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Ben's new cinema room....
- Thread starter benwillcox
- Start date
diesel
Active Member
Hi Ben.
That's a fantastic room mate. Having a games room adjacent is just the icing on the cake
I once bought a CRT from these very forums. I got it delivered and it was sat in it's box in the centre of the living room floor when my wife arrived home from work.........
.........I sold it to another AVForums member the day after
The size of CRT PJs is what convinced my wife to agree to let me start looking for a self build project (so I could have a dedicated room)
EDIT:- why is thread only four stars??? I've just awarded it 5 stars and that's the minimum it deserves!
EDIT EDIT:- yay, thread has gone back to 5 stars after I voted
That's a fantastic room mate. Having a games room adjacent is just the icing on the cake
I once bought a CRT from these very forums. I got it delivered and it was sat in it's box in the centre of the living room floor when my wife arrived home from work.........
.........I sold it to another AVForums member the day after
The size of CRT PJs is what convinced my wife to agree to let me start looking for a self build project (so I could have a dedicated room)
EDIT:- why is thread only four stars??? I've just awarded it 5 stars and that's the minimum it deserves!
EDIT EDIT:- yay, thread has gone back to 5 stars after I voted
Last edited:
jagdeepp
Banned
An absolutely top notch project! I've sat and read each post one by one and clicked the links to the other threads. Very interesting indeed and an excellent build.
I'd love to see some screenshots just to finish it off. Hopefully they can be added.... before next christmas! lol
Well done again! Absolutely love those cinema seats.
I'd love to see some screenshots just to finish it off. Hopefully they can be added.... before next christmas! lol
Well done again! Absolutely love those cinema seats.
benwillcox
Member
That looks awesome, i love the games room; if i'd have seen an original Star Wars Pinball table in there i would have totally lost control of all my bodily functions
Thanks Inzaman!
I once bought a CRT from these very forums. I got it delivered and it was sat in it's box in the centre of the living room floor when my wife arrived home from work.........
.........I sold it to another AVForums member the day after
The size of CRT PJs is what convinced my wife to agree to let me start looking for a self build project (so I could have a dedicated room)
Hi Diesel, yes I don't think I would have got away with 1 let alone 2 CRTs if I didn't have a dedicated room!
Just checked out your thread, now THAT is an awesome build project you have there - I will be following it with great interest!
EDIT:- why is thread only four stars??? I've just awarded it 5 stars and that's the minimum it deserves!
EDIT EDIT:- yay, thread has gone back to 5 stars after I voted
Nice one, many thanks
An absolutely top notch project! I've sat and read each post one by one and clicked the links to the other threads. Very interesting indeed and an excellent build.
I'd love to see some screenshots just to finish it off. Hopefully they can be added.... before next christmas! lol
Well done again! Absolutely love those cinema seats.
Thanks Jagdeepp for the comments! I will get some screenshots very soon
Ben
blueboy1971
Active Member
Wow, first time i have seen this thread. Amazing work and i think you achieved the dream that many of us have.
Well done.
Well done.
benwillcox
Member
Thanks Blueboy and Woodie for your comments!
Well I waved goodbye to the 2 Barcos last night, they sold on ebay for absolute peanuts, but at least they went to a good home where another CRT enthusiast will take care of them!
Had a bit of a play with some screenshots, I'm no photographer unfortunately but here's a few shots from a Canon EOS 350D on automatic mode, flash off. Here you go:
Now, I have read somewhere else that the best way to take a screenshot that includes some of the cinema room itself, you need to first take a photo of the room with the screen removed (so you don't get reflection from the screen), and then another photo of the projected image and overlay the two.
Its a bit wonkey round the edges and you can see the frame through the acoustic cloth thanks to the flash used in the first photo of the room, but here's my little experiment:
Well I waved goodbye to the 2 Barcos last night, they sold on ebay for absolute peanuts, but at least they went to a good home where another CRT enthusiast will take care of them!
Had a bit of a play with some screenshots, I'm no photographer unfortunately but here's a few shots from a Canon EOS 350D on automatic mode, flash off. Here you go:
Now, I have read somewhere else that the best way to take a screenshot that includes some of the cinema room itself, you need to first take a photo of the room with the screen removed (so you don't get reflection from the screen), and then another photo of the projected image and overlay the two.
Its a bit wonkey round the edges and you can see the frame through the acoustic cloth thanks to the flash used in the first photo of the room, but here's my little experiment:
benwillcox
Member
I decided to change my screen material today, as the screen has a couple of very small cuts and scrapes in it due to being touched/knocked at some point.
As I didn't post any pictures of the screen when I made it, I thought I would take some pictures this time!
Again I went for blackout cloth from Dunelm, I still think its by far the most cost effective way to make a screen, and cost me £20 for 3m worth. In fact, I have a commercial pulldown screen so I thought I would do a comparison to see how different the blackout cloth looks. See if you can tell which is which....!:
The screen frame was built using 18x69mm battens, in two layers with staggered joints to add rigidity:
The centre horizonal vertical batten is only single layer, at the back of the screen so that there is no chance if it being visible by touching the screen:
Here's the cloth laid out ready to go:
Frame placed centrally on the cloth, you can see here what I mean about the central vertical batten not 'touching cloth'.
Ready for stapling:
And now fully stretched and stapled around all sides:
And here's the finished screen, although you can't tell from the photographs it's much better than the old one!
Also re-painted the ceiling today to cover the filler where the old projectors used to be. It seems to be very difficult to get a black paint that is very flat matt, and very black. I ended up using some B&Q 'Colours' soft black matt. It's a bit greyer than the last paint I used but is very flat so there are very minimal reflections. I did test out some International matt black (which I've used on the door) but although its blacker it has a bit of a sheen to it which isn't great as you get reflections from the screen.
Ben
As I didn't post any pictures of the screen when I made it, I thought I would take some pictures this time!
Again I went for blackout cloth from Dunelm, I still think its by far the most cost effective way to make a screen, and cost me £20 for 3m worth. In fact, I have a commercial pulldown screen so I thought I would do a comparison to see how different the blackout cloth looks. See if you can tell which is which....!:
The screen frame was built using 18x69mm battens, in two layers with staggered joints to add rigidity:
The centre horizonal vertical batten is only single layer, at the back of the screen so that there is no chance if it being visible by touching the screen:
Here's the cloth laid out ready to go:
Frame placed centrally on the cloth, you can see here what I mean about the central vertical batten not 'touching cloth'.
Ready for stapling:
And now fully stretched and stapled around all sides:
And here's the finished screen, although you can't tell from the photographs it's much better than the old one!
Also re-painted the ceiling today to cover the filler where the old projectors used to be. It seems to be very difficult to get a black paint that is very flat matt, and very black. I ended up using some B&Q 'Colours' soft black matt. It's a bit greyer than the last paint I used but is very flat so there are very minimal reflections. I did test out some International matt black (which I've used on the door) but although its blacker it has a bit of a sheen to it which isn't great as you get reflections from the screen.
Ben
What a fantastic build, well done Ben!
May I ask a couple of questions?
1) How will you access the front speakers should you need to?
2) The equipment on the extendable rack will not be facing the seats. Are you bothered that you won't be able to see any of the displays of the equipment should you want to adjust something whilst watching a film?
Thanks
May I ask a couple of questions?
1) How will you access the front speakers should you need to?
2) The equipment on the extendable rack will not be facing the seats. Are you bothered that you won't be able to see any of the displays of the equipment should you want to adjust something whilst watching a film?
Thanks
benwillcox
Member
What a great read, took me over an hour, brilliant.
Glad to see the Panny AE4000, looking forward to finishing my own effort but it will be Halloween by the time I get it all done, very slow when its a one man job.
Well done on all your efforts
Thanks! I've been following your thread too, I see you have an Onkyo TXSR608, I have got my eye on one of those myself to replace my ancient Sherwood amp!
Cheers,
Ben
benwillcox
Member
Thanks!
The speaker columns are not fixed in place, they just sit in position so can easily be removed by just pulling them out.
As for the displays on the equipment, I have disconnected all the LEDs inside the HTPC case and covered the air-con LED with black tape, so the only thing with a display on it is the amp. When I watch a film I turn the display off on the Amp so everything is completely black.
With a totally blacked out room any little bit of light is easily visible, and I don't want any distractions at all. I've even had to put black tape over the power LED on my sub, and the LED inside the smoke detector!
Cheers,
Ben
Thanks!
The speaker columns are not fixed in place, they just sit in position so can easily be removed by just pulling them out.
As for the displays on the equipment, I have disconnected all the LEDs inside the HTPC case and covered the air-con LED with black tape, so the only thing with a display on it is the amp. When I watch a film I turn the display off on the Amp so everything is completely black.
With a totally blacked out room any little bit of light is easily visible, and I don't want any distractions at all. I've even had to put black tape over the power LED on my sub, and the LED inside the smoke detector!
Cheers,
Ben
Hi Ben,
Point taken on the light pollution, not sure about the smoke detector though
In terms of the speakers its the ones along the bottom beneath the screen I'm talking about. If we are talking about the same thing is there a chance you might take a pic of the covers moved out of place slightly so I can see exactly what you have done?
I'm planning my own dedicated cinema room and love what you have done with the speakers at the front and will be taking inspiration from it.
benwillcox
Member
OK, hopefully these will explain how they fit - here's the cover over the centre speaker removed and turned around so you can see it from the back. It's angled so that it just leans against the wall when in place. Please excuse all the junk stashed behind it!
And same again but for the left column. The shelf for the speaker you can see here is offset from the front of the wall by a couple of inches. The idea was that my masking curtains would be stowed behind the speakers and come out of the gap to cover the screen. In practice this didn't quite work due to the bunching up of the material, but I plan to rebuild the masking system using tensioned fabric on vertical rollers which hopefully will work better!
Ben
OK, hopefully these will explain how they fit - here's the cover over the centre speaker removed and turned around so you can see it from the back. It's angled so that it just leans against the wall when in place. Please excuse all the junk stashed behind it!
And same again but for the left column. The shelf for the speaker you can see here is offset from the front of the wall by a couple of inches. The idea was that my masking curtains would be stowed behind the speakers and come out of the gap to cover the screen. In practice this didn't quite work due to the bunching up of the material, but I plan to rebuild the masking system using tensioned fabric on vertical rollers which hopefully will work better!
Ben
Hi Ben,
Thanks, yes it makes sense now. My room will be 'width compromised' at about 9.5-10ft so no space on the sides for speakers, they will all go along the bottom. Your cover seems to be exactly what I will need to cover the speakers neatly but provide ready access.
Thanks again and good luck with the final stages of the build
