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Cyberdyne Cinema
By: Darren Mortensen
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Main info
That terminator is out there. It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity,
or remorse, or fear.
That's fine and dandy for the Terminator, but for Darren Mortensen, that mantra made for the perfect home
theater—as well as the opportunity for a career change.
When Mortensen first thought about creating his own home theater, he wasn't working as a Christmas elf; he
was a respiratory therapist, specializing in acute cardio-pulmonary support and trauma. A noble profession
is no match for the home theater bug, however. Soon Mortensen found himself designing a nice room with a
built-in CRT TV, A/V cabinets and a hidden door for access to A/V components. As the project progressed, so
did Mortensen's plan.
With no knowledge of CAD, Mortensen drew this in-depth theater design freehand on paper. Early drawings even
included a "Jurassic Park" theme, with giant dinosaurs busting through the walls.
However, cool looking just wasn't cool enough. "I studied the characteristics of sound waves and how the
construction of a room can alter the absorption and refection of sound," Mortensen says. "I wanted the room
to sound as good as it looked." This meant designing and building panels to assist in the dispersion and
separation of the surround sound effects. He also used aluminum tread plate for acoustical reflective panels.
The aluminum also lent itself to the look that Mortensen was working into his room, which is now dubbed
"Cyberdyne Cinema." Cyberdyne Systems was the fictional company depicted in "The Terminator" films. However,
this project wasn't meant to harm humans, only to entertain them.
Cyberdyne Systems may want to keep some of that doomsday information classified, but Mortensen loves to show
off his stuff. "The majority of the equipment is located on glass shelving within the recessed A/V shelving
at the front of the theater," he says. "I did this intentionally to lend to the industrial look and feel
of the theater." The equipment is then obscured when the mammoth 159-inch Da-Lite screen is activated;
this prevents distraction from equipment lighting.
However, there is a little magic in this ode to movie monsters. Behind the display of drive-in movie speakers,
there's a nifty hidden equipment door. This allows for easy access to the back of each component, making
upgrades and maintenance a breeze.
The equipment is certainly impressive, but it's the theme inside this 470-square-foot home theater that keeps
us coming back. Aside from the obvious "Terminator" connection, the room also includes a life-sized Darth Vader,
letters from Viggo Mortensen (Aragon from "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy), and other memorabilia. "The Cyberdyne
Cinema was designed from a concept I always had of the old-time sci-fi and horror movie sets," Mortensen says.
"The cinema is really a salute and celebration to a genre of movies that I have enjoyed watching as a young boy
on our old black-and-white Zenith console television." Even the movie-poster cases are made to look like hydraulic
presses—as a nod to both "The Terminator" as well as "The Fly."
Movie monsters are huge, not unlike Mortensen's project. However, this didn't keep the enthusiast from completing
most of the installation himself. At one point, he did call in Trammel Construction to help with building a wall
and solid core door entry. "At the time I was out of state tending to my son after a traumatic car accident,"
Mortensen says. "Trammel Construction stepped in and provided their services under my remote direction."
Thankfully, Mortensen's son was OK, and so was the theater. Promising himself (and his wife) not to take out loans
or use credit for this project made choosing the equipment a challenge—one he took on alone. He worked extra hours,
saved for purchases and soon had the big screen, and other equipment, which included Rotel for the audio portion.
Aside from the sound, Rotel provided both the individual components and the industrial design that Mortensen wanted
for his theme theater. "Needless to say, each and every component was carefully selected and scrutinized before it
was allowed to be integrated into the Cyberdyne system."
The theater was completed five years ago, but Mortensen wasn't ready to say "Hasta la vista" to the home theater
game—so he formed Cinema at Home, LLC. "I created Cinema at Home to provide unique and tasteful entertainment
environments for the Kansas City area," he says. "Many of the systems I saw being installed in my area were less
than adequate, and had that cookie-cutter feel and look."
From there, Mortensen studied anything and everything associated with audio and video. "I found myself becoming
a sponge," he says. After jumping through a few hoops, he joined the Custom Electronic Design and Installation
Association and became a certified CEDIA installer. However, his education is still ongoing. "You cannot become
complacent or stagnant in this field; technology moves too fast—with or without you."
Now he uses "real" software programs, which could possibly be used in the theater's upgrade. Although he's pleased
with his theater's "simply surreal" experience, Mortensen wants to replace brands and models to reflect what his
company currently offers so clients know he truly stands behind his work—even if it comes in a full metal jacket.
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««« | Equipment list
- Aura Pro-Bass Shakers (7)
- B&W CC6 Front-Center Loudspeaker
- B&W DM601 Rear-Center Loudspeakers (2)
- B&W DM602 Main L/R Loudspeakers (2)
- B&W DS6 Dipole Surround Loudspeakers (2)
- B&W DS6 Dipole Surround Loudspeakers (2)
- Berkline Cinema Collection 090 Seating w/Foot Lighting (7)
- Da-Lite 159-inch Cosmopolitan Tensioned Screen
- Hitachi 60SX10B 60-inch Rear Projection TV
- JEC 7.5-inch Widescreen Color LCD
- Lutron Lighting Control
- Microsoft Xbox 360
- Microsoft Xbox HD DVD Player
- Mitsubishi HD-5000 1080p Projector
- Monster HTS-2600 Home Theater Reference Power Center
- Motorola HD Digital Receiver
- NHT MA-1 Mono Subwoofer Amplifier
- Panasonic DVD-CP72 DVD Changer
- Philips Pronto Pro TSU6000 Remote
- Rotel RB-1050 2-channel Amplifier
- Rotel RMB-1075 5-channel Amplifier
- Rotel RSP-1068 Digital Processor
- SVS 20-39PC-Plus Subwoofer
- Velodyne Servo F1200R Subwoofer
- Wharfedale WH-2 Surround Loudspeakers (2)
Systems and Room Design
Cinema at Home, LLC
Olathe, Kansas
www.cinemaathome.biz
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Last modified: Feb 13 2008
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