Playboy's Electronic Entertainment Wall

Time was when the waking-hours focal point for a gentleman's retreat was a roaring hearth. But times change and with them the means by which a man of means might best while away his leisure hours. In this electronic age it is both meet and proper that the knowledgeable bachelor should have for his avocational center of attractions an area replete with all the latest electronic inducements to keep him--and whoever he chooses to share his company--indoors.

Playboy's electronic entertainment wall is a splendidly unique way of having myriad electronic devices--some strictly functional, some unrestrictedly for fun--all at one's fingertips. As shown in the striking drawings by artist Humen Tan, it is a ne plus ultra custom construction based on generous amounts of wherewithal. But within its grand scale there are countless kernels of ideas both for solving spatial problems and for working according to monetary limitations. (All of the components in the entertainment wall are currently available.) No champion of the sedentary life, Playboy believes that there is a time for hard work, a time for vigorous play, and a time for leisurely unwinding. And we can think of no better way of doing the last than by indulging oneself in easeful indolence while enjoying the wondrous delights for eye and ear made possible by modern electronic gear.

Built in two units, the wall has as its smaller segment a mobile hinged section capable of being moved, by remote control, from a position flush with the main wall unit (where it serves as a room divider between our particular pad's patio and dining area) to a 90-degree angle to the wall, its position being determined by a dial on the master control panel located in the main entertainment unit.

Every entertainment source, except for the motion-picture/television projector, is within these two units. (The projector, which can show both live TV, as well as video-tape and standard 35mm motion-picture film, is concealed in a room behind an oak-paneled wall opposite the main entertainment unit. A panel slides open to reveal one aperture for the projector and another for the projectionist. The projection screen is lowered automatically from its recess in the ceiling just forward of the main entertainment unit.)

Supplying the festive potables for an evening's electronic entertainment is the central bar section of the hinged unit. At the bottom is a small refrigerator to store cubes and bottles that require chilling. Next to it is a large storage compartment for bottles, bar gear, and other paraphernalia. The Formica bar above it is part of a pass-through designed to facilitate food and drink handling; suspended above it is a unique automatic drink dispenser which works from both sides of the pass-through; with it, the host can push-button whatever arrangement of hard and soft potations has been preordained. With ten spigots at his command, he might have them arranged for Scotch, bourbon, vodka, gin, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth, orange juice, tomato juice, carbonated water and spring water. Resting on top of the dispensers is an automatic-heat-control Hot Top where one can brew coffee and keep it and hors d'oeuvres or canapés warm. Over the bar is additional storage space for glassware and other bar sundries.

To the left of the central bar area is a 25-inch color-TV unit, with an 8mm rear-projection motion-picture camera directly below it, and, on the right, a drum-type rear-action slide projector with sound tracks, similar to those on motion-picture films, working off the individual slides. Sound commentary can also be worked from a tape deck in the main unit. At the top of each section flanking the central bar unit is a speaker system. All of the electronic gear is operated from the master control panel in the main unit, with a number of the main controls also located in an auxiliary control panel set into a coffee table that is within fingertip reach from couch, floor cushion or lounge chair.

It is the main segment of the entertainment wall, however, that contains its working heart. Eighteen feet long, compared to the ten of the hinged unit, the main section has its principal speaker systems set up at each end in a vertical arrangement that reaches almost from floor to ceiling; each complete unit is covered with snap-on grille cloth to allow easy access to individual speakers. Each speaker system consists of the following: a fifteen-inch woofer for low frequency, two eight-inch extended-range speakers for the midrange frequencies, (concluded on page 164)Entertainment Wall(continued from page 125) two tweeters for high frequency, plus two crossover networks. The speaker sections are independently suspended and acoustically lined with foam rubber. Two oscilloscopes in the wall's midsection record the output of the left and right speaker setups. A center speaker system will consist of a fifteen-inch woofer, eight-inch midrange, and a tweeter with crossover network located at the midpoint in the entertainment wall. Across the top are storage compartments for slide drums and projector apparatus.

Our closed-circuit TV system seen at the upper left of the main unit enables us to get a video's-eye view of visitors at our door, as well as into other areas (kitchen, patio) of the apartment; it has an accompanying intercom system.

The main entertainment wall contains two tape decks. The audio, for recording and playback, uses both sides of a tape, allowing up to eight hours of continuous play (more than enough for an evening of dancing or background music for more relaxed endeavors). Both this and the video tape deck, which records both sight and sound of a telecast, are tied into a 24-hour timing device located in the entertainment wall's midsection. The timer performs as an impeccable entertainment valet, turning on or off any piece of electronic equipment whenever we wish it to. If we're going to be away, we can have the video tape machine audit a TV show we don't want to miss, or the audio tape deck record an FM concert for future replay; we can have music custom-tailored to our taste piped through our pad at a certain hour and then turned off automatically. Companion pieces to the automatic timer are a world clock and a barometer to keep us abreast of global time and local weather. Just below these are an AM-FM multiplex tuner, and a separate short-wave/ship-to-shore unit with jacks for listening via headphone.

A number of the entertainment wall's most eye-opening and engaging features are contained in the oiled-walnut-fronted "bins" that stretch across its lower third. Next to an automatic record changer we have an automatic record selector. Operated by a set of push-buttons located over a bin holding a large number of LPs that are filed vertically, the selector arm moves along until it "locates" the chosen record, lifts it out and offers it up to the operator to be placed on the record changer; the push-button sections are divided into listening categories--classical, pop, mood music, folk, show tunes, jazz, spoken word--to facilitate initial selection. Recordings are returned to the file by reversing the procedure. A similar LP file is adjacent to the manual turntable (which houses an alternate tone arm containing a cartridge particularly suited to vocal recordings); the file and the turntable are for housing and playing the LPs that require more delicate handling than they would receive on the automatic changer. Directly above this file is another push-button selector for audio tape reels. A press of the button will slide the desired tape forward so that it can be lifted out easily.

The heart of the entire entertainment wall beats beneath the master control panel. From this panel, the electronically attuned host can operate and adjust almost all of the equipment at his command; it also serves several supplementary functions. It houses a phone system with an automatic dialing arrangement whereby a "magic brain" stores important numbers filed within it; turning the file to the name of the person you're calling and simply pressing a button will dial the number automatically. It also operates as a talk-a-phone setup with a two-way amplifier located in the wall just above the control panel. There are controls to open and close the drapes, move the mobile section of the wall to any desired position, raise and lower the projection screen, and rotate the roto-antenna located on the roof. Also located on the master control panel is a unit for controlling bass and treble mix on all audio setups. Here, too, is a dimmer unit to control intensity of lighting throughout the room and over the equipment. There are also switches for speaker selection throughout the pad, on-off controls for all electronic gear, and a volume control for all units. The master control panel itself can be activated from auxiliary remote-control units located throughout the apartment. The record storage bins, the automatic changer and turntable, TV screen, rear-projection movie and slide screens are covered with tambour doors which slide out of sight when a unit is in use.

The entertainment wall is of freestanding cantilevered construction to aid in heat dissipation, although the use of transistorized equipment throughout cuts heat build-up down to a minimum. There is also grillwork under the top storage compartments to allow the passage of air through the system.

The auxiliary remote-control panel set flush into the top of our coffee table (other units are scattered strategically throughout the apartment) contains on-off switches for all units, a master volume control, and the controls to open and close drapes, move the mobile section of the wall and operate the screen.

Which brings us finally to the most important features of Playboy's electronic entertainment wall--the host and his guest or guests. As amiable auditors of the many delights the wall offers, they are required only to indulge themselves, surrounded by the splendidly accoutered sights and sounds that mark the electronically up-to-the-minute urbane life.