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Introduce yourself…
I’m James Lindfield, 32. I work as a telecoms and IT service manager.
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How long have you been into home cinema ? What was the first AV setup you had?
I’ve been an AV addict as long as I can remember. I had a 32in Panasonic CRT TV crammed into my bedroom. My parents bought me a Bose Acoustimass system while we were on holiday in the United States – I remember cramming it all in a suitcase. And I was the first person in our town to buy a DVD player (and you could only buy three films at the time. Oh, how things change!). Later on my Mum and Dad let me convert a room underneath their garage into a dedicated room with a big rear-projection TV and 5.1 audio. My own first house never allowed me the space, but when me and my wife moved into a bigger place, I always knew I’d get the dedicated room I dreamt of. And a year later, The LindoPlex, as I call it, was born.
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Whereabouts in your house is The LindoPlex?
The LindoPlex is a garage conversion! It used to be full of junk so it’s a good use of the space.
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What kit do you have in the system?
The projector is from Epson – an EH-TW6100. It’s used with a 100in Elite Screens VMAX2 drop-down electric screen. For the audio I have a Sony STR-DN1040 AV receiver and the Q Acoustics Q7000i system. Feeding all this are a Panasonic DMP-BDT220 Blu-ray player, Sony PlayStation 4, Sky+HD box (2TB) and an Intel NUC i3, with 8GB RAM, running XBMC over OpenElec for additional media playing duties. All the speaker cables are Van Damme Studio Blue – 2.5mm at rear, 4mm at the front.
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Is the speaker setup 5.1?
I’m running a 5.1 setup at the moment, but the room is wired for 7.1. I might put those cables to use for a 5.1.4 Atmos upgrade rather than 7.1, actually.
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What’s your opinion of the system’s performance? Is there anything you think could be improved ?
I’m really chuff ed with how it turned out. The picture from the Epson is crisp and feels real; some of the modern OLED flatscreens can be too crisp and feel a bit fake. The sound encases you in the movie, and is excellent for gaming. I took back a DLP projector as all I could see were the dreaded rainbows. Epson’s 3LCD approach is much better for me. Also, I had to make some DIY sound-deadening panels as the room felt a bit live. They have really enhanced the audio, after many hours and days spent experimenting with speaker positions and other tweaks. The best thing I did was paint the ceiling and walls in a nice shade of dark grey.
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How did you choose the kit?
Initially from reading magazine reviews, then I’d hit the demo rooms, then I’d work out the pricing and go for the option that suited the budget and performance the best. My wife came along with me, but would soon get bored with all the talk of drivers, tweeters, contrast ratios, etc, so I had to make quick decisions before she took the credit card away. Luckily she didn’t seem to mind spending a bit more to get the best quality. ‘Buy cheap, buy twice,’ as they say.
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How much have you spent on the room?
The initial conversion was around £2,500, which included a soundproofed window and soundproofi ng the room. It’s an internal garage (16.5ft x 8.5ft) and soundproofing was important, so I used an isolated construction and Green Glue between two layers of acoustic sound board. I had to make some compromises as the cinema room is very much part of the house. For instance, all the lighting is fixed to the wall, rather than spot-lights in the ceiling, to make sure no sound leaks to elsewhere in the house. I won’t tell you the total kit spend as the wife will read this, but I’m sure the average reader of this fine magazine knows how much the stuff on the list costs!
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What do friends and family think of the conversion?
They love it! It can get a bit cosy with six people in there, but it’s great to get everyone together for a good movie. The popcorn containers and cardboard Coke cups come out for the special ‘must-see’ flicks.
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What’s your favourite Blu-ray?
My guilty pleasure has always been Days of Thunder. Although, as a teenager, me and my best mate would watch anything with Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal or big explosions and action. Oh, and Bad Boys!
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Do you watch any movies or TV programmes from download or streaming platforms?
No, I like to watch films as soon as they come out, so I tend to save on the subscription costs.
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If you want to really show off your system, what titles do you use?
It has to be Avatar or Gravity. The visuals and soundmixes on both Blu-rays are truly awesome. I also love the train station and crash scene on Super 8. That really stretches the LindoPlex to its limits. What’s your favourite bit of kit, and why? Its got to be my Intel NUC HTPC running XBMC. It’s really great for archiving movies and having everything to hand. Although, for raw quality, you can’t beat a Blu-ray.
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What’s next on your equipment wishlist, and why?
4K, Dolby Atmos, a bigger room – not necessarily in that order. I’m lucky to have the room. My wife is very understanding of how important it is to me. We’re expecting twins (they should be here by the time this is published!) so I already purchased best double stroller for twins and she has amazingly just signed off on a new five-year ‘lease’, which is great news as she was eyeing it up as a play room. I doubt any major upgrades will happen any time soon, but I’m sure the twins will keep me busy and what’s better than kids’ movies on a 100in screen ?
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Lastly, are you excited by 4K/Ultra HD?
Yes, although I will await for a drop in price of the technology before considering it. I’m happy with everything about my system at the moment! ■