Home Cinema Installation - Lighting Control - Sanyo PLV-Z4 - B&W Sig 7NT - Marantz RC9500 - Marantz SR7500- Marantz DV6600
 
 

CASE STUDYSHOW FLAT

 


Overview

The Finite Solutions show flat located in Leeds city centre includes a plasma/ projector home cinema as well as multi room AV and lighting control.

The brief

The key objective was to integrate a wide range of different technologies as seamlessly as possible into a contemporary lifestyle design. All equipment was chosen for its discreetness and functionality and the end result exhibits how technology can be incorporated as an integral feature of the home.

Budget

Approximately £15,000 to £25,000.

 
 



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Attractive Recessed Plasma Screen

The 43" Pioneer Plasma screen provides a good viewing size for general daytime use, with its sharp picture and high definition capabilities producing some absolutely remarkable visual results.

A false wall was built out by approximately ten inches. This allowed the screen to be recessed back into the wall with a perfectly flush mounted finish.

All cables run back from the screen through the wall down to the equipment cabinet located in the corner of the room.
The separate Pioneer tuner box located in the cabinet allows easy addition and removal of new equipment.

 
       
 

Multiple Viewing Angles

A great feature
of the plasma screen is the 60 degree horizontal swivel bracket. This high quality accessory allows the screen to be rotated left or right with just the push of a single finger.

For example when cooking in the kitchen, the screen can be fully rotated, then with a simple touch on the kitchen in-wall keypad, the in-ceiling speakers switch to the TV audio. Alternatively when relaxing on the Chaise Longue the screen can be rotated the other direction for a reclining viewing position.

This bracket can also be automated so that with a single button press on the remote, the screen automatically rotates to the desired viewing position.

 
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Simple Access to High Quality Stored Music and Video

A High Definition Sky box is an essential part of the system. The true effect can really be appreciated on the 7ft projector screen, or the HD plasma.

A custom-built media centre also provides High Def content. An iMerge S2000 music sound server serves as the main audio hub for the system with the ability to store over 500 albums in an uncompressed high quality lossless format.

A mid range Marantz SR7500 amplifier provides suitable amplification for the cinema set-up and the component video switching provides simple selection between the different AV sources.

 
         
 

Heard But Not Seen

A Blok 3000 cabinet provides discreet housing for all the equipment, whilst also providing easy access for changing media.

A customised cooling system has also been added to the cabinet so that two silent running fans turn on automatically when the equipment is in use. This ensures that all the equipment can operate at optimum performance level in the hot summer months and during busy parties.

Blok produces a wide range of AV cabinets and are able to design and build custom cabinetry to suit the most challenging of requirements.

 


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Create Different Moods With Lighting Control

The iLight Xen lighting control provides for six zones of lighting in the room with different circuits for spot lights, LED lighting and the lamps
within the room.

A number of scenes have been programmed to suit the different functions of the room such as dining, cinema, entertaining, relaxing and reading.

All these scenes can be controlled from the iLight keypad located in place of the standard light switch. The keypad has one button for each scene and a master raise and lower button to ensure simple operation. A greater number of scenes can also be accessed from the Marantz remote control.

 
         
  Contemporary Loudspeakers

Three in-wall B&W Sig 7NT speakers provide left, right and centre channels. These are recessed into the same wall as the plasma screen and sit just below the bottom of the projector screen to get the right balance between aesthetics and sound quality.

Two stainless steel Anthony Gallo Nucleus Ti speakers mounted discreetly in the corners of the room cater for the rear channels.

These speakers are extremely popular with the interior designers we work with as they are beautifully styled but produce a great sound for their size.
 


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  High Definition Cinema Projector

The Sanyo PLV-Z4 projector was mounted at the back of the room to keep the equipment as subtle as possible. All cables were retro fitted into the ceiling so none were visible in the room.

For this budget range, the Z4 projector represents extremely good value for money and its silver colour complements the other stainless steel equipment within the room.

A component video switcher was incorporated into the system to ensure that the same picture is always displayed on the Plasma Screen and Projector.
This ensures that every video source (Sky, Playstation, DVD, Media Centre) can be viewed on the projector and plasma screen.
 
         
 

Discreet Dropdown Projector Screen

The Beamax 7ft projector screen is housed in a custom-built ceiling void ensuring that the screen is completely discreet when not in use. The only evidence is a small slit in the ceiling where the screen descends from.

This plasma and projector combination allows easy switching between plasma for general use, and projector for movies and sports. By pressing a single button on the Marantz remote, the plasma turns off, the screen drops down, and the projector turns on.

The high gain screen produces an excellent picture contrast and also ensures that the picture is visible.even during daytime viewing. Excellent for watching major sporting events which are often broadcast in the daytime.

 
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  Effortless Control

The control method chosen was a Marantz RC9500 multi-remote control with Radio Frequency (RF) connectivity.

This allows the remote to work from anywhere in the room and it does not require line of sight to any of the equipment. This means all the equipment can be housed discreetly in the cabinet at the back of the room.

Macros were programmed so that with a single button press, the lights dim, all the equipment is switched on, set to the correct inputs, and the electric projector screen drops down.

 
         
 

The specification

  • Marantz DV6600 DVD player
  • Sky High Definition tuner
  • Marantz SR7500 Amplifier
  • Sanyo PLV-Z4 projector
  • Beamax 7ft projector screen
  • Pioneer 436-XDE 43" plasma screen
  • Cyberselect component video switcher
  • 3 x B&W Sig 7NT speakers
  • 2 x Anthony Gallo Nucleus Ti speakers
  • MJ Acoustics Reference 100 sub
  • Blok 3000 built cabinet
  • Marantz RC9500 multi remote
  • iLight Xen 6 zone lighting control
 
 
Photography by (Tristan Poyser) One Wild World
 
 
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