AliceWayne Dawson, a custom installer from Lincolnshire, can usually be found installing home cinema systems for his customers with his company WR Dawson Electrician TV and Satellite.
What some people will not know is that he was inspired to go down the professional installer path after installing a home cinema at his own home.
“I have always been interested in video and Hi-Fi and from an early age I used to mess around with old speakers, mounting them in home made enclosures, then I progressed on to TV with an old black and white HMV TV I inherited from my parents which I set up in my bedroom with speakers set around it to make it sound better,” Wayne tells CE Pro Europe.
As Wayne got older and started to earn more, he progressed to a colour TV, an amp and speakers, then later a Sky TV, 5.1 surround sound wide screen TV CRT, then onto larger LCD screens.
Before he knew it it was 2005, where Wayne decided to build an extension on to his house to make his very own home cinema, comprising of a 50” Sony rear projection TV and a Sony 5.1 surround system.
Always wanting the best technology can offer, two years later Wayne switched to an Infocus full HD projector with Blu-Ray and Sky HD, simultaneously upgrading his amp to give him 7.1 surround sound, connected to Mission Speakers.
“Three years later was my final upgrade to date, consisting of an Optoma HD 91 LED projector and an upgraded amp to a Sony 7.2 surround 3d capable, both supplied by Superfi Lincoln,” explains Wayne.
Becoming An Installer
Wayne established his company, WR Dawson Electrician TV and Satellite, two decades ago but has specialised in home cinema installation for the last six years.
“I actually completed my home cinema first before I started installing TV audio for other people,” he reflects.
“The completion of my own system inspired me to carry on in the field. When I left school I trained as an electrician and also helped a local TV repair man in Sleaford installing TV aerials and satellite, which in later years came part of my regular business. A year ago I became an installer for Superfi Lincoln, installing high end TV and audio equipment.”
Superfi clearly made an impression when demonstrating the Optoma HD91 for Wayne.
The HD 3D 1080p projector impressed with its DLP technology, frame-interpolation processing, PureMotion4, which eliminates motion blurring and image judder, its PureColour functionality, independent Colour Management System and Dynamic Black feature.
“The main thing that stood out with the HD91 was the clarity of the picture, the bright, colourful display which in my opinion is equal to any high end LED flat panel TV, coupled with 3D capability,” Wayne explains.
“The HD91, in my opinion, is the best home cinema projector I’ve ever seen and is a game changer in the world of home projection,” concurs Paul McCaffrey, assistant manager at Superfi in Lincoln.
“I saw the HD91 for the first time on the Superfi stand at this year’s Gadget Show, so when Wayne said he needed a new high quality projector, I knew it could be the perfect projector for him.”
Also helping to sway his decision was the lengthy lamp life, which Wayne claims is 15 times greater than that of an LCD projector.
Wayne was able to use his existing universal bracket to swap projectors.
He connected his Playstation to feed directly into the projector via a second HDMI cable, which he uses predominantly for 3D films, Internet and as a catch-up player.
He linked the 7.2 surround sound through a Sony Amp. The system connects his Sky HD player and Blu-ray and HD DVD players.
“The only thing I really had to change after getting the HD91 was my amp due to the old one, which was not 3D compatible, other than that it was a straight swap over,” says Wayne.
The Result
Enthusing that the picture quality is “absolutely brilliant” due to it being a DLP projector with LED rather than LCD, Wayne reveals that he was able to cut costs.
“Not everybody can afford an all-singing all-dancing home cinema system but there are some areas where costs can be saved,” he advises.
“For example, my screen is actually the wall. I researched paint that would not reflect and Dulux’s flat matt white emulsion is ideal. I finished this off with a black architrade to frame the viewing area. It is picture perfect! You can make the room as cheap as you want, but you still need quality equipment to project the image. The HD91 produces an amazing picture at an affordable price.”
Wayne tries to use his home cinema as much as he can, as do the rest of his family who are really enjoying having a cinema in their house.
“Whether you are watching the football, Top Gear in the Amazon or a film, you get a ‘wow factor’ on the picture. I think it is as good as a high definition LED TV.”
Kit list
Optoma HD91
Sony Playstation
7.2 surround sound
Sony Amp
Sky HD player
Panasonic Blu-ray player
Toshiba HD DVD player and matching Mission speakers
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