New home cinema set up baffled where to start?

[itn]

hi, ive recently just purchased a 3 bedroom semi detached property. Downstairs there is a through lounge. All the paper has been stripped and the carpets removed. So room just a shell.

The audio and video set up i want at home is a 32-37 plasma/lcd as viewing distance will be around 3 meters so any higher screen i think will be loosing quality.

the chimney will have either a hole in wall feature or may have a gas fire which will only be used occasionally.

Also i will have ntl cable box, a dvd, av with 5.1 set up, ps3 when its out, ill be using hdmi cable when i can so thats the dvd and ps3 sorted.

the plasterer/skimmer has started to skim the whole house and he is starting upstairs. so before he does the lounge i want to sort out my wiring so its all hidden and ready when i get my new screen.

on right hand side of wall of chimney i have 2 double sockets, ive not had the ntl guys in yet.

where shall i start for wire hiding, i dont want any messy wires showing, i like the idea of have audio flat plates for audio connection for 5.1, and hdmi and scarts, etc

i need to order this and have this sorted my mon next week as thats when plasterer will be ready to finish.

also whats the best way to make the groves in the wall for the wires, do you just chisel, itll take forever. or do u make a groove, push wires in and plaster over, or is the best way to use trunken pipes etc...

please advise, help, or send me links of peoples projects?

also what wires would be best to fit in so its ready for any future upgrades?

also wheres the best place to get speaker wires?. ive been advised by a place in leicester called sevenoakes to use these flat wires which theyve used in there demo room, cost bout £2.00 a meter. its used with there £5k speakers.

regards

mohammad

[Badger0-0]

One thing I'd say is go for a bigger telly if you can. 42" or even 50" at that distance, IMO.
The speaker cable will be fine.

[padlock]

yep at lest a 42"

[RS 4273]

yeah defo i would agree,but 50" would be better, 40" would be way way to small from 3 mtr,i have a sony x series 40" i sit 2 mtr away and i find that too smal so im upgrading ,and by the way i have 20/20 vision,from 3 mtr you could get a pj and wack up a 100" screen and that woud be fine.

its your descision but anything less than 40" will be pants..

edit.. by the way i watch mostly HD around 70% of HD movies & tv (SKY HD/HD DVD) so thats what i am basing this on.

i cant bare to watch standard digital tv anymore or even dvd for that matter it sucks,but have to put up with a little.

[Badger0-0]

If your walls are brick, then yes, you may have to chase a groove, but you can probably get something from a hire shop to speed things up. If you're going to be running mains cable too, it has to be covered with steel trunking, for safety reasons.
It may be easier to use some type of conduit or box trunking, but obviously not as nice looking.

[Sonic67]

Make sure you have plenty of sockets for all the AV gear. Add in TV, FM, DAB aerial sockets. Decide where your speakers and TV are going. Have a look during the day as to where the sunlight falls or you will be watching TV with the curtains shut. Ideally put the TV so it’s back is to the window or similar.

Mark the walls out with pencil or chalk as to where the chases are going to be. Keep cables runs vertical or horizontal and fairly logical. At some point in the future you might want to put up shelving etc and you don’t want to stick a nail through.

Chase out the plaster up to the ceiling and lift the boards above. Drill one inch holes through the joists and then come back down the walls for the speakers etc. Don’t drill joists more than 25% away from the walls. Don’t nail floorboard back down use screws. It’s easier to lift them again.

Don’t run mains cable with speaker, co-ax etc. Keep the cables in separate holes and chases. Cover the cables in the walls with metal or plastic sheathing (also called channelling). Hold the sheathing against the wall then use some nails to hold the sheathing back. Don’t nail the cable. The plasterer can just skim over. If the plaster is really thin on the wall you will need to chase out some brick work too.

If you have a 5.1 system but think you might go to 7.1 why not bury the cable in the wall anyway? Bury a metal box in the wall run the cable in with plenty of slack then cut a piece of channel and blank the box off. The plasterer can skim over and you can dig it out in the future.

[jonny round boy]

Originally Posted by Badger0-0

If you're going to be running mains cable too, it has to be covered with steel trunking, for safety reasons.

Sorry Badger, but that's just plain wrong. Mechanical protection (in the form of earthed steel trunking/conduit) is only required IF the cable is outside the prescribed zones. There's a guide to the zones HERE.

[Badger0-0]

Ah, I stand corrected

I wouldn't bury a cable without protecting it anyway.
Knowing me I'd forget and end up electrocuting myself a few years on.