[Les E]

I thought I would start at the beginning of my dedicated Home Cinema Room to be incorporated into the new extension we have planned next year.

The plans have just come in from the architect and we're just waiting for them to go thru the usual channels before the build.

So to start with, I am posting the part of the architects drawing that involves my dedicated room and I will follow with photos of the build and hopefully all the stages involved with my Home Cinema.

This could take a while as the rest of the house needs furnishing/decorating before I can spend some serious dosh on the room.

However all of my existing kit is going in but the Television is being replaced by an Infocus Screenplay 4805/5700 (two minds as yet...budget depending!!) with an Onyx Draper screen. I am planning to fit the DVD player via DVi, Sky+ via S-video and a PS2 via component (thru the amp) all up to the projector. I am also toying with getting a scaler for the Sky footage but that will have to come in time...and I am not too sure whether I would need one?

This is where I could do with a bit of advice.

Looking at the plans and the size of the room (roughly 8ft by 11ft and 7 1/2ft high) could anyone give me a reasonable size of screen for the room and a height for wall mounted speakers in a 6.1 set-up? (Kef eggs to be exact!)

I am getting all the wiring pre-installed prior to plastering with the projector mounted from the ceiling.

I am also thinking of having halogen spots wired to the ceiling (sparky is gonna love me!), possibly a couple of uplighters with a lutron dimmer to control the lights.

Any help or advice at this stage would be greatly appreciated especially on the installation/build.

[hornydragon]

see www.dolby.com for speaker positioning i reconmend you also have power in ceiling for PJ lots for kit and Sub etc get lih=ghting control put in (different wiring scheme) search for lutron Graffic Eye... Powerbuy withh special prices available here.....
Also need to get rough idea of PJ location... see www.projector-central.com for throw claulator to get an idea of your sizes throw and screen..... runs lots of cable from Kit to PJ I reconmed QED CX5CV 5 core video cable... as well as Cat 5 aslo run 2 core mains cable and cat5 and 2 core from screen to PJ best bet is go kit>screen>PJ.... also run HDMI cables ( can be used for DVI) 2 runs of CX5CV HDMI and some 2 core and cat5 will cover almost every possible need.
Run cables in conduit with some string... YES STRING so you can run extras if needed...

[moviemike]

My home theatre, though not yet complete is going to be 11ft by 14 ft, and I'm fitting a 200cm (width NOT diagonal) screen on the wall, I'm getting a budget projector (screenplay 4800) which only just stretches to a 200cm screen at a distance of 11ft - so make sure you pick your projectors carefully!

Since you're having a dedicated room, why aren't having a fixed screen?

[digisocialist]

That's a very similar size to my room, which I'm currently in the middle of converting. See attached document for images.

I looked at throw distance and the size I could get from 9.5ft - see my post in another thread on this http://www.avforums.com/frame.html?h...forums/faq.php
With an 11ft room your likely to position the PJ slightly off the back wall, and this distance plud the size of the PJ do eat into your throw distance, which can make quite a difference especially when working in small spaces. My room is 12ft long and I'm still only getting 9.5ft, though this is partly due to where I have to mount.

With the image size I'm going to get, I've been advised to get a 5ft screen. Draper do a 60" screen for £123. Ebuyer are also doing a 70" DALITE for £86.90! Which sounds cheap to me, and should be ample big enough. http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...subcat_uid=572. That said, I know that some PJ's will give you a 80"+ image size from 10ft!

The set up your going for sounds uncannily similar to mine... see the attached Project Brief I wrote for mine. I hope you find it useful and if others find it useful too maybe one of the mods could stick the document into the FAQ's?

[hornydragon]

The DAlite you are looking at is a 1:1 Data screen not suitable for HC............... you will need a 16:9 screen much more expensive I am afraid............ I reconmend these screens http://www.progressive-av.co.uk/proj...and_cinema.htm

[Les E]

I keep getting conflicted opinions on the screen to projector ratio! Everyone I talk to has a different idea on this.

The latest I have heard is that I would need a 69" (diagonal) screen for the throw distance and my sitting position (which could well be 8 1/2 ft tops!). So if I didn't want a 'ping-pong' effect then that size screen would suffice.

However I am wondering if the 5700 (which I've settled on now!!), would be the right PJ for the room. I love the spec. of the projector but I wondering if it would be suited with the above sized screen?

Has anyone any definate idea on this (I don't want to fork out for a PJ that wont suit the room at the end of the day.)

The other opinion is that I install the PJ and then get the screen size from the projected image when it's up...just measure it as it is on the wall.

[hornydragon]

Throw ratio for each PJ is different so will Vary i would say 6ft wide screen is the one to go for 72" wide perhaps 5ft wide 60" screen i know of a dealer with a 5700 on a 60" wide screen for demo in a smallish room if you are interested..

[moviemike]

I've just had a beamax fixed screen delivered it looks v solid, and well constructed (nice heavy aluminium frame with a black powder paint finish). V good value for the money (IMO).

BTW I went for 1 180cm (width) screen in the end just to be on the safe side. I was worried that it would be too small, but once I put it together in my bedroom (which is the same size as my home cinema room) it seemed plenty big enough.

[GaryG]

Looking at the plans and the size of the room (roughly 8ft by 11ft and 7 1/2ft high) could anyone give me a reasonable size of screen for the room and a height for wall mounted speakers in a 6.1 set-up? (Kef eggs to be exact!)

My room is around 8ft x 13ft, I originally had a screen just short of 8ft wide and after the initial 'wow' factor felt that it was too wide and changed to a 6ft wide screen but eventually settled on a 7ft wide screen with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. With your room I would think 6ft wide is probably about right if the projector throw is sufficient.

Mount the speakers in line with your ears when seated in the listening position.


Have you had a demo of the Infocus 5700?

[Les E]

I am probably looking at the 6ft screen option by all accounts mainly because of the size of the room.

I have had a demo of the 5700 and I was very impressed...also it's native 16:9 and has more inputs than you could possibly think of. It's a bit pricier than I intended but I think if I wait and save a bit more it would be well worth the extra dosh.

[Les E]

Just a bit of an up-date on the HC room.

I am currently putting together a collection of cables and wiring that needs to be installed prior to plastering by the sparky.

In this process I have put together a bit more of a detailed plan of my room, mainly so I can show the heights and sizes of cable runs.

I have put 6 halogen spots on the ceiling plus 2 uplighters on the walls, but I am toying with the idea of just having the halogens.

Plus the 3 x 2-gang wall sockets looks a bit excessive but it's for all the equipment in that corner and it would cut down on having a mains block there.

The mains power going to the projector will be from an isolation switch on the wall to an IEC socket.

Also the projector I have decided upon is the Screenplay 5700 with a 69" (diagonal) screen.

If you guys would take a look and see what you think then any comment is welcome...good or bad.

[moviemike]

Is it OK that the surround speakers are so high up? I only ask because I decided to go for 5.1 as opposed to 7.1 because I didn't think surround speakers in the ceiling would work (I couldn't get them in the side walls because they're solid blockwork). If anyone has any views on that, I'd like to hear what you think.

That said it looks great! Not sure I'd put in so many spots - especially with uplighters too, I think it would be overkill. Also I think I'd keep the uplighters too, IMO they really look the part in AV room. Of all the demo rooms I've been in, its always been the ones with uplighters that have had the "this looks cool" factor about them.

[hornydragon]

Lighting is fine as long as you put good control in a Lutron Grafic eye 4 channel unit would be ideal (needs different wiring to stanard lights)
CH1 Uplighters
CH2 front spots
CH3 middle pair
CH4 rear spots
Locate main panel to side of screen near kit and and have a sub keypad near door
I reconmend you run plenty of cables to the PJ including loads of cat5 all round the place....... other option instead of Lutron would be the excellent Helvar Digidim4 unit.

[Les E]

As far as I know the surrounds should be OK at that height with the KEF eggs...I think my mains issue of concern is the rear back speakers...I am wondering if these are too low for the desired effect with the left and right rears being so high.

Open to opinions anyone...?

hI Les E. Have found reading your artical quite interersting. Hope your project is going well.
Have you found a projector mount yet. Please have a look at www.montronix.co.uk. We are new business and are promoting are projector mounts. If you have any questions please email jonmontronix@aol.com
regards Jon

[Les E]

Hi Jon,

Thanks for the heads up. No I haven't got a PJ mount yet...I haven't bought the projector yet either.


But I think I will definately be in touch when it comes to buying . One question while we are on the subject. How do I determine which size mount I require ie. nearer the ceiling or the longer length mount?

As I mentioned earlier I am thinking of getting the Screenplay 5700 if that helps.

Originally Posted by moviemike

Is it OK that the surround speakers are so high up? I only ask because I decided to go for 5.1 as opposed to 7.1 because I didn't think surround speakers in the ceiling would work (I couldn't get them in the side walls because they're solid blockwork). If anyone has any views on that, I'd like to hear what you think.

IMHO I'd try and keep the front three as near to the same height as possible, by dropping the left and right a bit. This helps to keep the front soundstage consistent. Similarly for the backs, I'd raise the rears to mach the sides. the Rears and sides can be quite high up as for movies you want a more diffuse image as opposed to multi-channel music.

I have a set of floor standers at the rear which are great for music but I'm also thinking of using four in-ceiling speakers for movies (as the Denon amp has a facility to switch between them). I just need to find a good set (Mirage do some - but I don't know how good they are). Anyone know any?

[Les E]

Hmm...wouldn't dropping the Left and Right front speakers be lower than recommended ear height though?

I know ideally they should all be lined up to same height (which would mean the centre would in the middle of the screen). Looking at the the screen size, 69" diagonally and 34" drop, it would mean the bottom of the screen would be just above brow height...would this be too high as it would mean looking up slightly? However this would suffice with the speaker line up.

This has probably been discussed before, but what is the comfortable screen height?

Originally Posted by Les E

Hmm...wouldn't dropping the Left and Right front speakers be lower than recommended ear height though?

Well yes . I didn't mean to imply that nothing short of a perfect alignment would be any good. It's all a compromise along with screen height - unless you use a perforated (acoustically transparent) screen - and it's down to the individual to balance it.

Originally Posted by Les E

I know ideally they should all be lined up to same height (which would mean the centre would in the middle of the screen). Looking at the the screen size, 69" diagonally and 34" drop, it would mean the bottom of the screen would be just above brow height...would this be too high as it would mean looking up slightly? However this would suffice with the speaker line up.

This has probably been discussed before, but what is the comfortable screen height?

I've kept my screen fairly high - the bottom is about 30" from the floor and the top 10" from the ceiling (screen height 46"). This is for two reasons. One; to leave room for a center channel wall mounting (when I get it) and two; to minimise the drop height of the projector (I didn't want to bang my head on it). I could of had it lower using the same mount by tilting it downwards but that would mean using digital keystone correction which I wanted to avoid. I find this height is quite comfortable. Feels more cinema?

[Les E]

Bit of an up-date guys! My planning permission has come thru OK so the next stage is the building regs then a start date for the build.

Long way to go...and this is where the fun starts!!



I'll keep you posted...hopefully with photos!!