Dream Home Theater in progress (1 Viewer)

[Shane*M]

Hello everyone,
I've been a long time reader and haven't posted much. I've been given the opportunity to literally put together my dream home theater. I'm talking 40k+ budget... the catch is that its not for me. My father-in-law is remodeling their house and he wants me to do up his home theater for him. I'm pretty stoked. If nothing else it is going to be a lot of fun. I'm going to be posting more frequently hopefully looking for some help on specific things. But to get started here is a little run down of ideas so far so that you can get a feel for where this thing is headed.

Equipment list: (Please feel free to chime in and let me know your opinions on any of the products listed below I would love the feedback)

*Onkyo TX-SR804 Reciever (25ft Monster M1000 HDMI Cable to projector)
*Klipsch THX Ultra2 Speaker System
*Sony VPL-VW50 Projector
*VUTEC 123" SilverStar Screen
*Sony BDP-S300 Blu-ray player (4ft Monster M850 HDMI Cable to receiver)
*Nintendo Wii (Monster GameLink Component Video and Stereo Audio A/V Kit for Nintendo Wii to receiver)
*Apple TV (Monster iTV Component Video Cable & Fiber Optic cable to reciever)
*DIRECTV HDTV Receiver HR20-700S (4ft Monster M850 HDMI Cable to receiver)
*Logitech Harmony 890 remote with RF extender
*Monster Cable 100' Ultra-High-Performance CL3-Rated Speaker Cable
*Monster Power High Definition Video HTFS 500 PowerCenter for projector
*Monster Power HTPS 7000 MKII PowerSource
*AvRak for equipment

I'm pretty sure that covers it...

I do have a few questions to start off...

First: Any recommendations for automated curtains setups?

Second: I have sort of a dilema concerning the remote and the rf extender. The projector is going to be pretty far from the equipment rack which will house the rf extender and deliver the signals to the equipment. The projector is going to be built into a nook in the celing and I wanted to run an rf extender to it as well so the remote can drive it too. Is it possible for the logitech harmony 890 to drive two rf extenders?

(Additionally I have attached an image of an rough approximation of the floor plan, its the latest image I have but there has been a few updates since it was created)

 

[ChrisPATT]

Why all the Monster cable?

 

[greggor]

Funny, I was going to askethe same question. I've become a big fan of blue jeans cables. Infact, I had them build all the cables for my dedicated HT room in my basement and couldn't be happier with the quality for the price. Monster cables aren't bad but for the cost of them you could do much better IMO.

Judging by your plans it looks like you'll have a very impressive theater when you're finished.


**Edit** I just realized that I didn't answer any of your questions. Check out smart home for Ir repeaters, this is where I got mine. I wish I could tell you how great it works but unfortunately it's still in the never before opened box. After I got everything set up I realized I didn't need it due to the signal from my remote bouncing off my projection screen and operating everything flawlessly. Send me a PM and I would be glad to sell you the one I have if your interested for what I paid plus shipping. If you're interested I'll provide you with the model number. Otherwise it's going back to smart home for a refund.

 

[Ben_Williams]

Looks like a nice system. I have to agree with everyone else that you might look for something other than Monster Cables. They are really quite overpriced and average from a performance standpoint. For about the same price, you could go with Blue Jeans Cables, Catcables.com or any variety of other cables that offer you greater performance. It is also nice to support smaller companies such as these who haven't made a name for themselves by ripping people off. You might also consider going with the JVC RS1 projector. It currently has the best contrast and picture quality of any sub 10k projector and, for about the same price as the Sony, will just blow it away. Here's a place where you can save some money: www.carada.com. They make some of the finest projection screens in the business are are less than half the price of the VUTEC.

Good luck... keep us posted!

 

[Parker Clack]

I would definitely go with the Blue Jeans Cables over Monster. I can also highly recommend that you pick up your screen from Carada. Dave is great to work with and his customer support is second to none.

I can also recommend the JVC RS1 over the Sony. Robert Fowkes, an administrator on the forum, was all set to get the Sony and picked up the JVC instead. Shoot him a PM or email and I know he will be happy to talk to you about why he chose the JVC.

Also, with the money you save on cables and screen I would go with the Logitech 1000. I saw it in use at CEDIA last year and it is really sweet. I have the 880 and would get the 1000 if I had the extra money to pick one up.

Parker

 

[Shane*M]

Everyone... thanks so much for the input!! It has certainly help make some decisions.....

After looking into the JVC RS1 that you recommended I think we are going to try to go with that one. I appreciate the input... Hopefully with all your help this thing can be better than I would have been able to do on my own.

Monster Cable. I have no excuse. Really the reason I put those on the list was out of consumer ignorance. Its a name brand that is readily available and recognizable and I just went with it. I have already bought a few, but for the speaker cable and the long HDMI cable I think I'll look into to Blue Jean cable. Again, please forgive my ignorance but I know now so consider it a lesson learned...

As far as the screen goes we are trying to decide between a standard setup and an acoustically transparent setup. If we go with the the latter we would be able to maximize screen size and use the Klipsch THX Ultra2 Speaker System. My concern with this though is that the viewing distance from the first seat to the screen is not sufficient enough and the holes in the screen would be apparent. The other option is going with another which requires less wall space and building them into the wall around the screen. (Something like the Kilpsch RF-83 Home Theater System) Thoughts?

I'll look into the Logitech 1000. Question though... how is the navigation with that thing? The reason I ask is because my in-laws aren't that tech savvy so ease of use and navigation is of utmost importance. Of course I will be setting it up so that's not that big of a deal, but once I'm done and their on their own with it it's important that they are able to handle with out too much fuss.

Thanks again everyone. I really appreciate all the feedback and help. I will continue to keep you all posted.

_Shane

 

[greggor]

Shane-

If it's not too late you could always return those monster cables. I would also look into INFocus projectors. Specifically the IN76. I love mine, the picture quality right out of the box is great. The projector itself is asthetically pleasing and very easy to use and set-up. Retail is $2999.00 but if you shop around you can find it for much less. If you could pick one up for under 2K it would be a steal! I can't comment on the JVC but I've read/heard good things.

Check out the MX-900 as well. I have its predecessor and it controls everything and is very easy to use and program.

 

[Parker Clack]

Shane:

The cool thing about the 1000 is that it has the same functionality as the 890 but in a box layout. The icons are used to turn everything on for you that you have set to it. Say you have the one for DVD playback. It would turn on the DVD, receiver, projector, etc. with the push of one button. You plug the unit into your computer, go online and then download all the codes you need for each device. It is RF too instead of IR so you would have to worry about IR repeaters, etc. Here is a great product demo.

As far as the acoustically transparent screen. There are some out there but they tend to be a bit more expensive than a regular screen. While I would personally want an acoustically transparent screen, most people opt to go with the best screen size for the room (there are several members on here that can give you the ideal size for the screen or you call David at Carada and he will let you know) and then put the speakers on either side of the screen and below the screen for the center channel.

As far a speaker brands go Klipsch is great but I would also look at the setups by Axiom Audio, Swans Diva and SV Subwoofers to save you some money and get great speakers and customer support to boot.

Parker

 

[rklein]

I have to chine in on the Bluejeans too. I've bought 50' and 30' cables from them. Oh and thanks for the Carada reference. I've been looking for a good screen vendor.

 

[GeorgeAB]

Shane,

With that size of budget, why not get professional design help? The room is critical. You would be better served to pay a local professional a design/consulting fee to interview you and your father-in-law, plus examine the room/blueprints. A couple hundred bucks on the front end can save you time, money and regret down the line. Amateur forum opinions will usually get you amateurish results. Find someone nearby who has formal training, professional certifications (ISF, HAA, THX, CEDIA, SMPTE, AES, etc.), many dedicated theater projects under his belt and multiple references.

Other people's opinions about what will work best for your room, preferences, lifestyle and budget usually are offered without a comprehensive and detailed appraisal. I don't offer advice about home entertainment system design without seeing the room and interviewing the parties who will be using the system. Anything offered short of that exposure would be founded upon guesswork and exposure to other people's systems, not your specific requirements.

Best regards,
G. Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"

 

[Shane*M]

Sorry its been so long since an update...

Things have been moving along very well. Here are a few quick details.

The following is a brief list of the gear we went with...

The wiring is a combination of Monster and Custom cables
Sony BDPs300 Blu-ray player
Onkyo TX-SR804 Reciever
Apple TV (160gig)
Nintendo Wii
JVC DLA-RS1U Projector
Da-Lite Screen
Direct TV (HD & DVR)
Klipsch THX Ultra 2 Speakers
Logitech Harmony 1000 Remote

I've attached a few pictures in progress pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Ht_01 - The back of the house gutted and the addition in progress. A Gym, Sauna, Office, Game Room, and Home Theater are being added in addition to a subterranean garage.

Ht_02 - The Home Theater is on the left and the office is on the right. The Theater will have stadium style seating. (Steps had not been built yet at the time this picture was taken)

Ht_03 - The view from the lobby of the Home Theater looking down towards the front wall.

Ht_04 - Style Board

The room is a lot further along now with the dry wall up and painted already and wire is being pulled today. We are installing all the equipment around Aug 18th so we'll update with more pictures then.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions!!

 

[Kevin Stewart]

What about sound treatments/isolation?

Are you using staggered studs? Double dry wall? Green Glue?

What about on the walls? Accoustic panels? Bass traps?

Any additional detailed drawings of the room? Where's the projector going? what's the throw? How big's the screen? What type of seating? What's the distance from "eyes" to screen? Where will the equipment rack go? Speaker placement? Etc.

 

[Parker Clack]

Beat him out of recognisable shape!