A few basic newbie Home Cinema DIY questons. Help?

[Slimjim]

Hello guys n' gals...

Quick overview of me and my current setup.
I don't watch a great deal of TV, but watch quite a few videos.
About 6 years ago I bought a "Good" 42" Plasma.
Well, it was at the time! 42" Panasonic TYS42PA50W.

I did what "I" thought was an OK install at the time.
Put all my hardware upstairs, covered the window on the left and patio doors on the right with full length black out curtains. Took all the cables upstairs via trunking I hid in the wall.
Used a remote IR transmitter to control everything.

Not a great job... but not bad for my first time (on a VERY tight budget!)


Since then... I have moved house. Been here for a few years now... and I am sick of the AWFUL quality of my TV. and I am thinking of moving forward

Here is my current layout

42" plasma on a boring stand.

Not great, but it is a starting point!

I have this idea in my head that is a BIG project for me... but is probably a small thing for you guys. Could you have a look and see if it seems do-able on a "medium" budget?

Here is my idea....

Get rid of the Plasma (Stick it on the wall upstairs at the foot of my bed)

Put in a false/floating roof, about 10cm lower than standard, with a 20cm gap round the edge, to use for RGB strip hidden lighting.

At the end of the floating ceiling, where the window is... integrate an electric projection screen.

At the opposite end, above the sofa, within the lowered roof and also into the original roof, have a projector lift.

Something like this...

I would also be able to use the floating roof to hide speakers.


SO.... my questions....
(I have searched the forum quite a bit... but I am presuming these have been asked a LOT of times)

1. Can I just use a projector to watch TV?
Does anyone else NOT have a TV in there room and ONLY used their projector to watch TV?

2. To make the room "Wife friendly" the colour scheme may need to stay the same. i.e. nice and bright. If I make sure I replace the crappy blinds with GOOD black out curtains, will the projected image be VERY adversely effected by light bleed?

3. Does this idea look VERY stupid for some reason? (Please tell me!)

4. Recon someone with average DIY skills could pull something like this off... with minimal pain... at a decent level, with average hardware, for a TIGHT budget of about £3 or £4k?

Newbie here... waiting to be flamed and pointed in the direction of the "Search" button!

Hope you comment... even if it is ALL negative stuff... Don't worry, I can take it!

(Oh... and don't worry about pointing out my vision will be minus sound, as the sound system will be getting it's own budget)

[Sonic67]

You can use a projector for tv but it isn't always done either because some set ups are too much trouble, for instance getting the screen lowered or because when some people are watching TV they are reading a newspaper as well. Some set ups will be too dark to be able to read a paper as well. So usually projectors are for cinema and tv watching done with a tv. You might want to consider a small tv in the same room for casual watching.

[Slimjim]

Originally Posted by Sonic67

You can use a projector for tv but it isn't always done either because some set ups are too much trouble, for instance getting the screen lowered or because when some people are watching TV they are reading a newspaper as well. Some set ups will be too dark to be able to read a paper as well. So usually projectors are for cinema and tv watching done with a tv. You might want to consider a small tv in the same room for casual watching.

Thanks for that....

I suppose a "duel" system is the ideal setup. But I am not sure where I could fit a TV as well. Possibly something that could swing out from the wall between the fireplace and the window. Kind of where the Plasma is now... but wall mounted.

Another reason of getting rid of the TV was to make a little more space in the room. Was looking to have a chair in the corner there where the TV is now. (My better half wants a Barcelona chair)


So the choice would be, have the projector but then if someone wanted to watch the "TV" on the projector, no-one else in the room could do anything else? OR have both, so

I understand it needs to be dark where the Screen is. But if we were sitting at the end of the sofa with the patio doors, light pouring in, but the opposite end, with the screen, pitch black, would that not be fine? so I could watch and my better half could read... or vice-versa?
(Just proving I AM a newbie!)

[Sonic67]

Different projectors have different light outputs and could cope better. It might be better asking this as a specific question in the relevant forum.

[Slimjim]

Originally Posted by Sonic67

Different projectors have different light outputs and could cope better. It might be better asking this as a specific question in the relevant forum.

Cheers .... thanks for the heads up...

[MarkP80]

Hi,

At the end of the floating ceiling, where the window is... integrate an electric projection screen.

You might want to consider boxing the screen in completely at that end of the room, then have your gap between the floating ceiling and the housing, if you see what I mean. I suspect this may give you a neater result. The housing wouldn't be big, I'd guess 250x250, across the full width of the end of the room.

MarkP

[Slimjim]

Originally Posted by MarkP80

Hi,

You might want to consider boxing the screen in completely at that end of the room, then have your gap between the floating ceiling and the housing, if you see what I mean. I suspect this may give you a neater result. The housing wouldn't be big, I'd guess 250x250, across the full width of the end of the room.

MarkP

Not quite sure what you are saying there....

So the floating ceiling will be where it goes...

But also, CLOSER to the window, the screen will be boxed in, right in the corner of the wall and ceiling. Right the way across the way of the wall.

I don't quite understand why that is different to having it integrated to the end of the floating celing?

Must be a reason why it would be better... but, being a newbie... I don't know what it is