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This home theater makes you rethink your priorities in life

Show Us Yours: Tony's amazing custom-built media room is one of the most impressive we've ever seen. From Runco projector to Kaleidescape server to LED backlit bar top, it's the stuff dreams are made of.

David Carnoy
Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.
David Carnoy
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As part of a new home construction started four years ago, Tony built a dedicated theater that was finally finished in March of 2017. The following slideshow shows its evolution from a near bare room to what it is today: high-end home theater greatness.

This was not a DIY project. Cinema Design Group, International (CDGi), from Boca Raton, Florida, designed and built the theater. Atlantic Smart Technologies, from Jupiter, Florida, integrated the electronics and programmed the automation. Jason Dustal and Joel Silver from the Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) calibrated the projector.

Enjoy the buildup.

Click here to see more Show Us Yours home-theater showcases.

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We'll start with the "before" images. Tony's temporary home theater was in place before the real home theater went in.

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For a lot of people, this would be a pretty decent set-up. 

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View to the room from the hallway. 

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Construction begins.

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The air vents and outlet covers get the blackout treatment.

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Dolby Atmos has a separate "height" channel. The ceiling is a great place for those speakers.

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The ceiling before they painted it black.

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Rear surround speakers and bare, unpainted doors.

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Side surrounds. 

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Door leading into the room painted black along with the ceiling.

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Now it's time to build out the frame for the projector screen.

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Acoustic paneling is up. 

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The panels help dampen sound from outside the room as well as soften echos inside it.

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Slowly coming together.

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Projector is mounted.

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Screen is up.

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This is a Stewart VistaScope 120 screen with electric masking. The theater is configured for 7.4.2 Dolby Atmos and uses Paradigm Signature speakers: S8 (x2) for front, C5 for the center, ADP3 (x4) for side and rear surrounds, and Sig-1.5R (x4) for in-ceiling Atmos.

JL Audio e112 subwoofers (x2) provide the bass.

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And here's the finished product!

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Front row seating: Two leather recliners in the center and two leather chaise lounges on the ends.

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Front screen wall conceals speakers and storage.

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The front screen wall with doors open. Tony says: "The game consoles and power conditioner are kept in-room for gaming convenience. Center storage has a slide-out rack for gaming sensors and slide-out drawer for miscellaneous storage. Xbox One Elite, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch consoles are installed."

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Close-up of the white onyx bar top with backlight full-range RGB LED backlighting.

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LEDs on blue bar top and white columns. In this mode, the bar top slowly progresses through entire color spectrum.

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Close-up the Runco D-73d dual LED 3D projector with Shasta motorized anamorphic lens sled.

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The equipment racks are located in a separate room to ensure the theater room stays quiet.

Equipment in top of rack: Cable DVR, Dish Hopper 3 satellite receiver, Bryston 2BSST (x2) 2-channel amps for in-ceiling Dolby Atmos speakers, Pakedge router and switches (x3), Runco video processors, Savant audio distribution/HDMI matrix/control modules (x4)/host controller, SurgeX UPS (x2) and surge protectors (x2), Autonomic Mirage MMS-2A media server, Kaleidescape M500 player/M700 disk vault/3U server.

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Equipment rack (bottom): Pioneer Elite receiver for Great Room surround sound, Krell Foundation processor for theater, Bryston 2BSST provides two channels of amplification for theater rear surrounds, Bryston 9BSST provides five channels of amplification for theater front/center/side surrounds, Sonance two-channel sub amplifier for Great Room subwoofers, Architect 16-channel amplifier for whole-house audio.

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Dual LaunchPort charging stations keep the theater's iPad Pro charged at all times. One charger is on the bar top, and the second is installed between the front row recliners.

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Screen in 2.35:1 anamorphic with Kaleidescape source and bar top in blue.

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Tony says: "Stand-up bar serves as second row of seating and negates need for building a riser." Also pictured is a Savant Pro remote that controls the house Savant and Lutron Homeworks QS automation systems.

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Rear view from other side. Tony says: "LEDs in 'Sith mode!'"

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Lutron keypad with theater presets.

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Savant Pro remote.

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Let's take a closer look at the gear in Tony's rack.

Here's SurgeX UPS and surge protection.

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Pakedge networking.

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Autonomic two-source audio server.

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Kaleidescape 3U server (cover down) with 18TB storage.

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Pioneer Elite receiver and Sonance subwoofer amp (for great room).

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Savant audio distribution.

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Architect 16-channel amp for whole-house audio.

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Cable DVR and Dish Hopper 3.

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Savant host controller.

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Krell Foundation processor and Bryston five-channel and two-channel amps.

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Controller for Runco D-73d projector.

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Kaleidescape 3U server.

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Savant HDMI matrix switch.

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Kaleidescape M500 player and M700 disk vault.

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Runco controllers and Bryston two-channel amp for Atmos ceiling speakers.

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That's it! If you like what you saw, feel free to kick back and enjoy other CNET readers' home theaters.

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