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jksaabh

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For the longest time I have dreamed of setting up a home theater in my house. At first it was lack of space (we lived in an apartment), later it was change in priorities (we had a baby), but after years of waiting the time is right; the time is now. I always thought I would just hire a bunch of HT professionals, have them to make all the decisions, and set everything up for me. But I’ve been lurking these forums for several months now, and thanks to the experts on here I feel pretty confident that I should be able to do this this on my own (and it has nothing to do with the fact that I can not afford said HT professionals). So before I get started documenting what should be a fun project, I wanted to thank all the experts on the forum for their wonderful contributions and advice. This is not only my first home theater setup, but also my first home improvement project ever - so I’d really appreciate your advice, suggestions and corrections.

I’m planning to do up half of my basement as a home theater and temporary office space, and keep the other half unfurnished for storage. I am an action figure collector (which sounds so much better than “hoarder”), and comics nerd so my plan is to incorporate this theme into the basement. I can not wait to finally display my action figures, and geeky memorabilia that are resting in large brown boxes all over my basement.

I have sketched the floor plan of the basement (mostly to scale), and if building it is half as much fun as drawing it I am in for a fantastic couple of months. I plan to have the home theater area be 22ft long and 16ft wide. I’m sure some part of this will be lost to the framing and drywall, so lets say it’ll be 21x15. The height of the room is 8ft.



The floors will be carpeted, and the sides of the basement will be dry-walled, and I plan on using drop ceiling. All the exterior walls will be R/13 insulated, and the ceiling will have R/30 insulation. I will also use R/30 insulation on the left sidewall that lines the stairs - that way the baby can sleep peacefully while dad watches the Avengers.

The problems designing the basement are as follows:
1. Egress window on the right of where the projection screen will be: I am seeking permissions from the township to cover this with dry wall. If that doesn’t go through, I will cover it with curtains.

2. Large sliding doors on the bottom right corner: a couple of dark curtains should fix this.



3. Pillar: I have metallic pillar in on the left as you come down the stairs. I plan on making it bigger by covering it with dry wall. That way it can house my left surround speaker.

4. Heating: while the basement is rather cool in the summer, it’s pretty frigid in the winter. Since there is no HVAC outlet in the basement, I will be installing two new 8” ducts with dampers in the finished area.

5. Sprinklers: for whatever reason, the builder had the sprinkler heads in the basement way up high. I will be reaching out to the fire department and a plumber to lower this below the ceiling.

6. The “hole”: by far my biggest problem. We have a water outlet on front-right corner of the room, which I originally thought, was a sump-pump but it’s really just a hole in the ground (like the one in Sparta). The water just trickles into the earth. I had a plumber come over and have a look, and he said that since we were atop a hill there really wasn’t a need for a sump pump.



I was originally thinking of creating a large box over the outlet going all the way to the ceiling with a door for access. I would then add a similar sized box on the opposite corner, which would house my media. The problem with this was it ate a lot into my projector screen space. Back to the drawing board.
So my new plan is to add a stage that goes across the length of the theater, around 3ft wide. I will have a door with a hinge on the right so we have easy access to the hole. I will also add a water indicator below the pump so we know if the water level rises above a certain level.
I read a lot of debates on the acoustic properties of sand, and I would have really liked to fill the stage with sand. But I would need several bags to fill up such a huge area. So I’m thinking of filling it with insulation. I’ll fix the stage to the concrete floor, but will keep a gap from the wall and fill that with insulation.



That’s about all the problem areas, really. I think I went a little overboard with this post so will stop now. In my next post, I’ll tell you guys my plans for the projector screen and speaker setup.

What are your thoughts so far (especially on the "hole")?
I am getting a second opinion on the sump pump, but what do you guys think?
What are your thoughts on my stage? Should it have any specific shape? What is the ideal height for the stage? How far do you think I should keep it from the wall?
 

andySu

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Well I have looked and looked at the space that is way larger than my home THX cinema.

I hope your good with stud work walls as that will or should when you looked around for lowest prices to put it all together for as cheap cost possible?

As it stands it would have bass issues for the surrounds the stage channels and subs. You need to get the walls all looking even.

You height is higher then my by only 2" mine is 7 feet 8 inches.

You'd have to fit a new door in and doors can be cheap or costly so get a cheap door and make it look the part. Or how about a sliding door? Easy and not many home basement theaters have sliding doors. Fit roughly where I placed the new door.

The surrounds for that room need only be bookshelf types most cinema PA surrounds are small and some show up in cheap bundles often on ebay than most home cinema speakers surrounds. Fitting them and keeping them as low and clear from the ceiling as possible for any atmos if that tickles you?

I could do the alteration again and fit more overhead height surrounds and to clear a matter up. Height overhead surrounds isn't a new idea. I'm ex projectionist (UCI and Warner) the UCI cinema 10 screen I worked at 25 years ago had EV surrounds fitted to the ceiling and preformed great for just Dolby Stereo A-type and SR mixes.

So all this overhead craze at present isn't new to me in fact its as old as 37 years when I saw STAR WARS down town with overhead surrounds side and rear wall covered as well. And it umm, really did surround the cinema. Fact its not discrete is neither here or there.


I fitted a crawl space hatch so you can get your water tank or whatever it is. Yes build a stud wall and then fit your matched LCR flush into the wall with subs located below near to floor flush. Cover the wall with absorbent material. Get a Spandex white sheet and that stuff is cheap and makes a good screen. Plus its transparent so high frequncues depending on LCR if there tweeters they may have low sensitivity or if PA compression horns with higher sensitivity I see no reason why you won't get an RTA to display it.

Locate the surrounds to the letter if you want to be surrounded with mono-pole at cheap cost over dipolar speakers for a pair cost hundreds. Fit the mono-pole a few inches behind each row if you plan for 2 or 3 rows of real cinema seats and real cinema seats second hand cost light-years cheaper than home theater seats that take up too much floor space.

Or if you want them flush with in-wall BEAR IN MIND if you change them in years you'd have dogs dinner! You'd have to find ones with same size to fit.

Best to use book shelf speakers just as easy to mount.Or if space is good behind wall some bookshelf can be fitted flush into the plasterboard wall drywall. Just keep the pieces that you've cut out to one side in case you change and can use that to fill the hole up.

The space behind back wall leading to garden go for that. That way you can walk down the back to the doors and garden.

Fit 19" racks behind for
Laserdisc
DVD
HD-DVD
bluray
Goggle box hd tv
AVR
Outboard additional amps using the RCA outputs from the AVR.
Crossovers
EQ
Additional gear depends on height of the racks?

Video projector mounted on wall brackets behind the wall with port window and that should increase the picture size with it back a lot further also isolated the fan noise greater so you can play the movie, a bit softer without hearing the projector.



10698712_10152693104840149_350809801120894384_n.jpg
 

Jason Charlton

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jksaabh said:
What are your thoughts so far (especially on the "hole")?
Overall, I'd say it's clear you've put a lot of thought into this, and your plan is pretty well thought out. Congrats on that! I think your solution for the hole is pretty good. It will take some craftsmanship to conceal it as much as possible, but building a trap door into the stage is probably the best way to deal with the problem and not disrupt the rest of the room.

I think a drop ceiling is a good idea - it will make it a piece of cake to make updates and additions later on (atmos, if you're at all interested).
jksaabh said:
I am getting a second opinion on the sump pump, but what do you guys think?
Not sure where you're located (you can add location to your profile, and it will show up under your avatar) but here in Baltimore, our home inspection revealed a radon issue in our basement that was able to be rectified by installing a sealed system over our sump pump. As long as you're not concerned about that, I don't know that there's anything else to consider. Make sure your access to it is large enough that any work that may need to be done in the future can be done (i.e. make your trap door plenty big enough).
jksaabh said:
What are your thoughts on my stage? Should it have any specific shape? What is the ideal height for the stage? How far do you think I should keep it from the wall?
The stage (or proscenium, if you want to get "official" with it) you have suggested is a nice touch, though most of the prosceniums that I've seen bow the opposite direction (thicker in the middle). Something like that can be fun as your child(ren) get older - they can perform shows for you!

In terms of height, I think it boils down to dimensional lumber sizes... if you use 2x6's for the "joists" with a layer of 3/4" or maybe two layers of 1/2" plywood on top, you're looking at about 6-7" in height before carpet - probably about the same rise as a typical stairway.

I thought about adding one to my theater, but my ceiling height is low enough as it is. Were I to add one, however, I would most likely physically anchor it to the back (screen) wall and make it a permanent addition. Even as a "non-permanent" installation, I don't know that you need to keep it away from the back wall at all.

The only other advice I would provide at this time is to try not to get too married to specific gear for the room just yet. Room buildout will take longer than you think/expect, and during that time new products will come and go (and prices will continue to fluctuate). It's good to have an idea of screen size and speaker locations (except subwoofer - placement for that can't really be "planned" per se) but remember that the drop ceiling gives you the flexibility to put an electrical box "in the ballpark" of where the projector will go and later you can mount your projector wherever it needs to be.

Good luck and welcome to the forum!
 

Jason Charlton

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Oh, and I'll also add... it's always nice to see fellow DIY'ers at HTF. Half of the fun, IMO, is doing the work yourself. As the project slogs on, it will be challenging to keep the enthusiasm up, but if you can manage to see it through, the satisfaction you get at the end of the project will make it all worthwhile.

Cheers!
 

jksaabh

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Jason Charlton said:
Overall, I'd say it's clear you've put a lot of thought into this, and your plan is pretty well thought out. Congrats on that! I think your solution for the hole is pretty good. It will take some craftsmanship to conceal it as much as possible, but building a trap door into the stage is probably the best way to deal with the problem and not disrupt the rest of the room.

I think a drop ceiling is a good idea - it will make it a piece of cake to make updates and additions later on (atmos, if you're at all interested).
Thanks Jason. I'm not entirely sold on the atmos concept yet, but hey, its bringing down the prices of the non-atmos compliant electronics. I hope to snag a good deal in the next couple of months.

Jason Charlton said:
Not sure where you're located (you can add location to your profile, and it will show up under your avatar) but here in Baltimore, our home inspection revealed a radon issue in our basement that was able to be rectified by installing a sealed system over our sump pump. As long as you're not concerned about that, I don't know that there's anything else to consider. Make sure your access to it is large enough that any work that may need to be done in the future can be done (i.e. make your trap door plenty big enough).
I live in the western suburbs of Philly - West Chester to be exact. We moved into this house a couple of years ago and the inspector did not have any issues. I will surely make the trap door large enough for easy access. I'm undecided on whether to hinge the door or whether to have it like a lid.

Jason Charlton said:
The stage (or proscenium, if you want to get "official" with it) you have suggested is a nice touch, though most of the prosceniums that I've seen bow the opposite direction (thicker in the middle). Something like that can be fun as your child(ren) get older - they can perform shows for you!

In terms of height, I think it boils down to dimensional lumber sizes... if you use 2x6's for the "joists" with a layer of 3/4" or maybe two layers of 1/2" plywood on top, you're looking at about 6-7" in height before carpet - probably about the same rise as a typical stairway.
I really like the idea of the stage being larger in the middle, and the visual of my daughter performing on it brought a smile on my face. In my next post I will outline my concerns with the height of my screen, and how close it may end up being to the stage.

Jason Charlton said:
The only other advice I would provide at this time is to try not to get too married to specific gear for the room just yet. Room buildout will take longer than you think/expect, and during that time new products will come and go (and prices will continue to fluctuate). It's good to have an idea of screen size and speaker locations (except subwoofer - placement for that can't really be "planned" per se) but remember that the drop ceiling gives you the flexibility to put an electrical box "in the ballpark" of where the projector will go and later you can mount your projector wherever it needs to be.

Good luck and welcome to the forum!
Thats an excellent piece of advice. You know it's funny, last week I was in conversation with a couple of dealers regarding speakers and amplifiers. I later realized that it was too early, and held off on making any purchases (tempted as I was). I'd love to hear what you recommend for my screen size - like I said that should be in my next post.

Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your feedback. It means a lot to me.
 

jksaabh

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andySu said:
Well I have looked and looked at the space that is way larger than my home THX cinema.

I hope your good with stud work walls as that will or should when you looked around for lowest prices to put it all together for as cheap cost possible?

As it stands it would have bass issues for the surrounds the stage channels and subs. You need to get the walls all looking even.

You height is higher then my by only 2" mine is 7 feet 8 inches.

You'd have to fit a new door in and doors can be cheap or costly so get a cheap door and make it look the part. Or how about a sliding door? Easy and not many home basement theaters have sliding doors. Fit roughly where I placed the new door.
Bravo, andySu, I can not begin to thank you on your detailed post. I think you must have spent more time on it than I did - and I really appreciate it. I was floored by your proposal, and if I was the one making all the decisions I would have gone ahead with it in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, the ministry of internal affairs (read my wife) does not want a dedicated home theater room. The idea for the basement is to use the front part of the room as a HT, and use the rear to showcase my action figures, have a small office, a bar and perhaps a play area for our daughter. Having said that, if she ever changes her mind I will revisit your layout recommendation.


andySu said:
The surrounds for that room need only be bookshelf types most cinema PA surrounds are small and some show up in cheap bundles often on ebay than most home cinema speakers surrounds. Fitting them and keeping them as low and clear from the ceiling as possible for any atmos if that tickles you?

I could do the alteration again and fit more overhead height surrounds and to clear a matter up. Height overhead surrounds isn't a new idea. I'm ex projectionist (UCI and Warner) the UCI cinema 10 screen I worked at 25 years ago had EV surrounds fitted to the ceiling and preformed great for just Dolby Stereo A-type and SR mixes.

So all this overhead craze at present isn't new to me in fact its as old as 37 years when I saw STAR WARS down town with overhead surrounds side and rear wall covered as well. And it umm, really did surround the cinema. Fact its not discrete is neither here or there.
This is very good information, but as of now I'm looking at only a 5.1 system. I'll most more details in my next post.


andySu said:
Fit 19" racks behind for
Laserdisc
DVD
HD-DVD
bluray
Goggle box hd tv
AVR
Outboard additional amps using the RCA outputs from the AVR.
Crossovers
EQ
Additional gear depends on height of the racks?

Video projector mounted on wall brackets behind the wall with port window and that should increase the picture size with it back a lot further also isolated the fan noise greater so you can play the movie, a bit softer without hearing the projector.
I haven't really thought about the media rack and the position of the projector. But this is excellent information to have. I'll keep it in mind as I continue to design the HT.
 

jksaabh

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So now that I have outlined the plans for my basement, let me go a little more in detail about my plans for the home theater area. My plan is to have a four seat recliner in the theater area. The area behind the seats would be used to display my action figures, and have a temporary office.

I plan to design the theater in phases:
Phase one: I would like to get the basement done, temporary office space, install a projector, a screen and 5.1 surround sound system. I will use my existing recliners for now, and look for deals on home theater recliners during thanksgiving.
Phase two: I would like to replace the recliners with leather home theater grade recliners. I would also like to install bass kickers on the new seating.
Phase three: I would like to add two speakers and another subwoofer to make it a 7.2 surround sound system.
Phase four: convince the wife to have two row seating.

So I need to keep the ideal end state in mind while designing the home theater. In this post I wanted to discuss the projector screen and get your recommendations (and while you are at it, please feel free to share your thoughts on my previous post).

Since I have the pole to the left of the seating, I am thinking of dry-walling it and having it house my left surround sound speaker. This works well as it helps align the right surround speaker just next to the corner. With this arrangement, the viewing area is around 13ft (4m) from the wall housing the screen.



Coming to the screen, I want to have the screen be electric and mounted on the ceiling. This way I can mount a TV on the wall, and have the screen drop down only while watching a movie or a game.

Given that the height of the room is 8ft (2.4m) and the length of the wall with the screen is 15ft (4.6m), I was thinking of using a 120in screen. More particularly, I was thinking of the 120in EliteScreen Starling Tension series electric screen. I have more or less decided on my projector: the Epson 5030UB, of course I haven’t bought one yet.

I spent most of yesterday researching the best screen size for my setup and found several recommendations. I read that the THX recommendation is that the top of the screen should not be more that 15degrees above eye level.

So in my case, if the height of the viewers eye from the ground is 3.5ft (1.07m) that would mean that the angle to the top of the screen would be 14degrees for a 120” screen and 15deg for a 100” screen (I had to refresh some high school trigonometry to calculate this). However, if the height of the viewers eye from the ground is reduced to 3ft (.91m) the angle of viewing to the top of the screen would increase to ~17degrees in the case of the 100” and ~16.7 degrees for the 120”. So recliner selection is going to be key – will drop into a couple of stores to check out the height.
How high is your eye from the ground when seated on your recliner?

Based on my calculations, the 120” screen would be around 23inches (60cm) off the ground and the 100” would be around 34inches (86cm) off the ground. Is there a recommended height the screen should be off the ground?

In my case, I also have to consider the stage. Assuming the stage is around 8” (20cm) that would mean the bottom of the projector would be 15 inches (38cm) off the top of the stage in the case of a 120” screen, and 36 inches (91cm) for a 100”.



While I would love to go in for the 120” screen, I fear that there will be little or no place for my center channel and if I have enough space on either side of the screen to house my front speakers and sub woofer.



What are your thoughts? I would appreciate it if you could tell me:
Your ceiling height
Your length of the wall
Viewing distance from screen and
Screen Size

Loads more to come. Need to get back to work now.
 

jksaabh

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So I decided to make some changes to the design blueprint:
1. I think I will use an acoustically transparent electric tension screen. That way my center channel can be behind the screen. Also, the center channel will be perfectly vertical aligned with the listener's ear. (Thanks schan1269). The towers, however, will be around 8" off the ground due to the stage. I'll see how it sounds, and if I'm not satisfied I can always move them off the floor and on to the ground.



2. According to THX guidelines, the distance between two towers, the distance between the towers and the viewer should form an equivalent triangle. Since the viewers distance from the screen is 13ft (3.9m) the two towers should be 15ft (4.6m) apart. I'm hoping I should be able to get them to be separated by this much. My wall is 16ft wide, and I hope not to loose more than half a foot on each side. What this would also mean is I would have to swap the position of the left tower and the sub. I would have ideally liked to have the sub in the corner, but I dont think that will be possible. Has anyone not placed their sub in the corner of the room? Here is the updated mockup.



3. The next change is to the stage shape, I made the center jut out so my daughter could perform for us when she grows up a little (and boy, they grow up fast). (Thanks Jason Charlton).

I am off to audition the Klipsch Reference II series this evening. I am super excited!
 

Jason Charlton

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I wouldn't sweat the precision of the speaker placement that much. The THX guidelines (as well as the Dolby guidelines) are just that - guidelines. They are not necessarily hard and fast rules. The fact that you're taking them into consideration is the important part. Also, the setup and calibration features on modern AVRs (Audyssey, YPAO, MCACC, etc.) are quite capable at compensating for any slight discrepancies while still preserving the optimal audio performance. They certainly can compensate for a few inches here and there.

As for the subwoofer placement, I personally have not placed a sub in the corner in my home theater. My current layout is like your new proposed layout - with the sub between the left front and center speakers. Previously, my sub was placed in a cutout (the sub is front-firing and sealed) that I made in the side wall under the stairs to the basement. The intent was to find a way that the huge box wouldn't occupy so much space. I found out, however, that for my listening position, that placement was not very good. Some trial and error resulted in the current configuration, which performs much better for me.

That's the main challenge with subwoofers - you can't really know the 'best' position for them until you try them out in your finished room. Do a google search for "sub crawl" and you'll see what I mean.

A general rule of thumb, though, is that corner placement will often result in higher SPL, but usually at the expense of clarity and/or accuracy. That may not be the case for you, of course. Only time will tell.

And I know what you mean about kids growing up fast. My twin boys are 6 and have started first grade this year. It seems like just yesterday they were in diapers... An expression I heard once that rings totally true for me: "The days go by slowly, but the years go by fast."

Good luck with the speaker audition!
 

jksaabh

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So I'm back from auditioning the Klipsch Reference II speakers: The RF-82 II Towers, the RC-62 Center, the RS-52 II Surrounds and the SW-110 sub. I had to call several dealers before I found one with the RF-82's on display. It was quite a drive, but it was worth it. I loved the speakers, as did the wife. The dealer I visited had a deal where you get the subwoofer free if you buy the speakers - I doubt I'll buy it from them though as I've seen much better deals online. Also, I really liked the smaller RF-62s as well. I need to find out if it can fill my room.

Also, one more thing the wife mentioned during lunch - we can not place the center channel at ear level as thats where the TV will be. So I guess I have to go back to my original plan of having the center channel below the screen. I'll perhaps put it on a small stand so I can point it upward towards the listener.

How low have you placed your center channel?
 

andySu

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The surrounds where you placed them will be weakest link. Sound will bend off those corners and weaken the bass mid.

Remember the bass on the surrounds has to match a singe stage channel otherwise a scene in THE ABYSS and everyone likes THE ABYSS.. ;p The bass won't match from surrounds or highs will be too high it only needs a bit of EQ or treble bass to sort. Oh and trained ear,

If you like something better without Atmos, try the UCI 10 Screen tower park, UK, OVERHEAD SURROUND array that was done 25 years ago exclusively in all 10 screens when I was work there with Dolby CP55 SRA5 EV speakers, I can still hear how the screens sounded today.

Lets go with x8 bookshelf fitted to the ceiling and spread even as and angled so they fire across the seating and surround with defused sound field just like, UCI.



10629776_10152695602165149_5398976399329967396_n.jpg
 

jksaabh

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Jason Charlton said:
I wouldn't sweat the precision of the speaker placement that much. The THX guidelines (as well as the Dolby guidelines) are just that - guidelines. They are not necessarily hard and fast rules. The fact that you're taking them into consideration is the important part. Also, the setup and calibration features on modern AVRs (Audyssey, YPAO, MCACC, etc.) are quite capable at compensating for any slight discrepancies while still preserving the optimal audio performance. They certainly can compensate for a few inches here and there.
Thanks Jason. That's good advice.

Jason Charlton said:
As for the subwoofer placement, I personally have not placed a sub in the corner in my home theater. My current layout is like your new proposed layout - with the sub between the left front and center speakers. Previously, my sub was placed in a cutout (the sub is front-firing and sealed) that I made in the side wall under the stairs to the basement. The intent was to find a way that the huge box wouldn't occupy so much space. I found out, however, that for my listening position, that placement was not very good. Some trial and error resulted in the current configuration, which performs much better for me.

That's the main challenge with subwoofers - you can't really know the 'best' position for them until you try them out in your finished room. Do a google search for "sub crawl" and you'll see what I mean.

Good to know that the sub doesn't always have to be in the corner. I did read about the sub crawl, and will be sure to try it out when my speakers arrive. I was thinking of getting the wireless adapter for the subs, that way I wouldn't have to have sub outlets all over the place.

Jason Charlton said:
And I know what you mean about kids growing up fast. My twin boys are 6 and have started first grade this year. It seems like just yesterday they were in diapers... An expression I heard once that rings totally true for me: "The days go by slowly, but the years go by fast."

Congratulations! Our's is going to be two this thanksgiving :)
 

jksaabh

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andySu said:
The surrounds where you placed them will be weakest link. Sound will bend off those corners and weaken the bass mid.
Lets go with x8 bookshelf fitted to the ceiling and spread even as and angled so they fire across the seating and surround with defused sound field just like, UCI.
Thanks andySu. I dont think I have the budget to put in 8 in-ceiling speakers. What I can do is pre-wire two in-ceiling speakers just behind the seating. Hopefully that will help fill in the sound lost off the corners.
 

Jason Charlton

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jksaabh said:
How high is your eye from the ground when seated on your recliner?
I haven't measured in a while, but the seating in my theater consists of just a futon (though it's a lot higher than a typical futon - so it's not like we're sitting on the floor). In fact, I'm pretty sure that when seated, my eyes/ears are very close to the same level as the tweeters in my main speakers. I personally, prefer a sofa to actual individual recliners for seating. Many recliners have pretty high seat backs that can block rear surrounds in a 7.1 configuration (not a concern for you based on your current plans), but more importantly, recliners make it impossible for my wife and I to cuddle during a movie, or for us to squeeze onto the sofa with the kids and a big bowl of popcorn. I guess I prefer the seating flexibility that traditional seating provides over dedicated "home theater seating". But to each his own.
jksaabh said:
Is there a recommended height the screen should be off the ground?
Screen placement on the wall is usually dictated more by your projector and room geometry than anything else - if ceiling mounting your projector, you should expect the top of your image to be +/- a certain amount (called the offset).


If your projector offset and your room geometry result in an image that is too low, you can tilt the projector up slightly and use digital keystone correction to return the now trapezoidal image to a rectangular shape. Many people in this forum would be aghast at such a blatant compromise in image quality through digital manipulation, but I can say from personal experience, that I have used a small amount of keystone correction on my setup with absolutely no discernible image degradation. In fact, I have had a fellow HTFer over to view my system and he commented on how impressed he was by the clarity and sharpness of the picture. My projector is an older 720p DLP model from Mitsubishi.

jksaabh said:
I would appreciate it if you could tell me:
Your ceiling height
Your length of the wall
Viewing distance from screen and Screen Size
In my basement, the drop ceiling height is about 7'5". I am about 5'8" and can reach up and pop ceiling tiles up without a ladder. I also have about 12-15" or so of space between the drop ceiling tiles and the upper floor joists - mostly to account for some ductwork. The extra space was nice to have when I replaced the fluorescent light fixtures with recessed can lights (on a remote controlled dimmer) and I didn't need to get any special low profile lights.

The width of the screen wall is I believe about 12'. I have a 96" diagonal Carada screen. That leaves plenty of room on either side for my tower front speakers. We also have a removable wall panel to one side of the screen that hides the main water shutoff valve for our house. This factored into the size screen I was able to get.

The seating is about 12' from the screen. Some people prefer a bit closer, but this distance has worked fine for us. Sometimes the kids will pile pillows on the floor in front of the futon/sofa for watching movies.
jksaabh said:
How low have you placed your center channel?
My center speaker is placed on a stand below the screen. I got the stand online (but don't remember where). It angles the center speaker up just a bit to compensate for the lower placement. I'm pretty certain the stand is 12" high. My center speaker is a bit on the large side (my speakers are from the PSB Image line), so the 12" plus the speaker height brings the top of the center to just a few inches below the bottom of the screen.
 

Bobofbone

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A couple of points regarding screen and projector placement. The throw distance will determine, to some extent, how large an image you can project for screen size. If you go to one of the web site for projector sales like Projector Central, they have projector calculators that can provide a rough guide to what you can expect. I'm using a Panasonic 7000, and found the figures were not quite exact. I made my final determination of screen size after I mounted my projector. Then I made my own screen. Even if you are not making your own screen (I don't think you will if you use a powered screen), I'd suggest making the final screen selection and purchase after you do a trial mounting to finalize size. Screen and projector placement need not be that critical if you are using a projector that can shift the image. Mine can fill the screen and use auto shift for different screen aspect ratios at a screen placement that is anything from having the top of the screen at or above the level of the projector lense, and up to about 1/3 of the width off center. And it does this without tilting the projector and correcting with keystone. The amount you can correct with lense shift is a total of the amount of correction-if you go the maximum one way, it decreases what you can do another way. But, you don't have to have things exactly in the center or tilt your projector to achieve correction.

Regarding guideline and screen size and viewing distance, things like THX are guides. I went to a Saturday afternoon showing of a movie that wasn't very popular with my wife. We sat in different parts of the theater and our favorite spots for a Cinema Scope (2.4:1 aspect ratio) movie. after it was over, I paced out the screen size and our seating distance and duplicated it. It's larger than THX guidelines. I use a 12' wide 56" high screen that we view from a single row of recliners in a curved configuration from a 10' viewing distance. We made it the way we liked it, Nobody that has been there complains about the screen size.

One other suggestion. For the wiring in the walls, wire the area for back channels for a 7.1 system, even if you are going to start with a 5.1 system. It's cheaper and easier to do it during construction than it is to do it after everything is finished. I also put in 3 sets of wiring for subwoofers, originally, because I didn't know where I was going to put my subwoofer. I changed my ideas during construction, and bought two subwoofers. Using two subwoofers made the room sound better in all seats. I've tried it with one turned off, and noticed quite a difference. While better placement of a single subwoofer may have provided better coverage and bass in all seats, I probably won't change. And I found the extra wiring handy.
 

jksaabh

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Alrighty then, this weekend I decided on my A/V gear.

Speakers: RF-82 II Towers, RC-62 Center, RS-52 II Surrounds and two SW-112 subs with WA-2 wireless subwoofer kits.
Receiver: Denon AVR-X4100W
Projector: Epson 5030UB

I've been doing some reading on pre-wiring, and I'll be posting my design shortly. Speaking of wiring, how have you wired your subwoofers and ceiling projector? I was thinking using outlets from my power conditioner in the rack to the projector and subs, but I'm not sure of the best (and safest way) to get power to the ceiling? Also, since I'll have around eight power outlets for the subs (two on each wall, as I don't know where they would work best), how do I connect all of them to the power conditioner?

Thanks
 

jksaabh

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Bobofbone said:
I made my final determination of screen size after I mounted my projector.
This is what I will end up doing as well. No amount of calculations will compare to actually seeing the projected image size on the wall. I'll try both sizes, and then purchase my electric screen.

Bobofbone said:
Regarding guideline and screen size and viewing distance, things like THX are guides. I went to a Saturday afternoon showing of a movie that wasn't very popular with my wife. We sat in different parts of the theater and our favorite spots for a Cinema Scope (2.4:1 aspect ratio) movie. after it was over, I paced out the screen size and our seating distance and duplicated it. It's larger than THX guidelines. I use a 12' wide 56" high screen that we view from a single row of recliners in a curved configuration from a 10' viewing distance. We made it the way we liked it, Nobody that has been there complains about the screen size.
Of all the screen size calculations I've read, I like your method the best :) Plus its something to do while you wait for the post credits scene.

Bobofbone said:
One other suggestion. For the wiring in the walls, wire the area for back channels for a 7.1 system, even if you are going to start with a 5.1 system. It's cheaper and easier to do it during construction than it is to do it after everything is finished. I also put in 3 sets of wiring for subwoofers, originally, because I didn't know where I was going to put my subwoofer. I changed my ideas during construction, and bought two subwoofers. Using two subwoofers made the room sound better in all seats. I've tried it with one turned off, and noticed quite a difference. While better placement of a single subwoofer may have provided better coverage and bass in all seats, I probably won't change. And I found the extra wiring handy.
I've been doing some reading on pre-wiring, and I'll be posting my design soon. The idea is exactly what you said, I'll pre-wire for a 7.2 system as well as for a TV that I dont intend of buying anytime soon. I plan to have two subs, so will add eight power outlets (two on each wall) so I have options on placing my screen. I plan to power all my electronics from my power conditioner, how did you power your equipment? Do all three sets of subs get their power from a conditioner, or are you using dedicated lines?
 

jksaabh

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Jason Charlton said:
I haven't measured in a while, but the seating in my theater consists of just a futon (though it's a lot higher than a typical futon - so it's not like we're sitting on the floor). In fact, I'm pretty sure that when seated, my eyes/ears are very close to the same level as the tweeters in my main speakers. I personally, prefer a sofa to actual individual recliners for seating. Many recliners have pretty high seat backs that can block rear surrounds in a 7.1 configuration (not a concern for you based on your current plans), but more importantly, recliners make it impossible for my wife and I to cuddle during a movie, or for us to squeeze onto the sofa with the kids and a big bowl of popcorn. I guess I prefer the seating flexibility that traditional seating provides over dedicated "home theater seating". But to each his own.
We sure do think alike. We'll most probably go in for a four recliner set with a love seat, something like the image below. I fear that my towers may be a little higher than ear level (as they will be on the "stage"). If they are, I may have to use longer speaker cable to have the speakers on the floor in front of the "stage".


Jason Charlton said:
Screen placement on the wall is usually dictated more by your projector and room geometry than anything else - if ceiling mounting your projector, you should expect the top of your image to be +/- a certain amount (called the offset).
The projector screen I was originally planning on getting (the Elite Screen Starling Tension) does not have an adjustable drop. So I have no choice but to look for another alternative.

Jason Charlton said:
In my basement, the drop ceiling height is about 7'5". I am about 5'8" and can reach up and pop ceiling tiles up without a ladder. I also have about 12-15" or so of space between the drop ceiling tiles and the upper floor joists - mostly to account for some ductwork. The extra space was nice to have when I replaced the fluorescent light fixtures with recessed can lights (on a remote controlled dimmer) and I didn't need to get any special low profile lights.
Where have you placed your recessed can lights? Are they lined towards the edges?
Jason Charlton said:
The seating is about 12' from the screen. Some people prefer a bit closer, but this distance has worked fine for us. Sometimes the kids will pile pillows on the floor in front of the futon/sofa for watching movies.
My seating will be around 13' from the 120" screen. Later we plan to get a couple of bean bags to place in front of the recliners.
Jason Charlton said:
My center speaker is placed on a stand below the screen. I got the stand online (but don't remember where). It angles the center speaker up just a bit to compensate for the lower placement. I'm pretty certain the stand is 12" high. My center speaker is a bit on the large side (my speakers are from the PSB Image line), so the 12" plus the speaker height brings the top of the center to just a few inches below the bottom of the screen.
Thanks. I'd love to see pictures of your HT.
 

jksaabh

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Pre-wiring Part One

So I spent some time designing how I want to do my electric pre-wiring and have several questions. My media center will not be in the home theater, rather be in the "unfinished area" behind the door. This is depicted by "M" in the floor plan I included in my last post. I have some concerns about this location: 1) its unfinished, and 2) its near the water heater unit. I'm still looking for a better place to house my electronics, and am open to ideas.

I plan to connect a dedicated line to a power conditioner in my media rack (I'm leaning towards the Belkin PureAV Home Theater Power Console). Then power the following from the conditioner:

1. Outside the media rack (this is where I have questions):
a. Projector: I was originally thinking of getting a really long power cable and directly connect the ceiling mounted projector to the conditioner, but read that its a fire hazard. Can I use some Romex cable from the conditioner to a power outlet on the ceiling, and connect the projector to that? What is the best way to power a ceiling projector?
b. TV: Here the wiring will run behind the dry wall, so can I use Romex from the conditioner to a power outlet on the front wall?
c. Subwoofers: I plan to have two power outlets on each wall - so I can move my subs around. Whats the best way to power all eight power outlets, knowing that only two of them will be in use at any given time?

2. Inside the media rack:
a. PS4
b. Apple TV
c. Butt Kicker Amp (phase two of my HT build)
d. Harmony Hub
e. DVD Player: I need a dedicated dvd player as I used to live in the UK, and I have a whole bunch of region 2 DVDs which wont play on a US DVD player/PS3.
f. A/V Receiver
g. Verizon Fios DVR



I'm working on my speaker wiring as well, will post my ideas (and questions) tomorrow.
 

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