Larger than life

Advances in home cinemaare providing increasingly strong competition to the traditional night out at the movies. Today, the big-screen impact is available at home, with movies, lighting and surround sound at your fingertips.

This dramatic media room is part of a show space for a high-tech automation specialist. The entire room, ceiling included, is a viable option for new home builders, says owner Brendon Reid.

"Key to the evolution in home cinema is the convenience of a touch-screen central controller," says Reid. "You still have to insert the DVD into the player, but that's about it on the manual front.

"At the touch of a button, the screen drops down, the projector descends from the ceiling, the amplifier changes to the correct setting, and the lights dim the rest is pure viewing pleasure."

Here, a dome ceiling enhances the experience, with concealed LCD lights bringing colour, and fibre-optic lights twinkling like stars.

"With a DVD playing, sound issuing from seven speakers and the stars out, you could be forgiven for thinking you are at a futuristic drive in," says Reid.

Story by: Charles Moxham