It’s easy to forget, in this time of big and loud, where screen size is limited only by the maximum stretch of a wall, that sometimes it’s the little things that mean the most in home theater.

For instance, have you ever had a home theater setup that would dim the lights as the show starts, just like they do in the theater?  Well, it can be done, and more besides.  Thomas Marino of Advanced Technologies in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, described this particular setup like this:

“If a hallway sensor notices someone walking down the hallway to the theater and the projector is on, the lights brighten to just 30 percent. The projector is like the gateway—only when it’s off can the lights turn back on to full intensity.”

So by using a series of motion detectors and sensors, the lights in your home theater can move accordingly.   A pretty awesome prospect, sure, but what’s the REST of this home theater packing?  Well, how does a one  hundred and ten inch VuTec screen sound?  Tack on an Onkyo receiver, Elan speakers, an InFocus projector and a custom-made home theater PC and you’ve got all the ingredients of a sweet home theater setup that makes lots of sense.