Kipnis Studio Standard home theater shows what $6 million can buy

Just in case you missed it, Engadget HD caught sight of this doozy of a "home theater" yesterday, which shows you just how much $6 million can buy. While it's not clear exactly how all that money was allocated (we're guessing some must have went to the construction of the space itself), the so-called Kipnis Studio Standard certainly doesn't hide its excess, starting with a 18- x 10-foot Stewart screen that should have your visitors acting like they've just discovered the monolith from 2001 in no time. Filling out all that space is a Sony SRX-S110 4K projector that upscales Blu-ray and HD DVD movies from their measly 1080p native resolution, which gets paired with an audio system that we won't even begin to describe. Of course, the setup isn't entirely for personal pleasure, and the man behind it is hoping to use it as a showcase to sell similar home theaters to others looking to spare no expense. No takers just yet though, it seems.

[Via Engadget HD]

[John @ Feb 7th 2008 3:51PM]

As they say, if you've got it, flaunt it.

[mike @ Feb 7th 2008 6:04PM]

IS it just me, or does anyone else notice that this image is totally CG?

[required @ Feb 7th 2008 6:52PM]

It's better that way so that when the tech becomes outdated you simply update the texture maps and alter models as needed.

[Nick @ Feb 8th 2008 10:15AM]

were you expecting the company to drop 6 million on a showroom?

[HOOPER @ Feb 17th 2008 6:10PM]

So they go all-out on this and then decide to watch Ratatouille?

[farfisa @ Feb 7th 2008 4:09PM]

Yeah, kinda gives it a "Neverland Ranch" kind of feel, doesn't it?

[Chebwa @ Feb 7th 2008 4:09PM]

Rambo isn't on Blu-ray yet.

[astute @ Feb 7th 2008 5:09PM]

Actually Rambo First Blood 1982 just got released on HD-DVD so that would've been a good option. (it even has DTS)

[Chebwa @ Feb 7th 2008 5:55PM]

The first movie actually isn't even called Rambo. Just "First Blood." Then "Rambo: First Blood Part II" and then "Rambo III."

I sort of wish they had called the new one "John Rambo" like they originally planned.

[Leo @ Feb 7th 2008 6:30PM]

HD-what? I've got no idea what you're talking about is that something from the 60's, dad?

[hen @ Feb 7th 2008 3:53PM]

how do you get to the DVDs behind the speakers then?

[letstakeawalk @ Feb 7th 2008 5:20PM]

Ha! These are the drivers - in the install you wouldn't see a thing.

[richardofthe1000yaos @ Feb 7th 2008 8:12PM]

you tell your man-servant to fetch them for you.

[zargon @ Feb 7th 2008 3:53PM]

That is beyond over kill for that room.

[mcheddadi @ Feb 7th 2008 3:53PM]

I'll take 300$ headphones over that, kthxbai!

[nathan.wong @ Feb 7th 2008 3:56PM]

All that money must have gone to all those amps they have lining the floor! Why so many? Do they really need 50,000 watts for their subwoofers? Are they thinking they're in some car cruising the strip?

[Fernando @ Feb 7th 2008 3:56PM]

The real question is can it play my BetaMax and 8 Tracks??

[Dave @ Feb 7th 2008 3:58PM]

My mouth is still open, I'd be happy if I had that room empty.

[NavyMSU @ Feb 7th 2008 4:03PM]

Actually - It upscales 1080i to QuadHD (the latest marketing term for 4kx2k).

I read this article before seeing it on Engadget, and it said that the extremely expensive projector is not HDCP compliant, so he uses component cables (which we all know are capable of 1080p, but without HDCP, the players won't transmit 1080p over component (they will downscale to 1080i (or worse, 720p).

You should read the scathing comments on the original site, the guy is an idiot who doesn't know what to do with his money, he thinks people will pay him for his overkill.

[Reader @ Feb 7th 2008 6:31PM]

If there's one like him, there's likely another...

[Henry @ Feb 7th 2008 4:03PM]

Upscales to what? 4k?

[Meccalangelo @ Feb 7th 2008 4:05PM]

PS3 and separate Bluray player....Pointless!

[zargon @ Feb 7th 2008 4:12PM]

The new High-End BD players are worth getting over a PS3 for BD playback.

Plus, with the round of new BD players coming out that are finally 2.0, the PS3 is looking less and less worth while buying to just use as a PS3. The PS3 luckily held the honor of best BD player for a little only due to its ability to be upgraded and being driven by essentially a computer, which allowed it a few more luxuries at the time. That time however has passed, with players like the Panasonic DMP-BD50, the PS3 will be an after thought and transition back to being a gaming system that just happens to play Blu-ray.

[Punchy @ Feb 7th 2008 4:25PM]

PS3 will be 2.0 capable with firmware revision download via it's wireless capabilities.

For me the PS3 is still the best most cost effective start to any home theater set up period.

Punchy

[Tony Rayo @ Feb 7th 2008 5:14PM]

I still find the PS3 provides a better picture (DiVX/XViD/DVD/Blu-Ray) than any other dedicated device I own with the same output/cables/etc. If you want to buy a new Blu-Ray 2.x player that can do less than a possible soon to be 300 - 350$ PS3 be my guest, but the picture is looking fine to me.

- Tony R.

[BigD145 @ Feb 7th 2008 4:07PM]

I'd rather buy myself, and everyone in my family, a house. This only shows how badly the income divide has become.

[Meltz @ Feb 7th 2008 4:12PM]

Ratatoullie FTW
(yeah i probably didn't spell that right)

[System48 @ Feb 7th 2008 4:13PM]

Should've gotten a Bose sound system. :-)

[zargon @ Feb 7th 2008 4:19PM]

Yeah, a Bose sound bar. Would have cut down on all those speakers!

[Sam @ Feb 7th 2008 4:25PM]

All that and he's watching ratatouille

[Billy Gun @ Feb 7th 2008 4:26PM]

Did they tried to use Microsoft Media Center? There is no need to keep the DVD's that way anymore.

[chris @ Feb 7th 2008 4:31PM]

to whoever pointed out about the cost of all the speakers, then just imagine the electricity bill for running this monster of a setup

[Glen @ Feb 7th 2008 4:32PM]

Can they install this in my Airbus A380?

[letstakeawalk @ Feb 7th 2008 5:25PM]

I might have a card for you. I have some guys who did an install in the surplus Buran I picked up...next we're gonna rig up the Hubble as a projector.

[Erik @ Feb 7th 2008 7:27PM]

Next time, please center the windows above the screen.

[Allen @ Feb 7th 2008 4:34PM]

most of the money is tied up in speakers and the projector, but I have a better idea for all this:

Media Center PC. You get the LG Blu-Ray Writer/HD DVD Reader, an 8800GT, and a surround receiver, then just put all your movies on your 10 terabyte RAID 0 hard drive.

Add a PS3 and Xbox 360.

Done. No triple everything.

[Billy Gun @ Feb 7th 2008 4:52PM]

Allen, You can add two or even more video cards using SLI, and add Blu-ray or HD DVD movies on the hard drive and use it on the Media Center... It will be all there.. TV(cable card), movies, music, radio, photos..

[still sdh @ Feb 7th 2008 4:39PM]

I'd feel like the equipment was observing me rather than the other way around.

[Blayne @ Feb 7th 2008 4:44PM]

That's just wrong.

[matthew @ Feb 7th 2008 4:45PM]

Kipnis spends $6 million home theater studio and about $2 on their web site. Rather pathetic, if you ask me.

[robert @ Feb 7th 2008 4:46PM]

$6M and it only seats 2 comfy? looks like the middle seat ain't that roomy! And where's the oh-so necessary recliner??

[mmh @ Feb 7th 2008 4:49PM]

$6 million can get you more than a lifetime's worth of new releases at your friendly local $10 admission cinema.

[Rickard @ Feb 7th 2008 4:54PM]

Taken the considerable price, there isn't a whole lot of webpage to the deal
http://www.kipnis-studios.com/The_Kipnis_Studio_Standard/KSS.html

I couldn't help laughing, I thought these websites for since long dead...

[Jim @ Feb 7th 2008 4:57PM]

This makes me hate people

[jimmywash @ Feb 7th 2008 5:01PM]

Am I the only one who thinks the audio set up is terribly unattractive?

[nathan.wong @ Feb 7th 2008 5:25PM]

Absolutely not. The room looks cluttered and messy. It looks like you should bow to the speaker gods. Very unattractive and uninviting.

[swib @ Feb 22nd 2008 4:26PM]

ok, so he blew a small fortune on equipment. he doesnt seem to have spent a penny on design and set-up. he needed to hire someone with knowledge of acoustics, someone who could tell the room need to be properly designed and built, and the equipment arranged just right to maximize the audio. no he's just got sound bouncing off of all that equipment, so much for accurate sound reproduction.

[ZeroCorpse @ Feb 7th 2008 5:07PM]

For $6 million I'll buy a small movie theater.

[pwcsquared @ Feb 7th 2008 11:09PM]

Are you implying that it is not already a theater? :)

[anonymouspimp @ Feb 7th 2008 5:12PM]

Maybe i'm wrong... but I feel like for a small fraction of that cost, I could build something where the average (maybe above average) consumer wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two.

I'd totally have better furniture and a popcorn machine in there too.