What?

CinemaDave is my personal budget home theater that I built into the front of my living room in my apartment in San Francisco.

It was low budget, but it's big. I kept the budget low by spending years collecting the components of my theater, and it's finally (mostly) done.

See photos in my Album

Why?

I am a big fan of movies, but not a big fan of the VCR + 20" TV experience. I want my movies to be huge and loud, just like in the theaters.

Update

(2011): So, most of CinemaDave was created around 2000 or so, when getting three beam projectors and portable DVD players for $300 was a steal. These days (2011ish), you can get very cheap projectors, including super tiny ones for one or two hundred, and I think DVD players are so cheap that you can get them in cereal boxes these days (probably not true..). In fact, I'm trying to sell my two projectors, and can't get any takers for $100.

I've also moved my Cinema to my bus, and the three beam monsters aren't necessary anymore. I've got a pair of Pico projectors (one of them is more for travel, though they're both tiny), and I'm back to my original 80" motorized screen which I happened to keep all these years. Works well for now. I still have the original theater screen rolled up in storage for the day I finally get my warehouse and finally get to build the complete CinemaDave dream. Someday.

(2014): I've got a Fort, so the Cinema has been resurrected, and is now an outdoor theater complete with hot tub seating. Cinema One is in the fort, Cinema Two is in the Bus and Cinema Three is in my "Husvagn" mobile home in Sweden.

How?

Through determination and perspiration. I don't have the money that you'll find amongst people who recreate cinema spaces in their home, so I had to do it through building and scavenging.

My Theater is made of the following components (out-of-date):

My Sony 3-Beam Projector which made this all possible.
Authentic Movie Screen
Portable DVD player, a scavenge at $299 new!
Generic, decent sound system (Nakamichi amp, on sale at Frye's! :)
A set of 3 Boston Acoustics A70T (THX!) speakers from a closed theater in Marin

The components (and their construction) are shown in my album

I also have a VPR-722 Sony projector controller, but I need to find the M/F 14 pin cable (2-3-4-3-2) (Sony part# CCQ25AR)

When?

If you actually know me, then you are invited to the large movie nights I hold. You should bring:

Personal refreshments
Seating comforts, such as pillows, beanbags or air mattresses.
(Couch seating is only guaranteed to Dave and the earliest guests.)
Guests, if so desired, but let me know so I can keep count.
Yourself. On time. If you show up late, you walk right in front of the screen, and we will throw popcorn at you.

I'm always looking for movie suggestions. I prefer classic movie hits that are timeless. If they are somewhat underground, that's a plus, since that means there will be people who haven't seen it yet.