Newbie HT setup in odd shaped room (1 Viewer)

[Eric Bennett]

I'm trying to make a setup in the family room by spending around $900 to $1000. This price needs to include wiring. The TV is very old and does not have any AV inputs so i will have to get a new tv. I'm not looking for the absolute best equipment but something that will give be decent 5.1 sound for DVD's and X-box. I already have a JVC DVD player with Component out and optical and coaxial digital out. I also have a JVC Hi-Fi VCR. I've included a picture of the room. The picture

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Eric,
First, welcome to the Forum!
I’m not sure what you’re looking for here. The title of your thread indicates you want layout recommendations for your room, but the actual post sounds like you are looking for equipment or other recommendations...?
Regarding layout, what you have set up now – corner TV placement – is about the worse possible scenario. The problem is that ideal speaker placement is virtually unattainable.
For instance, front left/right speaker position is restricted to a narrow spread, which limits imaging. Directional cues would be greatly enhanced by separating the L/R speakers further apart than you will be able to.
The rear speakers are even more problematic. Rear placement typically requires one of two layouts: Bi- or di-polar speakers directly to the sides of the primary seating, or direct radiating speakers to the rear firing forward to the front of the room. Neither of these set-ups work for your current layout because:

• If you put them to the rear of the sofas they will be so close together that you may as well have just a single mono speaker.
• If you put them to the sides they will be very close to the viewers. This means they will only be able to hear the speaker next to them, not the one near the other sofa.

In addition, there is no place to put a sub up front. And even if there were, having it near two door openings would be the worse possible location.
If you want an ideal home theater, Eric, you need to set it up like a real theater. That means seating parallel to the screen and sidewalls perpendicular to the seats. This will allow for ideal speaker placement, better imaging, etc.
Either wall where a sofa is now would work fine to set up the entertainment center. (We have ours set up on the 11-ft. wall, so we can see the TV from the dining room.) This will give you a good corner to put a sub in. Designate one sofa for the primary seat, and position it a few feet out from the back wall, for optimal rear speaker performance.
Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Eric Bennett]

Thanks for your response. It will help me.
Sorry if my topic sounded confusing. I'm trying to get a system that fits the design of the room.

The problem with the room is that entertainment center is near impossible to move. I think it would be possible to rearrange the sofas. I'm really not that worried about quality that much, I just need a system.