N.Simpson's Home Cinema Installation

n.simpson · 19-12-2006, 12:03 AM

I eventually scraped up the cash (got a 0% credit card) to buy my IN76 and one of those great cheap screens from Ebay. The screen casing hardly looks attractive so it has to be mounted above the ceiling and preferably before Christmas.

I'd already had a look and found that I have everyone's favourite chipboard flooring. Not to be put off I borrowed a circular saw from a friend at work and cut my first access panel. Although I'd never used a circular saw before the cutting was easy. What followed was what could be called a complete pain in the ass. I have a large I-beam holding my house together running right between the 2 joists I'd planned to mount the screen between. The good thing was that I have I joists and they have some pre-marked circles which I think I can pretty simply punch out to run my cables down the back of the wall and under the floor to the PJ and also I can get access to the mains ring to add a double socket to power the PJ and the screen.

So... the next step is to determine whether I can squeeze the screen into the gap between the joist and the I-beam, if not I think I'll have to mount the case on the other side of the joist (and pray there won't be another metal beam). Mounting on the other side of the joist will leave the screen approximately 400mm from the back wall, this might not be too tragic but I'd rather have it dropping a little closer to my back wall (but still a safe distace in front of my TV).

Look out for my next post where I go a little crazy with the circular saw, fixing the chipboard floor upstairs may be the most difficult part of this install!

dobbin · 19-12-2006, 12:29 PM

The other option that has been taken by quite a lot of other members is to use a 'pelmet' design dropping fromm the ceiling. You can then make this a feature with lighting etc. and still hide the casing of the screen.
You can also develop this further to incorporate the whole wall and sink your plasma/LCD TV.

Search the forums to find their solutions.

Just a thought.

n.simpson · 19-12-2006, 1:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dobbin

The other option that has been taken by quite a lot of other members is to use a 'pelmet' design dropping fromm the ceiling.

I did consider this idea but I have to lift the floor to run the cables anyway and I like the idea of having it all hidden.

I'm playing football with an electrician tonight so I'm planning to convince him to come round and lend a hand wiring up the required sockets. I know a couple of joiners too, I think I'll enquire as to how much beer it'll cost to get a hand to repair the flooring; the hole cutting, screen mounting and sound proofing should be quite straight forward for me to do myself. I'll check whether the sreen will fit in next to the I-beam tonight, that will make my mind up for me regarding its position.

n.simpson · 20-12-2006, 5:29 PM

I investigated last night and yes the screen does fit (just) between the joist and the I-beam so the project marches on as planned. Tonight's the night for the final (for now) floor cutting and then ceiling cutting. Tomorrow is the day for mounting and finsihing the hole in the celing and Friday is the day for repairing the floor. That's the rough plan at least, I can see it slipping...

n.simpson · 21-12-2006, 9:59 AM

Last night's success- I managed to drop a weighted piece of string from upstairs down the back of the wall. I then pulled this through the hole at the back of my AV kit downstairs and pulled my component cable back upstairs. I've left another piece of string there to pull up my HDMI cable when it arrives.

Last night's failure- I didn't get the hole in the ceiling cut as I ran out of time. I plan to get that cut and edged tonight.

Tonight's work- Having measured all the required dimensions last night I'm hoping to buy some wood and get to work fabricating the mounts to fit in the I-beam to alllow the projector to be mounted to this. If I had the right materials and tools I know I could knock up a much better, simpler, stronger metal hangar but, short of breaking into the Craft and Design department of my local school, I'm forced to stick to using wood. I'll then cut the hole and can test the screen properly.

frank-e-boy · 23-12-2006, 10:20 AM

Use some steel fixings like this to support it from, would be much easier than trying to make something up. http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/GCBC250.html

You just hammer them onto the lip of the beam and it done. I think they support up to 90KG each.

n.simpson · 29-12-2006, 11:33 AM

It's up and running! I've taken pics which I'll post later. It's not quite complete yet but the projector is mounted, the screen is temporarily mounted, the component cable is run and hidden and I've sat and watched several films already. One day soon I'll have to put the floor back together upstairs but I need to wait on my HDMI cable arriving first.

n.simpson · 29-12-2006, 5:21 PM

Ok, so the first step after the holes were cut was to drop some cables down the back of the wall. I attached a fishing weight to the green string and lowered that down roughly halfway across the wall. Due to my careful calculations, and a large slice of fluke, I was actually able to see the string behind the holes which I already had in my wall downstairs. So the string was pulled through the hole and then a component cable pulled up the back of the wall.

n.simpson · 29-12-2006, 5:28 PM

Next I had to fix the projector mount and drill another hole to drop the cables through. The hole was cut using a hole saw attachment for my drill. Luckily 2 of the 3 screws required to secure the mount could be screwed directly into an I-joist. The 3rd was secured using a heavy duty plasterboard fixing.

n.simpson · 29-12-2006, 5:31 PM

Finally the screen was lowered into place and rested upon 2 pieces of wood between the lips of the I-joist and steel I-beam. Here are the before and after pics of my room.

n.simpson · 29-12-2006, 5:36 PM

So, that's how things stand at the moment.

Still to do:
1) Decide whether the screen should remain IR controlled and use my harmony remote to raise and lower it or whether to run a 12V trigger cable from the PJ.

2) Finish the hole I cut in the ceilling. I have some temporary beading around the edge but I'd like to clean it up and make sure it is all perfectly straight before I'm happy that it's finished.

3) Add some sound proofing under the floor whilst it is lifted.

4) Buy some more DVDs and maybe an HD DVD player...

5) Fix the floor upstairs. I've a feeling that this will take the longest and be the most difficult part of the whole install- I can't wait!

lone ranger · 29-12-2006, 5:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n.simpson

Ok, so the first step after the holes were cut was to drop some cables down the back of the wall. I attached a fishing weight to the green string and lowered that down roughly halfway across the wall. Due to my careful calculations, and a large slice of fluke, I was actually able to see the string behind the holes which I already had in my wall downstairs. So the string was pulled through the hole and then a component cable pulled up the back of the wall.

hi mate,looking good so far,1 question the cables coming out of your wall at the bottom,where did you get that black fitting to put in the hole to keep it smooth and tidy.

n.simpson · 30-12-2006, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stel

hi mate,looking good so far,1 question the cables coming out of your wall at the bottom,where did you get that black fitting to put in the hole to keep it smooth and tidy.

They are actually bass ports that you buy from Maplin (or probably other places too) - http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...=SEO&U=strat15.

They are discussed in slightly more detail in my original thread - Mounting a 26" LCD on plasterboard