Okay, so we’re really stretching the definition of “home theater” on this one, but it actually DOES apply if you use the term “theater” in its original sense of stage acting.  And even if it didn’t apply, it would still be entirely too cool to pass up.

Today we’re talking about the Halloween Park Haunted House, in honor of the holiday we just left behind.  I know a good portion of you are probably still sleeping off your nougat coma from two nights ago, so settle in with a cup of tea and check out this spectacular array of theatrical wonderment that’ll blow you away.

This may be the first ever interactive haunted house on the face of the earth.  Sure, we’ve all gone through spook houses and scream parks and whatnot in which you walk around and people in costume jump out of corners and the like, but Halloween Park, thanks to a series of contacts, motion sensors, and a computer system involving eight hundred lines of code, is a wholly different animal.  When you make contact with objects or areas in Halloween Park, there’s a tangible response.  Step somewhere and something jumps out.  Move a book and a hidden door opens.

It’s a positively amazing process that yields a really spooky show, and shows us all exactly the kind of thing we could be doing with OUR home theater setups if we wanted to take that kind of time.

OmniMount, the global leader in A/V mounting Zand furniture solution, recently unveiled three new VideoBasics low profile flat panel TV mounts, the VFM, VFL and VFX. All three mounts has been engineered to minimize mounting profile, while meeting proper panel installation requirements.

All three TV mounts offers .75 inches mounting profile, making sure there is enough space for panel cooling and connectivity. The panel mounts features Lift n’ Lock™ for easy installation, locking bar for added safety and sliding lateral on-wall adjustment. For maximum compatibility and simplified wiring these TV mounts features universal rails, open architecture and an installation template.

Manufactured with the best quality standards, the VFM, VFL and VFX TV mounts are durable as well as functional with an innovative design. All the three sizes are designed to fit almost any medium to extra large flat panel. The VFM, VFL and VFX are priced $79.95, $99.95 and $119.95, respectively.

The guys out at Clear Vu made some pretty salty promises just recently.  In fact, they promised a full-featured Clear Vu HMD system for just two hundred bucks, and it’d be available next year.

Now, HMDs are a really, REALLY awesome idea.  Basically, they’re glasses that simulate a television screen.  In the case of Clear Vu, they’ll simulate a seventy-one inch diagonal screen, as seen from two and a half meters away.

For those of you who favor the SAE, that’s about seven-odd feet away.  Basically with an HMD, or Head Mounted Display, you slip on glasses that look like a huge TV.  What’s more, Clear Vu believes that these will be the start of the augmented reality concept, in which you can have objects floating in your field of vision, overlapping with reality.  Before you get freaked out and wonder if I’m on something, it’s actually a cool idea.  You know how your GPS shows arrows to your destination?  Think about if you actually SAW those arrows while you wore your glasses.  BIG HUGE SIGN up ahead says “Take Your Next Right”, when you’re supposed to take the next right.  This is the kind of thing that augmented reality can do for you.

But aside from that, even a standard definition TV at two hundred bucks for seventy one inches isn’t a bad deal, so I’m definitely looking forward to next year!

So I was checking out an image on Home Theatre Design sent by a reader who went to spectacular lengths to design and build his home theatre.  He used his position as an HVAC marketing manager to learn everything he could about the process of design and even became a CEDIA-certified designer just so he could get everything JUST SO.  And man, did he ever.

He’s got most everything you’d expect–an overhead mounted projector, a projection screen, speakers implanted in the walls, two couches for seating; he even had the room in question repainted chocolate brown to effectively maximize contrast. See, until I read that, I had NO IDEA that chocolate brown was the best color for a home theatre.  I’ll bet more than a few of you didn’t either.  That’s just spectacular, as far as I’m concerned.

The greatest thing about stuff like this is the sheer number of ideas it can give you for your own system.  In fact, thanks to reading about THIS setup, I’ve actually started looking at setting up my own home theatre in a different room than I’d originally planned.  It’s this kind of advice that makes looking at other people’s sweet home theatre setups a truly sweet idea.

From the headline above, you may have thought I’ve lost my mind, but the Bay Audio HomeBase Sub is actually designed to be BURIED.

It’s an outdoor subwoofer, with a cabinet made from underground-rated PVC pipe that produces bass up to ninety decibels from a hundred feet away.  You bury the thing in a hole measuring twenty five inches by thirteen inches fourteen inches deep, and a six-inch port sticks out eight inches above the ground, from which the bass emerges.

Bay Audio, the designers of the thing,  recommend that you use their rack 500 watt PowerPack for amplification.  And just the HomeBase sub by itself will set you back a whopping three grand.

I see a lot of strange possibilities with this–one, don’t try mowing your lawn anywhere near that subwoofer post unless you’re REALLY sure of yourself.  I’d hate to try digging that thing up because a mower clipped the eight-inch port.  Two, what if you had a mole problem…and you buried the thing completely?  Then you crank up something with a lot of bass…maybe you don’t have a mole problem any more.  I wonder if you could play Dragonforce and run them off the lawn completely….

Anyway, for three grand a pop, I’m not likely to try it soon.  But if you do a lot of outdoor entertaining and have deep pockets, this may be just what you need.

Super thin flat panel TVs require super thin flat panel speakers, and so far, the undisputed king of the flat panel speaker is the Horizon line from Leon Speakers.

I’ve seen some really tiny speakers before–just yesterday I wrote about a set that could nearly be covered up by holding up a quarter–but even I’ve never seen speakers look so shockingly THIN.

These speakers come in a package that is, get this, just one and a half inches deep by three and a quarter inches high.  They come in multiple configurations, so you can get left / right channel sound, or left / right / center channel sound to give you a leg up on a surround sound setup.

You have a choice of mounting options with this one, either flush with the wall, or, with the Leon Under Mount bracket, you can actually mount the speaker to any articulating wall bracket.

The key takeaway, of course, is that this sucker is SMALL and takes up almost shockingly little room.  Leon Speakers may well be making some of the smallest stuff on the market.  Check out a pic above underneath one of the new supermodel-thin TVs.

One thing you can always say for the people who build their own home theatre setups is that they are deeply passionate about that which they do.  Everyone’s home theatre setup is different–you may not go as far as DeVan Shumway did, but you might prefer something a little simpler in mind.  Let’s take a look at one from Jshel101 on the Digital Home forum.

Now, what Jshel’s got here really isn’t so much a “home theatre” in the strictest sense as it is a TV room.  You can see he’s got a couch in there for seating, a couple of overhead speakers, and what looks like a 56″ inch TV instead of a screen and projector setup.  He’s used recessed lighting, and other photos show he shares the space with an air hockey table and what looks like an elliptical machine, possibly for use whilst watching movies.

This probably does pretty well for his needs, and there’s no denying that he’s got pretty much everything he could ask for, but I’m a little leery of calling it a home theatre.  It’s missing some of the most common components, and seems to be a bit lacking in others.  I do, however, love the movie posters all to death.

He’s got a pretty sweet home theatre setup here…but it’s not as sweet as some I’ve seen.  Great job, Jshel101, and many happy movies!

Have you recently picked up one of those super-slim TVs but just can’t find a practical method of mounting them to your wall? Lucky for you, Sanus has the perfect solution.

What you see above is Sanus’ Super Slim TV mount that allow consumers to mount TVs on the while while only adding 0.55-inches. There are currently two models available the ML11-B1 for 24-46 inch TVs under 100-pounds pricd at $120 and the LL11-B1 for 37-650inch TVs weighing around 150-pounds.

Additionally, the mount will also have a ClickStand feature that will hold the TV at 3-inches from the wall making cable connections less painless.

Read (Twice)

Just some days ago, Chief Manufacturing announced a short throw projector mount in the market and now another customizable mount has been released. The latest mount is a universal mounting system, a great add for home theater assemblers who look for proper alignment for visual entertainment.

The custom FUSION mounts cater to specific TV models and has been said to be environmentally friendly with less waste. They are easy to install and should be available in the market by mid-June.

Chief is also excited to announce that the FUSION mounts are now available as kits, shipping with the PACPC1 flat panel power filter. The new kit is a complete solution, providing noise filtering and surge protection up to 1890 joules.

(Source) Press

When it comes to proper placement of your TV, there are some who make use of mounts. There are a lot of them in the market today but perhaps one of the most appealing you may want to consider today would be this one from Chief Manufacturing. The company unveiled today a new short throw projecting mounting system which will be made available by July, 2009.

The new mount assures consumers of a trouble-free installation, aiming to achieve precise image alignment that is critical for people to enjoy their visual entertainment wants. The new mounts include exclusive micro-adjust leveling and height adjustment of the extension arm for a perfect installation. They also feature built-in cable management for a clean installation and are designed for safety in any environment.

(Source) Press

Recently, Chief Manufacturing, a leading company engaged in producing projectors, monitors and flat panel televisions, brought out its new line of New Short Throw Projector Mounting System at InfoComm 2009 that is expected to be available in July 2009.

The newly launched Chief’s short throw wall mounts comprises of amazing features for ensuring fast and trouble-free installation. It features an in-built telescoping extension of up to 54” along with innovative lateral shift capabilities. Moreover, these new mounts include micro-adjust leveling and height adjustment of the extension arm.

New Short Throw Projector Mounting Systems from the house of Chief Manufacturing include the all-new RSMAU mini RPA Elite Projector mount for a complete projection. It actually features six new mounts for single as well as for dual stud mounting. These mounts come featuring Centris fingertip positioning and Q-Lock keyed locking.

Via: Press

Chief Manufacturing, a leading name engaged in manufacturing monitors, projectors and flat panel TV mounting solutions, is pleased to release its New Mini RPA Elite and RPA Series Projector Mounts. These new mounts are expected to be available for shipping by later Summer 2009.

The new RPA Elite is a miniature version of the famous RPA Elite projector mount. It comes featuring a universal projector interface bracket with comfortable lamp and filter access for providing faster installation and servicing of the projector. This new mount also comprises of features like micro-adjustments for precise registration and Centris fingertip positioning along with Q-Lock keyed locking.

Chief’s mini RPA projector mount, on the other hand, is a miniature version of the industry-standard RPA series.  It comes featuring independent roll, pitch and yaw. Moreover, it is capable of supporting up to 25 lbs.

Via: Press

Recently, Chief Manufacturing, a leading company in projector, monitor and flat panel television mounting production, proudly announced the new FUSION Series mounts and accessories. These newly launched mounts have been designed to focus on usability and speed of installation.

The new FUSION Series has been inspired by the Chief Installer. It sports a new low-profile design in both fixed and tilt models for 26” – 75” TVs. FUSION mounts also incorporate features for customization, adjustments and self-leveling. This new series features ControlZone Height and Roll Adjustment for post-installation fine-tuning of height and leveling.

FUSION Series from Chief Manufacturing, comes featuring Centris Low-Profile Tilt for an effortless tilting. Moreover, there is a Centerless Lateral Shift for up to 16” of post-installation lateral shift. Apart from this, there is a Click-Connect Tool-Less Latching in FUSION Series mounts for screen safety.

Via: Press

FLP-310

Most of us could probably stand to declutter our homes. Gone are the days when a television is the center of our living spaces. New products like the FLP-310 ceiling flip-down TV lift. are a great solution for your home or office. It can accomodate LCDs and plasma TVs of the size between 42-inch and 55-inches.

This slim design offers a great way to fit a big TV into a small space. With the simple touch of a button you can conceal the TV and bring it into view the same way. The FLP-310 moves 110 degrees allowing you a view from just about from anywhere in the room. Retails for around $2695.00

Milestone AV Technologies has issued a recall on some 140,000 LCD TV wall mounts which can reportedly crack once 26” and larger televisions with DVD players are placed. The TV can fall from the wall mount and lead to serious injuries.

Milestone is aware of 28 incidents in which the mount has cracked and the television has fallen from its mount. No injuries have been reported.

These wall mounts are used with flat screen LCD televisions. The recalled wall mounts are INIT models NT-TVM103 and NT-TVM104. The model numbers can be found on the UL sticker on the television interface.

The mounts were made in China and were sold at Best Buy Stores from June, 2007 up to December, 2008. Consumers should immediately stop using the wall mounts and contact Milestone to receive a free repair kit.

(Source) Consumer Affairs

What, with VUDU’s recent announcement that they are the largest HD library in existence, you didn’t think some new hardware was soon to follow?

The rig you see here, entitled the VUDU XL2, is a rack mountable device capable of holdding a full 1TB of content, now that’s a lot. Also featuring 1080i output via component and both IP and IR control, the XL2 doesn’t mess around.

Don’t expect to be ordering one of these $1,299 beasts off the internet anytime soon as word has it they are only available from a VUDU certified installer, bummer.

Of course, if you are looking for the absolute very best for your home-theater establishment, this could possible be it.

What’s the point of loading all of those videos on your iPod if all you can watch it on is that little screen, right? Well, GEAR4 has recently launched a product that will make it much less painful to get those videos off the little screen and onto the big screen.

Enter the ProControl AV dock, a device that is basically a dock that allows you to connect you iPod to your TV to watch movies, listen to music, and even play YouTube videos utilizing the line out port, RCA cable, scart adapter and included remote.

Sounds pretty neat, right? In addition to that, it also includes a mini USB port and cable for syncing your iPod so it doubles as a conventional iPod dock. This thing is set to launch in the UK on November 8th for £49.99.

In case you’ve got a 30-inch to 50-inch TV at home and want a useful wall mount solution, check out the latest Lite Series made by Memorex. According to the company, this is the world’s thinnest full-motion wall mount, can you believe it?

Anyhow, the Memorex Lite Series is able to support 150lbs (close to 70kg) of weight, and it can either accommodate a Plasma or LCD TV being 1.4-inches from the wall. Thanks to TorqControl technology, users have the following details to work on full-range motion: tilt, pan, swivel, extend and retract.

In terms of limits, the Memorex Lite Series can be tilt down to 70 degrees, and has a swivel range of +/-25 degrees.

Memorex Lite Series

Peerless, the leading company in commercial-grade mounting solutions, has come up with its ground-breaking Peerless Slimline Ultra-Thin Universal Mounting Solutions. Known as world’s thinnest universal mount, it is a perfect solution to swell Sharp’s Ultra-Thin TVs.

"Peerless Slimline^® is the perfect system for mounting Sharp’s Ultra-Thin TVs, but the true beauty is that Slimline® is universal," said Rich Fiorino, Senior Director of Business Development, Peerless Industries, Inc. "Slimline^® is the thinnest universal mount available today. So, it offers the strength and style to support a very wide range of technical and décor needs."

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With the highest levels of design, installation features and functionality, Omnimount is offering an expanded line of furniture solutions. Moda Collection, Karim Collection and Stellar Series home theater furniture lines have been upgraded by the company with some new and stylish additions.

For house audio and video components these furniture lines have been considered to be simply majestic and attractive. In its Karim Collection line of lifestyle furniture, Omnimount is introducing the Prism 50. Price decided for the Prism 50 is $349.95 only. Features that you will find associated in these furniture lines are:

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