Blogs
Home Cinemas of the Rich and Famous - Playboy Mansion
The Playboy Mansion
Hugh Heffner bought the Playboy Mansion back in 1971 for just over $1 million, a huge amount at the time. It Recently sold for $100 million.
Notorious for it's parties, especially during the 1970's when Hugh hosted lavish parties - The mansion is described as Gothic-Tudor in style.
Playboy was founded in 1953.
Extra Seats come out for Movie night.
Home Cinema (Hugh called it the movie room) seating area.
When you host lavish parties it's important that your guests have somewhere to kick back, relax and watch a movie on the home cinema. The movie room at the Playboy Mansion features a drop down cinema screen and a built in pipe organ(?).
Hugh had three movie nights a week at the Mansion, mostly Hugh's favourite films from the 1950's.
Recently the Playboy Mansion has been used for screening movies and movie parties, like the one pictured above for the movie Parker.
Nuvo Outdoor Speaker Delivery
We really like the Nuvo range of speakers and especially the excellent range of outdoor speakers. We've installed literally thousands of Nuvo speakers and they are exceptional quality, I can count on one hand the number that we have had to replace under our excellent guarantee (3 years unconditional).
Our excellent range of Nuvo speakers are back in stock.
We've just received a big delivery, so if you are after bringing your music outside, by the swimming pool, on the terrace or in your restaurant or Hotel, then now is a good time to get in contact.
The Nuvo range includes in-ceiling speakers, in-wall speakers, outdoor speakers and Rock speakers. They also have individual Stereo speakers (a single speaker that outputs stereo music as if it was a pair of speakers).
James Bond Yacht
It's not really James Bond's, hes a fictional character (we think). But it does look something like we imagine him or an arch nemesis of his would be seen aboard.
The Ocean Emerald is a gorgeous SuperYacht that we worked on a few years ago, we were back on it today to do some updates and install a new Blu Ray player.
It's a 41m Custom yacht was built in 2006 by Rodriquez Yachts and last refitted in 2015. Foster & Partners is responsible for her beautiful exterior and interior design.
You may have seen this Yacht in the remake of the film Point Break (it wasn't as good as the original). We installed a Sonos sound system for listening to music, a media centre for all the latest in HD movies whilst you are at sea. The cabins all feature logitech harmony touch remote control's hooked up to smart hubs so they can be used without needing direct line of sight for the IR.
It's available to charter if you'd like to rent it for the week at around 100,000 US$.
Handover - Cachet Resort Hotel sound system (pt2)
We first installed the sound system at the Dewa Hotel in Nai Yang in 2008. They approached us for help in providing music around their resort which could be easily controlled via keypads by their staff.
We installed a Nuvo Grand Concerto for them, with a number of in-ceiling and outdoor speakers and interfacing with a number of ipod docks they could listen to different music in different areas, the staff could just tap a keypad to turn it on and off in each area and the volume could be controlled for background music or parties.
Because it's a high end resort the music system needed to run flawlessly, be simple to use and just work.
It did and we didn't hear back from Dewa until recently when we were asked to give the system a boost with a new outdoor music area where they will be hosting live music and DJ's for a variety of events in the future.
Cachet Resort Dewa Phuket handover with Rob Hobbs and David Laris from Cachet Hotel Group. H3 Digital were asked by Lars Ydmark and the Cachet Hotel Group to add a new area at Dewa Resort Phuket where they could host a live DJ and create a lively party atmosphere as an addition to their existing background music system which was installed throughout the resort in 2008.
Lars had this to say about working with H3 Digital again:
“Always a pleasure working with H3 Digital. This time around it was for a turn key solution for the delivery and installation of sound system in the ‘Cachet Pool Club’ at Cachet Resort Dewa Phuket.
Thank you again H3 Digital for your continued professionalism in your field. ”
First IMAX Home Cinema in Europe
CE Pro reports on Wuropes first IMAX Home Cinema Project in a London home. IMAX is originally a 70 mm motion picture film format which displays images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems. In the home theatre context it will consist of multiple high end projectors to give a bigger/better picture quality and a proprietary sound system to deliver the impressive sound range.
Are you prepared to hear the cost? Well don't fall off your chair, this home cinema costs an amazing 1 million pounds, money well spent, if you have it. Here's CE's roundup
"CE Pro Europe presents an exclusive look at the new IMAX home cinema just completed by London based integration company Cornflake.
Marking a genuine milestone in the industry, getting IMAX tech into a home set-up is not without its challenges, so naturally CE Pro was keen to find out and deliver the full story.
In detail, this luxurious 15-seat theatre has three tiers of seating and a 5.5m wide floor-to-ceiling curved IMAX screen. The reclining seats are equipped with professional 3D glasses (in a range of adult and child sizes), while a Dual 4K (2D/3D) projector is teamed with IMAX’s proprietary sound system to deliver impressive images and sound. The cinema is also completely sound-proofed to mitigate noise being heard elsewhere within the property.
Built deep below ground, the room in total cost a cool £1 million. Building the three tiers the client wanted was no mean feat as the basement floor had to be lowered by one metre to create the space needed.
Stretched fabric walling – dyed to match the client’s blue interior design scheme – and an acoustically-transparent screen conceal the speakers and sub-woofers that ensure viewers are enveloped in sound.
David Hanson, general manager EMEA for IMAX Home Entertainment, explains, “We offer three cinema design templates for home use – Platinum, Palais and Prestige. This exemplary project is based on the Theatre Palais option and brings the same philosophy used in the world’s leading IMAX theatres to small and medium-sized private home theatres, where between five to 20 seats are required.”
To create an IMAX cinema, space of around 80-150m2 (480-760sqft) and a ceiling height between 2.4m-3.8m is needed.
The client was blown away with the performance of the system
Taking it to the IMAX!
So how did the project come about, existing client or something else?
Robin Shephard, CEO of Cornflake, says, “We had already been appointed by the client and the property developer to design and install a package of integrated technology solutions for a property that was being completely refurbished in London. The house benefits from an impressive array of services including a sophisticated security set-up; HVAC, lighting and amazing projected artworks throughout. We were delighted to be commissioned to also manage the IMAX installation and other AV functions across the stunning property.”
Ce Pro also wanted to know if the client came to the project wanting IMAX or did that develop later? Robin explains, “The client wanted ‘The best viewing experience’ in a dedicated cinema to go alongside his dedicated ‘listening’ room. As Cornflake is brand-agnostic, and offers a highly bespoke service, we were able to propose several alternatives for a state-of-the-art home theatre.
“We have been designing and installing home cinemas for over 15 years now so we’re fortunate to have many installations where we can take prospective clients to view different systems, plus of course we have a reference grade home theatre in our London showroom where the client was able to road test kit for several hours. However, as this is the first residential IMAX install in Europe, the client had to visit Shanghai to review a similar set up installed in a hotel there. The research side of this job is great!”
So what are the particular challenges in translating IMAX technology to a home?
John Fitzpatrick, technical manager for Cornflake, takes up the story, “The biggest challenge, especially in central London where prime real estate commands a premium price per square foot, is space. In order to create an IMAX certified room you need a dedicated area of at least 480sqft with a minimum ceiling height of 2.4m – which is larger than the average living room – to accommodate the screen and tiered seating to the required proportions; so it’s a serious decision to dedicate all that space to such a specialist room.
“But, if everyone loves films and shared family-time is important then this is a room where you’ll spend many happy and fun hours together, and for some clients that is justification enough for creating a home cinema.”
John adds, “The quality of the fit-out can also be a sensitive area. UHNW clients frequently demand top-level finishing and their exquisite interior design schemes are often on a par with international boutique hotels. In this instance the client’s expectations for the room design were significantly higher than IMAX’s recommended specifications, so we were in the sensitive position of helping to guide the IMAX team and deliver a project which ticked everyone’s boxes.
“IMAX delivers exemplary cinematic equipment, but we had to ensure the space would exceed the client’s brief in all areas, not just system performance. To this end we worked closely with the appointed interior designer to develop the aesthetics and styling of the room. The combination of top technology with ultra-stylish design has created a room that is out of this world.”
The kit that delivers the IMAX experience
As well as a world-class cinema experience, does the cinema accommodate gaming and other forms of entertainment? John explains, “For this particular project it was a client-driven decision to include several source components to ensure flexibility and maximum choice, these included IMAX’s Movie Server, a Kaleidescape Movie Server and an Apple TV. Cornflake also advised that due provision was made for further sources to be added with ease at any point in the future, such as games consoles, Sky or similar subscription based TV services. As media options become more sophisticated and children mature into teens, it’s always good to build in future-proofing to keep abreast of changing needs.”
Part of the set up is that the cinema carries out its own self calibration each day, so how does this work?
John says, “This is IMAX’s own unique technology. In brief, cameras mounted to the lens assembly within the projector constantly interpret the picture on screen and adjust the image accordingly to deliver consistent quality. It’s visionary technology especially combined with IMAX’s 24/7 remote system performance monitoring.”
So now its all fired up and working, what is the team’s stand-out feature, when compared to a standard cinema?
Mark Withers, senior home cinema consultant for Cornflake, enthuses, “Unlike many home cinemas, a home IMAX has quite a commercial feel to it. When you step into a private IMAX you literally leave the rest of the property behind and enter another world. The room feels weirdly detached from the rest of the home due to its unique set up and styling. It’s hugely immersive due to the sheer size of the space, the quality of the furnishings and fittings, and the hushed calm feel of the space as a whole.
“The scale of the image on the giant screen is akin to the sensation of being in a modern multiplex cinema – with a far greater luxe factor than in the average high street chain. IMAX’s award-winning 3D technology is also class-leading and completely unlike anything most film buffs will have seen before. In this particular installation, the room affords the height of luxury and no expense was spared to make it by far the most captivating in the home. The owner and his family were completely blown away by the experience.”
So with one under it’s belt, is Cornflake planning any more? Mark comments, “The IMAX brand is the epitome of luxury and a private IMAX is undoubtedly a covetable status mark. For home owners with the budget and space it is now a real viable option. We have several clients currently considering and comparing set-ups, and a second IMAX project that is nearing sign-up. Let’s be honest, like all new technology, there is a learning curve.
“Essentially we are taking a system designed for enormous amphitheatres and making it work to the same stunning capacity, but in a much smaller space, whilst at the same time integrating it with all of the other household requirements (e.g. lighting, movie servers, streamed content, etc). Hands up… this install presented challenges and was a steep learning curve for Cornflake, but nothing was insurmountable, and we worked closely with the IMAX team to deliver a first-class theatre. With this project under our belt we are looking forward to a strong ongoing partnership with IMAX and delivering many more exciting theatres.”
Mark adds, “Cornflake is not IMAX’s exclusive partner – preferring to remain brand agnostic and true to our independent roots – but, in reality, there are probably very few UK companies that could manage the complexity of design and install to achieve the quality of performance demanded by both the client and IMAX. The experience we have gained from this first install has been invaluable and we will of course build on it for future projects. Watch this space for the next one – due to be signed up just in time for the festive film fest.”
IMAX kit list
Dual 4K 2D/3D projectors
Advanced image super enhancer
lmmersive IMAX curved screen and movable frame
Proprietary IMAX sound system
Media server
Blu-ray player
Support for additional sources (DVD, CD, streaming, gaming, karaoke), touch-screen control pad with dedicated control system
20 pairs (adults) + 5 pairs (kids) of professional 3D glasses
Space requirement: ~480 – ~760 sq.ft"
https://ce-pro.eu/2017/11/27/exclusive-cornflake-delivers-first-imax-home-cinema-europe/
Gerard Butlers Home Cinema
Ever wonder what sort of home theatre setups that the film stars of cinema have at home?
Gerard Butlers NY Loft home has just gone on sale for 6 million dollars. for movie viewing he has a drop-down screen and projector system in his Lounge (if you can call it that).
Gerard James Butler is a Scottish actor, producer and singer. After studying law, Butler turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as Mrs Brown (1997), the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), and Tale of the Mummy (1998).
In 2000, he starred as Dracula in the horror film Dracula 2000 with Christopher Plummer and Jonny Lee Miller. He subsequently played Attila the Hun in the miniseries Attila (2001) and then appeared in the films Reign of Fire with Christian Bale (2002), and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life with Angelina Jolie (2003), before playing André Marek in the adaptation of Michael Crichton's science fiction adventure Timeline (2003).
He then was cast as the role of Erik, The Phantom in Joel Schumacher's 2004 film adaptation of the musical The Phantom of the Opera alongside Emmy Rossum. That role earned him a Satellite Award nomination for Best Actor.
Although Attila and The Phantom of the Opera were important breaks, it was only in 2007 that Butler gained worldwide recognition for his portrayal of King Leonidas in Zack Snyder's fantasy war film 300. That role earned him nominations for an Empire Award for Best Actor and a Saturn Award for Best Actor and a win for MTV Movie Award for Best Fight. In the 2010s, he voiced the role of Stoick the Vast in the animated action-fantasy film How to Train Your Dragon, a role he later reprised in Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon (2010), Gift of the Night Fury (2011) and How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014).
He played military leader Tullus Aufidius in the 2011 film Coriolanus, a modernized adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name. He also played Sam Childers in the 2011 action biopic Machine Gun Preacher.
We love the shabby chic look of the place, the cinema screen kind of fits with the decor, perhaps we were expecting something a little more in your face but the drop down screen fits well in the home.
The screen can be brought down when required and doesn't take over the feel of the whole home when not in use. On-Wall speakers (are they Leons or Triads?) take care of the sound and again aren't too imposing.
Groove IS in the Heart (Sonos)
Sonos has done it again with another great video this time for the Christmas season, good timing with people starting to think about buying presents for their loved ones. It also showcases their new Alexa/Amazon integration which finally also works with Spotify now.
Sonos is of course the multi room music system that started the wireless revolution, put a Sonos Connect:amp connected to a set of speakers or their own standalone series of speakers the Play units into your rooms and control it all though the palm of your hand, or even better, your voice. Different rooms can play different songs or the same songs at different volumes.
Spotify integration makes it easy to listen to all of the top hits all of the time, no need to keep buying music every month.
Amazon Echo for assisted living trial in the UK
A £15,000 trial is under way to see how smart homer technology such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home could help people with learning disabilities live a more independent and fulfilling life.
The Innovate Trust is running the trial initiative in Wales with five people initially, it's hoped that as well as helping them to improve their lives that this smart home technology could eventually help save the care sector some serious money.
Being funded by Innovate to Save and run by Cardiff University and Nesta foundation collaboration - Y Lab.
The Innovate Trust currently provides a supported living service for around 275 people with learning disabilities in Wales.
Its six-month trial at two supported living schemes in Rhondda Cynon Taff is exploring how "intelligent personal assistants" (IPAs) such as Amazon Echo or Google Home can reduce the need for staff to be at people's homes around the clock.
The trust said the technology could remind people when to take medication, attend appointments and carry out household chores.
Samantha Snell, 26, from Treorchy, has mild learning disabilities and has received support from the trust for the past four years. She uses the technology to set reminders to go food shopping and cook, know when care staff are due to arrive and to control sensory lights in her house.
It also helps her to call friends and keep up-to-date with events being held by the trust via the calendar.
"I used to have staff 24 hours every day and they would remind me if I needed to be anywhere, they would call me in the mornings and help me cook," she said.
"Echo has given me more independence, I don't have to rely on staff so much now. It's really easy to use.
"It helps me with my moods because I'm a lot happier now."
Ron Woods, director of policy development and procurement for Innovate Trust, said the possibilities "were huge".
"It's increasing their independence and confidence, emotionally it's making them feel as if they're in control of their own care package and own lives, they're not so dependant on staff, and it's teaching them new skills," he said.
"It's also to make the model of supported living more sustainable. It's well known in the care sector we could expand the use of technology."
In the long term it's hoped that initiatives like this could spread and improve the quality of life of many and save million of pounds in the care sector.
“At the moment [the technology] is controlled by voices... but we’re looking at if somebody doesn’t have clear speech or voice, could they use swipe technology to gently move their hand and indicate to technology that they want to do something. That’s the next step,””
Innovate to Save, which is supported by the Welsh Government and Wales Council for Voluntary Action have said that they will assess the success of each project at the end of the six-month trial.
If successful, Innovate Trust will be able to apply for a loan to expand the project.
Apple delays Siri powered Homepod
Apple has announced that it is delaying it;s Siri powered Apple Homepod until some time next year. Unveiled in June the Homepod is Apples answer to Googles Home and Amazons Alexa. It has been in development for years and CEO Tim Cook promised Apple customers they would be "blown away" by their "breakthrough" speaker, at least not until next year now that is.
“While missing holidays is a shame I think what is at stake here is much more longer term for Apple and they are wise in taking the time,” said Carolina Milanesi, analyst at Creative Strategies. “If HomePod shipped today and all it did was deliver great sound, Apple would be more likely to lose the Assistant and connected home battle than if it delayed the product to knock our socks off when it ships.” Last year, Apple’s $160 AirPods had been scheduled to launch in October but did not go on sale until mid-December, and were in short supply for months. However, the product is now seen as one of Apple’s most popular accessories. “It did not hurt Apple to kind of miss Christmas last year,” Ms Milanesi said.
Apple is way behind at the moment in the smart home stakes, if this was any other company they would be rushing it out the door to make sure they don't get left behind, but it's Apple. They know their fanbase will wait and buy their version of the automated voice assistant, they have a locked in fanbase who have already got used to using Siri on their iPhone and iWatch.
Still they are a long way behind Google, who are about the same distance behind Amazon who, seemingly out of nowhere, released their Amazon Echo which has to date sold over 15 million units.