Hot on the heels of the $150,000 Italian home theater comes one from another galaxy... literally. Designer Phil Chaney teamed up with science fiction addict Andrew Caldwell to create a Stargate-themed lair that could probably lift off at any moment. The room is decked out with stars, ambient lighting, Atlantic Technology in-wall speakers, a Control 4 system and an elusive Blu-ray player to boot. Nah, it won't be easy to recreate this one without some serious cash (and space), but those still waiting to receive SciFi HD can torture themselves further by checking out the slideshow in the read link.

Make no mistake, we've seen some fairly fascinating home theaters, but the Italian Village Theater exemplifies overkill. Dreamed up by Tony and Penny Caciolo, this amazing creation took some $150,000 and six months to construct, and it engulfs an 18- x 30-foot room. Within, you'll find yourself immersed in old world Italy, and just in case you start to long for a bit of America, there's a separate New Orleans-themed room with a 170-inch screen a full bar. We can't even begin to list off the incredible equipment list, but be sure and take a look at the full rundown (pictures included) right there in the read link.

[Thanks, Chuck]

Though not nearly as extravagant as the $6 million Kipnis Studio Standard, Ivan Messer's AV lair is quite impressive -- particularly for fans of McIntosh. This installation tallied up to a cool million when all was said and done, and a staggering 100 McIntosh components were used in the build. Aside from that, you'll also find a heavy reliance on wooden cabinetry and a real touch of class overall, but we won't spoil it for you. Head on down to the read link to take a look at what seven figures can net you.

As a whole, it's hard to kvetch too much about Logitech's Harmony line of universal remotes, but as a devout hacker once told us, there's always room for improvement. Phil Dibowitz has been pursuing this project for months, and it looks as if a final release is at long last ready for mass distribution. Put simply, Concordance enables the Harmony family to be programmed in UNIX (which Logitech's software doesn't support) as well as in Windows and Linux. Furthermore, Phil states that the goal is to be "cross-platform," so Mac users should keep an eye out for future updates. Currently, the software supports every model save for the 890 and 1000, though both will hopefully be added in soon. Go on, give the read link a tap and get started -- just don't come crying to us if your "Watch TiVo" command starts opening the boss' garage door.

[Via Hack-A-Day]

Check it Media Center Extender owners -- a fancy new workaround is reportedly enabling users to stream DVDs via their DVD Library, which isn't enabled by default on any MCE. For starters, Vista SP1 is required for everything to work correctly, and once you've confirmed that you're running said OS, you can hit up the read link for a how-to guide explaining the steps to creating symbolic links; essentially, the hack tricks the device into playing .VOB files. It's noted that symbolic links shouldn't be created on Windows Home Server shares, but if you do as you're told, everything should turn out peachy. Just don't come barking up our tree if it doesn't, alright?

[Thanks, Ryan]

With pay-TV prices headed nowhere but up and programming quality getting dodgy in spots, we've got just the thing for those looking to go OTA. The Gray-Hoverman Antenna for UHF Television Reception is an improved version of the original Hoverman antenna, and thanks to a little help from computer modeling, users are reporting some fairly amazing pickups. Best of all, the creators have made the instructions for assembling one yourself totally free and available in the read link, and just in case the 0 to 60 mile range of the single bay edition isn't enough for you, the double bay model can purportedly fetch stations from 20 to 100 miles out. We'd love a little confirmation if any of you are courageous enough to put one together and give it a spin.

[Via RetroThing]

Just in case a space aged home theater with rotating seats wasn't enough to get your mental wheels a-spinnin', this Pirates of the Caribbean-themed venue is sure to rejuvenate the flow of creative juices. Assembled, painted and pieced together over the course of 12 months, the Konolds' hand-built theater is truly a masterpiece sir Walt would be proud of. With painting, souvenirs and even a few whiskey barrels ripped straight from the hit trilogy (and fancied up with a bit of personal style), the 16- x 27-foot area is a sight to behold. Head on down to the read link to find out exactly how far $30,000 and a little imagination can go.

Ever had the itch to construct a surround sound system of your very own? Do you have an embarrassingly large stockpile of four- to five-liter wine jugs? If you answered yes to both of the aforementioned inquiries (and you're at least halfway sober), Carlo Rossi has just the thing for you. Apparently, it felt the need to dish out DIY instructions for converting a number of its Sangria containers into a 6.1-channel surround system, and as with most projects, we'd also recommend you not take this one on while under the influence -- ironic though that may be. Ready to get started? Put down (or pick up?) the brown bag and hit the links below.

[Via UberReview]
Read - The Sangria Surround Sound System [PDF]
Read - Carlo Rossi's JugSimple

If you're big into do-it-yourself electronics, and feeling like your existing off-the-shelf pre-amplifier just isn't cutting it, Hack a day has the plans for you, with schematics and photos of a 7.1-channel pre-amp design sporting RCA, SPDIF, XLR, and USB inputs, and a VFD display to show you what's going on. The design is very professional-looking, and despite the glaring lack of analog tubes, it's sure to please any soldering audiophiles.

While you may not think a 4+ minute clip involving a monotone narrator, flashes of light and lots of sensors could hold your attention (okay, so maybe that came off a bit more riveting than we'd hoped), we'd bet the one posted after the jump could. The video demonstrates a fairly svelte automatic projector calibration system, which relies on very little hardware (and time) to work its magic. Essentially, the low-cost method utilizes rear-mounted optical fibers wired into light sensors, which can channel gray-coded binary patterns through a USB connection. From there, a PC determines precisely how the projection should be outputted for the target surface to be completely filled with an undistorted image. We know, it's tough to wrap your head around, but all the enlightenment you could ever want (on this subject, anyway) is just a mouse click away. [Warning: PDF read link]

[Via HackADay]

Remember Stevie's "year of HD" comment a few years ago during his '05 Apple Macworld keynote? Well, we kind of feel that this year, 2007, could be the year high definition finally becomes a consumers dream come true. There are finally a couple of HD camcorders to choose from and many new computers can finally handle the resource intensive task of editing the material. DV.com, home of most everything concerning digital video, has compiled a DIY listing for three different HD workstations all based around Apple's Mac Pro and Final Cut Pro software. The first is toned for those just wanting to get by and the second still keeps a budget in mind but includes allowance for more heavy duty hardware. The third throws out all the stops (example: 5-8 GB of ram) and allows for a fully professional rig costing nearly as much as a nicely equipped Toyota Prius. If visions of high-def videos are dancing around in your head, one of these units just might fit your budget.

So you're looking at that new LCD television on the showroom floor, but you think, "I could totally get into this if only it had three component inputs, and two high-def tuners." Well, AVING brings us news that Korean value added reseller A1display has the solution for you, with new "DIY" 1080p LCD models you can have custom built to your specifications. It seems that you come to the company's store, select your components, and then engineers gather all the parts and assemble it for you, with in-home service options available once the set has been delivered. From our machine-translated Korean page, we deduce that the company is using some stock LG glass and various internal parts to assemble the unit, implying that you can choose your tuner and input options, while keeping much of the bezel casing and other hardware the same. Still, keep in mind that your options are somewhat limited by the pre-configured parts, so your dream of a 4K set with 5 HDMI inputs and 2 built in subwoofers will have to remain just that.

While finding a Wii system isn't out of the question this holiday season, getting your hands on component cables has been nearly impossible, with the connectors MIA at most retailers so far and occasionally sold out on Nintendo's own website. At times like these we must take matters into our own hands. We've made our own cables before but this time you'll have to follow the lead of the NFG forums, and MacGyver a connection together; since the composite cable included with the system doesn't have all the pins necessary, some clever modders have resorted to paper clip stand ins. We don't know how well this will work as a long term solution, but if you're waiting the long two weeks or so before the official cables hit store shelves this should definitely hit the spot.

[Via Joystiq]

Our friends at Engadget have a nice how-to up today about building your own component switch. If you're not sold on going digital just yet, still have many devices where component is your best output available or just picked up a new Pioneer Elite plasma, quit crawling behind the TV already. Sure you can buy off the shelf, but where's the fun in that? We already showed you how to build your own component cables, hook them up to a former KVM switch and custom-made component-to-VGA cables (You're not still using your TV speakers are you? We can only help you if you first help yourself.) and you're well on your way to joining the elites of the HD Beat flickr group.