IES Says, “You’re Not a Real Fan if You Don’t Have a Dedicated Sports Theater like This!”

As an alumnus and former football player at the University of Notre Dame, our client loved to watch sports. So much so, he contracted Integrated Electronic Solutions to create a sports-themed home theater and media room that would enable him to watch multiple sporting events at the same time. He also wanted a system that could show 3D movies on the large screen. But his real goal, bar none, was to walk into the home theater and have the same feeling as being inside the Notre Dame Stadium. This was a challenge we couldn’t resist!

Integrated Electronic Solutions became determined to design and build the perfect place to both watch a game AND feel like you’re actually there. We wanted to recreate the crowds, the sounds, the cheers, and the energy.

The next best thing to being there

To start, to create the “being in the crowd” sensation, we filled three walls with smart art images of a crowd at a real game. Then we installed actual brick from the Notre Dame Stadium and lined the walls with historical pictures of some of the university’s greatest sports icons. These didn’t just create a unique look and feel; they also helped conceal the surround-sound system.

Blue and Gold perfection

Quality was essential, so we used Crestron integrated technology solutions, including AV and lighting control, and DigitalMedia™ HD video distribution. To make the room fully functional, we used one 65” LCD and four 40” models, with a 130” projection screen in the middle to serve as the main display. This way he could watch multiple sporting events at once. The Crestron DigitalMedia solution allows the former player to distribute any HD video image to any display or a single video image to them all.

Eight video sources feed the TVs and screen, including five DIRECTV® HD receivers, a Crestron media server, a 3D Blu-Ray Disc® and an XBOX 360.

All of the room sources can be controlled with a touch of a button using the Crestron wireless touch screen, programmed to be a very simple interface showing all the displays and sources. Another button touch transforms this sports hub into an amazing cinema with a 3D projector (for a full 130” image). The result is a true cinematic experience.

A strong finish

The room's carpeting and seating are custom-dyed to match Notre Dame's unique blue and gold. Crestron iLux® lighting control is combined with the fiber optic “star” display depict the Little Dipper, Big Dipper, and Orion. Two fiber optic illuminators even cast a shooting star effect, instantly transporting the owner and his guests into the open-air Notre Dame Stadium.

When all was said and done, our client is delighted with the ease of use, features and flexibility that Crestron solutions provide. Crestron is impressed as well, awarding this room the Best Home Theater win for 2012!

Do you have a unique vision for your home theater or media and entertainment integration in New York? Call Integrated Electronic Solutions today, and transport yourself into your favorite fantasy location!