Solo Theater: The surreal home theater in a box for your smartphone or tablet

13:43 cherishe 1 Comments

ST 1

A home theater setup can be a great way to enjoy your favorite movies. But what if you don’t have the space for a lot of bulky, high-end audio/video equipment, or if you just don’t have people over often enough to justify the cost? Furthermore, what’s the point in investing in a big screen TV and array of speakers if you watch most of your movies and videos on your smartphone or tablet?

Thankfully, there’s now a way to recapture the Cinemaplex experience in a compact and affordable way, with the single-occupant Solo Theater from Japanese design house Lucy Alter Design.

Lucy Alter describes the product as a revolution in home theater with plenty of surreal visual impact, and it’s kind of hard to argue with them on the “surreal” part.

ST 2

Made of lightweight but durable cardboard, to use the Solo Theater you lie down flat on your back, place the unit over your head, and let the show begin.

There’s more to its construction than just cutting a couple of holes in a cardboard box, though. For starters, the Solo Theater is specially designed to collapse for easy storage when not in use.

ST 3

ST 4

When you’re ready to watch a movie, unfold the unit and attach one of the four screens, sized for the iPhone 5/5S, iPhone 6, iPad Air, or iPad mini, and secure the device using the provided Velcro band.

ST 5

ST 6

ST 7

While air slits at the base ensure a steady supply of oxygen, the rest of the Solo Theater is gap free, which along with its black inner surfaces keep external light from impeding your view of the screen.

ST 8

ST 9

There’s also a space to thread your earphones through, and while the Solo Theater itself is a single-person viewing space, you won’t have to feel alone, thanks to the presence of a cardboard cutout audience that’s watching the movie with you.

ST 10

ST 11

Of course, some people like to sit close to the screen when they go to the movies, and others like to be seated farther back. Not to worry, Lucy Alter has also managed to replicate this part of the theater-going experience by allowing for two different height settings.

ST 12

ST 13

Currently, Lucy Alter is running a crowdfunding campaign here through Japanese website Makuake. Pledges that include a unit start at 2,520 yen (US$20), and oddly enough plunking down 5,760 yen will get you a bundle of two.

ST 14

▼ A video of the Solo Theater factory

With 50 days to go, the campaign has already achieved nearly 70 percent of its target of 200,000 yen (US$1,600), so the Solo Theater is likely to reach its goal. And while we have to admit they do look sort of silly, once you’re inside with your headphones plugged in, you won’t be able to see, or hear, the people snickering at you.

ST 15