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I N D E X

How Does It Work?

A CustomHT.com DVD consists of three basic components:
  • An Introduction (Choose one from the six styles)
  • A Count Down Theme (choose one from the three different themes)
  • Content Set - Everything in between (choose one from our preformatted sets, or customize your own from our list of segments)
After you've made your choices, you tells us the name of your home theater and in a week to ten days you will receive a customized DVD for your pre-movie show.


Fig. 1 Flying DVD Intro


Fig. 2 Flying DVD Intro


Fig. 3 Flying DVD Intro


Digital Realm Intro
Fig. 7 Digital Realm Intro<

Digital Realm Intro
Fig. 8 Digital Realm Intro


Once you receive your DVD there are three ways to integrate it into your movie-night presentation:
  1. If you own a DVD player that accommodates multiple discs, put the CustomHT.com DVD in slot 1. Put your movie DVD in slot 2. When your Count Down is over press "Next Disc" or "Disc 2" button and play your movie.

  2. If you have two DVD players, (a second DVD player can be purchased for about the same cost of your CustomHT.com DVD or less in some cases). Put your movie in DVD player 1 (your best player), cue up the movie to the beginning and hit pause. Put your CustomHT.com DVD in player two and choose the Count Down you wish to play. At the end of the Count Down there is a 30 second long black screen that will allow you to choose player 1 on you receiver and hit play. This method provides the most professional looking integration. Many customers make macros on their remotes to automate this process with a one-button solution. If you use this method, you can setup your feature movie to be ready to go just like in traditional theaters. You can spare your guests the unsightly setup menus process.

  3. The last way of doing things is to place your CustomHT.com DVD into your player. Run the Count Down, and replace it with your feature movie after the Count Down is finished. While this method doesn't provide optimal integration, you will still amaze your guests by having your name in a professional intro.
Live Footage Style DVD
Fig. 4 Live Footage Style<

Live Footage Style
Fig. 5 Live Footage Style

Fig. 6 Live Footage Style
Fig. 6 Live Footage Style



Fig. 9 Red Carpet


Fig. 10 Red Carpet Intro


<20th Century Intro
Fig. 12 20th Central Intro
Fig. 14 - Fantasy Count Down
Fig. 13 Fantasy Count Down Theme

Fig. 15  Fantasy Count Down Theme
Fig. 14 Fantasy Count Down Theme

Fig. 16  Fantasy Count Down Theme
Fig. 15 Fantasy Count Down Theme


What is the difference between the Count Down Themes?

The Fantasy Count Down (Figures 13 - 15) Animates the minutes remaining in various ways, one has a spaceship scene, another is an Egyptian scene, etc. The Fantasy style announces the time remaining to your movie at the 10, 8, 5, 3, 2 and 1 minute marks then plays a Feature Presentation segment.

The Startoon Count Down (Figures 16 - 18) features celebrity caricatures with celebrity impersonations announcing the time remaining until "showtime". With the Startoon Count Down you invite movie stars "the Terminator", "John Wayne", "Dirty Harry", "the Godfather", "Rick from Casablanca", and "Austin Powers with Dr. Evil" into your home theater to introduce your movie. The Startoon Count Down announces the time reaming until "show time" at 10, 8, 5, 3, 2, 1 minute(s),

The voices exhibited, recorded, presented, attached and/or offered for sale and demonstration on this website and by our company are vocal parodies, impersonations and sound-a-likes performed by actors and are NOT the actual voices of the celebrities and/or fictional characters portrayed nor are these portrayals intended or meant in any way to represent that they are the actual voices of said celebrities and/or fictional characters.

The Hollywood Glamour Count Down is an elegant, low-key uninterrupted 10 minute count down. Photos of Hollywood celebrities from the past to the present, stream smoothy over mellow music as a digital clock counts down the time until your feature presentation begins. This count down contains no animated to commercial to break the stylish flow. Unlike most other CustomHT.com DVDs you don't have to choose content with this count-down.

Fig. 22 Startoon Count Down Theme
Fig. 16 Startoon Count Down Theme

Fig. 20 Startoon Count Down Theme
Fig. 17 Startoon Count Down Theme


Fig. 18 Startoon Count Down Theme


Fig. 15 Commerial 1Fig. 19 Concession Stand Commercial

Fig. 16 Commerial 2Fig. 20 Please Don't Litter Commercial



What are the 4 animated commercials?

There are four animated segments that come with every content set:
  • Let's All Go to the Lobby updated to 5.1 surround sound conducted by professional musicians and enhanced with modern 3d animation.
  • A concession stand segment (complete with dancing candy)
  • A segment that asks your guests not to litter
  • A segment that asks your audience to turn off cell phone and pagers before the show starts


Fig. 21 Turn Off Cell Phones Commercial


Fig. 22 Trivia Set 2


Can I load it onto my PS3 Hard drive?

Yes you can, in fact we have a special version available on USB flash drive just for that purpose. Here's how it works:
  1. Insert USB flash drive into you PS3.
  2. Navigate to to the videos section
  3. Hit triangle and display all, then select the file to load it to your hard drive so it is always there.
  4. Then load your Blu-Ray disc or DVD, but don't play it yet.
  5. In your video section on the PS3 scroll up to the local intro video you copied to the hard drive and play your intro.
  6. Play your Blu-Ray or DVD movie.

What is the Custom Announcer Package?

The custom announcer package now comes standard on all CustomHT.com discs. It personalizes the voice-over announcements for your Intro segment and your Feature Presentation Segment. You also get a third segment that only comes with the Custom Announcer Package that invites your guests to sit back relax, and enjoy the show. You can use our "Professional Announcer voice" or choose from a long list of celebrity impersonations. For our example let's say your name is Bill Smith you want to call your theater the Smith Family Theater and use the pro. announcer voice. Here is the script we use:

SCRIPT

SAMPLE

In the Intro we replace "Welcome to our Home Theater" with Welcome to the Smith Family Theater
In the Feature Presentation segment (see Figure 29) at the very end of the count down, we replace the announcer saying "And now, our feature presentation" with And now, the Smith Family is proud to bring you our feature presentation!
In the third segment that runs around the 5 minute mark (see Figure 30) in the Count Down you may want your theater name, or to change it up, your first name and/or the names of your family members included. In that case we would announce Bill, Nancy Bobby and Sally invite you to sit back, relax and enjoy the show!

Fig. 23 Custom Announcer Feature Segment


Fig 24 Custom Announcer Relax Segment



Fig. 25 CustomHT.com DVD time line (click to enlarge)

In what order do CustomHT.com DVDs play?

CustomHT.com DVDs contain a convenient menu system that allows you to choose between the "10 Minute Count Down" and the "Short Show". The 10 Minute Count Down Starts with your Intro, and plays down to an announcement of the "Feature Presentation". See diagrams for more the exact order of the 10 Minute Count Down. The standard Short Show plays your Intro, the 3 animated commercials, and then the "Feature Presentation" segment. However, the Short Show can be customized to play just your intro, or just the segments you want.




Fig. 26 Start up menu



Fig. 37 Standard Flying DVD Style "Diamond" Design


Fig. 38 Standard Live Footage Style Design


What should I call my home theater?

This is probably the MOST frequently asked question (or what do most people name their theater). The answer is ANYTHING YOU WANT! Here are some example that other customers have used:
  • Their last name
  • Their first name
  • The street they live on
  • A pet's name
  • The color of the room
You also don't have to use the term "Home Theater". Here are some suggestions:
  • Home Theater
  • Home Theatre
  • Theater
  • Theatre
  • Cinema
  • Family Theater
  • Family Cinema
  • Movie Night
One thing to keep in mind is that if you don't purchase the Custom Announcer Add-On, the generic greeting that is played during all Intros is "Welcome to our home theater". Here are some rules of thumb to keep your screen graphics looking sharp:
  • The fewer words on screen - the larger they will appear.
  • In all Intro Styles there are two lines of type on the screen. If you keep the top line shorter than the bottom line it will appear more prominent. Of course this can't be helped if your last name has more letters in it than Home Theater. (See Figures 39 - 40)
  • There is no need to include the word "THE" in the theater name. The announcer will say "Welcome to the Smith Family Theater" The graphics will look much cleaner if they simply read "Smith Family Theater"
  • Don't use "FAMILY" and "HOME" in the name, (especially if ordering the Theater Style Intro).
Of course, these rules aren't written in stone... its your DVD and you can have it anyway you want it.



Fig. 39 Example of screen graphic that is hard to read.


Fig. 40 Example of same family name that is easy to read.



Fig. 41 Sans serif type with bars


Fig. 42 Arched type with thick script


Fig. 43 Godfather design


What else can I customize?

If you choose the Flying DVD Style Intro or the Live Footage Style Intro you can customize your own graphics or logo. The Flying DVD style can be in full color but the Live Footage style must be in solid white on black. You can choose to layout your own graphics (email us for the specs before you begin!) or let CustomHT.com design something just for your theater. See Figures 41 - 46 for examples of graphics we have designed for other customers. If you like we can do your logo in any of those formats. Click here to see examples of Flying DVD graphics. Click here to see examples of Live Footage Style graphics.


Fig. 44 Lower lione with script type


Fig. 45 Star wars design


Fig. 46 Godfather design



Can I add my own music?

No. All the animations are synchronized to the music they have now. If you changed the music the animations would make no sense.



I don't want the Count Down. Can I just purchase the Intro?

Yes, but with our menu system you can choose just the Intro. (See What order ...) There is no discount for choosing the Just the Intro option, so you may as well choose one of our preformatted content sets, you may enjoy it more than you think.



Will a CustomHT.com DVD play on my DVD player?

Before ordering, please make sure your DVD player is able to play DVD-R discs. 99% of all players will play this type of DVD. There are a few first generation players that have trouble playing DVD-R's so please make sure before ordering. Once your DVD has been customized, we can't accept returns because your player isn't compatible. You can check our list of compatibility tested DVD players. if your player isn't listed that does not mean it won't play. It just means we haven't been able to check that model yet.

DVD-R discs are very susceptible to dust and finger prints. Make sure your CustomHT.com DVD is clean before playing.




If you don't see it here...

Email or call us at 1-800-246-5006 access code 00

All images and material on this website are ©' 2006 by Holland Graphic Design, Inc. Dolby and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.THX® is the sole and exclusive property of THX Ltd.