A Homeowner Wants a Different Home-Theater Display for Day and Night. What Is a System Installer to Do?

Homeowners can be a fickle bunch. Homebuilders know this.

For example, customers might want a spacious kitchen that feels cozy, or a skylight that doesn’t let in too much sun. So the predicament that Dallas-based custom installer Starpower Home Entertainment found itself in is hardly surprising.

The homeowner wanted clear daylight video viewing, and he also wanted a front-projector for an authentic movie-theater experience at home.

The problem: Front-projectors are not considered ideal for clear daylight viewing. The solution: a seamless installation that includes both a plasma TV for daytime viewing and a front-projector for nighttime viewing.

As day becomes night and darkness emerges from light, the homeowner can press one button and the plasma-TV-based home theater transforms into a staggering home projection theater. The plasma powers off, the concealed screen lowers, the Marantz DLP projector fires up, the motorized drapes close, the lights dim, and the Dolby Digital 7.1 THX surround system complete with subwoofers placed under the theater chairs activates.

The homeowner can enjoy any video source on either the 60-inch Zenith P60W26 plasma or the 110-inch Stewart Filmscreen FireHawk Screen. The hidden design prevents an overflow of equipment. And everybody is happy, day and night.