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(Pics included) Need help with screen placement (unique living area)

#1
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6/2/09 at 12:32pm
  • Joined: June 2009
  • Post Count: 3
Goals:
1) I want to be able to enjoy movies/television/video games in living area.
2) When not in use, I want as little as possible to show of the entertainment system.
3) When in use, I'd like the screen to be visible from as much of the living area as possible.

Here's what I have to work with:






Initially, I thought of placing the screen to the right of the master bedroom door. The only problem I run into is that I don't want the rolled up screen to show, and having an angled ceiling, I can't have it retract. The only solution I could think of to solve this would be to have a planter shelf constructed the the screen could roll up into.

Then I began thinking of this area:

It measures 66"x66". The upper 'bar' measures 12.5" wide. Is there a powered screen that I could have flush mounted inside that bar that would fill the square opening? The only main drawback is that mounting the screen here would eliminate viewing from the kitchen, but if I can have it concealed cleanly, it'd be worth the compromise.

Thoughts?
Thanks,
William
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#2
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6/3/09 at 9:07am
  • Joined: April 2004
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Re: (Pics included) Need help with screen placement (unique living area)

I would wonder what is inside that horizontal bar... There might be important structural strength to it. I'd wonder, too, where you'd put speakers.

Just naggin' thoughts...

--ignore the man behind the curtain

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#3
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6/3/09 at 8:47pm
  • Joined: June 2009
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Re: (Pics included) Need help with screen placement (unique living area)

The beams themselves are hollow, from the sound of it. The majority of my speakers are going to be put in the ceiling. I have room to place a few cube-esque speakers on the wall adjacent to the couch, and I could even place two on the beam that I intend to put the screen inside, if I had to (although that would break up the clean lines of the beam).

My first challenge is figuring out what powered screen will fit inside my opening, and once I have the options, finding the best one for my viewing situation.

Thanks,
William
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#4
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6/4/09 at 7:38am
  • Joined: April 2004
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Re: (Pics included) Need help with screen placement (unique living area)

Well.... sounds like you've got a plan!

You asked, though, and I can't help but say, if it were me, that I'd put the screen on the wall that has three or four large posters on it. I would not put speakers in the ceiling.

You need some place to put the projector, run wiring to it, and run wiring to the speakers. Do you have space above the cathedral ceiling for that? Many of these are made with scissor trusses, which means you've got some room at the peak, and less and less all the way down to none at the walls.

If you were to put the screen in the beam, and hang speakers on the beam, would it break up the line any more than the hats already do?

Just thinkin' out loud!

--ignore the man behind the curtain

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#5
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6/4/09 at 7:50am
  • Joined: June 2009
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Re: (Pics included) Need help with screen placement (unique living area)

Quote:
Originally Posted by chuckg
Well.... sounds like you've got a plan!

You asked, though, and I can't help but say, if it were me, that I'd put the screen on the wall that has three or four large posters on it. I would not put speakers in the ceiling.

You need some place to put the projector, run wiring to it, and run wiring to the speakers. Do you have space above the cathedral ceiling for that? Many of these are made with scissor trusses, which means you've got some room at the peak, and less and less all the way down to none at the walls.

If you were to put the screen in the beam, and hang speakers on the beam, would it break up the line any more than the hats already do?

Just thinkin' out loud!

If you were to put the screen on the wall, what would be the best way to conceal it?

I think I should enough room to run wiring without an issue. I had an electrician come out to wire up the pool table light, and they didn't have an issue climbing up in the ceiling.
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#6
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6/4/09 at 6:21pm
  • Joined: June 2009
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Re: (Pics included) Need help with screen placement (unique living area)

just some devil's advocate:

that faces into your windows, which might be a big problem for contrast on an FPTV

is there enough distance between wherever your projector is going (and this will vary by model) to fill the screen that would fit that area? (it may not need to go all the way back, but some projectors may need to be even further back than your room fits, depending on how big of a screen fits in that area)

if that door wasn't there (to the right of the hats), I would almost suggest putting in-walls in those pillars, and the center channel where the hats are, but theres a door in the way (however, if you're hanging speakers ("cube-esque" got me thinking of Bose speakers, letting you know, so you know what I'm envisionining), you could hang them on either side "behind" the screen (actually slightly to either side) and get the same thing, and hang the center off the bottom of the bar with the hats (I'm not saying "Get Bose", just thinking of that form factor and how they can be mounted))
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#7
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6/5/09 at 8:24am
  • Joined: May 2002
  • Location: Baltimore, MD
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Re: (Pics included) Need help with screen placement (unique living area)

My first thought was along the lines of chuckg - the wall with the posters would be the easiest. It would provide you with a very nice, wide front soundstage, but yes - concealing the screen when not in use may be a bit challenging.

Then I had a different thought.

What about the wall OPPOSITE the pillars/hats? Yes, the one with the window. You could easily build and install a window valence and mount a retractable screen to the back of the valence. When the screen is up, you'd never know it was there, and when it's down, it would even help cut down the ambient light in the room.

Depending on the projector you get, you may be able to get away with mounting the projector on or around the beam with the hats. It's admittedly a long throw, so room geometery comes into play.

Just another thought.

~Jason
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