tacky? Yes.
Ugly? Maybe.
Cool? Without a doubt.
posted by craven_morhead at 8:45 PM on April 25, 2005
Ugly? Maybe.
Cool? Without a doubt.
posted by craven_morhead at 8:45 PM on April 25, 2005
This is not a videophile's home theater.
Despite the velvet drapes, fiber optic starfield and fluted columns with corinthinoid capitals, the video projector is still a mediocre digital one.
For what he paid for that DLP, he could have bought a good used CRT projector. CRT's are big, heavy, and somewhat annoying to set up. You probably don't want one in your living room. But what you get is a video image that no digital projector can match in depth, subtlety, color clarity and fidelity.
BTW, that tacky gold leaf is the opposite of what you want in a home theater: it will reflect stray light, increase the ambient light level, and tend to wash out the image. Walls and rug should be dark, and ceiling should be black.
All of the above only true, of course, if what you care about is image quality. If what you care about is interior design, and you like what you see here, YMMV.
I'm not being snarky. For many people, watching video at home is of interest because it's a chance to get together with kids, neighbors, friends: it's more about the social event than about what's on the tube, much less the quality of the video presentation. Not everyone is a videophile. This room says 'social event' to me, not interest in video quality.
posted by Slithy_Tove at 9:06 PM on April 25, 2005
Despite the velvet drapes, fiber optic starfield and fluted columns with corinthinoid capitals, the video projector is still a mediocre digital one.
For what he paid for that DLP, he could have bought a good used CRT projector. CRT's are big, heavy, and somewhat annoying to set up. You probably don't want one in your living room. But what you get is a video image that no digital projector can match in depth, subtlety, color clarity and fidelity.
BTW, that tacky gold leaf is the opposite of what you want in a home theater: it will reflect stray light, increase the ambient light level, and tend to wash out the image. Walls and rug should be dark, and ceiling should be black.
All of the above only true, of course, if what you care about is image quality. If what you care about is interior design, and you like what you see here, YMMV.
I'm not being snarky. For many people, watching video at home is of interest because it's a chance to get together with kids, neighbors, friends: it's more about the social event than about what's on the tube, much less the quality of the video presentation. Not everyone is a videophile. This room says 'social event' to me, not interest in video quality.
posted by Slithy_Tove at 9:06 PM on April 25, 2005
For many people, watching video at home is of interest because it's a chance to get together with kids, neighbors, friends: it's more about the social event than about what's on the tube, much less the quality of the video presentation. Not everyone is a videophile. This room says 'social event' to me, not interest in video quality.
Yeah, I think that's mainly what he was going for. He says this in his FAQ:
#4 Yuck! That's so tacky, over the top, and cheesy!
Even though that's not really a question, I'll respond by saying "Yeah! Of course it is!" This isn't meant to be a room that you live in, or sleep in, or work in. The rest of the house can be decorated tastefully - but the whole intent of this room was to be "over the top" in a "Las Vegas meets old-style movie palace" kind of way. It's sensory overload by design. Some people prefer simple, muted, purely functional designs for their home theaters. And that's just great for them. I wanted something crazy, not tasteful. I wanted a room where my friends would walk in, start laughing, and say "Dude - you are NUTS!" And that's pretty much the reaction I get. :)
posted by LeeJay at 9:19 PM on April 25, 2005
Yeah, I think that's mainly what he was going for. He says this in his FAQ:
#4 Yuck! That's so tacky, over the top, and cheesy!
Even though that's not really a question, I'll respond by saying "Yeah! Of course it is!" This isn't meant to be a room that you live in, or sleep in, or work in. The rest of the house can be decorated tastefully - but the whole intent of this room was to be "over the top" in a "Las Vegas meets old-style movie palace" kind of way. It's sensory overload by design. Some people prefer simple, muted, purely functional designs for their home theaters. And that's just great for them. I wanted something crazy, not tasteful. I wanted a room where my friends would walk in, start laughing, and say "Dude - you are NUTS!" And that's pretty much the reaction I get. :)
posted by LeeJay at 9:19 PM on April 25, 2005
Whoa. Homeboy's remote control cost more than my teevee. How the other half lives...
posted by jimray at 9:49 PM on April 25, 2005
posted by jimray at 9:49 PM on April 25, 2005
Really jimray, being rich has got to be so much fun.
posted by j.p. Hung at 10:21 PM on April 25, 2005
posted by j.p. Hung at 10:21 PM on April 25, 2005
I would be more inclined to walk in and say "Dude, you're a fuckin' cheeseball."
posted by dydecker at 10:41 PM on April 25, 2005
posted by dydecker at 10:41 PM on April 25, 2005
Pictures lead to envy. Envy leads to greed. Greed leads to money. Money leads to home theatre.
posted by gagglezoomer at 11:06 PM on April 25, 2005
posted by gagglezoomer at 11:06 PM on April 25, 2005
Or, he could have, like, fed some poor people.
Whoops! I forgot to make a joke!
posted by kevspace at 12:36 AM on April 26, 2005
Whoops! I forgot to make a joke!
posted by kevspace at 12:36 AM on April 26, 2005
Anyone care to venture a guess at the cost? The owner declines to answer in his FAQ (understandable, but also because a lot of labor was in trade for the marketing/advertising they're getting for being on his site.)
I'd say for an 18 month project like this (and assuming paying full price for labor), plus all the equipment... $200,000?
posted by robbie01 at 12:44 AM on April 26, 2005
I'd say for an 18 month project like this (and assuming paying full price for labor), plus all the equipment... $200,000?
posted by robbie01 at 12:44 AM on April 26, 2005
Hmph. New money.
posted by LondonYank at 1:26 AM on April 26, 2005
posted by LondonYank at 1:26 AM on April 26, 2005
I love it. And I love his explanation. Glad to see it garners exactly the reaction he wants.
However, I'm disappointed to see he's using a microwave for popcorn. A vintage popcorn machine seems more appropriate.
posted by Potsy at 1:33 AM on April 26, 2005
However, I'm disappointed to see he's using a microwave for popcorn. A vintage popcorn machine seems more appropriate.
posted by Potsy at 1:33 AM on April 26, 2005
I'm with Potsy.
You're going glitz, so you chintz on the popcorn?
the smell of Flav-o-col is essential to the atmosphere of the theatre.
Still, this makes me feel humble with a cheaper projector and roll-up screen. Nice light-blocking drapes, though. Bravo for going flat-out on this room.
(especially since I didn't realize this wasn't in the basement until the pictures with the drapes up)
awesome.
posted by Busithoth at 6:23 AM on April 26, 2005
You're going glitz, so you chintz on the popcorn?
the smell of Flav-o-col is essential to the atmosphere of the theatre.
Still, this makes me feel humble with a cheaper projector and roll-up screen. Nice light-blocking drapes, though. Bravo for going flat-out on this room.
(especially since I didn't realize this wasn't in the basement until the pictures with the drapes up)
awesome.
posted by Busithoth at 6:23 AM on April 26, 2005
Yeah, potsy. Microwave popcorn just plain isn't real popcorn as far as I care -- air-popped with butter is far better, not to mention the heart-attack variety. All he really needed was a hot-plate and whirlypop or, shit, a hot plate and a stack of jiffy-pops.
I want one of the machines that says POPCORN in big 70's disco letters -- esp. the Gold Medal Citation with giant raised letters on top.
Because when I'm sitting down to watch a movie in a gaudy old whorehouse like that, I want my popcorn machine to be as promiscuous as the ladies.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:45 AM on April 26, 2005
I want one of the machines that says POPCORN in big 70's disco letters -- esp. the Gold Medal Citation with giant raised letters on top.
Because when I'm sitting down to watch a movie in a gaudy old whorehouse like that, I want my popcorn machine to be as promiscuous as the ladies.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:45 AM on April 26, 2005
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posted by fungible at 3:32 PM on April 25, 2005