TOOB

Have you ever watched a film in an IMAX dome theater and wished you could have something like that at home? Only not so big? Meet TOOB.

TOOB is a personal immersive omni-directional digital screen that allows a person a full range of visual experiences, without compromising media formats.

I believe they are trying to say it's like an Omni-IMAX dome, just smaller to fit in your home, so you'll have to sit closer. The dome is 3x6 foot for your home theater, and there is a 8x16 foot inflatable version you can rent for parties and public screenings. You can use any home theater projector to send images from a DVD player, game console, or any image source to a special mirror that comes with the TOOB. The company will also sell you a surround sound speaker system and projector if you need them.

T.O.O.B. LLC, the company that produces the TOOB, was founded by Alexander Marten McDonnell, a former animator for Dreamworks who wanted an immersive entertainment center for his home. Having to create one led to the creation of a company to sell them. I would guess that any videos of the TOOB in action are but a limited taste of what the experience really is.

The home version will cost you $1,440 without the projector or DVD player. It takes about a month to get it to you. Rental rates for the inflatable giant dome are by inquiry, available only in California. Is this something you really need? No. If it's something you want and can afford (and have the room for), by all means enjoy it and tell the rest of us how well it works. Oh, TOOB stands "think out of the box".