Home Theater Room? Suggestions? (1 Viewer)

[rd79]

My brother is making a home theater in his house. The room is 19' x 12' I believe. He wants to do it right so he wants to set up the wiring in the walls beforehand so he can have that done and then go from there. He wants to have a good sound system in there (in-wall/in-ceiling speakers, 5.2/7.2 system, etc...) and I think he's kind of overwhelmed with most of it. There's a big window in there but I think he's going to get some room darkening fabric for that.


I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for a beginner home theater room for audio, video and the screen.


Audio: I'm really a novice in this area.

Video: I suggested the Optoma HD20 projector because its a great price and gets great reviews in the home theater category.


Screen: I think he wants to have a motorized screen around 120". I suggested an EliteScreens VMAX2 120' screen but he could probably go with a similar Elitescreens 120" screens for less (Model ELECTRIC125H). I suggested EliteScreens because I can get them through a distributor so I'm familiar with them. I would absolutely want a Black Diamond because those look amazing but I think that's too expensive for a beginner theater.

How important is screen size to how far back the viewing area should be? I've read or heard about formulas or ratios to go by buy does it really matter? Can you just get as big a screen as you want that will fit in your room?


Robb

 

[CB750]

Originally Posted by rd79

He wants to have a good sound system in there (in-wall/in-ceiling speakers, 5.2/7.2 system, etc...) and I think he's kind of overwhelmed with most of it.

The heart of a HT sound system is the speakers and they will be your brothers most important decision, if his goal is "a good sound system". Unless, his decision to use in-wall/in-ceiling speakers is cast in stone he should consider looking into stand alone speakers. In particular in-ceiling speakers are not well suited for a surround HT environment, and in wall speakers are only marginally better when compared to stand alone speakers.


In addition another major draw back with in-wall in-ceiling speakers is they will end up being a custom install and you won't know what they will sound like until the whole system is installed. Stand alone will give you much more flexibility, you can take them with you if you move. They can be easily replaced and upgraded down the road.

 

[Jim Mcc]

I agree. I would not recommend in-wall or in-ceiling speakers. He can do better than the HD20 projector. What is his budget for projector? Does he want DLP or LCD? Screen size is determined by your seating distance from screen. Multiply your screen width by 1.5 for your approx. seating distance. EX: 54" X 96" screen(110" diagonal) X 1.5 = 12' seating distance.

 

[rd79]

I think he wanted to have a budget of around $5000 for all the equipment and then improve the equipment gradually. He's probably going to use his PS3 as his DVD/Blu-Ray Player so he doesn't have to worry about that. He had a designer come in and give him an estimate of around $9000 for the whole project and he said a PS3 isn't the greatest option for a blu-ray player. I thought that was wrong but I'm biased as I've only seen blu-rays through my own PS3. The designer suggested the HD20 projector as well. He also said that 7.2 wouldn't work well in that size room or something like that. He suggested going 5.2.


I don't think he's really even thought about the seating and how much that will cost which can jack the price up quickly. On seating distance, can you put the seating closer than 12' in your example? That's the formula I've seen and I thought you could put the seating closer if you wanted. Would the 12' distance be the ideal spot for the whole experience or could you move in a foot or two?

 

[Robert_J]

Why the motorized screen? A fixed screen should be flatter and cheaper. A DIY screen is much cheaper.

 

[Jim Mcc]

The PS3 is not the best player out there, but it's pretty good. I would stick with that. Have your brother decide between LCD and DLP first, to narrow things down. Have him read all he can at Projectorcentral.com and Projectorreviews.com. Is he doing any of the work himself(Hanging projector? Mounting screen? Running wires?

 

[CB750]

Robb


Are you telling us your brother called in a HT designer who came up with a $9,000 project and they didn't even discuss seating or the layout of the his HT room. I thought that is the reason you hire a pro and the first step in the design would be how you plan to use the room. I would suggest he fire that person and do the job himself or find someone else. Have you ever watched the TV program Holmes on Homes. The world is full of folks who call themselves professionals who do shoddy work or give bad advise. Would you build a kitchen without figuring out where the stove, refrigerator or sink will go.

I would suggest your brother to look at his project in this order:

1. Determine room usage Is it going to be a dedicated HT only or a multi use room. This will determine his furniture layout plan with the, number and location of prime viewing seats. He should do this first before anything else.
2. Determine which Video source will best meet the needs of his room layout. Projector or flat screen.
3. Determine which type of speaker system best fits the design of his HT. Stand alone, built in, type of system 5.1, 7.1 or other.
4. Do research on what manufactures equipment best meets his needs and budget (projector, screen, receiver, speakers, furniture, and other equipment.)
5. Develop installation and electrical and equipment wiring plan.
6. Finalize budget
7. Purchase all equipment
8. Install.
9. Enjoy your new HT because you planned and met your goals and stayed on budget.

 

[rd79]

Wow!!! That's awesome, guys! Thanks for the help and I'll get back to you with what he says. I don't know what exactly the professional said but I'll see if my brother remembers. I think my brother will want to do as much himself as he can or at least what he feels comfortable doing. I'm familiar with ProjectorCentral but I'll check both sites out.

 

[wongsawang]

Originally Posted by CB750

Robb


Are you telling us your brother called in a HT designer who came up with a $9,000 project and they didn't even discuss seating or the layout of the his HT room. I thought that is the reason you hire a pro and the first step in the design would be how you plan to use the room. I would suggest he fire that person and do the job himself or find someone else. Have you ever watched the TV program Holmes on Homes. The world is full of folks who call themselves professionals who do shoddy work or give bad advise. Would you build a kitchen without figuring out where the stove, refrigerator or sink will go.

I would suggest your brother to look at his project in this order:

1. Determine room usage Is it going to be a dedicated HT only or a multi use room. This will determine his furniture layout plan with the, number and location of prime viewing seats. He should do this first before anything else.
2. Determine which Video source will best meet the needs of his room layout. Projector or flat screen.
3. Determine which type of speaker system best fits the design of his HT. Stand alone, built in, type of system 5.1, 7.1 or other.
4. Do research on what manufactures equipment best meets his needs and budget (projector, screen, receiver, speakers, furniture, and other equipment.)
5. Develop installation and electrical and equipment wiring plan.
6. Finalize budget
7. Purchase all equipment
8. Install.
9. Enjoy your new HT because you planned and met your goals and stayed on budget.

Thanks! I am finding guideline for planing my home theater.