A Plymouth audio visual company has been named among the best in the world by winning an international award for creating the ideal home cinema.
The Pyramid Group walked away with the trophy for best Home Cinema (level II)at the CEDIA industry awards, in London.
CEDIA is the international trade association for companies around the world that design, manufacture and install technology for the home.
The awards honoured companies from France, India, South Africa, UAE, USA and the 海角视频.
Pyramid Group, based in Plympton, was rewarded for building what is called the Cavern, a 12-person mini-movie-palace for a family in the unused basement of their 1750s mansion.
The company responded by creating a system using bespoke acoustic gear, immersive audio and a 3.3m screen fed by a projector.
Pyramid Group managing director Nic Black said: “The site of this extraordinary cinema is within a basement area that housed a previously installed private cinema for 12 people.
“This space had been left unused as the family had grown and the installed technology and systems became redundant.
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“The client’s first approached us in August 2018 in order to discuss the opportunity of refreshing the existing space.
“Having undertaken an initial site visit, it was clear there was the intention to create a bespoke and high quality cinema suited to the family’s modern viewing needs using the very latest technology and maximizing the available budget.
“During the initial consultation we spent time discussing the family’s needs in terms of viewing habits, content and the frequency of use, and from there the notion of a high specification cinema with a variety of media sources would be the desired outcome.
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“The property is a period mansion built primarily of stone circa 1750s. The cinema replaced a previous basement cinema that had been constructed within a well considered envelope constructed for the previous fit out.
“For this cinema we designed a concept that ensured as well a controlled acoustic space as possible, incorporating the speakers invisibly, acoustic treatments, bass traps and raised seating platform.
The screen wall is a very solid construction specifically to avoid rear speaker loss, as well as housing the large dual 10” subs, and the rear wall incorporates the aircon ducting, 3rd sub bass, projector and DVD cupboard.”
He added: “The Cavern is a unique construction that ensures an enveloping experience within a space that is surprisingly roomy, feeling immersive but not oppressive.”
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More and more people are bringing the “big screen” experience into their houses by converting back rooms and unused garages into home cinemas.
CEDIA awards 2019 - who won what
The full list of CEDIA Award winners:
Home Cinema Level I
Winner: Hi-Concept (France) – Le Cinema Garage
Home Cinema Level II
Winner: The Pyramid Group (海角视频) – The Cavern
Home Cinema Level III
Winner: Sound Sense (India) – Arcadian Odyssey
Highly Commended: Perfect Integration (海角视频) – Le Petite Garnier
Integrated Home Level I
Winner: Perfect Integration (海角视频) – The Disco House
Highly Commended: Woelf (Belgium) – Zen House
Integrated Home Level II
Winner: Intuitive Homes and Ultamation (海角视频) – Lakeview House
Integrated Home Level III
Winner: Perfect Integration (海角视频) – Le Rocher, Monaco
Highly Commended: TwentyTwo Integration (海角视频) – Project 701
Media Room Level I
Winner: BNC Technology (South Africa) – Coral Road
Media Room Level II
Winner: SMC (海角视频) – Superheroes
Multiple Dwelling Unit Design
Winner: Archimedia (UAE) – Palme Couture
Showroom
Winner: Homeplay (海角视频)
Highly Commended: NGC Systems (海角视频)
Best Dressed Rack
Winner: Sound Sense (India) – Arcadian Odyssey
Best Documentation
Winner: Sound Sense (India) – Arcadian Odyssey
Best Hardware
Winner: Cinema Build Systems – Cinema Space Frame System
Highly Commended: Hero Labs – Sonic
Best Software
Winner: Control4 – Control4 Smart Home OS 3
Best Training Course
Winner: CIE Group – AV Over IP Academy
Best Trade Supplier
Winner: Habitech
Best Technology Feature
Winner: Hayley Gilbert – The English Home
Life Lived Best at Home
Winner: Perfect Integration (海角视频) – Le Petite Garnier
Technology Meets Design
Winner: Perfect Integration (海角视频) – The Disco House
Best Home Cinema – Global
Winner: Sound Sense (India) – Arcadian Odyssey
Best Media Room – Global
Winner: Audio Images (USA) – Up on the Roof
Best Integrated Home – Global
Winner: Perfect Integration (海角视频) – The Disco House
Special Recognition
Winner: Sam Woodward
The cost of creating your own mini version of an Odeon can be as little as £10,000 – or you can spend a six-figure sum.
When you consider a family day out at the multiplex can be costly, and home cinemas can also show TV programmes, sports events, and host computer games, industry experts are saying it is cost effective to build your own movie theatre.
Plymouth’s Pyramid Group has been receiving an increasing number of inquiries for its home cinema systems.
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Mr Black said the average home cinema the firm builds has seven seats and a 130-inch screen, and costs between £60,000 and £70,000. But there is no limit on what people can spend.
Mr Black said home cinemas are becoming more popular as people want to entertain family and friends in their houses – and block out the outside world thanks to insulated walls and ceilings, specially installed.
Tabatha O’Connor, CEDIA president, said: “We honoured the best in our industry at the awards ceremony in London — those who have done the kind of work that makes us all proud to be CEDIA members.”