Home Theaters On The Rise

Hi-tech advances mean all kinds of things are now smaller, more powerful and easier to afford. <br><br>And now that applies to home theatre systems.<br><br>It's that time of the year where homebuilders

Sunday, June 18th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Hi-tech advances mean all kinds of things are now smaller, more powerful and easier to afford.

And now that applies to home theatre systems.

It's that time of the year where homebuilders strut their stuff in the Parade of Homes.

This year, one particular place, in one particular home is getting a lot of attention.

â€œSomeone told me to come down here to the parade of homes, come in this house and go back into the theater room," says Lisa Walker, Broken Arrow Resident.

That movie theater room is bringing in the crowd and the kid in all of us comes out once we see it.

"It's kind of patterned after an old movie theater,â€ says Bob Hancock, Design Mark Builders. "The walls are insulated for sound."

And for 17-thousand dollars the room sounds like a modern movie theater and the TV screen nearly matches that picture of the big screen.

The builder put the theater in his home, and some of his clients homes. Now he shows it off to a larger audience.

"I've always been an old theater buff. I like the architecture of old theaters. It just seemed interesting to try to re-create that in someone's home,â€ says Hancock.

"A lot of people are keeping up with the Jones', see the neighbors and want one too," says Mark Crabb, Audio Advice.

Tulsa home electronic stores say their schedules to install the systems are full...and they say paying 17-thousand dollars to replicate the picture show is very common.

Many people in Tulsa have even nicer systems. They've added better TVâ€™s, more bass, pre-amps and amps. But not all of us can make this budget. Technology has made it so a good, basic surround sound system can be affordable.

If you already have the TV, you can get that movie surround sound for two thousand dollars and less.

But some folks say one thing is still missing.

"Just need that popcorn in there. It would be a lot better," says Walker.

You can check out the movie room as the Parade of Homes continues through next weekend. Builders are also showing off a disaster resistant home.