DIY Network

Enjoy the Show! From "Blueprint for Home Building" episode DBHB-213

In this final segment of the Blueprint for Home Building 200 series, host Jeff Wilson introduces you to the family room of the future-- with your very own home theater. You'll learn how to work with the designer to find out your options on creating the right sound and look.

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

A home theater is a dedicated room (figure A) inside of a home that is designed to play movies and music in a fashion that gives you an experience that is similar to what you get in a movie theater. It's a popular trend and becoming more prevalent -- the addition of home theaters.

To include a home theater in your plans, the best time to consider is during the design stages of your new home. A home theater designer should be contacted in the planning stage so he or she can work with the interior designer and architect to make sure that you have the proper dimensions for the room and that the layout is conducive to viewing from the proper distances (figure B) -- and also so the speakers can be placed appropriately for the proper sound.

The key to the home theater is that the sound stays "inside" the theater -- and that requires ample soundproofing. The use of proper insulation and soundproof studs are vital in this endeavor.

There are a few options to consider when choosing the right system for your needs and budget:

• There's the industry standard home theater in a box variety, which consists of generally five speakers hooked into a television ranging in size from 20" up to 60".

• If you're starting out on a more limited budget, you'll find that the projector and the speakers (figure C) are the two largest parts of the budget, and this is really where you should focus because they'll give you the biggest return on your investment.

• In building a quality home theater the topic of "structured wiring" comes up again. The different types of cables are extremely critical in terms of getting the optimal performance out of your system.

For more information on home theaters, click here for DIY's Home Theater workshop.

GUESTS :

Benjamin Clavan
Architect, AIA
E-mail: benjamic@earthink.net

Greg Allen
Site Supervisor
Hendolhurst Homes
955 Markman Park Rd.
Baden, PA 15005
Phone: 724-935-5658
Fax: 724-935-0884
E-mail: buildm@zoominternet.net
Website: hendolhursthomes.com

John Holton
Senior Architect
Ibacos
Website: www.ibacos.com

Kirk Vigil
Regional Sales Mgr.
Wirsbo Co.
5925 148th St. W.
Apple Valley, MN 55124
Toll-free: 800-321-4739
Phone: 952-891-2000
Fax: 952-891-2008
Website: www.wirsbo.com

Duncan Prahl
R.A., Senior Building Scientist
IBACOS Website: www.ibacos.com

Bob Balzar
Director
Nevada Power Co.
We apologize no contact information is available.

Gale Tedhams
Insulation Products Manager
Owens Corning
3000 Hasty Rd.
Toledo, OH 43615
Phone: 419-248-8978
E-mail: gale.tedhams@owenscorning.com

Al Sain
Homeowner
7117 Fairway Dr.
Butler, PA 16001
Phone: 724-865-3056
E-mail: alsain@zbzoom.net

Regina Zernay
CMTS, Inc.
Phone: 310-390-9558

John Gilmore
President
Elite Custom Audio and Video
5505 Moreno St.
#104
Montclair, CA 91763
Phone: 909-931-2835
E-mail: john@elitecustomaudiovideo.com
Website: www.elitecustomaudiovideo.com

Mills Pierre
Urban Planner
E-mail: mills@millspierre.com

Steve Soberoff
5510 Lincoln Blvd, Suite 100
Buena Vista, CA 90094
Phone: 310-448-4601
E-mail: Ssoboroff@playavista.com

Jerry Axelrod
1306 Kingsdale Ave.
Redondo Beach, CA 90278
Phone: 310-370-8575
E-mail: sdgav@aol.com