VSYS Blog

Did you ever want to build your own custom home theater, but didn’t want to pay for an architect or designer to dream it up for you? Well UltraLux Theaters has just recently gone open to the public & they have done all the designing for you.

Based in sunny Orlando Florida, but is also an international business. I don’t mean that their interiors are made in other countries; no they are proudly made in the USA & do business all around the world.

Recently I had the chance to interview Lisa Meadows of UltaLux to get some inside info on them. I’m told that UltraLux has a design secret that will be released in a few months, and it is going to be “Jaw dropping”. While I did not to hear what the secret is, I do know that it has something to do with the design process.

I know that doesn’t tell you much, but here is a little bit of info on how they are currently designing their themed interiors.

1. The UltraLux designers throw around some general ideas for interiors, and then pick the best one to design around.

2. Next they all get to go into the design center where they get to watch a movie that is similar to the idea of the theme. Taking notes during and after the movie. After the movie is over, they discuss ideas for their interiors amongst each other, then watch the movie again and repeat the process.

3. Then those notes are taken into the board room, discussed & refined. This process takes days, weeks, even months; depending on how elaborate the design will be, ultimately producing the finished products.

When I asked Lisa “what makes UltraLux different than all the other theater companies?” she told me “UltraLux is always willing to work with their clients from beginning to the end of the project. UltraLux can provide a complete design if you send us a CAD file we can design custom interiors for you.”

I went on asking about how custom? Can I have my interior designer send fabric samples to match the theme? ECT… and the answers are yes, Ultralux can make whatever you want, And for ease of use UltraLux has opened a new website @ http://www.ultraluxtheaters.com for the public so that you can pick up and choose whatever you need, but still have the UltraLux customer support when needed.

Knowing all this, one would think that UltraLux is going to be very overpriced, But that simply is not true, they are very affordable and very good quality interiors. In fact, I was informed by Lisa that ultraLux is constantly donating money to charities, a good example of this is that the UltraLux theater girls cut their hair and donate it to Locks of love.

So when purchasing quality theater interiors from UltraLux, you are also contributing to the less fortunate. It kind of makes me feel a little warm on the inside.

I am also told that UltraLux is a great company to work for, aside from donating to charity which helps people and makes everyone feel better, they all have a shared common interests in their design. “To make great theater interiors that look amazing & please our customers!”

So keep an eye out for UltraLux theaters and their “secret” whatever it may be… Hopefully I will have more info on that soon, so keep checking in to see whats new. Until then I suggest that you check them out for all your theater interior needs, and for more information About Ultralux Theaters and their amazing interiors please visit: http://www.ultraluxtheaters.com

Most of you reading this who went to CEDIA this year will know exactly what I am talking about when I say, with all the audio video manufacturers in the world, there is definitely not a shortage in high-quality, high-performance home theater processors on the market today. Only PSPHD PROCISE, the high-definition surround sound processor from Crestron, delivers all the features you need to address the array of design challenges of the high-end custom market.

For those who have never been to CEDIA, CES, EHX, InfoComm, or any trade show of this nature then you may be a little confused, let me just say that during the time you spent reading this sentence another idea in the audio world was just formed. But I digress; Crestron’s PSPHD PROCISE is designed to please the most discerning audiophile or movie fan, with exclusive features that will especially inspire the audio design professionals amongst us. Features like Audyssey MultEQ® XT, Dynamic EQ, and Dynamic Volume enable calibrating a complete 7.3 speaker system to perfection.

Crestron’s PSPHD PROCISE Integrates modern design with vintage style VU (Volume Units) meters?! That’s right, the dual front panel VFDs display “mechanical” VU meters and spectrum analyzers, providing real-time signal monitoring along with a ton of other data to keep you informed throughout setup and operation.

Key Features:

• Professional 7.3 surround sound processor and preamplifier
• Designed for high-end home theaters, audiophile listening rooms, boardrooms, and auditoriums
• Handsome appearance befitting the most high-end theater or living room
• Dual front panel VFDs display real-time analog VU meters or spectrum analyzers
• Setup, control, and monitoring enabled via front panel or Crestron PROCISE Tools software
• Features Audyssey MultEQ® XT, Dynamic EQ, and Dynamic Volume
• Works with Crestron CCSTK Professional Surround Sound Tuning Kit
• Decodes Dolby® TrueHD 7.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio™ 7.1 HBR formats
• Includes balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA connections on all outputs
• Available graphic or parametric EQ and delay adjustment on each theater output
• Extensive bass management through three independent subwoofer outputs
• “Double Bass” feature enables routing LFE to the main L/R channels
• Extensive signal steering for custom applications and speaker configurations
• Separate stereo and mono down-mix outputs for recording or multi-zone
• Six HDMI™ inputs support 7.1 HD multi-channel audio and 1080p60 video
• Features QuickSwitch HD™ technology for low-latency switching
• HDMI output contains HD video plus unprocessed 7.1 or 2-channel downmix audio
• Supports HDCP to ensure compatibility with protected sources and equipment
• One AES/EBU, four optical, and six coaxial digital inputs
• Ultra low noise up to 125 SNR via AES/EBU in and balanced out
• One balanced XLR and eight unbalanced RCA stereo analog inputs
• One 7.1 multi-channel analog input
• Integrates perfectly with Crestron DigitalMedia™ products via HDMI in and out
• Integrates cleanly into multimedia presentation and telepresence systems
• Includes three mix inputs for connecting mic mixers, teleconferencing codecs, paging systems, and audio signal generators
• Mix inputs feature independent EQ, notch filters, gating and compression
• Native Crestron system integration via Ethernet or Cresnet®
• Extensively programmable, with numerous presets and assignable defaults for most settings
• 3U 19″ rack-mountable (rack ears included)

The PROAMP-7X400 7-channel amplifier complements the PSPHD perfectly; delivering a heart-pounding 400 Watts per channel, yeah that’s right 400 watts per channel, with XLR balanced inputs, Cresnet and Ethernet connectivity, and seamless control and monitoring through the PSPHD front panel.

As soon as I can get my hands on this, I definitely will be pairing it with the PROAMP-7X400 7-channel amplifier & some TOTEM in wall/in ceiling speakers…Vsys is  definitely going to have the best sound system on the block!!!

Audio, Video, & Lighting oh my! These are just a few types of products that Crestron controls, not to mention switchers, processors and all the sleek interfaces they have created since 1971 when they were founded. With all these products in my home, I wonder how much energy I am using or money I am spending?…Wouldn’t it be convenient to know this kind of information, especially during this economic downturn?

Introducing “Green light” from Crestron, an energy monitoring solution for Crestron Lighting, HVAC, and of course Energy consumption for equipment connected at the outlets. Managing energy consumption & realizing real cost savings must extend beyond lighting and thermostats. A large portion of energy waste comes from Audio Video equipment being left on when not in use. Integrated within a Crestron controlled environment, even personal workspace devices such as computers, printer, desk lamps can be programmed to automatically shut down.

When connected with third party devices “Green Light” is capable of monitoring Natural gas, Solar energy, water, and also displaying current energy usage, energy and water flows, total consumption, money spent and return on investment figures in real-time, this real-time tracking allows a Crestron system to automatically dim lights or conserve power once you reach certain thresholds you have programmed into the system, with a little help from your Crestron programmer

Crestron Green Light technology provides environmental management and control to conserve energy and lower costs.

As the global leader in advanced control and automation technology for commercial and residential solutions, Crestron develops products and automation solutions that are RoHS compliant and meet ASHRAE & LEED standards.

Crestron products and systems may help achieve LEED certification points in:

Sustainable Sites

Water Efficiency

Energy & Atmosphere

Indoor Environmental Quality

Innovation & Design Process

Crestron also makes a line of “Green Light” products specifically to work with this system, such as their iLux, Shade and Drape controllers, Wall box Dimmers and Switches, table top Controllers, Gateways & Repeaters, Thermostat’s, Sensors, Automation processors, ETC…

Even now as you are reading this, Crestron’s “Green Light” is being implemented all around the world, helping people build a better, more energy efficient world. Not to mention saving energy & money, and let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to do that?