SOME STAY AT HOME FOR SOUND, DRAMA OF CINEMA

More and more people are looking to duplicate the theater experience without having to leave their homes, industry experts say.

The lights dim. The sound swells. Movie lovers sit back in their seats. All eyes are fixed on the film showing on the screen.

But this show isn't happening in a commercial theater. It's happening at home.

More and more people are looking to duplicate the theater experience without having to leave their homes, industry experts say.

More than 18.2 million homes were expected to have home theaters by the end of 1999, up from 4.3 million in 1994, according to Architectural HomeCinemas, which designs home theaters.

In Cape Girardeau, there are two companies that design and install home theaters.

In the past, private screens have only been for the rich and famous, but increasingly, home theaters can be found in area homes, says Jeff Smith, owner of Sound Designs in Cape Girardeau.

In this area, home theaters can cost as little as $10,000 to $15,000 or as much as $200,000.

Smith's office includes a $30,000 to $35,000 home theater setup, complete with a curtain that covers the screen when it isn't in use.

John Tiffany, manager of the custom electronics division of Stereo One in Cape Girardeau, is working on a $100,000 home theater for a client.

"Professional people work all day. They don't want to go out and go to the theater all the time," said Tiffany.

Both men say the goal of a home theater is to create the atmosphere of going to the cinema.

That atmosphere is created with front- or rear-screen projection television and video projection systems, high-tech sound and quality lighting. Home theaters have both DVD and VCR systems to show movies.

Ceiling-mounted, three-lens, front-projection equipment can cost $19,000. In contrast, a single-lens system can cost $3,500 to $10,000. It also is smaller, about the size of a slide projector.

A theater screen can cost another $3,000. A quality speaker system can cost another $6,000.

Home theaters use video-processing technology to provide quality pictures on large screens, such as a 48-by-89-inch screen.

Typically, everything in the home theater room is controlled by remote control. With the push of a button, the host can dim the lights, open the curtain or lower the screen, turn on the television or start the movie and turn up the volume.

Having the controls at your fingertip is essential, said Smith. "That's what people want."

Smith said his customers don't want to mess with the technology. They want the components installed so they will operate with little adjustment.

"It's a fun job," said Smith. "We're sitting on the couch pushing buttons."

Some customers want home theaters that actually look like cinemas, complete with theater seating.

A home theater created for a Poplar Bluff man included 16 theater chairs and a lobby, Smith said.

Tiffany said a home theater he designed for one customer included a candy corner and popcorn machine.

Others want couches. They want the room to double as a family or living room.

Tiffany said the home theater business has grown significantly in this area in the last five to seven years. Tiffany said improved technology has sparked the public's interest in home theaters.

Increasingly, upscale home owners are dedicating space in their homes to their own personal theaters, he said.

The home theaters aren't just for their enjoyment, Tiffany said. People use their private cinemas as a place to entertain friends and colleagues.

Tiffany said the cost of such theaters varies, depending on the equipment and the furnishings. "What we are talking about here doesn't have to be $100,000," he said.

"You can do theater seating for $500 a seat or $2,500 a seat," said Tiffany.

Ideally, a home theater should be in a windowless room. But blackout drapes can turn a room with windows into a topnotch place for movie and television viewing, he said.

Some home theaters are designed for sports enthusiasts who want to watch their favorite teams on the big screen. "It's not all movies by any means," said Tiffany.

Customers who want their own personal theaters also often go in for automation throughout their homes. "We do a lot of home automation now," Tiffany said.

Some home theaters rival the best movie theaters. "In some cases, it is better than what you have at the theater," he said.