Home theaters can fit into some pretty tight quarters, but the equipment usually functions better when there’s plenty of elbow room. Even the height of the ceiling can have an impact on the installation and performance of the gear. As the owners of this converted attic discovered, raising the roof by just a couple of feet can make a huge difference in the overall quality of a home theater. “Changing the pitch of the roof allowed us to raise the ceiling from its original 71 /2-foot height to 91 /2 feet,” says Gabriel Karlis of Fort Lee, NJ–based home systems installation firm JD Audio and Video Designs. “It gave the room a more spacious feel.” The ceiling wasn’t the only problem the JD Audio and Video Design crew had to fix to make the room theater worthy. A huge window at the front of the space had to be covered so that the room could be darkened. Stretching 8 feet wide and 6 feet high, it would take a massive curtain to block out the light … something about the size of, say, a video screen. Of course, most video screens are not intended to be used as window coverings. But Karlis figured that with the right backing, the 110-inch diagonal display they had chosen for the room just might work. Per Karlis’ request, blackout material was sandwiched between a sun-resistant fabric on one side and high-grade projection material on the other. The result is a room that functions beautifully as a theater, despite its structural imperfections.

JD Audio and Video Design, Inc. is a family owned and operated full service Custom Audio/Video design firm located in the heart of Fort Lee, New Jersey serving the Tri-State for over 30 years. We carry the finest equipment from only the top manufacturers to ensure quality, reliability and ease of use. We employ a highly trained team of designers, electronic engineers and installation specialists to enhance your home or business. We offer a variety of services to make your home more complete including design, engineering and custom installation of home theater system, multi-room audio system, outdoor audio systems, home automation and integration, telephone systems, and lighting system.