The prime time experience

Customised home theatres or high- end cinema rooms are finding favour among city folks. The trend is giving clients a high in exclusivity and cinema watching, all in the comfort of one's home He and his family do not fret when they decide to watch a film. They are not bugged by getting the family into the car, worrying what to do about Tiger (their Doberman), the exasperating traffic snarls, long ticket queues, finding a vacant parking spot. All they do is shut the front door, take the telephone off the hold, climb the stairs to the landing and the open door of a room they have dedicated as their ‘home theatre.' Here they and their guests relax on their choice of six seats over two levels to watch movies on a Blu-ray player beamed on to a 10 ft x 6 ft screen from a LCD projector. All movie fans may not relish this home theatre experience. There's so much more in watching a movie in a regular theatre even though some of the home ones are real state of the art. But the fact is that the home theatre market is booming. People are willing to take their passion for movies to the extreme and high-end screening rooms are becoming very common. Home theatre equipment There's a huge difference between a family room converted into a home-theatre and a dedicated room with audio-video equipment that gels and built with expert advice. Plugging a surround-sound system into a large television is no longer the idea of a home theatre. There's so much more than that. The essentials for a home theatre are at least a 5.1 system (five full-range speakers and one subwoofer) arranged systematically in a room, a huge screen, an A/V receiver with the proper decoder required for multichannel audio formats, media servers to allow users store multiple entertainment formats, optimising acoustics by properly sizing the room and placing materials that properly absorb, reflect or diffuse sound, comfortable seating like recliners or even specialised home theatre seats with speakers and subwoofers hidden within. Metro Digitals at Vazhakkala, near Kochi, started as a post-production studio with a non-linear edit suite. An initiative of four friends, Sadiq Ali, Dins Paul, Vijayakumar and Manoj, this venture has expanded to become one of the largest post-production centres in the State housing more than 14 High Definition edit suites. Last year they moved into setting up home theatres, complete with premium audio-video equipment and other accessories. “We started off by trying to create one for a friend of ours. It was a challenge we took up as the client wanted a premium theatre that adhered to THX standards. THX ensure that you get the best of both audio and video. We were given an abandoned garage which we converted to a mini theatre featuring THX Ultra 2 speakers and electronics, acoustically transparent screen, acoustic treatment for all surfaces and the necessary recliners and accessories. The results were far better than expectations. That was our first project and soon we were discussing similar home theatres across the State,” informs Dins Paul. Explaining and trying to convey the home theatre experience was what the four friends found most difficult. This, especially, when the costs were huge; something in the range of Rs. four to 40 lakh. “We found that our prospective clients had a lot of doubts. So we decided to set up our own home theatre demo room. Here, clients can come and experience the magic.” The Metro Home Theatre as they have branded their product, is high end cinema rooms, well-designed, carefully created, properly calibrated theatre, with adequate technical support. Competitive pricing There are other players who offer home theatre solutions; some at a much more competitive price. Park Impex Inc. that has its exclusive showroom with demo at the Abad Nucleus Mall is one of them. This company, started seven years ago, specialises in video-conferencing equipment. Recently, perhaps noting this trend, they moved into home theatre products. They also undertake design and installation on a turnkey basis. Their price range is from Rs. 2.3 – to 6 lakh. Thomson Music Square, Edappally, and Xenex Sound Works, Kaloor, also engage in this segment. Metro Digital has targeted the high-end, very discerning clients. “My idea of a home theatre is about recreating at home the experience of a film theatre or even better. I have always felt that our theatres, even the multiplexes, do not give us the best in audio and video output. Ever since we set up our own theatre we have gone to a theatre only once. I insisted on having all the premium equipment so it cost me somewhere around Rs. 40 lakh. But I think you can set up something for a much lesser cost with superb results,” says K. V. Tolin, a Kalady-based businessman who converted his garage into a Metro Home Theatre. There is also a range of imported speakers, audio systems, projectors to choose from. “We also have the latest projection screens, and furniture from premium brands available. A room becomes a theatre only when it is lighted, the ceiling, floor and walls properly designed and acoustically enhanced. When we create a home theatre we not only provide the audio-video systems we also give them expert technical advice on how the room needs to be designed,” says Dins Paul. Home theatres are no longer a luxury. Apartment complexes have them as part of their common amenities, people who build new houses now include cost of a home theatre in their budget, and there are many others who are upgrading their existing home theatres with all that is new in this segment. The question that usually crops is why do people opt for this rather expensive fad? The answer most of the owners and makers of home theatres give is this: Life can be lived away in many ways. How you live depends on individual tastes, temperaments and refinement. A movie can also be experienced in many ways. Cinema is not just colours and sounds. The discerning sees in them quality and perfection. The true value of a movie is experienced only when the output is exactly as designed and desired by the movie maker. This is what a flawless home theatre attempts to provide. Now, imagine enjoying your favourite films smugly sequestered in environment of your own, choosing your own time. It's surely a lot of fun!