Dallas integrator knows custom means creative.

David Huse, owner of Theater Advice in Dallas, TX, knows that custom electronics integration means solving problems and satisfying customer requests. When a customer invites him into a home, Huse never knows exactly what kind of issues he’s going to find.

Patio TV

In the first project, the client wanted an outdoor TV for his cover, but not totally enclosed, backyard patio. The client didn’t want to spring for a more expensive weatherproof TV, so Huse’s job was to create a protective enclosure that would shield the TV from most of the elements (it would take six feet of water to get this TV wet) while also allowing it to be hidden away when not in use.

Each Samsung LED TV gets it's own Marantz Blu-ray player.

All home theaters are not equal. A home theater for a studio apartment is going to be vastly different than one for a 3-bedroom home. But what kind of theater befits the style, form and function of a multi-million dollar mansion? The owner of this home is a high-level executive at a world-class electronics company, so he knows a thing or two about technology. In outfitting his large home, approached The Source Home Theater, of Staten Island, N.Y. for advice.

DIY Network helps actor turn drab bar area into an eye-popping screening room.

Oh, to be rich and famous enough that TV networks make shows about fixing up my home. Entourage may be winding down as the hit HBO series recently kicked off its final season, but things are just starting to heat up, technology-wise, at the home of star Kevin Connolly.

Hollywood Hi-Tech, a new program on the DIY Network, recently helped Connolly, better known as “E” to Entourage fans, transform his bachelor pad-style bar area into a home theater.

Ari Gold, Drama, Turtle and Vinny Chase won’t have a problem screening a movie or two on Connolly’s 110-inch Stewart Filmscreen StudioTek Screen.

The stylish ‘Flavor Lair’ in Brooklyn provides a creative vibe for both work and pleasure.

You own a stylish wallpaper company and want to entertain clients in a setting that mixes business and pleasure—along with strong doses of whimsy and technology. What to do?

If you’re the owner of Flavor Paper, which makes high-end wall coverings, including scratch-n-sniff wallpaper, you buy a four-story building in Brooklyn, N.Y., gut and renovate it to house your business offices, showroom and screening press—as well as apartments for employees. And you top it off with your own extremely entertaining digs.

Why go to a resort when you can create your own in the comfort of your own backyard? That was the idea behind this outdoor pool and pavilion in the Dallas area. Even the best appointed resorts would be hard-pressed to match this personalized vision of the great outdoors.

The owner of this inside-outside estate wanted TVs viewable from any angle in the cabana, and a jumbo outdoor theater that measured in feet rather than inches. Finding a projector was easy. The multi-tasking owner happed to be in the process of upgrading his home theater; the outdoor project presented an opportunity to recycle the Runco MBX-1 three-chip DLP projector that had once provided the big-screen action inside. The custom electronics (CE) pros at HomeTronics, Dallas, Texas, paired the projector with a Da-Lite 25-foot-wide projection screen.

A five-display video wall shines in this ESPN-style sports bar.

What began as a show home for the 2010 Parade of Homes in Colorado Springs, Co., quickly became the crown jewel of this abode. As is often the case with show homes, the builder was the one who invited electronic systems contractor Colorado Media Systems to the party, and the homeowner had little direct involvement. The company’s main goal was to install a jaw-dropping residential fun room that would put even the plushest of sports bars to shame.

Aside from the sporty ambience, the main attraction here is the five-display video wall. President Glenn Montjoy and his team at Colorado Media Systems installed four 46-inch Samsung LCD TVs to flank a 55-inch Samsung LCD on a motorized mount. These TVs are fed by five high-def Comcast cable boxes via a Video Storm component video A/V matrix. “This is a sports fan’s dream,” says Montjoy. “It’s the perfect environment and a wonderful setup for watching multiple sporting events.”

First Impressions Theme Theatres’ ever-colorful owner/architect/designer Jeffrey Smith turns the tables on himself–and designs his own high-tech bachelor pad complete with, of course, a private home cinema.

A contemporary home with 11,500 square feet of indoor/outdoor living space is built for entertaining.

Interior designers Sam Ewing and Gail Winn discuss the details.

2009 CEDIA Electronic Lifestyles Award Winner

Best Large Home Theater: Overall Winner

Electronic Systems Consultant: La Scala Home Cinema + Integrated Media—Vancouver, Canada

If a residential electronic systems consultant is so bold to offer a customer-service hotline 24/7—and a return phone call within 15 minutes—the firm is either crazy or confident. Or a little of both.