Fabric & Projector

Jun 25, 2001

13 June 2001
The fabric work continues this week, but otherwise there is not much new to report. The only thing I added was an infrared receiver which I attached and wired in above the screen. It connects back to a Xantech connecting block mounted above the equipment racks in the wiring closet. From there, I plan to attach mini-emitters to the theater equipment. This way I can operate the electronics with the cabinet doors closed.
I also finished installing the projector mount into the projector box.
I have added some photos of the ongoing fabric work. The fabric is still scheduled to be completed at the end of this week.
Fabric Photos: Theater Right Side Theater Back Right Fabric Cutaway Column Top
25 June 2001
The fabric is finally done. If was completed on Wednesday, about 2 1/2 weeks after it began (it was originally estimated to take one week). The fabric looks pretty good. We installed the sconces that had been sitting in boxes for a month, and they work perfectly.
Final Theater Photos: Front Front Left (rack area) Right Side Raised Platform Bar Area Left and Right Surround Speakers
Steve helped me take down our GE Imager 410 projector from its old location and hang it in the projector box in the theater. This was not an easy chore. With the mounting bracket suspended inside the projector box, you can't see the bracket as you try to hang the projector. This makes it pretty hard to get the projector in place. We managed it with some difficulty. In the future, I would definitely make a few changes to the way the projector box is constructed. At a minimum, I would probably put the front or a side panel on hinges so I could swing it up and out of the way when installing a projector.
We plan to use the Imager 410 in the theater until I get the parts I need for the NEC XG-1100. We are still waiting on those from Japan.
Surprisingly, I was able to converge the Imager on the screen with no problems. My measurements had indicated that it would need to be mounted farther from the screen, but the picture size just works. I completed the rough focus and convergence this weekend, and plan to clean it up and calibrate it this week. I'll also need to put a thermometer inside the projector box with the projector to make sure the ventilation is adequate.
A hush box is definitely the way to go. I can hardly hear the projector at all when the box is closed, and we haven't yet lined the inside of the box with sound deadening materials.
We also installed the speakers, the screen, and all the equipment and cabled everything together. Everything seems to work, but I need to run through Video Essentials or Avia to get things fine-tuned.
We still haven't found the seating we want. For now we plan to use an old sofa with a slipcover, but this is not a good long term solution. We would like to use Berkline theater seats, but have had a hard time finding them locally or for a reasonable price. We also need to install some sort of window covering. I think we are going to use light blocking cellular shades and a cornice of some sort.
Steve is planning to come back one last time to finish up some touch-up painting and minor repair. The carpet and fabric installers inevitably do some minor damage to the walls and trim. It is very generous of Steve to do this and we appreciate it.