Ultra-Wide Home Theater Upgrade with Barco Projection | Behind the Scenes

A few years ago, we designed and built a private cinema that was already operating at a very high level. This wasn’t a casual “movie room.” It was a purpose-built theater with serious audio muscle, dramatic lighting, and a visual experience meant to rival commercial cinemas.

Recently, the homeowner decided it was time to take it even further.

A Theater That Was Already Doing the Heavy Lifting

The original room was no slouch. The audio system was designed with pro-level performance in mind, anchored by four high-output subwoofers and a full 11.4.4 Dolby Atmos speaker layout. The front soundstage alone was powered by three dedicated amplifiers driving the left, center, and right channels independently. This gave the system incredible headroom, clarity, and impact—whether the content was a quiet dialogue scene or a full-blown action sequence.

Lighting was equally intentional. The room featured fully color-controllable lighting throughout, including accent lighting around the screen, layered cove lighting, and a fiber-optic star ceiling that added depth and drama without distracting from the screen itself. Everything was designed to disappear when the movie started and quietly support the experience.

It was already an exceptional room. But the client wanted something more immersive.

From Big Screen to Full Immersion

The centerpiece of the upgrade was the screen.

The original 160-inch, 16:9 screen was replaced with a massive 225-inch ultra-wide format screen. This shift wasn’t about “bigger for the sake of bigger.” It was about immersion. Ultra-wide content fills more of your peripheral vision, making movies feel less like something you’re watching and more like something you’re inside of.

That change alone reshaped the entire room.

A screen of that size and format requires far more than simply swapping fabric. Sightlines, throw distance, lens selection, projector mounting, and image geometry all have to be recalculated. There is nothing off-the-shelf about this kind of upgrade.

A Projector That Matches the Moment

To drive the new screen, the existing projector was retired and replaced with a Barco Heimdall+—a serious piece of cinema hardware.

At roughly 100 pounds, this projector isn’t something you casually lift into place. Our team—Dustin, Alex, and Dylan—handled the installation with precision and planning, safely mounting the projector overhead while protecting both the equipment and the room itself. You can see behind-the-scenes footage of that process in the accompanying video, which gives a great look at what it actually takes to install hardware of this caliber correctly.

Brian also walks through one of the most overlooked aspects of projection upgrades: lens selection. Choosing the correct lens for a screen this large, in this room, with this projector, is a technical process that directly affects brightness, sharpness, and uniformity. This is where experience matters. There is no universal answer, and small miscalculations can have big visual consequences.

The Results Speak for Themselves

When the dust settled, the transformation was undeniable.

The new screen dominates the room in the best possible way. To give a sense of scale, one of our team members, Guthrie—who stands over six feet tall—is shown next to the finished screen. The image makes it immediately clear that this is not a typical home theater. You can find the final video here on Facebook.

Combined with the existing audio system, the ultra-wide image creates a cinema experience that is deeply immersive, effortless to enjoy, and completely tailored to the space. Nothing feels forced. Nothing feels oversized for the room. It simply works.

Why Upgrades Like This Matter

This project is a great example of why thoughtful upgrades can be just as impactful as brand-new builds. The original theater was designed with enough foresight and infrastructure to allow it to evolve. When the client was ready to push the experience further, the room was ready too.

That’s the difference between technology that’s installed and technology that’s designed.

If you’re considering upgrading an existing theater—or wondering what’s possible in a space you already love—this project shows just how far the experience can go when every detail is considered.

And yes, it’s even better in person. Contact us to chat about your AV ideas for your home!