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On May 5, 2001, Widescreen Review opened the doors
of its new Temecula, California facility to local
Southern California members of the Home Theater
Forum, one of the Internet's most popular
discussion-based Web sites devoted to home theatre
(www.hometheaterforum.com). About 40 members
gathered from all over the area for the hosting,
which was also the first time WSR unveiled its new
offices to the public. David Tolsky, the Southern
California representative for the Home Theater
Forum, initiated and coordinated the event. Founder
and owner Ron Epstein was in attendance as
well.
The Home Theater Forum was founded by Epstein,
along with Parker Clack, initially in 1995 as a
specialized home theatre discussion forum on
Delphi, before moving out to the Internet in 1997,
and subsequently witnessing an immense surge in
popularity. The forum has had traffic loads high
enough to necessitate a steady upgrade of server
capability over the years, and currently has around
18,000 registered members.
The cornerstone of the WSR visit, as expected, was
the opportunity to witness and hear the new
state-of-the-art home theatre laboratory.
Editor-In-Chief and Publisher Gary Reber introduced
attendees to the company, sharing with them the
history of the magazine and the rationale,
construction and equipment used in the setup and
operation of the theatre. Also present during the
presentation of the theatre were Norman Varney of
Owens Corning, Tom Rodgers of Sound Alignment
Systems (Checkpoint Professional Laser Tools), and
Henry "Ozzie" Osgood (installer of the Industrial
Acoustics sonic isolation doors). Video Technical
Editor Greg Rogers made a special trip for the
event, and WSR staff members Suzanne Hodges, Laurie
Sevano, Michael Coate, and myself were present, as
well as Executive Publisher Marlene Reber and
WebDVD Publications' Tricia Littrell.
The attendees were treated to a nearly 90-minute
session in the home theatre laboratory, which
included demonstration clips from some popular DVDs
for sound and picture quality, including The Fifth
Element and Gladiator. The audience was also
treated to some two-channel SACD material and a
vintage Stan Kenton recording on CD, to give
listeners a taste of the fidelity and imaging that
was possible, with the Dunlavy SC-V loudspeakers.
Sitting right in the audience, I was able to notice
by their spontaneous reactions that they were
certainly impressed by what was presented to their
eyes and ears. As Jeff Cooper, one of the attendees
described on the Home Theater Forum following his
visit, "If you could sit down and design the
perfect home theatre from scratch with an unlimited
budget, you might come close to what they
have."
Following the facilities visit and tour, the
visitors and WSR staff then proceeded to the local
Temecula vineyards for a insightful and
enlightening wine tasting session, along with a
picnic lunch at the Wilson Creek Winery. Mike
Levine, another attendee, commented, "The
Widescreen Review staff treated us like family,
even as I feared our large group would overwhelm
their facility." He also remarked, "...[The
home] theatre experience, combined with the
wine tasting made for a sublime and unforgettable
day."
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