9 Out Of This World Home Theaters

Do THX subwoofers and 18-inch floor standing speakers make your heart race? Does the thought of watching T’Pol or 7 of 9 on a 140-inch wide screen HDTV give you shivers? Is there anything better than watching the Death Star blow up while being nestled between a surround sound system powered by 8 amplifiers?

What if it were in your very own home theater? Any video junkie can dream but these people are living proof that hi-tech, out-of-this-world home theater happiness really does exist. Try not to drool too much.

1. The Next Generation

Designed by: Acoustic Innovations

4 years of planning and six months of work resulted in this impressive Star Trek home theater complete with ready room and private bar. Yeah, you heard right – private bar. The main attraction, the theater, was modeled after the NCC-1701D Enterprise from ‘The Next Generation’ series and is chalk full of realistic sound effects, motion-activated air-lock doors and can even simulate a Romulan attack.

It was also named the Top Theme Theater in 2007 (we’re not surprised). If that isn’t enough to get your pointy ears tingling check out these juicy photos.

Features:

JBL S100IO Synthesis Interconnect Kits

JBL S800 20Channel THX Power Amplifiers

JBL SDEC2500A THX Digital EQ/Crossover

JBL SDP-40 THX Digital Surround Processor/System Controller

JBL K2 Synthesis Hercules System

Algolith Mosquito HDMI 3D MPEG Noise Reducer

Gefen EXT-HD-441 4 HDMI x1 DVI HD Switcher

Key Digital KD-MSW8×3 Component & RGBHV Matrix Switcher

JBL K2S1000DG 3-way Dual 10-inch Hercules Center Speakers

JBL K2S9800DG 3-way 15-inch Hercules Floorstanding Speakers

JBL S1A Dual 8-inch Dipole Ambient THX Surrounds Speakers

JBL S1S-EX 18-inch THX Subwoofers

2. The Matrix

Designed by: Genesis Audio

Morpheus said you must see it to believe it, and in this 33 x 19 x 11 ft home theater, seeing it will be no problem. Genesis president, Bill Anderson (Mr. Anderson… coincidence?) and interior designer Lezlie Trujillo created this futuristic Matrix home theater that’s packed full of acoustical products to achieve optimum performance.

This theater was also the winning entry for Cedia’s Electronic Lifestyles Award for Best Home Theater Level V: over $900,000.00. That’s right, this baby cost nearly 1 million dollars to make, but you know it’s totally worth it.

Features:

Runco DTV-1101 Video Projector

4-way Screen by Stewart Filmscreen

Faroudja DVP-5000 Video Processor

Escient Power Play DVD Management System

Revel Surround Sound Speaker System

Linn Klimax Mono-Block Power Amplifiers

RPG Class A QRD Formedffusor

RPG Diffsorptive Binary Amplitude Home Theater Panel

3. Star Wars ‘Death Star’

Designed by: Dillon Works

Arguably the best Sci-Fi film series ever, Star Wars inspired this awesome home theater that looks like the control deck of the Death Star. Any Star Wars fan will tell you it looks pretty accurate and that’s probably because it was designed by Doug Chiang, the lead designer of Episodes I and II.

Also helping to add some authentic touches were the owners, Vic Wertz and Lisa Stevens, who used to run the Official Star Wars Fan Club. It wasn’t hard for them to get their hands on some Star Wars memorabilia, considering they have a 3,000 square ft museum filled with items like the Millennium Falcon model used in ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ and the lightsaber used by Ewan McGregor in Episode I. Yeah, we’re jealous too.

Features:

Hans Solo in Carbonite Door

CinemaTech Valentino Chairs

DirecTc HR10-250 HD TiVo

Extron SW4 RGBHV RGB Switcher

Extron RGB468XT Gaming Interface

Creston Theater Remote

JVC SR-S365U S-VHS VCR

Lexicon RT-10 Universal DVD Player

Meridian DSP8000 Front Speakers

Meridian DSP6000 Side & Rear Speakers

Meridian DSP5500 HC Center Speaker

Meridian 861 Reference Preamp

Meridian 800 Reference DVD Player

Meridian Audio & Video Cables

Pioneer CLD-D704 Laserdisc Player

Runco VX5C LT Anamorphic Lens

Runco VX5C 3-Chip DLP Projector

Runco VX5 Outboard Processor

Sony SAT-T60 TiVo

Spaun SMS5802NF HD Multiswitch

Stewart VeLux DeLux ST130 Screen

4. Kipnis’ Outer Limits

Designed by: Kipnis Studios

It would be impossible to talk about the most amazing, high-tech, out-of-this-world home theaters without salivating over Jeremy Kipnis’ $6,000,000 Outer Limit Home Theater. The grandeur of this elaborate theater isn’t just a reflection of what money can buy but rather a love of video and painstaking attention to detail.

When creating his home theater, Kipnis wanted the “absolute best picture and sound” and refused to compromise on vision. He used only the best, state of the art equipment to create what he believes is the ‘greatest show on earth’, and we have to agree.

If you’ve ever wondered exactly what $6 million can buy, the answer is one ground shaking, ear shattering, kick ass home theater.

Features:

Sony SRX-S110 Profession Video Projector

Stewart 18 x 10 foot Snowmatte 1.0 Gain Laboratory-Grade Motion Picture Screen

Pioneer HLD-X0 Hi-Vision HDTV MUSE Laserdisc Player

Mark Levinson N° 51 DVD/CD Media Player

SATA Drive (72 HDTV Hours Total)

JVC HMDH-5U D-VHS Recorder

Toshiba HD-Xa1 HD Player

Sony PlayStation 3 Gaming Console

Sony BDP-S1 Blu-ray Player

Theta Digital Generation VIII 32-bit 8x Oversampling Dual Processors

Mark Levinson N° 33h Amplifiers

Crown Macro Reference Gold Amplifiers

McIntosh MC-2102 Amplifiers

Snell THX Music & Cinema reference LCR-2800 Center-Channel Speakers

MuRata ES103A Super Tweeters

Snell THX Music & Cinema Reference Towers

Snell 1800 THX Music & Cinema Reference Subwoofers

5. Star Trek USS Enterprise

Designed by: Cinema Design Privee

Gary Sekulow and his wife are two people any trekkie will envy with a deep, fiery passion after seeing their realistic and authentic Star Trek Home Theater. With technical advice from Rick Sternbach, senior illustrator on Star Trek, the Sekulow’s didn’t just throw some paint on the walls and a few buttons here and there.

They actually used real props from Star Trek including two original consoles, backlit graphic panels, wall panels from the USS Enterprise and, probably the most coveted, the Captain’s Chair, to deck out a theater that would make James T. Kirk proud. To really help set the mood, they even added a customized Stardome overhead complete with the Milky Way galaxy and shooting stars.

Features:

Runco 1100 Ultra 1080P Projector

Stewart Curved Micro-Perf 100” screen

Denon THX 4800 Receiver

Lumagen Vision HDQ Video Processor

Monster Reference PowerCenter Line Conditioner HT 32500

Motorola DCT 3412 HDTV Receiver

Lutron Grafik Eye Light Controllers

Toshiba HD-DVD HD-XA2

Sony PlayStation 3 with Blu-ray

Sony 300 DVD Changer

Adcom GFA-2532 Amp

Atlanta Technology 378 THX Center Left Right and Sub

Triad Surround Bronze in Wall Speakers

Crestron 1700 Touchscreen and Controllers

Dell Media Center with 5 17-inch LCD Flat Panel Monitor Screens

Buttkicker Tactical Sound/LFE Motion Producers

6. The Bat Cave

Designed by: DC Audio Video Systems

Aside from Bruce Wayne and Alfred, who else would want to have a bat cave home theater? Why, a retired naturalist, that’s who. DC Audio Video Systems President, Nick Mark, was hired by the retiree to design and build a home theater that looked like a real bat cave.

After spending time researching caves in Vermont, the client thought her theater, already located in her cellar, would be a perfect fit for the nocturnal theme. Complete with fake bats and stalactites hanging from the ceiling, this theater is about as unique as it gets when it comes to home theater themes.

But don’t let the title of ‘retired naturalist’ fool you. She pulled out all the stops and decked this gothic lair out with a $36,000 projector, 8 black, motorized leather recliners and 110” Electriscreen.

Features:

Faroudja DVP5000 Video Processor

Rane THX44 for Equalization

Triad Silver THX Speakers

B&K Reference 50 Audio Processor

B&K Reference 7270 Audio Amplifier

Motorized 110” 16:9 Electriscreen

Extron Matrix Switching and Distribution

Pioneer DV79 DVD Player

Sony G90 Projector (1080p 2500 x 2000 CRT projector)

Crestron STX-1700 Control System

Aprilaire Remote Temp and Humidity Sensors to HVAC Control

LiteTouch LC5000 System for Lighting Control

BTX Custom Manufactured Drapes

Active Thermal Management Push-Pull Units for System Cooling

Monster Cable UPS and Surge Products for Power Management

Monster Cable Custom Patch Cords with Compression Connectors

7. Revenge of the Sith

Designed by: CDGI

The Force is definitely strong with this ‘Revenge of The Sith’ inspired home theater designed by CDGI in partner with DreamSpace. Owner Steve Simon had originally wanted to convert his garage into a theater themed with his Star Wars memorabilia but soon realized this would not do the epic saga justice, and decided to go to the dark side.

Inspired by the climatic moment when Chancellor Palpatine invites Anakin Skywalker to his office overlooking Imperial City, Steve decided to recreate that infamous red office complete with a 3D rendering of the Imperial City backdrop that can be seen through one of four ‘windows’.

Everything was designed to precise detail and the project became a labor of love that took a year and a half to build. Now that’s a dedicated fan!

Features:

Anthem Statement D2 Processor

Anthem P5 Multichannel Amplifier

RTI T3 Universal Controller

Lutron Grafik Eye Lighting

Middle Atlantice AXSX Equipment Ravck

Marantz VP11S2 DLP Projector

Vutect 103-inch XFH Screen

Velodyne DD10 Subwoofer

B&W HTM2 Center Channel

B&W 802 Front Channels

B&W DS8 Side Channels

B&W SCMS Rear Surrounds

8. DIY Star Trek

Designed by: Gary Reighn

It’s pretty easy to design and build an incredible home theater homage to one of the greatest sci-fi series of all time when you’ve got millions of dollars to blow on top-of-the-line equipment, memorabilia and theater designers. But what if you’ve only got $15,000 and your own two hands?

That’s just what Philadelphia homeowner Gary Reighn did when he designed and built this home theater inspired by the Star Trek command bridge. Although this theater isn’t the biggest or the most expensive Star Trek-themed theater out there, it is undoubtedly one of the most impressive considering Gary built it entirely from scratch all by himself.

He crafted all the space-view ports, used $50.00 office recliners (that he customized with cup holders) and even made the 102-inch screen using matte white screen vinyl and steel framing painted black. By building this Star Trek theater, Gary truly went where no man has gone before.

Features:

High Definition Sony LCD Projector (720p resolution)

Polk Audio Speakers

12-inch Velodyne Subwoofer

Yamaha Received

Bravo DVD Player

Phillips Pronto Remote

Bass Shakers

102-inch Screen.

9. Sci-Fi Tribute

Designed by: Escom

Affectionately described as a ‘spaceship transporting dangerous aliens’, Dr. David Winn’s $100,000 home theater is a tribute to all things horror and sci-fi. After collecting movie memorabilia from his favorite horror and space flicks, David decided the logical thing to do was build a 25 x 35 ft home theater to showcase them all.

With portholes to gaze out over the galaxy and a 144-inch screen, there’s certainly a lot to please the eyes, but what makes this theater so unique is the way David recreates a real life horror movie using his full-sized alien killers. With homages to the Predator and the Creature of the Black Lagoon, David has creatures emerging from the ceilings and the couch to give his movie-goers a scare.

He even uses some special effects to make things really chilling, like when the room suddenly fills with steam and an alien lurches out of the wall. This home theater is a blood-curdling, sci-fi wonderland that would make any space junkie drool.

Features: