Please Please Please Advise

[welshboyyo]

Hello All.

I will try and keep this as structured as possible but please forgive if I wander. Firstly have new type detached house with integral garage. Garage size approx 17ft by 8ft. Want to convert garage to cinema room.

Garage currently has flat concrete floor approx a 7inch drop from hallway floor. Floors are made of that block stuff but will be plasterboarded. Garage door will go and be replaced by wall and window to match others in house. Brother in law is a builder thank god!!!

Lets start with proposed kit, this is open to change but more importantly need structural advice. Amp 6.1 Denon/Yamaha or Onkyo around £500. DVD Denon with upscaling around £400 Speakers def Mission Cubes as thy sound awesome but more importantly misses loves there look. Projector undecided but max £1500 screen max £300.

Floor would like to raise it about 6inches so it is just level with hallway floor as you now step down into garage. If I raise floor could i put some kind of insulation to stop the sound resonating. Also what is best for floor Carpet/Tiles Laminate??

Walls painted she wants a chocolate & cream theme. Is it viable to carpet the walls halfway up. Any other ideas will not go amiss. I definatly want to insulate the internal walls for sound proofing, any good reasoanbly priced products out there.

Ceiling - Firstly what color, and I am thinking of putting spot lights in on dimmer switch. Also will require serious insulating as guest room is above it.

What kinda screen size can I get away with if we are sitting about 16 ft away from it and what level. I hope to have AV kit mounted below screen. I was hoping for and 80" proj screen but might be limited after we have plasterboarded and insulated walls.

All cables will be run in walls ceiling so should look the DBs, just hope nothing needs replacing.

So so far the room willl consist of av kit and screen and projector mounted on ceiling. We will have an L shape sofa which will make into a double bed a massive leather bean bag and 1 X Small Stella fridge. Will I get away with black out blinds on window.

I know this is alot to ask and alot may have been posted before but please try and advice.

Many many thanks Weshboyyo

Work starts OCT 06

[hornydragon]

have a look at the "official AVforums home theatre" threads very similar to what you are proposing

[benmc]

For advice on the flooring have a look at this thread

Timber joists or floating floor?

The other thing to consider is building control. There are new tougher regulations on insulation values BUT I have just spoken to my building control dept (Bracknell) and they said if I start before 1st Oct I do not have to comply with the new regulations.

Ben

[LV426]

Screen size: as big as possible. The bigger it is, the closer you get to the true "cinema" experience. Even with standard definition video sources, with half-decent reproduction you can get away with a screen width of about 2/3 your viewing distance so in your case say 12 ft (!) if the room can accomodate it. I'm 12 ft away from an 8ft wide (9ft diagonal) screen. If not, just go as big as you can.

The level of the screen may also be dictated by your room. If you have some flexibility then it's going to depend on your seating. If your seating is reclined (meaning, it tends to make you want to look upwards) then you'd position your screen higher. You want to be comfortably looking straight-on to roughly the middle of the screen.

Screen position may also be determined by your choice of projector. If you choose one with lens shift, this will give you flexibility. If not, the screen height will be dictated by the position of the projector. Digital keystone correction is best avoided.

Decor colours: all as dark as SWMBO will allow.

As many surfaces as possible should be covered with sound deadening materials, including the floor - that means nice thick carpeting, not hard laminate.

As creative says in your other thread - before you choose a DLP projector, do make 100% sure you (and all members of your family) are not in the minority (~10% or so) of the populus who simply don't get alomng with these. Some see rainbows; some find it tiresome to watch for more than a few minutes; others are nauseated. If any of you are unfortunate in this way, choose an LCD model.