We were recently called in to fix the theater pictured. The theater is a good design: it includes acoustical treatment, high end electronics, control of the lighting, a good remote control and comfortable seating. This sounds like the right stuff, so what then could be the problem?
The system looked and sounded horrible and was difficult to operate. The company responsible for the original installation must have stopped when they heard sound and saw a picture. In the course of our diagnosis we found that the surround processor had never been set up, the video projector was set to a very dim output mode, the main power amplifier was never hooked up to turn off and was always very hot, and the remote control was not easy to use nor did it include modes for all of the equipment.
After completely rewiring the system and relocating some components to better locations (the DVD player was so close to the inside top of the cabinet that it was next to impossible to load a disc), we calibrated the system using precision instruments. After we set the processor and projector to the correct modes and calibrated them with our test gear, we ran a set of reference audio and video clips that allowed us dial in the last 10% by using our most precise instruments - our experienced eyes and ears. Lastly, we reprogrammed the remote control to function more easily and intuitively.
The system now performs as it should and delivers the picture and sound quality the owner always envisioned.
