Lighting Question (1 Viewer)

[Vike]

I'm putting together a small HT in my basement. I'll have a 42 inch plasma hanging on the wall. The room has in ceiling canister lights. Would you recommend any sconce around the room to have some light when other lights are dimmed? It's a basement room so it can get pretty dark. Or would you recommend just using the dimmer?

 

[Leo Kerr]

A point to be wary about with the sconces: plasma screens are, in my experience, highly reflective.

If you've a decent dimmer, akin to a Lutron Nova (as opposed to the $5 pieces of junk,) generally, you can dim down to quite a low level on your cans.

Leo

 

[Jay Mitchosky]

The more independent lighting zones the better. Lighting makes a huge difference on the impact of a theater both on and off. Even better if you get programmable dimmers, or something like the Lutron Spacer system that I detailed in a sticky post at the top of the forum. I generally don't like direct overhead lighting, at least on its own, so additional sconces around the perimeter adding indirect light will really warm the space up. There are rules for lighting that include indirect and direct, task, ambient etc. where the ideal is to include a mix of each. You'll be able to find out more about that on the net.

I don't have sconces but rather small pots directed at the side walls. You can see my theater in the HTF Gallery for reference (The Metropolis).

 

[Vike]

Thank you for the feedback. I am looking at Lutron system. Since this is a small space I think I can get away w/a small lamp in the back or something. I just printed the stiky info..

Jay, I'm still trying to pick up my jaw from my desk... amazing set up!!!! One day!

 

[JeffCar]

Jay, what is the wall treatment you used? Seems to be a good balance between going dark and having something interesting on the wall instead of a flat black paint or something. Looks great!

Jeff

 

[Jay Mitchosky]

It's sand. Actually, I'm serious. It's a faux finish with a product called Suede that actually includes real sand. It's rough to the touch, and looks and feels like its namesake. You hit the nail on the head as I was trying to achieve that balance of dark yet functional (even though it's a dedicated room). The movement in the wall really breaks up the room, although I'll be adding acoustic panels in strategic locations at some point. Most people that walk in there touch it to see if it's fabric. Kind of hard to show on the pictures, though.

 

[GeorgeAB]

Vike,

Most advice you will get from traditional lighting designers, interior decorators and home theater hobbyists will not be coming from someone trained in imaging science, display standards and human perception of electronic images. Room lighting and the viewing environment has a profound impact upon an electronic display's image and the viewer's perception of it. The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) studied this issue extensively in the 1980s and published their recommended practices document #166: "Critical Viewing Conditions For Evaluation Of Color Television Pictures." You should find a lot of helpful information about SMPTE's findings and practical solutions for viewing environment issues from my web site: www.cinemaquestinc.com . Your room lighting decisions will either enhance or compromise your viewing pleasure.

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
G. Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"